FABB Blog

RRFB at Belmont Ridge Image: Google Maps Streetview

VDOT is now seeking W&OD trail user opinions on the experimental Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) system that was installed at the intersection of the W&OD Trail and Belmont Ridge Rd in April 2013. We are hoping that you would be able to assist VDOT by distributing the survey link to your club members. Survey responses will help VDOT gauge the effectiveness of the RRFB system and help decision-makers assess the prospects of installing RRFB systems at other locations in the future.

The survey is very brief (should only take a couple minutes to complete) and is open to receive responses until November 30th 2014. Survey Monkey is the host and the link is SSL encrypted:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BelmontRidgeFlashingBeacon

On-street bike lanes are proposed along Westpark Drive (five-foot wide) and Park Avenue (six-foot wide). Local roads such as Madison Street are expected to accommodate bike traffic without the need for separate lanes because of their lower speeds. Bike parking facilities are not specifically identified on the CDP or FDP. Staff is recommending an FDP condition that interior bicycle parking areas be identified on site plan and/or building plans to the satisfaction of FCDOT. Additionally, staff is recommending an FDP condition that bicycle parking facilities be installed in the interim public parks subject to the approval of FCDOT and FCPA.

Fairfax County signed off on another new development in the heart of Tysons that will add up to 1.4 million square feet in stores, apartments, hotel rooms, plus an estimated 2,275 new residents.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved Westpark Plaza today, a 5.37-acre project that’s about a quarter mile from the Greensboro Metro station.It joins Tysons Central, which the county approved almost a year ago, an up to 1.8 million square foot project next to this Silver Line station.

The plan calls for two high-rise apartments, an up to 300-room hotel, and a one-story recreation building built around a 1.78-acre park. The buildings all offer access to this central green with a lawn, courts, and more. The recreation facility offers a year-round, indoor swimming pool for residents and hotel guests, along with other amenities.

Located at the corner of Leesburg Pike and Westpark Drive, the new development will form a single block, bounded by two new streets, Park Avenue to the north and Madison Street to the east. It will replace the existing nine-story Westpark Hotel and surrounding parking lots that stand on the site today.

Arlington Boulevard runs just over twelve miles from the National Mall in Washington, DC to Fairfax City, VA, crossing several jurisdictional lines and the Potomac River along the way. The thoroughfare connects over 110,000 people living in the adjacent neighborhoods to offices, retail, parks, schools, and government services. But it lacks a consistent, high-quality bicycling route.

Such a route would encourage bicycling and walking along its length, increase the value of existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities by making them part of a more connected network, and improve the character of the corridor for all users. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) have identified this route as an import-ant, yet underdeveloped, bicycle route in several planning documents--but to date, improvements have been piecemeal. This document shows how those piecemeal improvements could combine to form a functional trail for transportation and recreation.

Only two days left to receive huge discounts for this weekend. Come into The Bike Lane, today or tomorrow, and make a donation to the Round Up For Better Riding Program. Donate $5 or more and receive a secret envelope containing a discount up to 20% off everything for this Saturday and Sunday. Use your discount to do some holiday shopping for yourself or your loved ones. (To receive a super secret discount coupon, donations must be made in store by 8 pm tomorrow Nov. 15.)

The Bike Lane is partnering with MORE (our local mountain bike club) and PeopleforBikes to use the donations to build pump tracks (bike playgrounds) and youth bike facilities in Fairfax County.

Want to be a corporate sponsor to get more kids riding? Contact Anne Mader at anne@thebikelane.com for details on how your company can help our Round Up for Better Riding Program to get more kids riding bikes in our community.opleForBikes will match every donation. Let's get more kids riding! Ask a Bike Lane employee for more information.

Thank you Fairfax voters!

Direction: Rte. 286 N/B Fairfax County Parkway.

Where:  From Dulles Toll Road  to Sunset Hills Road.

When:   Wednesday 11/5/14 thru Friday 11/7/14 from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM-(weather permitting)

What: Temporary Bike Trail closure.

Why: Maintenance repairs.

