FABB Blog

RESTON, Virginia (AP) — A Massachusetts man is taking his car-bicycle blend "Organic Transit Vehicle" — also known as an ELF bike — on a 1,200-mile trip from North Carolina to Massachusetts this summer, turning heads as the unusual-looking green vehicle zips through city streets.

What Mark Stewart is driving looks like a cross between a bicycle and a car with solar panels, a gently humming motor and a futuristic shape. It's a "green" option for today's commuters.

"It reminds me of when I saw a Smart car the first time," said Joanne Bury as she emerged from her Reston condominium building to take a look at the vehicle. "This is incredible. What is it?"

Stewart, a 65-year-old family therapist and school psychologist from Cambridge, Massachusetts, took the summer off in order to drive his new vehicle more than 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) on trails and roads using the East Coast Greenway, a bike and pedestrian trail that runs from Canada to Key West.

Stewart began his journey by flying down to Durham, North Carolina, on July 15, and estimates that the entire trip will take about a month. He covered the first leg, from Durham to Reston, Virginia, over roughly five days, 60 miles (95 kilometers) at a time.

The ELF, or "Organic Transit Vehicle," can go for 1,800 miles (2,895 kilometers) on the energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline. It does not require the insurance, repair and car maintenance costs of the average vehicle. Besides the cost of the occasional new tire, the ELF runs completely off what it costs to charge its battery.

Stewart bought the ELF from Durham-based Organic Transit, which sells them for a base price of $5,000. He said he wanted to avoid the almost $1,000 delivery charge, so he decided to fly down to pick up the bike in person and learn how to operate it before taking the long trip back home.

"I spent three days in the shop hanging with the guys there and learning the vehicle," Stewart said. "This is just an unsupported solo trip up here in a vehicle that nobody else really knows."

Stewart's ELF is only about the 40th to come off the production line. While few bike shop workers have seen the contraption, the materials, such as the tires and pedals, are items on your average bicycle.

Organic Transit CEO Rob Cotter took technology from aircraft, boats and bicycles and incorporated them into a "green" 130-pound (59-kilogram) vehicle. He was consulting on bike-sharing technologies being considered by New York City when he saw there was a market for his vehicle.

"A combination of environmental catastrophes, high fuel costs, climate change and a migration of people moving to the cities all combined for a trend of people looking for an automotive alternative. But not everyone can fit a bicycle into their daily life," Cotter said.

Demand has grown significantly, and Organic Transit has opened a second factory. The company is working on its 75th bike, with more than 200 already sold or reserved with a deposit.

While the ELF is classified as a bicycle by Organic Transit, the laws surrounding such a vehicle vary. In the District of Columbia, where Stewart's GPS was taking him, the ELF is not allowed on the bike trails and paths. The city classifies it as a motorized bicycle.

"They can't operate the unit on a sidewalk, they can't park on a street and they can't operate on off-street bike trails or bike routes," said Monica Hernandez of the city's Department of Transportation. "The only thing you can do (on the street) is stop to unload or load the unit."

Stewart says so far he's only gotten looks of curiosity.

"A lot of cops have gone by me no one's said boo. They'll look, they're interested but they don't question its right to be on the road," Stewart said.

The yearly membership fee for using the secure, bike locker room will be $75, the supervisors said. The “Bike & Ride” indoor locker room, the first of its kind for the county, will accommodate over 200 bikes and include two small, repair stations and benches.

Free, unsecured bike parking will also be available in the garage, along with a future Capital Bikeshare docking station, the county says.

VDOT Awards Four Non-infrastructure Grants
Four school communities were recently awarded SRTS non-infrastructure grants. The school submitted their application for funding in December 2012, with an eye on implementing programs in the 2013-2014 school year. The grants are an important resource for school communities that intend to establish life-long walking and bicycling habits for their youth and to foster a sustainable safe routes to school culture within each community.

Fairfax County Public School, $99,300

Division-wide program with SRTS coordinator at 165 schools. Activities include local SRTS training and toolkits, walk/bike to school day activities, and program evaluation.

Lynchburg City Public Schools, $78,000

Division-wide program with SRTS coordinator at seven schools. Activities include route map development, safety curriculum, bike/walk to school days, walking club, crossing guard training, and program evaluation.

City of Galax, $54,750

Division -wide program with SRTS coordinator at three schools. Activities include "school zone" plan development, bike/walk to school day activities, bicycle library, and program evaluation.

