FABB Blog

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is currently looking for volunteers to help with a bike and pedestrian count at two locations in Reston (Colts Neck Rd at the elementary school and Twin Branches at the pool). These roads are getting repaved in a few weeks and will receive new bike lanes and crosswalks. We would like to gather before and after pedestrian and bicycle data to better determine the impact of the infrastructure improvements.

The counting dates are June 6-11, 6am to 9pm. We will break up the counting period into 3h shifts: 6-9am, 9am-12pm, 12pm-3pm, 3pm-6pm, 6-9pm. On street parking is available at both counting locations if you prefer to count from the comfort of your car.

Please let me know if you are interested in participating, and which day(s) and shift(s) you would like to take on. Shifts will be assigned on a first come first serve basis.

We will send out training materials on how and what to count by the end of this week. We will also set up a volunteer sign up form for this opportunity in the Fairfax County volunteer system so that volunteers can be covered by insurance and log their hours.

Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will host a community meeting to discuss proposed bike lanes on Rose Hill Drive on Thursday, 8 June, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., in the cafeteria of Mark Twain Middle School, 4700 Franconia Road, Alexandria. The Rose Hill Drive project calls for narrowing existing travel lanes and striping bike lanes from Franconia Road to Telegraph Road as part of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s summer road repaving program. Rose Hill Drive is an important connector between parks, shopping, the local library, and a trail to Kingstowne.

This meeting is another important opportunity for FABB members and other interested citizens to share their ideas and local knowledge with FCDOT to help make the new bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure as safe and user-friendly as possible. If you live in this part of Lee District, please plan on attending. 

The Liberty Bell Trail, the newest segment of the Pohick Stream Valley Trail in Burke, will be opened on Saturday, 3 June. Members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Park Authority Board, and Fairfax County Park Foundation Board will be there for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:00 am. The Trail is located at 9239 Burke Road and can be accessed from Burke Road near Liberty Bell Court.  

FABB encourages our members in the area to go out and show some love and support to the new trail and the various county officials and board members who made it happen. Saturday also is National Trails Day, so this is a great opportunity to show your support for all trails with a nice ride along the new trail.

The first month of the National Bike Challenge ends on Tuesday.  Be sure to log your miles by then to be eligible for prizes. 

FABB is still doing relatively well among advocacy groups participating in the challenge. With 169 members participating, our average points per member have kept us in the top 20 nationwide. Not bad, but we can do better. 

FABB is planning future events to help promote bicycling and enhance the culture of healthy and active living in Fairfax County. Please plan on joining us and, if you have the time, please consider volunteering to help our advocacy, education, and encouragement efforts. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact president@fabb-bikes.org

The final Little River Turnpike bicycle study has been completed and is available on the Fairfax County Department of Transportation webpage. The study presents proposals for changes to improve bicycling along the Little River Turnpike from the City of Fairfax to Alexandria. It has been sent to the Board of Supervisors for endorsement. 

FABB participated in the public meeting on the study last September. The comments by our members and others who were there clearly had an impact on the planning and development of the study’s proposed bicycle improvements.  

The importance of showing up and making our voices heard can’t be overemphasized. Studies also are underway for the Fairfax County Parkway Trail at the Dulles Toll Road, the Monroe Street Bridge over Rt. 267, and neighborhood connections to the north side of Innovation Station. If we speak up, the county will listen. 

With nearly a dozen Farmer’s Markets in Fairfax County, there’s likely a market near you. From May 24 and May 28, try buying local and then taking your produce home by bike – an environmentally-friendly experience all the way around!

These schools actually had a Bike to School Day before Bike to School was a “thing.” Over the years they have expanded the event by challenging schools in Reston to a community contest. The Vienna schools also have teamed up with local businesses to promote the day. In 2016 this resulted in a large check being given to Committee For Helping Others to purchase bikes for less fortunate children. It's great to see schools team up yet compete in such a fun week of exercise.