Project: 0286-029-112, N501

Police: NO

Contact Info: Erwin Milian: 571-237-5211

Emergency Contact: Sam Ghobadian: 571-722-5315

Thanks for participating in the planning process for the Tysons Park System Concept Plan! We considered the many public comments on the draft Plan received during last spring's public outreach process and made some minor revisions to the Plan as a result. A final, revised document was presented to the Park Authority Board's Planning & Development Committee in September and was endorsed by the full Park Board on Wednesday, October 22nd. See related info on the Tysons Park Planning project website.

The Park Concept Plan will now be used to inform Phase 3 of the Tysons Urban Center Plan Amendment. Possible changes to the Tysons Comprehensive Plan pertaining to parks and recreation will be discussed at public meetings held by the Planning Commission's Tysons Committee beginning in January 2015.

In September 2014, VDOT completed its Pedestrian Policy Plan. As stated on the VDOT website, the purpose of the plan is to establish a vision for the future of walking in the Commonwealth and to advance the walking element of the Commonwealth Transportation Board’s Policy for Integrating Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations consistently, appropriately, and cost-effectively. The recommendations in the plan will advance the policy more effectively and will involve a wide variety of partners within various divisions of VDOT, as well as stakeholders throughout the Commonwealth.

Considerable discussion was held about the US Bicycle Route 1 in Northern Virginia. The new route location and sign plans have been submitted to the approving authorities. As many as 80 new signs will be needed to keep riders from getting lost. Funding, however, for the signs could be a problem. Champe Burnley commented it would be good to have all the signs installed in 2015 so the upcoming bicycle visitors could enjoy the route to Washington, DC. Champe asked if donations could be made to pay for the signs. VDOT staffers said they would have to see if accepting donations for signs was legal.

Mack Frost from the Federal Highway Administration spoke about the USDOT Secretary’s new safety initiative. USDOT will select one city in each state to illustrate that bike and pedestrian safety is important. Congressional leaders and the public need to know that bicycle and pedestrian travel modes are just as important as driving, flying and riding trains and subways. The Federal Transit Administration will be coordinating the effort within Virginia. Location for the one-day program and publicity tour will most likely be in Hampton Rhodes, Richmond or Northern Virginia. See the handout with more details of the safety initiative.

John Bolecek commented that the easiest bicycle improvement is to restripe lanes when repaving or to widen road shoulders on high priority roads. He encouraged everyone to look at the roads to be repaved to see if a change to accommodate bicycles would be appropriate. He told participants to call him if they needed help with the process.

A discussion was held concerning how the progress made in Virginian since 2004 when bicycles and pedestrians were to be given equal consideration. Some suggested that VDOT internal audit would be the best group to evaluate the progress. Others commented that since John works for the State Engineer it may be hard to ask that such a review be undertaken.

John reported he was asked to update the state highway plan. He plans to include bicycles and pedestrians in the plan, and will focus on long distance bicycle trails and those that parallel state bike routes, and include other projects that make good sense.

As a performance management tool, John is suggesting that a new data field be added to VDOT planning documents to capture information showing how bicycle and pedestrians were included in projects. VDOT participants said measuring accomplishments would be much easier if the information was recorded. John said he would talk to others at VDOT to see what could be done to have the new data field developed.

The longstanding, continuing debate of reducing maintenance allocations when road diets are used in towns and cities was again discussed by the committee. Champe Burnley suggested the committee write a letter to the VDOT Secretary outlining the committees concerns. John commented that the committee advises him and that he advises the State Engineer, who advises the VDOT Secretary. Charlie Shrunk suggested maybe state legislators needed to become involved to help resolve the dilemma. John said he would again raise the committee’s concern with the State Engineer.

A discussion was held about the importance of getting bicycle and pedestrian counts to monitor the use of bicycles. VDOT has permanent continuous count stations at many places in the State as a requirement of getting Federal funds. Sometimes a bike counter can be added to the counters at little or no cost.

Bicycle counting systems are relatively new and rely on differing technologies e.g. video tapes that are scanned and counted, a light based system that detects turning wheels, or a GIS application that some cyclists use to monitor various cycling activities. Strava www.strava.com has interesting features but does not capture all bicyclists. Each counting station costs $5,000 to $6,000 which includes batteries, maintenance and data management.

A detailed presentation based on a University of Virginia doctoral dissertation was given illustrating how bike data could inform local transportation decisions. The speaker stressed the need for getting more data about bicycle data into nationwide records systems.

Details about the next committee meeting will provided once a date is selected.