Macy McClaugherty Elementary - Giles County Public Schools, $6,000

Single school program, activities include bicycle/pedestrian safety education and outreach, law enforcement coordination, policy development, and program evaluation.

All are welcome to attend the July FABB meeting on Wednesday evening at Patrick Henry Library in Vienna near the W&OD Trail. Below is the agenda:

Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling

Wednesday, July 17, 2013, 7:30 p.m.

Patrick Henry Library, Vienna

Join the Herndon Department of Public Works staff for a public information meeting about improvements planned for the intersection at Herndon Parkway and Van Buren Street.

· Review the options
· Learn how the plans address intersection congestion
· Ask questions and provide comments

Meeting Date: July 17, 2013
Plans Available for Review: 6:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Meeting Begins: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Mary Ingram Council Chambers
765 Lynn Street
Herndon, VA

For more information please contact us at publicworks@herndon-va.gov or call (703) 435-6853

A bicyclist hit by a driver on Maple Avenue told police the driver stopped after the accident, but left the scene without providing his information.

The man told police he was traveling west on Maple Avenue at 7 p.m. July 6 when he tried to enter the left turn lane near Courthouse Road SW.

As he entered the turn lane, a vehicle side swiped his bicycle, knocking him to the ground, according to the Vienna police report.

The driver stopped, but left the scene without exchanging information.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Vienna Police Department at 703-255-6396 or glose@viennava.gov.

The online Smart Cycling program is designed to develop your knowledge of bicycling safety by using lessons, interactive components and videos. Here you will learn about the different types of bikes and bicycling gear. You will learn techniques for improving your ride, your rights as a bicyclist and how to ride safely on the road.

Image from ARLnow via Google Maps

A Florida man has been charged with reckless driving after driving nearly a mile on the W&OD trail in Arlington yesterday (Wednesday) evening.

The man was in a rental car with his wife and kids when he drove northbound onto the trail at Columbia Pike, according to Arlington police spokesman Lt. Mike Watson. After receiving numerous calls from trail users, a police officer on a motorcycle caught up with the vehicle, a Chrysler 300 sedan, in Glencarlyn Park.

According to Watson, the man claimed that a GPS navigation system on his phone directed him to use the trail. The Florida resident was issued a court summons for reckless driving and was escorted off the trail and back onto local roads, Watson told ARLnow.com.

While trying to catch up with the errant driver, police officers marveled at the fact that he didn’t realize he was driving on a bike trail.

“He must think it’s the world’s smallest two-lane highway,” one said on a police radio channel. No one was hurt during the incident.

Last month, a McLean woman was arrested after allegedly driving five miles while drunk on the W&OD trail in Fairfax County, striking and seriously injuring a 65-year-old bicyclist in the process.

Also last month, gates were installed on the Capital Crescent Trail in Northwest D.C. to prevent drivers from mistaking it for a road. No such gate was in place where the man entered the W&OD trail yesterday.

In a 5-2 ruling, the Court of Appeals declined to change the law of contributory negligence. Retired Judge John Eldridge noted that attempts to change the law in the Legislature have failed consistently.

“For this court to change the common law and abrogate the contributory negligence defense in negligence actions, in the face of the General Assembly’s repeated refusal to do so, would be totally inconsistent with the court’s long-standing jurisprudence,” Eldridge wrote.

The law was last reviewed by the Maryland court 30 years ago. From 1966 to 1982, the Maryland General Assembly considered 21 bills seeking to change the contributory negligence standard, and none of the measures were enacted.

Judge Glenn Harrell, writing in dissent along with recently retired Judge Robert Bell, compared the law to “a dinosaur.”

“With the force of a modern asteroid strike, this court should render, in the present case, this dinosaur extinct,” Harrell wrote.

Harrell noted that only Maryland, Virginia, Alabama, North Carolina and the District of Columbia still have the law. Harrell wrote that 46 states use a comparative negligence system that reduces the damages an injured person can receive in proportion to his or her degree of fault.

“The all-or-nothing consequences of the application of contributory negligence have long been criticized by scholars and commentators,” Harrell wrote.

The Angelika Theater is located in the new Mosaic District near the intersection of Gallows Road and Lee Highway in Merrifield. Angelika Theater is located at 2911 District Ave, Fairfax , VA 22031. It's a short ride from the Dunn Loring Metro station. Take Prosperity Ave to left on Merrilee Dr which turns into Eskridge Rd after crossing Lee Hwy. Turn left on Strawberry Lane. Angelika Theater is on your right. If you cannot bike to the start, there is free parking nearby.

