FABB Blog

1. Think about where your child will be riding. It can be tough to choose between a bike with gears and hand brakes and one with just one speed and coaster brakes. Some bikes are equipped with both. Strang said parents are often concerned that if a child stops suddenly with hand brakes, he will flip over the handle bars. Kids learn quickly, though, and Strang said parents shouldn’t be afraid of hand brakes. “If the goal is to ride on a bike path with the family, with a little practice, gears are going to be helpful,” he said. “But if it’s just for riding around the neighborhood, the better option might be to not get gears, because it makes [riding] simpler.” The same goes for style of tires. If your child will be on hiking trails or other dirt paths, a knobby tire will give better traction. But if it’s mostly neighborhood riding, the standard street tire is fine, Strang said.

2. Find the right fit. Choose the bike based on your child’s size, not age. To check the fit, have her get on the bike. Her knee should be extended about 75 percent of the way when her foot is at the bottom of the pedal stroke, Strang said. “Typically when you have that, the child can’t put their feet on the ground,” he added. If your child is skittish, you can lower the seat until she becomes more comfortable and then gradually raise it to give her the proper pedal stroke.

3. Go lightweight. Whether shopping at a specialty store or a big-box merchant, get the lightest bike you can afford, Strang said. Avoid bikes with dual suspension, which can make them heavier. Inexpensive bikes that are not well made can make riding more difficult and less enjoyable, and turn young riders off from the sport, Strang said. A high-quality used bike is a good alternative if cost is a concern.

4. Consider bypassing the training wheels. Bikes with training wheels teach children to pedal first, then how to balance. But balance bikes, which have become popular in the last three to five years, teach children to balance first and eliminate the reliance on training wheels. A balance bike has no pedals, so children push their feet on the ground to make the bike go, then use a footrest when coasting. Once a child has the balancing down, he can graduate to a bike with pedals. A balance bike at Spokes Etc. costs about $170.

Join bicyclists from around the DC Metro area for Tour de Fat on Saturday. FABB will be greeting attendees at the ID/Wristband booth. This is an opportunity to support FABB, WABA, and other local bike non-profits and raise funds for our advocacy works.  Bike valet will be provided.

As you note in your blog, some significant statements have been made in the past few weeks about bicycle transportation in the DC area.

First, on May 21 at the Greater Washington Board of Trade Regional Policy Forum on Transportation, host Jim Dinegar stated:

“Bike lanes have caused more heartburn in the business community than I ever anticipated,” apparently referring to the way bike lanes are being installed in the District in place or in lieu of car and/or bus lanes.Yet we know from the latest research presented by the League of American Bicyclists that cyclists and pedestrians can actually generate more revenue for local businesses than customers who drive.

A day later, Martin Nohe - a Prince William county district supervisor who heads the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority – when asked at a Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance forum about how funds will be allocated in the new Virginia transportation funding scheme, answered with this: “I can envision a day when VDOT builds the road, but NVTA can build the interchange and the locality adds ped and bike paths.”

At the same forum, as you have noted, Delegate LeMunyon was quick to say that he had in mind “a vision that the first year funding would result in the number of hours being put back into lives of the people of Northern Virginia that we could point to. I’m concerned where the Working Group is going on the NVTA regional list - for 70% funding for bus shelters, pedestrian bridge and lighting on a trail. That’s not why I voted to raise taxes. Of 34 projects, there is no information about how it will expand capacity or reduce congestion. That needs to be made available so we can say this is worth the effort.”

(On the current draft NVTA funding list, the city of Falls Church is asking for $1.7 million for design of pedestrian access to transit, funding for bus shelters, a pedestrian brige and lighting on the W&OD Trail.)
 
Nohe stressed that the current list is a draft and that there would be an open house and a public hearing in June after which the Authority would take action on a list of projects. Nohe also expressed concern that “a number of projects aren’t congestion relievers and that the data hasn’t yet been pulled" about how projects would add capacity and relieve congestion. LeMunyon then stated that information should be made available before the June meeting.

Following that exchange, Arlington County Board Chair Walter Tejada jumped in with “a word in support of trails,” saying that “in densely populated areas, our bike lanes and trails become increasingly critical.” He cited Arlington bike counts that are “off the charts – thousands and thousands, especially in warmer months.” He says his county will continue to focus on trails and lighting which are “important in urban setting. Imagine all those thousands of people in cars.”

