FABB Blog

 

FABB survey results

For the past several months we've had a link to the FABB Survey on the FABB home page. Hunter developed the survey and has written a summary of the results:

For the past few months FABB has been surveying visitors to our Web site to learn what experiences and hopes they have for bicycling in Fairfax County. Although the results are hardly scientific they give a flavor of what the riding public is thinking. Seventy-four site visitors completed the survey with the vast majority being male. Respondents live in a wide smattering of zip codes with Reston and Herndon appearing to be the best represented. Employment zip codes ranged even more widely. All are registered voters.

Most riders chose recreation and health as reasons for biking with commuting coming in third. While respondents could select multiple answers, 70% cited commuting as an important rationale. Most respondents ride several times per week. About half the respondents ride to work at least once a week or more. Approximately 50% of respondents who ride to work average about 10 miles each way.

Fitness and safety were the top considerations in deciding to bike commute. For non-bike-riders weather was the overwhelming reason they chose not to bike-commute. People biked most often on secondary roads followed by bike paths. A small percentage of bike commuters combine their bike commute with some other form of transportation such as Metro. Most occasionally ride in the dark.

Poor road conditions lead the list of regularly encountered problems followed by drivers not sharing the road. Nearly 90% of respondents said that bike lanes or wider lanes or paved shoulders were very important needed improvements. A distant second in importance was driver courtesy or driver awareness.

Many respondents suggested specific stretches that could be improved for cyclists. Perhaps most striking was that many of the named roads were major thoroughfares, not just side-streets or connecting roads. It appears these riders believe they should be part of mainstream traffic.

And finally, FABB priorities should be on-road facilities followed by education, bike path improvements, and driver education.

Labels: FABB survey

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