FABB Blog

With summer around the corner Ozone levels will be rising in the region. Ozone is the most widespread air pollutant in Fairfax, created by the reaction of sunlight on emissions from vehicles and other air pollutant sources.

Bicycles are the ultimate clean-air (zero emissions and zero carbon dioxide) form of transportation, but the impact of ozone pollution on lung tissue can be serious. The effect excessive ozone and poor air quality exposure on cyclists’ athletic performance can last for several days to weeks. There is a bright side – and Clean Air Partners can help area cyclists protect their health during poor air quality days. 

Regional air quality organization Clean Air Partners offers AirAlerts. AirAlerts are free, daily air quality notifications that inform recipients when the air quality forecast will be unhealthy and when it hits an unhealthy level (Code Orange or Red) in real-time. Users can get AirAlerts sent directly to their email and also use the Clean Air Partners Air Quality App for on-the-go information. 

What does it mean for cyclists? 

CODE GREEN: Get on your bike. Riding a bike on short trips will save gas and help protect the air. 

CODE YELLOW: Bike Less. Air quality is acceptable but this could cause health concerns for sensitive groups (such as athletes and those who spend a lot of time outside). Travel on quieter routes with less traffic, away from tailpipe emissions. 

CODE ORANGE: Limit biking and other physical outdoor activity. Carpool to work a few days, or even one day a week when the air is unhealthy to breathe. If possible wait to ride your bike at dusk.

CODE RED: Put away the bike. Take public transit or telecommute and limit strenuous outdoor activity when their air is unhealthy to breathe. Everyone is sensitive to this level of poor air quality and should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion. 

CODE PURPLE: Don’t even think about it. Take public transit or telecommute to reduce your contribution to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Everyone, especially sensitive groups, should avoid any physical outdoor activities as pollution levels are very unhealthy.

Clean Air Partners would like to thank cyclists in Fairfax for contributing to an overall improvement in our community’s air quality and environment. Have fun and make sure you check out cleanairpratners.net to sign-up for AirAlerts! 

This doesn’t make any more sense than a $1 million bus stop,” Supervisor Pet Herrity said

Supervisor Foust noted that most people who attended the Countywide Dialogue meetings wanted better bike and ped access, and they expected them to be funded with the HB 2313 funds.

Mode Share of Bike/Ped: It's estimated that 10% of all trips are made by walking and biking. Fairfax does not have a bike and pedestrian counting program so it's very difficult to estimate how many trips are made by bike. We have two first class bicycle facilities in the county, neither of which is managed or funded directly by Fairfax County; the W&OD Trail and the Mt. Vernon Trail. Several years ago it was estimated that each trail attracts over 2 million trips/year, and use has grown recently (at least that is our perception). Residents from around the county drive to these facilities because bike conditions are so poor elsewhere. Trail congestion is getting to be a major problem. If safe bike conditions were available throughout the county, many more people would ride.

Fixing Past Mistakes: Supervisor McKay noted that most of the $200 million in bike/ped projects is for fixing what was built in the past. Of that $200 million, I've estimated that only $11 million is for bike-only projects. Most are pedestrian projects. Some are bike/ped.

Supervisor McKay's comparison of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge vs. Springfield mixing bowl was very apt. This weekend my wife and I rode from Reston to National Harbor using the WW Bridge trail. There was a very diverse crowd of trail users on the bridge on Sunday and a significant number on Monday. I wouldn't think of riding anywhere near the mixing bowl.

We need to fix our past mistakes and begin building a real bicycle network in the county, starting in our Activity Centers.

Maintenance Funds: Supervisor Gross highlighted a major problem that has been raised by other Board members; the very poor condition of our trails and sidewalks in general and especially during and after snow events. There is almost no maintenance money for maintaining what we have. Fortunately VDOT and the county have allocated funds to finally start to fix the Fairfax County Parkway trail. Much more needs to be done and we need to find the maintenance funds soon.

16 Foot Sidewalks in Tysons: I am attaching some photos of a section of Route 7 sidewalk in Tysons near the Spring Hill Metro station, south side. You will see in one photo that about half of the sidewalk, which I estimate to be around 12 feet wide, is taken up by large metal grates that will (or do now) hold trees, leaving approximately 4 or 5 feet on one side and about 2 feet on the other side, barely enough for a sidewalk much less two-way bike access. I assume a similar design will be used on the north side. The second photo shows a sign taking up a majority of the sidewalk.

When the new Metro stations open with many pedestrians walking to the stations, the Route 7 sidewalk on the south side is not an appropriate bike facility which is why FABB thinks that bike access on Route 7, a major future destination for bicyclists, is inadequate.

Bicyclists riding on the road: Federal guidelines for bike facilities (AASHTO bike guide) state that in order for a bicyclist and motorist to share a lane safely it should be 14 feet wide. Most lanes in Fairfax County are 12 feet or less, meaning that most lanes cannot be safely shared by bicyclists and motorists side-by-side. Sharrows (shared lane markings) indicate that cyclists should ride in the lane and motorists must wait until it is safe to pass. Without a completed bike (or pedestrian) network it is almost impossible to ride a bicycle for transportation in the county without riding in the road. It has been shown that riding in the road is often safer than riding on the sidewalk because of the many potential conflicts on sidewalks between bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorists exiting and entering the road in disregard of oncoming cyclists.

Bicyclist's behavior: Unfortunately too many bicyclists are seen "blowing through stop signs and traffic signals." Wouldn't it be nice if bicyclists were taught how to ride safely? They are not. The bicycle curriculum in our schools is not taught. Drivers education is available to almost everyone but very few people learn to ride a bike safely.

Unfortunately most motorists also often disregard the law, and they can cause much more damage. On my ride to the Government Center to attend the committee meeting I saw motorists breaking the law at almost every intersection by running red lights when making right turns, and rolling through STOP signs. Three motorists nearly hit me as I rode past them on the West Ox trail as they rolled into the intersection from cross streets, assuming that they could roll through the STOP sign. When I drive the speed limit in my car I am constantly passed by speeding motorists. We all need to obey the law. FABB is working with police on this topic.

Bicycle Master Plan: The Plan will address many of the concerns raised by the Board through the policy and facility recommendations. I look forward to passage of the Plan and eventual implementation. Please contact me if you or your staff would like to discuss these issues further.