Wednesday, April 25, 2012
No money for bicycle program
It's not all doom and gloom. While we were very disappointed by the lack of operating funds, that doesn't mean there is no money for bicycle-related activities and projects. Funds from the Commercial and Industrial tax are dedicated to bike projects, primarily the Gallows Road bike lanes. Funds are also available from that source for pedestrian and bicycle projects, most of which are pedestrian access projects around Silver Line Metro stations. Read about the Bicycle Initiative on page 164 of the FY 2013 budget.
The first ever Countywide Bicycle Master Plan is fully funded and should be completed this summer. However, without proper program funding or staff, we're concerned that the Countywide plan could meet the same fate of the Tysons Bicycle Master Plan which was completed in Feb. 2011 and has been sitting on the shelf ever since. It has not been approved by the Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors.
Read the FCDOT's response to Supervisor Foust's questions regarding the Bicycle Program.
Labels: budget cuts, fairfax bicycle program, supervisor foust
Comments:
As I was riding home from work yesterday I had the same scary encounter on a stretch of Vale Rd that I do almost daily. The same stretch where the police have repeatedly told me there is nothing they can do.
This event crystallized my thinking about Fairfax County. The police don’t do anything about bicycle safety because the top-down philosophy in this county is “bike and pedestrian safety are not a priority.”
This is a no-lose scenario for them. So long as people are afraid to bike they won’t get out there and ask for more services. Fear begets budget savings (and obesity, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, work absenteeism, traffic congestion, etc.).
While most other comparably-size jurisdictions around the country forge ahead with providing essential support for bicyclists, Fairfax County, one of the wealthiest in the nation, does nothing. Literally nothing!
We obviously didn’t make the case for quality of life. But to ignore the safety aspects, I think, abdicates their responsibility as the leaders of our community.
The next fiscal year is obviously already lost. The only way they possibly salvage things is to approve the County Bicycle Plan.
This event crystallized my thinking about Fairfax County. The police don’t do anything about bicycle safety because the top-down philosophy in this county is “bike and pedestrian safety are not a priority.”
This is a no-lose scenario for them. So long as people are afraid to bike they won’t get out there and ask for more services. Fear begets budget savings (and obesity, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, work absenteeism, traffic congestion, etc.).
While most other comparably-size jurisdictions around the country forge ahead with providing essential support for bicyclists, Fairfax County, one of the wealthiest in the nation, does nothing. Literally nothing!
We obviously didn’t make the case for quality of life. But to ignore the safety aspects, I think, abdicates their responsibility as the leaders of our community.
The next fiscal year is obviously already lost. The only way they possibly salvage things is to approve the County Bicycle Plan.
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