The Challenge Cup is awarded to the school with the largest percentage increase in participants over last year's challenge. The 2017 contest was a nail biter with the Overall Challenge Cup lead shifting all week.The fourth day of the challenge this year was a massively rainy day, which resulted in a large drop off in numbers of riders despite experiments showing that kids don't melt in the rain. By a narrow 0.14% margin Vienna took the Challenge Cup over Cunningham Park. Westbriar was third while Wolftrap was fourth just 2.5% behind Westbriar. 

The Bike Cup, which is based on the percentage of bike riders relative to the total number of participants, was again won by Vienna which had two days with 100+ riders. It's their fourth year of winning the Bike Cup with Wolftrap recapturing second place after an awesome 100+ day on Wednesday and a solid Friday. Marshall Road had a nice surge to take third overall.  

Results: 

Cup Challenge (ranking based on comparison with previous year's participation)

Vienna 102.12%

Cunningham Park         101.98%

Westbriar                      98.12 %

Wolftrap                        95.75%

Marshall Road               84.25%

Flint Hill                         81.67%

Bike Challenge (percentage of bikes over walkers)

Vienna                              40.39%

Wolftrap                            23.89%

Marshall Road                  15.22%

Cunningham Park             13.84%

Flint Hill                             10.61%

Westbriar                            5.74%

Congratulations to all the schools for getting out there and continuing to show the rest of FCPS how to get it done.

Stenwood Elementary in Vienna was the scene last week of a great Bike to School Day event. As on of the 78 FCPS schools participating, parents and students, with some help from Fairfax County Police Department officers, set up a bike train to safely bring a record number of student riders to school. 

Joel Guzman, who has been running a weekly bike train to Stenwood for the past two months, reports that on Bike to School Day he had 24 kids and 7 adults participate. The FCPD provided 2 bike patrol officers to ride with the students and another officer in a patrol car to assist with traffic control for the ride. 

Stenwood's population is split by Gallows Road. A good number of students bike from the same side as the school but Joel lives on the other side where all the students are bused. He hasn't let that stop him from giving kids the chance to bike. The school is off Gallows Road near the busy intersection of I-66 and I-495 and just a stone’s throw from the Dunn Loring Metro. Thanks to careful planning, the bike train used a safe route that ran through and picked up riders from several communities in the Dunn Loring area. 

Many thanks to Joel, the other parents, the FCPD, and everyone else who supports bicycling as a safe and healthy mode of transportation and recreation for children.

This is the first of three reports.

One week ago students across Fairfax County hopped out of the Kiss & Ride or left their buses empty. Instead, they put on a helmet or walking shoes and joined in the 2017 National Bike to School Day. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) had 78 registered events. Was your school one of them? 

This year saw the most Fairfax County schools that have ever registered. About 40% of all Fairfax County schools held Bike to School Day events while the 78 registered events represented one-third of all such activities in Virginia.  

Bike trains were rolling all over the county last Wednesday. Some had Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) Bike Patrol escorts while others were assisted by FCPD patrol cars stopping traffic at busy intersections.   

It was only five years ago that many local schools had no bike racks and did little to encourage students to bike. Unanimous support from both the FCPS School Board and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors changed the tide. This ongoing support is now helping to encourage transportation choices that build healthy minds and bodies for our children.   

In the next reports FABB will profile a new bike train that sprang up this year near the Dunn Loring Metro station as well as the Town of Vienna's Bike/Walk Challenge for schools, which is now in it's 9th year.

Submitted by Jeff Anderson. 

Guest blogger: Jenifer Joy Madden

Liberating and organized. My two best words to describe DC Ride 2017. 

It was a cloudless cool morning as we headed from Arlington across the Memorial Bridge. We could hear the music at the starting point well before we saw the huge crowd across the river. 

People were smiling and upbeat as we formed into groups according to ability and were slowly released one by one, starting with the least experienced. The ride started along the river and then did a number of long switchbacks including around Hains Point and alongside Georgetown via the Whitehurst Freeway. 

There’s something wonderful about occupying a space always dominated by cars. Even when we reached a pinch point entering the 14^th street bridge, I felt triumphant walking slowly through a traffic jam of bikes. 

