FABB Blog

I believe cycling can be both fun and useful, so this column will address all aspects of cycling, with a focus on riding for pleasure and transportation in and around Vienna. I'll provide riding and maintenance tips, as well as suggestions of places to enjoy exploring by bike. And from time to time, I might write about someone in the local cycling community. In fact, that's what the rest of today's column is about.

John Brunow, founder and owner of bikes@vienna, is preparing to depart for Iowa in early December. Almost 13 years ago, John decided to take the leap and open a bicycle shop in downtown Vienna. And while there have certainly been challenges and lean times, there's no disputing the shop has been successful. Offering a range of bicycles, many not seen in a typical bike shop, including recumbents, folding bikes, and bikes specifically designed for people with special needs, John carved out a niche for himself in the mid-Atlantic region. Along the way, he gained many loyal customers through his patient, low-key approach to matching the bike to the buyer while taking care of their needs and concerns.

More and more adults are getting exercise by riding bikes, and in cities like Minneapolis, Portland, Washington, DC, they're biking to work. Researchers at Rutgers University say the number of cyclists commuting in these cities has tripled in the last couple of decades.

"Most people understand that walking and biking is healthy but they don't really consider this is something they can fit into their daily lives."

"Who doesn't feel invigorated after a ride?"

It should be no surprise that these paths see a high collision and injury rate. A 2009 literature review of traffic safety studies looked at bicycle crashes and discovered that multi-use paths are more dangerous to ride on than even major roads.

Most attempts to address the danger focus on educating users to "share the path." This has been the gist of the most levelheaded responses to the tragic incident on the Katy Trail.

In effect, this is a way to blame the users. This becomes more clear when you brave the comment section on any story about the tragedy. The vitriolic finger-pointing starts immediately. Some blame bicyclists who ride fast and don't use their bells when passing. Others blame walkers and joggers who stop suddenly, don't hold their line, and let their kids and dogs run freely. Everyone blames people wearing headphones. Some simply blame everyone.

Meanwhile, few are looking to the real culprit: the increasingly common practice of building transportation facilities that cannot safely or comfortably carry the planned types of traffic, promoting them heavily, and then accepting easy credit for providing bike routes without having to take the political risks of encroaching on the vast amounts of roadways reserved for cars.

Shared trails are being heavily funded on the federal level, with politicians and advocates claiming major bike-friendliness points. This trend is likely to continue even post-election -- Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) in line to be the new chair of the House Transportation Committee, is already boasting that his state has the most such multi-use paths in the country.

Even if they were not shared, many of these paths would not be adequate for bicycle traffic. Sight lines are not good, there is often no lane to pass slower riders, and the number of users keeps going up, up, and up. This is not the fault of people who ride bikes on them. In most cities, as in Dallas, options are slim. A congested, shared off-road path is often the lesser of two evils.

Politicians, planners, and advocates need to step up. And disgruntled trail users need to stop blaming each other and demand real bike paths. Often there's room in the same right of way to have a walking path and bike lanes in both directions, all wide enough. Many cities are experimenting with these, including Vancouver, B.C., Manhattan, and Seoul -- though you can still see an inevitable amount of user error in each of these photos.

But a few token separated paths, no matter how wide, will never be more than a political compromise. We need suitable places to go walk and jog and relax.

And if we are going to fill the rapidly growing demand for bicycle infrastructure, we need the real thing. Cramming bikes onto serene paths is like putting a superhighway through a schoolyard.

We already have a wide-ranging network of paved bike routes, where people can ride as fast and freely as they need to, have plenty of room to pass each other, and can expect to encounter pedestrians and joggers at clearly marked intersections. We just need to take back some of that space from cars. And for the sake of the paths, we need to do it soon.

The president of AAA Mid-Atlantic recently advocated for the elimination of existing federal programs that help build bicycle and pedestrian trails and sidewalks from the trust fund that finances transportation. These funds have helped create more than 19,000 miles of trails, walking and bicycling facilities across the country—likely including your favorite nearby trail.

AAA Mid-Atlantic suggests that an $89 billion annual highway fund shortfall can be blamed on investments in walking and bicycling. But those investments total less than $1 billion annually and produce tremendous benefits for everyone, including drivers.

The reality is that many bicyclists drive, support AAA, pay gas taxes and want balanced transportation systems that provide the choice to get around in a variety of ways—for commuting or daily errands, or for fun and exercise.

If AAA's false ideas take root, America’s transportation future—one where communities are more livable and people have safe and convenient choices for getting around—is in jeopardy.

Help us show AAA that trail, walking and bicycling programs actually benefit everyone, very much including their own members!

"Wolfie's Bike Train" outnumbered commuting cars on its two-mile trek to Wolftrap Elementary School on Thursday morning as more than 20 children biked to school under the Safe Routes to School initiative, a program designed to help communities make walking and biking to school a safe part of students' morning routine.

