Bicycle Friendly Community Action Plan for Reston

Communities across the globe are managing diverse issues such as pollution, congestion, traffic safety, accessibility, social inclusion, and economic growth. Increasing urbanization is generating extra demand for quality public spaces and recreation opportunities. A renewed emphasis on security and the costs of dealing with the emerging epidemics of obesity and physical inactivity are stretching limited resources even further.

Solutions to these many challenges are equally diverse and complex. This Action Plan recognizes one policy initiative that addresses these challenges and contributes to many of the solutions necessary to improve the quality of life in Reston; increasing the percentage of trips made by bicycle by making Reston more bicyclefriendly. Reston Association recognizes that increasing bicycle use can:
In an effort to demonstrate its commitment to improving conditions for and realize the benefits of bicycling in the community, Reston Association’s Board of Directors formally adopted, during its meeting of May 24, 2012 the following Bicycle Friendly Community Action Plan for Reston:
In addition, the Reston Association will advocate to federal, state and county officials the importance of:
ATTEST: This Bicycle Friendly Community Action Plan for Reston was adopted by the Reston Association Board of Directors at its Regular Meeting of May 24, 2012.

"Route 1 as it is now is just not adequate for bicyclists," Belle View resident Mark Murphy said. "The curb lanes are narrow and traffic is heavy and fast. There are frontage roads along some parts of Richmond Highway, but they don't run consistently."

"In my opinion, Route 1 should have striped bike lanes, but someone in VDOT did not want to promote bicycling on that high-speed roadway, and the 15 feet of space could readily be reallocated at a future time into an 11-foot travel lane plus a 4-foot bike lane," Allen Muchnick, Virginia Bicycling Federation board member.

North County Meeting
Tuesday, June 5, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Reston Regional Library
11925 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston, VA 20190

South County Meeting
Wednesday, June 6, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
George Mason Regional Library
7001 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003

"Friday's grand total was 1,485 - the highest of the week. More than half of all elementary school students participated in the event.

Vienna Elementary School saw the largest ever bike count ever on Friday with 78 kids cycling to school. "We overflowed our two racks and the extra one brought over from the ball fields," said Sean McCall.

Wolf Trap Elementary's bike train had three Fairfax County Police Bike Patrol Officers and members of HPC Junior Team riding with students.

Louise Archer, the largest elementary school in Vienna, saw the most students participating this week."

• What types of transportation do you use?

I use a bicycle for transportation as much as possible. My bike allows an upright riding position and has wide tires, a mirror, a kickstand, front and rear lights, and a rack and bags for carrying items. I bring a lock with me so that I can secure my bike when I get to my destination. I also carry a few tools and a spare tube.

• Why did you begin bicycling?

Bicycling has been a lifelong activity for me. I began cycling as a child because cycling is fun. I started on a tricycle and then progressed to a two wheeler. In elementary school, I rode to the pool and to the playground. I didn’t have a car during college, and when I lived off campus for two years, I depended on my bike to get to classes. For almost 30 years, I biked regularly to my job at the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, Virginia.

• How has bicycling affected your ability to live a fuller life?

Bicycling takes me outdoors, exercises my body, and calms my mind. I like the challenge of getting around under my own power, the health benefits of cycling, and the satisfaction of being environmentally friendly. My husband and I have taken many bicycle tours around the country. Bicycling is a great way to see places whether they be national parks or urban areas. Not every bike trip around town will be an epic journey, but each one will be an adventure.

• What advice do you have for others who may benefit from bicycling, but are concerned about trying an unfamiliar transportation mode?

As with any new activity, advance preparation and knowledge help you start. My main advice is to get a decent quality, practical bike that fits you and is appropriate for the intended use. Once you have a bike, have it tuned up periodically. The best place to buy a new or used bike usually is your locally-owned bike shop, not a big box store. A cheap bike might seem like a bargain at first, but it could cost you a lot over time because of difficult or impossible repair needs.

Don’t get hung up on having a fast lightweight bike. For everyday transportation, a bike like a “station wagon” is better than a bike like a “sports car.” Think outside the box and investigate crank forward bikes; 2- and 3-wheel recumbents; adult trikes; and electric assist cycles in addition to conventional bikes. These less common types offer various advantages, such as comfort for your neck, hands, and seat, and the 3-wheel models give options to people with balance problems or other health issues. Some people with Parkinson’s disease who are unable to walk can ride a bike!

If possible test ride a bike before buying it. You also could try renting a bike or using a community bike share. Familiarize yourself with trails and low traffic roads in your area suitable for riding and learn the “rules of the road” that apply to cyclists. Knowing proper riding techniques gives you more confidence and enhances your safety.

Check out the bike education programs offered by the League of American Bicyclists and your local bike advocacy group. In some areas you can find classes to teach adults how to ride if you didn’t learn as a child. “Momentum” and “Bicycle Times” are publications that focus on biking for transportation. Get on your bike and try some short trips and work up to longer ones. Finally, enjoy all the new opportunities that bicycling presents to you!