Meanwhile, back on May 2 after Virginia Deputy Transportation Secretary David Tyeryar explained the new transportation bill at a Committee of One Hundred dinner in Vienna, I asked him point-blank about how bicycle and pedestrian facilities would be funded and he answered: “Talk to your Board of Supervisors.”

All things considered, it appears there are two fronts on which to act:

1. FABB and other multi-modal transportation advocacy groups must use the latest economic data to prove to officials and business owners region-wide that cyclists and pedestrians bring big business to local retailers and restaurateurs. Political leaders also need to understand that cycling projects produce a big bang for a minimal buck and that bike and ped projects can generate real jobs. Statistics to cite could include the National Building Museum's Intelligent Cities Initiative which notes that the reduced use of autos in DC has resulted in $128,275,000 being retained in the local economy each year. In Portland, Oregon, residents drive 20% less than other US cities which adds up to $1.1 billion of savings each year equalling 1.5% of the total personal income earned in the region, which is then spent mainly on local recreation, entertainment, food and drink. (See p.29-31, Walkable City by Jeff Speck)

2. Since it appears the last-mile buck will stop with Fairfax County in the form of "the 30%" of NoVA-only NVTA dollars, the Board of Supervisors must face up to their responsibility to the community. If they are the only authority which will fund our county’s bike and ped projects, then those projects must have a MUCH HIGHER PRIORITY than they have had in the past, especially when it comes to creating "last mile" connections to transit and to schools. To do that, the BOS and FCDOT will need to devote what looks like a disproportionately large amount of money to bicycle and pedestrian projects and staff because there will be no other funding from the state, while copious funds for roads projects will be forthcoming from "the 70%" that the NVTA will distribute for regional projects that "reduce congestion and increase capacity.

I wanted to address the invited listener rants on the Tommy Show this morning. Please convey this email to the hosts of the show & let them know they can read any of it on the air.

I didn't hear much, but I heard just enough: listeners complaining about bicyclists using the public roads, complaining that bicyclists don't pay taxes for roads, and one even threatening to open her door on any bicyclists she saw that morning.

All this took place with the hearty laughter and encouragement and grateful "thank you for calling!" of the hosts. I did hear one brief suggestion that maybe we should all get on a bike to gain that perspective, but that point was quickly lost in the other rants. Maybe other voices of reason were heard later in the show, but this is the nature of morning radio: we only hear the bits on our way to work, etc.

Tommy may have thought about this as just airing listeners' opinions. But this isn't some "debate": the law is the law, and the show did a disservice to its listeners, when instead it could have done some useful education.

Joking about all this on the air in such a way as to further enrage already enraged drivers--especially during the morning rush hour-- is irresponsible. It is akin to joking about running over pedestrians legally using crosswalks, or running other cars off the road for going the speed limit.

I don't understand why Tommy assumed he has no listeners who actually ride bicycles. I hope he aired people who could give some facts:

1. All people have a right to the public roads (except where posted otherwise): people in cars, people on bikes, people walking, people in wheelchairs. Driving a motor vehicle does not give you more rights than others. In fact, your first duty as a driver is not to harm others using the roads.

2. Bicycles are legal vehicles whose rights drivers are legally bound to respect. This includes a bicyclists' legal right to take the full lane when needed. In Virginia, this is true even when there are bike lanes. Bicyclists often need to avoid glass, potholes, etc., in the bike lanes and shoulders.

3. Opening your door on a bicyclist, even by accident, is illegal in many states and is always dangerous. When people crash on a bike, it often results in broken collarbones, concussions, and the like.

4. Bicyclists contribute to public road funding in the same way everyone else does: through our general taxes, which is how roads are paid for, not vehicle licensing fees. (And in any case, most bicyclists also own cars.)

5. Yes, cyclists do stupid and aggressive things, too. Some cyclists, esp. in the District, are especially prone to running lights, etc. These people should be ticketed, not run over or "doored." And most don't ride this way. What drivers often assume is aggression is simply cyclists taking the lane for safety, as the law allows.

6. A bicyclists may occasionally slow you down. What, 15 seconds? 20? Passing unsafely, though, risks a human life. Please do the moral calculus.

Some personal perspective:

I ride to work because it is the most effecient and reliable way to get there. I live in Falls Church but have to drive my daughter to school in Springfield; I park there and then ride my bike into DC.