There were two main rest stops along the route with light snacks, water, port-a-potties, medical help, and friendly Velocity volunteer mechanics. 

As for the organized part, it was very different from the time I rode on the open streets in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on a Sunday afternoon, when everyone was going every which way. In the DC ride, you have identification numbers affixed to your helmet, chest, and bike. The ride is closely monitored at all points and traffic flows one way. You can’t veer from the route, although there were several official places to bail out.

You had to plan ahead because the ride was not a loop. It started in West Potomac Park and ended up on Pennsylvania down near the Capitol. 

But the orderliness only added to the enjoyment. As the ride rolled on and space opened up between riders, if you didn’t look behind you, you could imagine you were rolling on your own through the open streets—an almost indescribable feeling of liberation. 

Please plan on joining us at the Mosaic Community Space on Wednesday, 17 May, for our May FABB Meeting. It should be a great evening that can start with a visit to Choolaah Indian BBQ, which is graciously donating a portion of the proceeds from each meal sold to FABB.  Afterwards, in addition to our usual updates on bicycle improvements and events in Fairfax County, we will be given an advanced look from the Virginia Department of Transportation on the plans for the I-66 Outside the Beltway bike trail. 

The Mosaic Community Space is located around the corner from Brine Restaurant and District Dumplings on Merrifield Cinema Drive. Choolaah Indian BBQ is located at 2911 District Avenue next to the Angelika Film Center, and all you need to do is tell the cashier that you are there to support FABB. 

Today, the League of American Bicyclists recognized Fairfax County with a Bronze level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFCSM) award. The Bronze level BFC award recognizes Fairfax County’s commitment to improving conditions for bicycling through investment in bicycling promotion, education programs, infrastructure and pro-bicycling policies. The BFC program provides a benchmark for communities to evaluate these conditions and policies, while highlighting areas for improvement. The national scope of the program also promotes competition and comparison between communities - with 416 currently recognized BFC there is always a model for your community to be found.

“The Fairfax County Bicycle Program began just over 10 years ago and receiving this designation is a significant accomplishment," said Fairfax County Bicycle Program Coordinator Adam Lind. "The County has a growing network of off-road trails and on-road bike facilities, and we recently joined the Capital Bikeshare family. We also recently released the updated Fairfax County Bicycle Map just in time for the 2017 Bike to Work Day on May 19," continued Lind. "Receiving a Bronze designation is just the beginning as we continue to design and build safe streets for all, and strive to become a silver level Bicycle Friendly Community.”

There are lots of improvements that we’d like to see on Route 1. Here are a few:

• Safer and more accessible transportation: Implement modern bus rapid transit along the centerline of Route 1; safer streets for walking and biking with protected bike lanes, continuous sidewalks, and narrower travel lanes; and a new street grid.
• Attractive urban design and park space: Build to the sidewalk and allow for ground floor retail, town greens and plazas, and buildings that get taller when they are closer to transit. 
• Housing affordability: Preserve housing affordability for the diverse population living in nearby garden apartments and include a range of housing affordability in new development.
• Health and the environment: Include modern stormwater management to deal with excess runoff, expand stream buffers and restore streams, and expand parks and recreational opportunities for children and adults.

Creating a green, walkable, and transit-friendly urban community along Richmond Highway is critical to the future of Fairfax. Email the county now to support a sustainable and inclusive plan!

Of course, you can always go to the Bike Fairfax Interactive Map, which displays the same information as the printed version.  The interactive online format gives users greater flexibility in locating and creating the best routes for commuting and recreation.

New maps are a great way to start of Bike Month.

Registration will open for non-Reston residents this week for the Reston Community Center’s bicycle workshops and classes scheduled for later this summer. The Confident Cycling Class will offer three 3-hour sessions to help riders improve their skills for controlling their bike, avoiding crashes, and getting out of dangerous situations. There also will be a Learn to Bike class for children (6-14 years old) and one for adults (15 years and older). The costs of the workshops and classes vary, but these are great investments for new riders and aspiring commuters. You can register for the classes at the RCC website and find more information about the courses at this earlier FABB Blog post. 