I appreciated the information given in Kathleen Parker’s May 9 op-ed column, “Eating our way into a disaster.” It did, however, only consider one side to the thinness issue by discussing caloric input of high-glycemic food. I’m a 49-year-old woman, 5-foot-6 and 113 pounds. I eat and drink whatever I want, taking in more than 2,000 calories a day. I’m able to maintain my low body weight because I gave up driving two years ago in disgust over the BP oil spill disaster.

I ride my bike for all of my personal transportation, typically cycling 150 miles a week. The mileage I previously covered in a heavy, gas-powered car is now provided by my leg muscles; I burn a lot of food.

While most people are filling up their gas tank, I’m filling up my plate, including lots of bread and potatoes. Americans indeed eat too much food and eat too thoughtlessly. Yet, if they would get out of their cars, and walk or cycle instead, they wouldn’t be so fat.

Margaret Wohler, Alexandria

This report analyzes cycling trends, policies, and commuting in the Washington, DC area. The analysis is divided into two parts. Part 1 focuses on cycling trends and policies in Washington (DC), Alexandria (VA), Arlington County (VA), Fairfax County (VA), Montgomery County (MD), and Prince George’s County (MD) during the last two decades. The goal is to gain a better understanding of variability and determinants of cycling within one metropolitan area.

Part 2 of the report presents a multiple regression analysis of determinants of bike commuting based on data of 5,091 workers from the Washington, DC region. A series of logit, probit, and relogit (Rare Events Logistic) regressions focus on the role of bike parking, cyclist showers, and free car parking at work as determinants of the decision to cycle to work, while controlling for socio-economic factors, population density, trip distance, bikeway supply, and season of the year.

The report finds that cycling levels and cyclist safety have been increasing in the Washington region. However, cycling appears to be spatially concentrated in neighborhoods of the urban core jurisdictions. Compared to national averages for urbanized areas a larger share of bicycle trips in Washington, DC is commute or work related (41% vs. 17%). Area cyclists are predominantly male, between 25 and 40 years old, white, and from higher income groups.

WABA is positively jazzed to present this year’s BikeFest and for your pleasure, we invite you to pedal back in time and relive the jazz age!

For one night only, we’re turning DC’s Eastern Market into a bicycling speakeasy, so spread the word. Whether you’re a WABA member or not, come on down! Flappers, bootleggers, every day Joes and Joans will find joy and friends of all sorts in an unhurried evening of jazz, drink, food, treats, and more as we celebrate our victories and raise some funds.

As you’re perusing (and pursuing) the silent auction items and splurging on raffle tickets, we will have some splendid hors d’oeuvres to snack on and a secret specialty drink to toss back. To complete the experience, your eyes and ears will be treated to the The Jolley Brothers and the Brian Settles Quartet… and some surprise entertainment.

Last year’s successful Bikebuild contest is back, and our competitors (Papillon Cycle, ThreePenny Bikes, and Silver Cycles) are more clever than ever. Builders are given two rules: keep it cheap and keep it creative. The winning silent steed wil be decided by vote, and each bike will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Papillon took the trophy home last year but we hear Silver Cycles and Three Penny are going to give 'em a run for their money. Stay tuned to our blog for updates on the building process.

The national survey, performed by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, asked 1,003 adults in the United States about their opinions on federal funding for sidewalks, bike lanes, and bike paths. The results were astounding — and bipartisan:

• 83 percent of all respondents support maintaining or growing the federal funding streams that pay for sidewalks, bikeways, and bike paths.
• 80 percent of Republican respondents and 88 percent of Democrat respondents think Congress should maintain or increase federal funds for biking and walking.
• 91 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 support continuing or increasing biking and walking funds.

These results add critical perspective to a pressing national debate about transportation, as members of Congress conference to develop a consensus transportation bill — and some propose eliminating dedicated funding for biking and walking.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

In order for these devices to be effective, they must not be overused, but rather limited to the locations where motor vehicle traffic, bicycle traffic, and roadway conditions combine to create the greatest need. As such, the following considerations apply when evaluating a roadway for the possible application of these devices:

• Neither device shall be used on roadway segments with bike lanes, since a bike lane eliminates the need for these devices.
• Neither device shall be used on roadway segments with paved shoulders 4 feet or more in width. Although cyclists are permitted to use the travel lane even where shoulders are present, these devices may inappropriately discourage some cyclists from using the shoulder.
• Both devices should be limited to roadway segments designated by the local jurisdiction’s bicycle plan as part of its bicycle network.
• Roadway segments with low traffic volume, less than 3,000 vehicles per day, should not need these devices, because they usually offer a sufficient cycling environment.
• Neither device should be used on roadway segments with traffic volume greater than 30,000 vehicles per day or speed limits greater than 35 mph. Cyclists are generally permitted to use high-volume, high-speed roadways, but these devices may encourage novice cyclists to travel on a roadway above their skill level.
• Both devices should be limited to roadway segments where travel lanes are delineated with longitudinal pavement markings or other methods. (Neither device should be used on undivided unmarked roadways.)