Optional Lunch/Brunch:

Please indicate whether you plan to stop at Lost Dog Cafe after the ride.

It states that "An 18-month study of reportable bicycle crashes shows that at least a quarter of the bicyclists were not wearing reflective clothing at the time of the crash; five bicyclists were reported to have been drinking alcohol and about 44% were performing an improper action such as: operating on the wrong side of the road, failing to maintain proper control or disregarding a stop or yield sign." 

Wearing reflective clothing, always a good idea, is not required by law. The discussion focuses soley on actions of the bicyclists. What about motorists? In more than half of all bike/motorist crashes (57%), motorists were at fault. Shouldn't there be some mention of motorist's actions that cause crashes such as speeding, distracted driving, failing to maintain proper control, disregarding a stop or yield sign, drinking? We'll relay our concerns to our police contacts.

Here's a copy of the news release:

JULY-AUGUST 2013 FABB News

A bi-monthly publication of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling

www.fabb-bikes.org

2013 Fairfax Bike Summit on Bicycle-Friendly Tysons

Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling is planning its 2013 Fairfax Bike Summit, which will focus on “Tysons: A Bicycle-Friendly Community.” The summit will be held at George Mason University on Saturday, November 2, and is open to everyone from interested citizens to community leaders. The registration fee will be $25. Program details and registration information will be available at www.fabb-bikes.org/summit.

Fairfax County is undertaking a major transformation of Tysons in an effort to create livable, walkable, automobile-independent neighborhoods. Four new Metrorail Silver Line stations are part of the foundation of that transformation.

The goals of the summit are to:

The success of the Tysons transformation could influence transit-oriented developments across Fairfax County for the next 40 years. From Merrifield to Springfield, Huntington to Reston, bicycle-oriented transportation options must be integral parts of future developments.

The summit is staged by Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling, in partnership with George Mason University, Fairfax County, and the City of Fairfax. If you are interested in volunteering or exhibiting at the summit, contact us at bikesummit@fabb-bikes.org. Hope to see you there!

FABB Benefits from Tour de Fat

FABB once again volunteered at Tour de Fat, which was a great success this year. The bike festival raised over $20,000 for local bike groups, which included over $2,000 for FABB to further our advocacy goals. Thanks to New Belgium Brewery, WABA, and everyone who participated in Tour de Fat.

Meeting with Fairfax County Police to Discuss Bicycle Safety

FABB recently met with Deputy County Executive Rohrer and Capt. Cullen and Lt. Grinnan of the Fairfax County Police Department Traffic Division to discuss how FABB can work with Fairfax County police to improve bicycle safety. Shane Farthing of WABA also attended. Our primary goal is to work with police to ensure that all officers know Virginia law that applies to bicyclists. We also want police and cyclists to know what can be done when cyclists report harassment by motorists. We agreed that FABB would work with police to help produce a police training video on cyclist rights. If you have expertise in this area and would like to help, contact us.

Fairfax County Applies for Bike Sharing Funding

Fairfax County recently applied for funding of a bikesharing feasibility study through the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Transportation/Land Use Connections (TLC) Technical Assistance Program. "The TLC Technical Assistance Program provides focused consultant assistance to local jurisdictions working on creative, forward-thinking and sustainable plans and projects."

The study will focus on the Reston area. Reston has a network of recreational trails, concentrated mixed-use development at the Reston Town Center, Village Centers located within easy biking distance of most residents, and the soon-to-be-completed Wiehle Ave Metrorail station. Much more needs to be done to make Reston truly bike-friendly but we think bike sharing could work there.

Interactive Fairfax County Bike Route Mapping Tool

The Fairfax County Bike Program recently updated their Bicycle Program website. The site now includes the Bike Fairfax Interactive Map containing GIS layers from the printed route map along with several other map layers. The printed route map was an early goal of FABB and has been available for several years. FABB helped to create the map by advocating for funding and reaching out to local cyclists to map bicycle-friendly routes.

Users can choose from several background maps including streets, streets with topography, elevation, imagery, and a background image provided by National Geographic. One of the most interesting background maps is from OpenStreetMap, a public domain source created by the user community. It contains very detailed trail information in some areas.