Please join FABB this coming Saturday, 13 May, for a social ride from George Mason University through Old Town Fairfax, the Cross-County Trail, and the Vienna Metro station area to downtown Vienna. It will be fun and educational! The round trip of 16 miles will include four to five brief stops to view and discuss recent and planned bicycling facility improvements throughout the area. 

Find more details and sign up for the ride here. 

May-June 2017 FABB News

A bi-monthly publication of Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling

www.fabb-bikes.org

VDOT to Provide Update on I-66 Bike Plans at FABB’s May Meeting  

Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) staff and contractor team members who are working on the I-66 bike trail outside the Beltway will be attending FABB’s May 17 meeting to discuss current plans and concepts for the trail. The preliminary concept plans and more recent concept plans for the area around Gallows Road and Dunn Loring Metro Station are available on the VDOT website.

The FABB meeting will be held at 7:30pm on May 17 at the Mosaic Community Space in the Mosaic District. The meeting room is located around the corner from Brine Restaurant and District Dumplings on Merrifield Cinema Drive.

FABB is getting a heads up on current planning for the parallel trail and bridge crossings. VDOT also will be holding Public Information Meetings on the overall I-66 Outside the Beltway project on June 12 at Oakton H.S. in Vienna, June 14 at Ormond Stone M.S. in Centreville, and June 15 at Piney Branch E.S. in Bristow. Design Public Hearings are tentatively scheduled for this fall on dates to be determined later.

Support FABB at Choolaah Indian BBQ Fundraiser Before May Meeting 

Help raise funds for better bicycling by dining out at FABB's Choolaah Indian BBQ fundraiser at Mosaic May 17, the same night as FABB’s meeting. Just tell the cashier that you support FABB and Choolaah will donate a portion of the cost of your meal to FABB.  The fundraiser will run from 5-9 pm. Choolaah is located at 2911 District Avenue next to the Angelika Film Center. 

Meeting on Planned Bicycle/Pedestrian Facility in Tysons

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will be hosting a public information meeting on a proposed bicycle/pedestrian facility in the vicinity of Route 123 and I-495 in Tysons on May 17, 2017, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The meeting will be at the Westgate Elementary School, 7500 Magarity Road, in Falls Church. 

There are two designs under discussion that were developed with public input from community meetings in 2015 and 2016. The first option is a shared-use trail along Route 123 from the Old Meadow Road intersection (east of I-495) to Westpark Drive near the ramp to the Express Lanes along I-495. The second option is a shared-use trail along Old Meadow Road from Route 123 to a bridge crossing over I-495 to Tysons One Place. In both options the shared-use trail will be constructed as a 10-foot-wide asphalt trail with bridge segments. 

The meeting is at the same time as FABB's monthly meeting for May but FABB will have a representative there. We encourage other interested cyclists from the Tysons and McLean areas to attend. 

Updated Design for W&OD Trail Bridge Over Lee Hwy

VDOT hosted a second public meeting May 2 on the planned W&OD Trail pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Rt. 29. This was a follow-up meeting to present a bridge option that was developed based on public input received during the planning workshop held on April 5. The bridge project is part of the Transform 66 Inside the Beltway Eastbound Widening Project. 

VDOT is still seeking comments on the project at Transform66@VDOT.Virginia.gov until May 18. Check out FABB’s blog post for more information.

Join FABB and the National Bike Challenge

The National Bike Challenge is underway and FABB wants you to join the challenge to get out and enjoy more bicycling. The National Bike Challenge is a nationwide event that runs from May 1 through September 20. It's a free and fun way to encourage yourself, your colleagues and your community to ride more while competing for various prizes and awards.

People in Fairfax County, Falls Church and Alexandria will automatically be added to FABB’s local advocacy challenge when signing up. Visit the National Bike Challenge website for details and sign up today. 

Two Weeks Until Bike to Work Day

Bike to Work Day is almost here. Join the fun on Friday, May 19 as we celebrate bicycling as a clean, fun and healthy way to get to work. There are several pit stops around the region where participants can enjoy free food, commuter support, and of course, get their free 2017 Bike to Work Day t-shirt. Click here for more information and to register today. 

