FABB Blog

-- Consider imposing a toll to drive into a downtown congestion zone. The toll would make some drivers consider other travel options. The money raised would be used for congestion relief.

-- Create bike lanes and make bike rentals more available. It would get more cars off the streets.

-- Pursue the plan approved this month by the regional Transportation Planning Board to upgrade bus service. I'm not saying Gier should have taken a bus, but if more people had that option, streets would be less crowded.

Please share your suggestions. Here are a few ideas contributed by readers on our Get There blog:

-- Expand the SmartBike program in the District, especially as a means of reaching Nationals Park.

the year after the Idaho Stop became law, bicycle injuries in the state actually declined by 14.5 percent.

Boise, home to Idaho's biggest bike population, "has actually become safer for bicyclists than other cities which don't have the law," Meggs said.

And despite what you may have thought, the law wasn't promoted by cyclists in Idaho, it was judges.

Carl Bianchi, a retired administrative director of Idaho's state courts who is widely considered the father of the Idaho Stop, said it was traffic judges -- not cyclists -- who pushed for the idea in 1982.

Police were ticketing bike riders for failing to come to a complete, foot-down stop. Judges, however, saw "technical violations" clogging up their courts.

"We recognized that the realities of bicycling were a lot different than driving a car," Bianchi said.

The take-home message is that without a strong and sustained reduction in obesity prevalence, obesity will continue to impose major costs on the health system for the foreseeable future. And although health reform may be necessary to address health inequities and rein in rising health spending, real savings are more likely to be achieved through reforms that reduce the prevalence of obesity and related risk factors, including poor diet and inactivity. These reforms will require policy and environmental changes that extend far beyond what can be achieved through changes in health care financing and delivery.

Overview

Enhancing infrastructure supporting bicycling includes creating bike lanes, shared-use paths, and routes on existing and new roads; and providing bike racks in the vicinity of commercial and other public spaces. Improving bicycling infrastructure can be effective in increasing frequency of cycling for utilitarian purposes (e.g., commuting to work and school, bicycling for errands). Research demonstrates a strong association between bicycling infrastructure and frequency of bicycling.

Evidence

Longitudinal intervention studies have demonstrated that improving bicycling infrastructure is associated with increased frequency of bicycling (104,105). Cross-sectional studies indicated a significant association between bicycling infrastructure and frequency of biking (p<0.001) (103,106,107).

Suggested measurement

Total miles of designated shared-use paths and bike lanes relative to the total street miles (excluding limited access highways) that are maintained by a local jurisdiction.

This measurement captures the availability of shared-use paths and bike lanes, as defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, relative to the total number of street network miles in a community. The numerator of this measurement includes both shared-use paths and bike lanes. The denominator of this measurement is limited to paved streets that are maintained by city/local government, and excludes limited access highways. Although no estimated standard exists for this measurement, data collected from local governments reporting on this measurement can lead to establishment of a standard.

103. Troped PJ, Saunders RP, Pate RR, et al. Associations between self-reported and objective physical environmental factors and use of a community rail-trail. Prev Med 2001;32:191--200.

104. Macbeth AG. Bicycle lanes in Toronto. ITE Journal 1999;69:38--46.

105. Staunton CE, Hubsmith D, Kallins W. Promoting safe walking and biking to school: the Marin County success story. Am J Public Health 2003;93:1431--4.

106. Dill J, Carr T. Bicycle commuting and facilities in major U.S. cities: if you build them, commuters will use them. Transportation Research Record 2003;1829:116--23.

107. Nelson A, Allen D If you build them, commuters will use them: association between bicycle facilities and bicycle commuting. Transportation Research Record 1997;1578:79--83.

Dranesville Supervisor John Foust announced that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has approved the funding of over twenty intersection, pedestrian, and bicycle projects in the Dranesville District. These improvements are in addition to several recently completed projects and seven projects previously funded and scheduled for completion this summer or fall.

In selecting these projects, Supervisor Foust listened to the concerns of numerous constituents, Dranesville homeowner associations and civic organizations, the McLean Pedestrian and Bicycle Task Force, as well as the Dranesville representative to the Fairfax County Trails and Sidewalks Committee.

DRAFT "Straw Man" Plan Text
Comments by Bruce Wright
July 16, 2009

1) P. 45, Local Bus Service - One of the major criticisms of the draft strawman is the lack of detail regarding transit solutions for overcoming future congestion. While there is an extensive bus network currently serving Tysons, it is not seen as a viable option for many people, I sense in large part because it does not use a dedicated roadway. Bus/bike lanes on Routes 7 and 123 could greatly improve travel times for buses. I anxiously await the "detailed bus service plan for Tysons".