I have been hit three times by drivers while riding my bike. All three times the driver was at fault: 1. by a pickup truck with trailer passing me on a narrow bridge; 2. by a driver who rolled a stop sign without looking left; 3. by a driver who saw me in the bike trail crosswalk & decided he could make it through ahead of me. I see drivers doing stupid and aggressive things every single day.

At the same time, though, I see the same drivers on my long commute along Hummer, Heritage, & Annandale Roads, and I have to say I have never had a negative encounter there. These drivers see me using the shoulder when it is available. They see me coming over into the lane to avoid glass, trashcans, etc., and they give me room. They see me ride up along their right side at red lights (as the law allows me to do), so I can go through the light first (which is the safest place for a bicycle to be at an intersection). They know I'm not in their way and I won't slow them down. I thank them for that, and every day, I wish drivers would behave like this everywhere else I ride.

And in the future, I hope your show will avoid encouraging dangerous ranting and instead do some useful public education that will benefit all your listeners, including those who ride bikes.

I ride a bike because it is the best way to get to work: it is fast, it is better for my health, it is better for the environment, and yes, it is actually better for traffic congestion. So yes, I suppose that makes me one of those "bikists" one listener complained about. If we had more bikists, though, we might have less traffic congestion and fewer angry drivers.

Thank you,

Phil
Falls Church VA

Vienna Bicycle Route Signage

Del. Jim LeMunyon (R-67th) told the panel that some projects on the list – such as bus shelters, pedestrian bridges and lighting on the Washington & Old Dominion Regional Trail – ran afoul of the vision many legislators had when supporting the transportation bill, especially its regional component.

In Annandale, four lane 35-mph residential artery Gallows Road is not the best place to ride a bicycle because drivers want to drive much faster. By virtue of the street design, however, there are few viable alternatives for bicycle riding from Annandale to Merrifield, and, since I was headed from Annandale across the beltway to INOVA Fairfax, that is where I chose to ride my bicycle, taking the lane, since the lanes are rather narrow. 

Not that it should matter what I was wearing, but as someone who does not want to be involved in a crash, I was wearing a helmet, a bright reflective construction zone vest with neon green and orange, and neon green reflective bands around my ankles and wrists. My bicycle had a steady front light and steady red rear light on (thanks to a dynamo hub). During rush hours, night, or high-traffic times, I will also turn on a rear red blinky light on my helmet. At night I will also turn on a white strobe on my helmet.

About 2pm I was headed northwest on Gallows Road on 15 May in beautiful weather. I stopped for a yellow light at the intersection with Annandale Road. Some vehicles pulled alongside me and behind me. When the light turned green I proceeded across. After about 100 feet or so, the driver of a silver van behind me honked. I turned and waved at him. He gestured at me to get on the sidewalk.

As a side note, there is a sidewalk for one short block, but the next block the sidewalk is overgrown and in disrepair. A few seconds later as I continued in the center of the right lane, I felt what seemed like a roundhouse kick underneath my left arm and saw the silver van inches away to my left. With a loud pop, the van’s passenger side mirror had buckled inward (thank goodness) from the impact with my arm, immediately above my elbow. 

In March of 2013, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) released its request for FY2014 Transportation/Land Use Connections (TLC) Technical Assistance Program applications. This program is designed to provide technical assistance to local jurisdictions working on creative, forward-thinking and sustainable transportation and land use plans and projects. In response to MWCOG’s request, please find attached for your consideration an application for conducting a feasibility study titled, “A Study to Explorethe Feasibility of Implementing Capital Bikeshare in Reston, Virginia”.

With the popularity of Capital Bikeshare (CaBi) growing in Arlington, the District, and now Alexandria, we are receiving more and more requests to bring CaBi to Fairfax County. While we acknowledge that many areas of the County can’t support bike sharing, we strongly believe that it can work in in our emerging urbanized centers and transit station areas such as Tysons Corner, Merrifield-Dunn Loring, and Reston. However, further study is required to determine the feasibility of Capital Bikeshare: can it work in an urbanized center such as those mentioned, what are the associated costs (both capital and operating), Where should the stations be located, and how many stations and bikes are needed to make this system successful?

