Tuesday, April 22, 2014
 

DRAFT Tysons Park Plan and questionnaire released

The Tysons Park System Concept Plan was recently released by Fairfax County. As Tysons transforms from a car-dominated place to a livable, walkable, bikable community, park space will play an important role. Residents and employees of Tysons should be able to travel to and between these park spaces without the need for a car.


Connectivity is an important part of the new park plan. An entire section of the plan is devoted to the subject, with an emphasis on transit, ped and bike access. It includes a proposed "Tysons Community Circuit," a 4-5 mile recreational trail loop connecting the planned parks in Tysons.

You can support the goal of a connected park system by filling out the brief questionnaire.

From the plan:
 A well-connected park network can be enjoyed by more people! Augmenting the park network with connections between isolated park spaces, stream valleys and key points of interest will enhance the value of all parks and further distinguish Tysons from other urban areas. Creating opportunities for cyclists and pedestrians to experience park spaces and points of interest in Tysons safely and conveniently is crucial. This can be achieved through appropriate placement of new parks and a well-planned recreational trail system that connects and extends public sidewalks, bike lanes and bicycle facilities, recognizing the importance of trails in accessing Metrorail stations. The emphasis here is on recreational use of trails.

Phase I of the Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plan covers the Tysons area and provides detailed bicycle infrastructure recommendations, including trail connections to neighborhoods outside of Tysons, on-road bike lanes, and other facilities to support commuter cycling. The Tysons Circulator Study proposes a three-route bus system to support Metrorail transit ridership and minimize vehicular trips to, from, and within Tysons. Consideration of planned bike and Circulator routes will better inform park and trail network locations.

Tysons Community Circuit: The planned bicycle network is extensive but focused on the cycling commuter and, therefore, not ideal for a child learning to ride a bike or a family out for a leisurely excursion. An off-road trail system along the stream valleys and power line easement will provide for some of this recreational trail need, however, with limited connectivity and limited coverage throughout Tysons. There is a need for another type of recreational trail that is more closely integrated with the places where people live and work, linking parks and points of interest, while providing the flexibility for a variety of users to share the space safely.

Labels: , ,

Comments:
On the survey in the "other comments" block at the end, it is worth noting that many of the existing FCPA parks are not family bike friendly to get to. Once you're there, many are nice -- but getting there is not something to do with young cyclists. Make sure you note this!
 
So true. It's a good sign that FCPA is stressing the importance of accessing the Tysons parks by pedestrians and bicyclists.
 

Post a Comment

Contact FABB via email: info@fabb-bikes.org

Subscribe to the
FABB e-newsletter


Subscribe to posts:
[Atom 1.0] or [RSS 2.0]





  Bike to Work Day 2015 at Wiehle Station

  Transportation choices

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

Archives