2) P. 46, The plan text states: 'THE STREET NETWORK, Overview, The following principles are adopted from the document "Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities," published by ITE in 2008. They describe an approach to the planning and design of urban street networks:

The text that follows has no mention of bicycling, and yet the quoted document contains several references to the need for bike facilities. In fact, the first two principles for CSS in Urban Walkable Communities are:

a. Urban circulation networks should accommodate pedestrians, bicycles, transit, freight and motor vehicles, with the allocation of right-of-way on individual streets determined through the CSS process.
b. The larger network, including key thoroughfares, should provide safe, continuous and well designed multimodal facilities that capitalize on development patterns and densities that make walking, transit and bicycle travel efficient and enjoyable.

The fourth bullet in the text on p. 46 should read: "Street networks should provide a high level of connectivity so that drivers, pedestrians[, bicyclists,] and transit users can choose the most direct routes and access urban properties."

3) Starting on p. 50, Bike lanes are indicated on the Avenue and Main Street sections. These closely match what was included in the Tysons Bicycle Transportation Plan presented to the Planning Commission on February 19, 2009. However, the Boulevard sections (Routes 7 & 123 and International Dr/Gallows Rd) do not contain bike lanes. The text does state: "5 foot on-road dedicated bike lane per direction, where applicable." The Boulevard sections, especially International and Gallows, should have some kind of dedicated bike facility. I suggest striking "where applicable". The boulevards are the major commercial streets and bicyclists will want to access destinations along these streets, including the Metro stations. The text notes that people will be able to walk and bike along Routes 7 & 123 (p. 10, Achieving the Vison) and yet there is no provision for them to bike. My greatest disappointment as a task force member is the lack of a creative solution for Routes 7 and 123 that would create truly walkable and bikeable boulevards.

4) P. 58, Pedestrian and Bicycle Network - As noted above, a Tysons Bicycle Transportation Plan was presented to the Planning Commission on February 19, 2009. This plan should be refined by a transportation consultant and adopted as part of the Comprehensive Plan. The plan includes a network of bicycle routes that closely aligns with the proposed grid of streets and street types. Also included are examples of end-of-trip facilities (bike parking, changing facilities, showers), and proposals for a bike station and bike sharing within Tysons. Detailed end-of-trip facility requirements should be included in the Plan text, based on those used by Arlington County. The Arlington standards may not be applicable to other parts of the county but they do apply in Tysons.

Bicycle connections to surrounding neighborhoods are needed and should be identified now for those areas within a 3 mile radius from the Tysons Center 123 station. A three mile bike trip takes approximately 20 minutes. That travel time is be comparable to SOV and transit travel for trips with in 3 miles. Consideration of this mode should be included in transportation models of short trips into Tysons.

5) P. 59, Parking - It is disappointing that specific parking guidelines were not included in the strawman. As stated in the report, "Fairfax County's TDM Study, when completed, will suggest specific parking rates for TOD areas such as Tysons. These rates can be used for updating Tysons parking requirements in the Zoning Ordinance." It is difficult to review this section without any detail.

6) P. 60, TDM - This section is very weak. After all the work done by the transportation subcommittee on TDM measures, it's unfortunate that almost none of it is in the document. According to the staff note: "Targets for TDM programs need to be added based on the results of the transportation study." However, some basic TDM measures should be identified now, with specific goals based on the results of the transportation study. There is no mention of biking or walking in the measures listed at the top of p. 60. They should be added as examples. Examples could read: "Provide incentives for employees who commute by bike." and "Provide facilities for employees who bike and walk such as changing rooms and showers." or "Promote bike to work day events." Or "Provide one bike sharing station with 20 bicycles for use with the larger bike station network." Later in the document there is mention of TDM mode splits, but if non-motorized modes are not part of TDM, then they aren't part of TDM mode splits.

In what may be the first large U.S. study of health and commuting, the researchers found only about 17 percent of workers walked or bicycled any portion of their commute.

Those active commuters did better on treadmill tests of fitness, even when researchers accounted for their leisure-time physical activity levels, suggesting commuter choices do make a difference.

Crumbling sidewalks, lack of bike paths and sheer distances all keep American commuters in their cars, experts said.