BIKES MAY USE FULL LANE SIGN

BIKES MAY USE FULL LANE signs shall be used only where bicyclists are permitted by the Code of Virginia1 to use the full lane. The Code of Virginia permits bicyclists to use the full lane in a “substandard width lane,” which is defined as “a lane too narrow for a bicycle . . . and another vehicle to pass safely side by side within the lane.”

Where this condition is the reason for installing the sign, its use should be limited to roadway segments where the combined width of the right-most travel lane and any paved shoulder is 10.5’ or less, excluding the gutter pan, if any.

In order to avoid overuse of the signs that would reduce their impact and effectiveness, BIKES MAY USE FULL LANE signs should be limited to roadway segments used frequently by cyclists, or where cyclists report being intimidated by nearby motor vehicle traffic.

SHARED LANE MARKING

Following are examples of locations that may benefit from Shared Lane Markings:

• Shared Lane Markings can provide guidance where there is a gap in or a terminus of an otherwise continuous bike lane, where constraints such as roadway width preclude the addition or extension of a bike lane.
• Where on-street parking is permitted and frequently occupied, Shared Lane Markings can help cyclists choose an appropriate lane position, rather than riding too close to the doors of parked cars.
• Where a roadway segment is wide enough for a bike lane in only one direction, the bike lane can be installed in the uphill direction and Shared Lane Markings can be used in the downhill direction, where cyclists are more likely to travel near the speed of motorists and may need to ride farther from the curb to have enough reaction time.

However, Shared Lane Markings shall not be used in any of the following situations:

• As a substitute for a bike lane where conditions permit a bike lane to be marked
• To provide wayfinding guidance to cyclists
• To designate a roadway as a bicycle route
• On a shared-use path or other facility where motor vehicle traffic is prohibited
• In an exclusive turn lane, where they could communicate that cyclists are permitted to use the lane to travel straight through an intersection instead of using the appropriate through travel lane

The layout of Shared Lane Markings shall not vary from the figure depicted above.

When roadway segments with Shared Lane Markings are repaved, the segments should be evaluated to determine whether the pavement could be widened enough to mark a formal bike lane. Roadways with Shared Lane Markings should be a high priority for shoulder widening. If it is infeasible to widen the pavement, the segments should be evaluated to ensure that traffic and roadway geometric conditions continue to support the use of Shared Lane Markings.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

A BIKES MAY USE FULL LANE sign and a Shared Lane Marking should not normally be used on the same roadway segment, unless extreme conditions, such as a documented volume of heavy cyclist traffic and severe roadway geometry, are present to a degree that using both devices together would provide a significant additional benefit to the traveling public.

May is National Bike Month 2012

Highlights

• Students are encouraged to bike or walk to school on Wednesday, May 9, the first national Bike to School Day.
• Join others in biking to work on Bike to Work Day, Friday, May 18.
• Bikes are allowed on Fairfax Connector buses, and bike lockers are available at three park and ride lots, along with . 

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May 2, 2012

Joseph H. Boardman
President and Chief Executive Officer
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
60 Massachusetts Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002

Dear Mr. Boardman,

Thank you for your interest in providing enhanced bicycle service to your riders. We are encouraged by the prospects of Amtrak being able to offer roll-on / roll-off accommodations to travelers with bicycles on the Capitol Limited route and strongly urge you to move foreword with implementing these improvements as soon as possible.

As you know, the Capital Limited line parallels the Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal towpath, which together make a 335-mile bike trail that connects Pittsburgh, PA to Washington, DC. These trails were recently featured in the Washington Post travel section and are increasingly recognized as an international tourist destination. There are over 3.5 million visits to the Great Allegheny Passage trail system every year, many of them long distance riders who need transportation for themselves and their bicycles.

Roll-on / roll-off bicycle service is an important transportation improvement and will serve as a model for expunging this type of service nationwide. Providing these accommodations will help Amtrak attract new customers and will enhance tourism and economic development. These improvements are truly a winning proposition for everyone involved and we look forward to their successful implementation.

Thank you in advance of your attention tot his important issue. We look forward to continuing to work with you on solutions to allow this serve to begin as soon as possible, as well as long term options for dedicated rail equipment to handle bicycles efficiently and safely that help contribute to increased ridership for Amtrak, enhanced tourism, and economic development.

Sincerely,

Bill Shuster, Earl Blumenauer, Corrine Brown, Mark S. Critz, Gerald E. Connolly, Peter DeFazio, Jeff Dunham, Mike Doyle, Bob Filner, Jesse L. Jackson Jr., Dennis J. Kucinich, Patrick Meehan, Jim Moran, Jerrold Nadler, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Laura Richardson, Tim Ryan, and Edolphus Towns, Members of Congress.