"I feel great when I ride the bike train. I get myself to school, and I have my own space. It's cool because you actually get to pedal and exercise instead of just sitting there on the bus," 7-year-old Carlyle, who biked on Thursday, said. "You get to see some of your friends, and you get to practice going up and down hills. There is this huge hill that we go down, and it goes sooooo fast! I want to do the bike train again and again because it's fun."

Surely the cyclist must share some of the blame for not yielding the right of way to the motorist who was legally using the service road. The cyclists actions were not only selfish, but even dangerous.

He or she could have taken the moral high ground and engaged in safer behavior by pulling aside, instead of being apparently annoyed and pigheaded by refusing to yield to the bigger and heavier automobile.

Clarke just edited a new book, Smart Cycling: Promoting Fun, Fitness and the Environment. He’ll be answering questions, signing copies of his new book, and discussing how the League is building a Bicycle Friendly America!
The book covers everything from how to get started on a bike to advanced training. It was published by Human Kinetics, and includes chapters on how to choose the right bike and gear, essential basic cycling skills, the rules of the road, maintenance and quick repairs, safety strategies, commuting and group riding. Smart Cycling is a great resource for parents, teachers, students and new and returning riders.

Please RSVP to anne@thebikelane.com and let us know you’re coming (or just show up, if your schedule allows it). We look forward to seeing you!

Fairfax County police from Mount Vernon are looking for witnesses to an accident Sunday afternoon in Belle Haven.

Police say a 50-year-old bicyclist collided with a four-door 2005 Toyota Corolla around 3 p.m. The accident happened on Belle Haven Road as the car—headed westbound—attempted to turn onto southbound Fort Hunt Road. The bicyclist, headed east on Belle Haven, was thrown from his bike and remains in the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Detectives urge anyone who witnessed the accident to contact Crime Solvers:

* By phone: 1-866-411-TIPS or 703-691-2131.
* By e-mail: www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org
* By SMS message: To: CRIMES/274637 and begin your message with "TIP187".

"You won't believe it...You're safer on the bicycle than on the sofa!" Lack of daily exercise is harmful to your health, while physical activity keeps your body healthy.

Cycling extends your life - daily exercise for minimum 30 minutes extends your life with up to five years.

According to the U.S. Consumer Expenditure Survey, in 2008 U.S. motorists spent on average approximately $2,700 per vehicle on ownership expenses (purchase, registration, insurance, etc.) and $1,400 on fuel and oil, about $4,100 in total. That year, governments spent $181 billion to build and maintain roadways (more if you include traffic services such as policing and emergency response), or about $730 annually per registered motor vehicle. Less than half of these roadway expenses are paid by motor vehicle user fees, the rest are borne through general taxes.

A typical urban parking space costs $5,000 to $25,000 to construct, resulting in $500 to $1,500 in annualized construction and operating costs. There are estimated to be at least three off-street parking spaces per vehicle worth about $3,000 annually in total per vehicle. This indicates that most vehicles are worth less than the road and parking infrastructure required for their use. For each dollar that a motorist spends on their vehicle, governments, businesses and consumers must spend at least another dollar to provide roads and parking facilities for their use.

I am not suggesting that everybody must give up driving altogether. My research and my personal experience indicate that the best transport system is multi-modal: good walking and cycling conditions; good public transit, carsharing and taxi services; and mixed land use to minimize the distances people must travel to reach common services and activities. This is no more "anti-automobile" than a healthy diet is "anti-food," it lets users choose the best mode for each trip.

Now that I live where I work, and have gone carless, I proposed covering the event by bike. My boss, Jim Farley, who's embraced the changes in our industry and put us way ahead of the curve in so many ways, gave me the thumbs up. And hey, he knows an opportunity to cut fleet costs when he sees it.

I had some scrambling to do throughout the day. Getting cell service was a challenge, so we figured the bike would allow me to hightail it off the Mall and better my chances of being able to file electronically.

The bike valets were not available on the Mall, though WABA did make the pitch to Comedy Central, so finding bike parking was actually, a bit of a challenge. Good news in a way--a signal that many folks are indeed finding bikes a viable form of transportation. 

SALEM – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has established a Customer Service Center to take citizen calls and answer transportation questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Citizens can dial 1-800-FOR-ROAD (1-800-367-7623) from anywhere in the state to report road hazards, ask transportation questions, or get information related to Virginia’s roads.

“Now citizens only have to remember one number to get in touch with the Virginia Department of Transportation.  Our service center team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  By handling calls centrally, we maximize our resources and allow our field crews to concentrate on their work in the community. At the same time, no citizen call will go unanswered,” said Greg Whirley, VDOT commissioner.

1-800-FOR-ROAD (1-800-367-7623) is the latest VDOT resource that citizens can use to report potholes, ask questions about road work, or request maintenance services.

Virginians should continue to dial 511 to get information about traffic and road conditions.

This up to the minute traffic information is also available online at www.511virginia.org.  

The VDOT Customer Service Center is located in Salem with a satellite office in Northern Virginia.

The center is staffed by 25 employees and handles up to 1,000 calls a day.

On average, each call is answered in approximately 28 seconds.