FABB continues to support Commuter Connections and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association on this great annual bike event. FABB members will be out at Fairfax County pit stops to celebrate with and encourage Bike to Work Day participants. We still need volunteers to cover all 13 pit stops. If you can help, sign up here: FABB @ Bike To Work Day.

You can also help by spreading the word about Bike to Work Day to friends, neighbors, and even your employer! FCDOT has a tool kit for businesses to help them get involved in promoting bicycling as a viable commuting option. More information about the business tool kit is available at the FCDOT website.

May is Bike Month! Several Social Rides and Bike Events Planned

FABB’s Fairfax-Vienna Social Ride (May 13). Please join FABB on Saturday, May 13 for a social ride from George Mason University through Old Town Fairfax, down the Cross-County Trail to downtown Vienna. The round trip of 16 miles will include 4-5 brief stops to check out recent and planned bicycling improvements. Find more details and sign up for the ride here.

Life is a Cycle Ride (May 5). The Town of Herndon is partnering with My City Bikes to hold a Life is a Cycle ride on May 5 at 6:00 p.m. at Bready Park. The Herndon ride will be one of 18 “Life is a Cycle” rides around the country during National Bike month. My City Bikes is a global public health alliance that creates beginner biking apps and other resources to help beginners start biking. The fee to participate is $1.50.  Event proceeds will benefit the American Heart Association. You can register here.

Bike to Worship Days (May 5-7).  FCDOT is encouraging people of faith to celebrate Bike Month by using their bikes to attend religious services over the weeknd of May 5-7. Although no specific events have been scheduled, FCDOT is working with Fairfax County interfaith liaison to promote the event to faith leaders and clergy.

Bike to School Day (May 10). Last year more than 60 Fairfax County elementary and middle schools participated in the event. Fairfax County Public Schools will again encourage kids to bike to school on May 10. The Fairfax County Police Department will also support the day by escorting bike trains and individual riders around the county helping everyone have a safe trip. Check out Walk & Bike to School website for more information.

Bike to Market Days (May 24-28). Fairfax County is encouraging people to bike to market May 24-28, another opportunity to celebrate Bike Month. Look for FABB and FCDOT tables with bike information at any of the 11 county farmer’s markets on these days. A list of markets can be found here.

Summer Bike Safety Classes in Reston

There will be a series of workshops and classes taught this July at the Reston Community Center by FABB member and certified cycling instructor Kelley Westenhoff. The Confident Cycling Class will offer three 3-hour sessions to help riders improve their skills for controlling the bike, avoiding crashes, and getting out of dangerous situations. There also will be a Learn to Bike class for children (6-14 years old) and one for adults (15 years and older). Registration opened for Reston residents on May 1 and will open for non-residents on May 8. For more information, check out the FABB blog on the classes for dates and details.

Spanish-Language Bike Classes

FABB Board Member Katie Kelly recently taught bike education classes in Spanish at the Centreville Day Laborer Center. Katie stepped up at the request of FCDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Planner Nichole Wynands to offer general bike safety and traffic safety tips to Spanish-speaking workers who use their bikes for transportation.  The class on April 18 went very well with 12 participants. FABB is looking into other opportunities to support this community with bike education and maintenance classes. If you would like to help and have Spanish language skills, please contact steve@fabb-bikes.org.

Mark Your Calendar! FABB Springfield-Braddock District Meeting June 21

FABB’s June meeting will focus on the Springfield-Braddock Districts.  Join us to talk about local issues and learn about bike plans in those districts.  The meeting will start at 7:30 pm at Braddock Hall in the Braddock District Government Center, 9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke.

Successful FABB Rides to SpringFest

FABB led two social rides to the Sully Historic Site for SpringFest Fairfax on Saturday, April 29. One ride departed Reston and the other left from Centerville. Along the way ride leaders pointed out points of interest, including the county's two secure bike rooms and other new bike facilities.  FABB is planning more social rides throughout the year. Keep an eye on the blog or events page for more details.  

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