The map layers are derived from the paper Bicycle Map but they also include more detailed trails shown in the Fairfax Trail Buddy layer. A sidewalk layer only appears at very large scales. An interesting feature is the ability to click on a map element and find out more information. Clicking on a road symbol brings up the meaning of the symbol (usually Preferred or Less Preferred), who maintains the facility (almost always VDOT), the speed limit, and the bicycle level of service category (A-F).

When the trail layer is queried, the width and surface are displayed along with who maintains the trail. We often find trails in poor condition and determining who is responsible for maintenance is difficult. Now we have a source to find out who to call. While the data are not complete, the interactive map is a great resource.

New McLean Bike Route Signage

Fairfax County Department of Transportation has installed approximately 80 bike route signs providing directions and destination information throughout the downtown area of McLean. Dranesville Supervisor Foust was instrumental in getting funding for purchasing and installing the signs. McLean cyclists helped define the routes and determine sign locations.

Bike route directions point riders to the future Silver Line Tyson-McLean and West Falls Church Metrorail stations. The signage also directs cyclists toward the W&OD trail, Arlington and more. The signs are one of the first installations of wayfinding signage in Fairfax County based on new bicycle sign standards. They will set the standard for bicycle signage throughout the county.

Transportation Funding for New Bike Projects

On July 1 the general sales tax in Virginia increased to 6% as a result of the recently passed Transportation bill. The tax on gas was changed from a flat tax of 17.5 cents per gallon to a rate of 3.5% on the total purchase amount, effectively reducing the tax from 17.5 to 11.1 cents per gallon. User fees like gas taxes have never been enough to pay for our roads. We all pay for our roads whether we drive or not, and now we're all going to pay a little more.

The Transportation bill divides funds into regional projects (70% of funds) administered by regional authorities such as the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and local funds (30%) administered by localities. Bike projects help reduce congestion and should be funded from both pots of money. Some people think otherwise. See a list of regional projects in Fairfax County. Contact your County Supervisor to find out what bike projects are being funded in your district.

Upcoming Events

Saturday, July 13 - FABB Social Ride - Merrifield-Vienna Loop

Wednesday, July 17 - FABB Monthly Meeting

Sunday, August 4 - Tour of the Towns - Tour of Prince William

Wednesday, August 21, FABB Monthly Meeting

Saturday, November 2 - 2013 Fairfax Bike Summit: Bicycle-Friendly Tysons

The Cross County Trail is well-known, used by countless trail enthusiasts on foot, or bicycle or horse and now has been named the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail in honor of Congressman Gerry Connolly, who during his tenure as Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors championed its creation. The Cross County Trail (CCT) is more than 40 miles in length running from the Potomac River in Great Falls Park to the Occoquan River in Occoquan Regional Park.

The Fairfax County Park Authority renamed this trail at their June 12, 2013 meeting unanimously, citing the ongoing support that Connolly provided at all stages of the multi-million dollar, multi-year project. “I am truly humbled by this unexpected honor. The Cross County Trail is one of my proudest accomplishments in public office,” said Congressman Connolly.

On May 25, 1999, the idea for a cross county trail was presented to the Park Authority by Fairfax Trails and Streams. The proposed route followed the existing stream valley trail system belonging, for the most part, to the Park Authority linking existing trails together with other public lands owned by the National Park Service, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, the City of Fairfax, the town of Reston, and with public sidewalks through each supervisory district in Fairfax County to form a continuous pedestrian route from Great Falls National Park to Prince William County Occoquan Regional Park.

Congressman Connolly added, “There are a lot of people who share this honor with me. This project is a true example of what can happen when the local community, volunteers and our elected officials work together. Thanks to that effort we are leaving behind a real gem for future generations to enjoy.”

If you ask any CEO where they’d rather open up shop and hire…If you ask any parents where they’d rather raise a family…If you ask any young professional where they want to live and work---you hear the same things time and time again. People want infrastructure that reduces congestion and protects the environment. They want high-speed trains that shuttle between cities and light rail systems that connect to jobs. They want bike paths, bike shares, buses, and streetcars that give them the option to leave the car at home.

The proof is in the numbers. People took a record 10.5 billion trips on public transportation in 2012. Amtrak ridership has grown more than 40% in the last ten years. Over 20 American cities now operate bike shares, and each program has been met with incredible popularity. New York's new CitiBike bike share has sold nearly 52,000 memberships.

This is what Americans want. This is what the future of American transportation looks like.