Technical assistance through the “Transportation/Land Use Connections Program” can provide the necessary guidance and support to define the feasibility of Capital Bikeshare and address these issues. After consultation with our Department of Transportation bicycle program staff as well as bicycle advocates, the Reston area of the County was chosen. Our reasoning is based on the following: the Reston area has the highest concentration of active bicyclists in the County, there is an emerging bike culture forming, Reston embraced our first two road-diet projects which included bike lanes, and there is strong corporate and residential support to initiate bike sharing in Reston. Furthermore, the findings developed from conducting this study can assist other areas of the region in making sound decisions regarding bike sharing.

I believe this application is in the spirit of the TLC program and will aid in the County’s planning efforts to accomplish the goal of balancing multi-modal transportation and landuse. 

Photo: Washington Post

The new span was a massive, regional undertaking, intended to speed vehicle travel on the Capital Beltway, and the path planned for pedestrians and cyclists was a tiny piece of the project when it was sketched out more than a decade ago.

At the time, the boom in bike commuting was years away. But as thousands of people across the region prepare for Bike to Work Day on Friday, the planners are looking very smart.

Prince George’s officials said use of the 3.5-mile Wilson Bridge trail has increased dramatically since it opened in 2009. In March, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission recorded 26,827 crossings, up from 13,998 in March 2012. (In both cases, a trip back and forth was counted as two crossings.)

“The more the region interconnects these various bike trails and bike lanes, it just makes biking a more attractive option, not only for commuting but also for other activities,” said Robert Griffiths, a transportation specialist at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

Biking as a way to commute has surged in the Washington area, particularly in the District, which is considered one of the country’s leading cities for bike commuting.

FABB will have reps at most of the Fairfax pit stops. As a sponsored project of WABA, we'll also be representing them by selling discounted memberships. Look for FABB reps at your Fairfax pit stop and if you're not on our newsletter/advocacy list you can sign up with them (or just send us a note asking to be added to the list).

Bike to School Day 2013

During this pedestrian enforcement, plain clothes officers dressed in bright clothing cross the street in marked crosswalks. Officers stop vehicles that do not yield to the plain clothes officers or other pedestrians in the crosswalk, and drivers are issued citations. General traffic law is also enforced. Traffic Division officers will continue this type of pedestrian enforcement throughout the month of May.

NYC DOT found that protected bikeways had a significant positive impact on local business strength. After the construction of a protected bicycle lane on 9th Avenue, local businesses saw a 49% increase in retail sales. In comparison, local businesses throughout Manhattan only saw a 3% increase in retail sales.

In many ways, these data come as no surprise. We know that when towns invest in bicycle infrastructure, people will ride more — the number of people traveling by bicycle increases when there is infrastructure to make traveling by bike safe and easy.

We also know that people who travel along a street by bicycle have fewer barriers to stopping at a local business than people who travel along the same street by car. It's very easy to hop off a bicycle and find a place to secure the bike; not so with finding parking for an automobile. In fact, a recent study suggest that bicycle riders tend to spend more at local businesses over the course of a month.

City officials say the nation's largest bike-sharing system will begin sometime this month with 6,000 bikes at 330 stations in Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, with plans to expand eventually to 10,000 bikes and 600 docking stations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.

"When you talk about scale, no other U.S. city comes close," says Jon Orcutt, policy director at the city's Department of Transportation, which is overseeing the launch of the program.

Officials hope the privately funded bike-sharing program, dubbed Citi Bike after a $41 million sponsorship from Citibank and an additional $6.5 million from MasterCard, will add riders to the more than 700 miles of bike lanes throughout New York and will be used by one-way commuters and round-trip tourists alike.

For the second consecutive year, Vienna Elementary School won the Biking Cup in theFifth Annual Bike/Walk Challenge — but WolftrapElementary came from behind to claim the Challenge Cup.

Read: Vienna Bike/Walk Challenge: Day 5 Results

The Biking Cup is given to the school with the highest percentage of bike riders relative to the total number of participants. Of the 805 total participants Vienna Elementary had this week, 258 — 32.04 percent — came in on bikes.

At Wolftrap and Westbriar Elementary schools, 28.91 and 23.68 percent of all participants, respectively, used bikes to get to school.

Bike to School sign at Terraset ES

The Challenge Cup is awarded to the school with the largest percentage increase in participants over last year's challenge. Wolftrap Elementary attracted 68 more students this year for a total of 1,155 participants overall, compared with 1,087 in 2011.