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YMCA Arlington

Partner Spotlight

Photo: Bianca PattersonBianca Patterson, Membership Services Rep./Events Coordinator

You're never too old, or too young to embrace a car-free lifestyle. In Bianca Patterson's experience, it started early, as a teenager. Her introduction to living a healthy lifestyle began at age 15, when she walked through the doors of the Arlington YMCA and began volunteering as a Counselor in Training.

Little did she know that this would be the beginning of a future career with the YMCA. Patterson cheerfully recalls the various jobs she has held over the past eight years at this popular YMCA. "After I volunteered they put me on the payroll," she recalled. "I've worked in Child Care, Birthday Parties, 'Before and After School Care,' as a Summer Camp Counselor and a Summer Camp Director."

Patterson also teaches CPR, is a YMCA trainer and has been promoted several times, which leads to her current position as Membership Services Representative/Events Coordinator.

Since recently signing on as a Car-Free Diet partner, Patterson is looking forward to building relationships and networking with other partners who have a similar mission: to build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

"We just became a partner last week. It made sense. If you think about it, a Car-Free Diet goes along with what we stand for here at the YMCA, which is for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility."

Patterson was introduced to the Car-Free Diet when she spotted brochures and flyers in various Arlington County schools the YMCA interacts with for their youth programs.

Even though the YMCA wasn't an "official" partner at the time, she felt they were already partners in spirit. "We already participate in Bike to Work Day," she noted, and, "a lot of our members walk and take Metro." She has her walk from the Metro Station timed to between five and eight minutes.

YMCA Arlington logoPatterson is looking forward to learning about fresh ideas and sharing tips with Car-Free Diet partners on what they are doing to promote a car-free lifestyle. She referenced the June CFD Connector article, "It's a Rack-It," about making your business a bike-friendly destination. "That's valuable information and we need to check into getting more bike racks here," she said.

As the December holidays wind down, business at the YMCA ramps up in January due to the New Year's resolution surge. In the upcoming year, she's looking forward to working together with other Car-Free Diet partners and encourages any young professionals interested in volunteering to contact her. The YMCA has their Mini Health Day and Fair scheduled for April 16, 2012, and there are many volunteer opportunities like mentoring and coaching as well as a Senior Sneaker program.

YMCA Arlington
3422 13th Street N.
Arlington, Virginia 22201
Office: (703) 525-5420
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Arlington’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Counters

Bikes counted

View Counter Data
110 Trail
266
14th Street Bridge
562
Arlington Mill Trail
74
Ballston Connector
0
Bluemont Connector
81
CC Connector
206
Clarendon EB bike lane
116
Custis Bon Air Park
219
Custis Rosslyn
344
Eads NB
57
Eads SB
61
Fairfax EB bike lane
56
Fairfax WB
57
Joyce St NB
19
Joyce St SB
0
Key Bridge East
484
Key Bridge West
318
Military NB bike lane
4
Military SB bike lane
10
MVT Airport South
426
Quincy NB bike lane
27
Quincy SB bike lane
34
Roosevelt Bridge
144
Rosslyn Bikeometer
238
TR Island Bridge
251
WOD Bon Air Park
0
WOD Bon Air West
0
WOD Columbia Pike
98
Wilson WB bike lane
94

Peds counted

View Counter Data
110 Trail
14
14th Street Bridge
0
Arlington Mill Trail
290
Ballston Connector
0
Bluemont Connector
416
CC Connector
244
Custis Bon Air Park
228
Custis Rosslyn
244
Eads NB
0
Eads SB
0
Fairfax WB
0
Joyce St NB
61
Joyce St SB
0
Key Bridge East
897
Key Bridge West
620
MVT Airport South
129
Roosevelt Bridge
72
TR Island Bridge
326
WOD Bon Air Park
0
WOD Bon Air West
0
WOD Columbia Pike
144

All counters, YTD

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Year to Date
1178426