"I would love to bike to work, but it is completely unsafe for me to do so," said Penny Gordon-Larsen of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who led the study in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine. "There's one real small, narrow area where there's no bike lane."

The Oregon/Idaho chapter of the American Automobile Association (a.k.a. “Triple A”) is set to announce that their legendary roadside assistance plan will now cover people riding bicycles. "You've been riding to save gas or stay in shape. For that, you deserve credit. Now AAA Plus provides you with added benefits to recognize your efforts and your lifestyle."

When drivers first see such redesigns, "win-win" is not the first thing on their minds. It's more like, "Where did my road go?" And they often say that the narrower road looks more dangerous to them. That's what happened on Arcola Avenue and on the uppermost portion of Connecticut Avenue just after Montgomery County slimmed down the roads to improve safety.

Drivers get used to it. The technique of road narrowing has been used thousands of times across the country in various ways to protect drivers from each other or to protect pedestrians from drivers.

Right now traveling by bicycle in Reston is hazardous and few try it, other than using the RA trails, which don't serve well for commuting to work or shopping. Adding bike lanes at main road edges or designating paths alongside for shared use are much cheaper than more car lanes and effective in reducing cars on our roads.

To start, signed bike routes should be designated where wide curb lanes already exist on the following: North Shore, Village Road, Center Harbor, Bennington Woods, Colts Neck (south of Glade), Soapstone (south of Glade), Lake Newport, Twin Branches, Glade and Steeplechase. Just some paint and a few signs. Major thoroughfares would require adding wide bike lanes and signage — but would carry a lot of cyclists: North/South-Reston Parkway, Wiehle, Town Center Parkway, Hunter Mill; East/West-Baron Cameron, New Dominion, Sunset Hills, Sunrise Valley, South Lakes and Lawyers. Other streets in Town Center are OK as is for bikes because speeds are slow.

For a very low cost, Reston could make bicycling a significant part of our transportation picture and make a big dent in the number of cars on the road.

So the county's secondary road construction funding pool is expected to cover a wide range projects. New speed bumps, crosswalks, sidewalks, bike lanes, bus stops, no-parking signs, stop signs, interchanges and the widening of existing roads are just some of the types of transportation enhancements that are supposed to be funded out of this pot of money, now at $240,000.

The shortage of funds has resulted in several transportation projects being dropped or permanently put on hold.

Officials halted plans to widen parts of Rolling Road, Telegraph Road, Richmond Highway and Route 7 outside over the new few years. No money is available for interchange construction at Franconia-Springfield Parkway and Neuman Street, Franconia-Springfield Parkway and Interstate 95 or Franconia Road and South Van Dorn Street, according to Ichter.

"There are roads that have been included in the secondary program since 1986 and now there is no hope of getting them built in the short term," she said.

Lack of "secondary road" construction funding could also impact much of the plans to redevelop Tysons Corner and other parts of northern Fairfax County around the new Metrorail extension. According to Ichter, there will be no state money to expand the number of bus routes or increase service on existing bus lines, even if passengers at the new Metro stations demand it.

There will also be no state money available to assist with developing a grid of streets or installing more pedestrian and bicycle paths in Tysons Corner, where the county hopes to create a more urban landscape, said Ichter.

Griffin told the Board of Supervisors that city status would allow Fairfax greater autonomy over taxes and transportation. But it would also turn the tables on the nearby capital city: With 1 million residents, a new Fairfax City would dwarf the District of Columbia, which has fewer than 600,000. (Set aside for a moment that the county already surrounds a smaller Fairfax City.)

"In reality, we do everything a city does aside from maintain the roads," Griffin said. "I think there are substantial arguments to be made for conversion."

Attaining city status, Griffin said, would require a referendum and approval by the state legislature.

The county explored the possibility of taking over roads in 1990 but rejected it partly on concerns about cost to taxpayers. Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), former chairman of the Board of Supervisors, said it would be unwise to revisit the issue during a recession.

"I think it would be a grave fiscal mistake at this time," Connolly said. "It will cost potentially hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Here's the county executive telling the board that there's another $300 [million] to $350 million hole in the projected budget. This is not the time to be talking about taking on new responsibilities."

But Chairman Sharon Bulova (D) said it was worth another look. And she said perhaps it is time for Fairfax to lose the "county" label.

"Fifty, 60 years ago...we were one of the largest producers of dairy products," she said. "Now we are a mostly suburban community with some urbanizing areas. The city label more accurately describes what Fairfax is."