Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Bike Parking Expansion at Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station
The free bike room has become very crowded, with bikes locked to the fence and elsewhere. We've counted over 55 bikes on a nice summer day. Fairfax County will be expanding bike parking in the free bike room next Tuesday, September 5. All bikes must be removed from the room during that time. Thanks to Fairfax County for addressing the need for more parking at the station.
From the county:
***ATTENTION***
The bike room will be closed on Tuesday, September 5th to add more bike racks.
Please remove your bike before Tuesday. Bike parking is available on the plaza.
Any questions, please call 703-877-5600.
Labels: bicycle parking, wiehle station bike room, wiehle-reston east
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
New Belmont Ridge Road Bridge Over W&OD
The new Belmont Ridge Road bridge over the Washington & Old Dominion trail in Ashburn opened in late July and greatly improves safety for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers by eliminating the potential for crashes. The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority is funding the congestion relieving, multi-modal improvements on Belmont Ridge Road. The new Belmont Ridge Road bridge is part of a congestion-reducing project that will widen Belmont Ridge Road from Gloucester Parkway to Hay Road.
Check out VDOT's video to hear what several cyclists, including FABB member Charlie Bobbish, had to say about the improvements.
The widening of Belmont Ridge Road is expected to be complete in Summer 2018. To find out more about this project and other NVTA funded projects visit www.TheNoVaAuthority.org and www.virginiadot.org/Belmont.
Labels: belmont ridge, belmont ridge road bridge, nvta, vdot, w&od trail
FABB Now Part of AmazonSmile Program
Hey, FABB members, if you shop with Amazon, you can now use your purchases there to support our mission of making bicycling better in Fairfax County. FABB is now part of the AmazonSmile program, a website operated by Amazon. The site features the same wide selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping as on Amazon.com. The difference is that when customers shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to FABB.
Click here on FABB’s unique link, bookmark it, and then shop like you normally do.
All donation amounts generated by the AmazonSmile program are given to the AmazonSmile Foundation, a 501(c)(3) private foundation created by Amazon to administer the AmazonSmile program. In turn, the AmazonSmile Foundation donates those amounts to the charitable organization selected by the customer. Amazon pays all expenses of the AmazonSmile Foundation; they are not deducted from the donation amounts generated by purchases on AmazonSmile. So, you shop, Amazon gives, we all benefit.
Thanks, as always, for your support.
Labels: AmazonSmile, funding
Friday, August 25, 2017
New Report on Bicyclist Safety
If you haven’t already read the recent Washington Post article on a Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) report on bicyclist safety, FABB highly recommends that you do. The report is a good reminder that, with more people than ever biking, the risk of motorist-bicyclist collisions also is reaching new highs. According to the report, which was released Thursday, bike deaths increased by 12.2 percent in 2015, outpacing the rise in overall traffic fatalities. The average age of cyclists killed in collisions in 2015, meanwhile, was 45.
The GHSA report and the Washington Post article summarize the report’s many findings, so we won’t repeat them here. Some conclusions about the role of alcohol use by motorists and cyclists and about distracted driving/riding are unsurprising. Other findings provide useful reminders about the importance of wearing helmets and about being careful and being seen when riding at night.
The report also emphasizes the importance of adding bicycling infrastructure—marked and protected bike lanes, separated paths, etc.—and FABB remains committed to being your voice in Fairfax County for these improvements. Please take a few minutes to read the article and, if you would, please consider donating to FABB to help us with our critical safety mission.
Labels: bicyclist safety, GHSA
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Bike Your Park Day is September 30
Fairfax County has 427 parks on approximately 23,359 acres of land. Many of these parks are accessible by bike. Saturday, September 30 is Bike Your Park Day. Why not participate by leading a ride to a local park. Currently there are only 2 rides listed in Fairfax County and neither ride has contact information, so there's a need for more rides and ride leaders. Find out more about the event by visiting the Adventure Cycling Bike Your Park page. Register your ride online or Find a local ride to join.
Monday, August 21, 2017
Park Authority Draft Master Plan Ready for Comment
 |
| Tree roots disrupting trails are a problem. |
The Fairfax County Park Authority has made its draft Great Parks, Great Communities Parks and Recreation System Master Plan available for public comment. The FCPA staff will be using the finalized plan as part of an upcoming accreditation review to maintain the park system’s Gold Medal status.
FABB encourages its members to review and comment on the plan. The current draft is attractive but short on substance. For example, the draft plan contains no specific and measurable goals for increasing the number and quality of trails even though trails were the top priority need for adult park users. It provides no details on claimed plans to develop a strategy and roadmap for system maintenance. It appropriately emphasizes the strong parts of the park system but ignores problem areas, such as the unsafe trail conditions on portions of the 40-mile Cross-County Trail.
 |
| CCT crossing often not usable after rains. |
This comment period is an opportunity for trail users to speak up and tell the park authority and others that our trails need help.
There will be a public input meeting on Tuesday, September 12, from 7 to 9 pm in the Multi-Purpose Room at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria.
You also can submit comments via Parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov and the comment box on the FCPA webpage.
The Park Authority will be accepting comments until September 22, 2017.
Labels: cross county trail, fcpa, parks master plan, trail maintenance
FABB Back in National Bike Challenge’s Top 20
As of the August 21, FABB had returned to a position among the Top 20 advocacy groups participating in the National Bike Challenge. The challenge, which is organized by the League of American Bicyclists, seeks to encourage current and new bicyclists to get out and ride. The “Challenge Period” goes through September 30, so there is still time to get out and ride to add to FABB’s tally. If you haven’t registered yet, just go to the National Bike Challenge website and follow the directions. Please help us move back up into the Top 10, which is where we started back in May.
As a extra incentive, recall that a FABB supporter has committed to making a donation that doubles FABB’s point total at the end of the August. That total stands at 264 today and it would be great if we could get to 300. Please record your miles and help FABB reach that milestone.
While you are at it, please consider making a donation to FABB by clicking here or using the Donate button on this page. As you may know, FABB’s primary fundraiser, the Tour de Fat was cancelled because of weather this year. Our other fundraiser for the past two years, the Clips Beer and Film Festival, was discontinued by its sponsor. Please help us with our advocacy mission by donating $5, $10, $20, $25 or whatever you can today. Thanks!
Labels: donation, national bike challenge
Sunday, August 20, 2017
Bike Count Volunteers Needed for September Survey
Just wanted to remind FABB members that there are still some slots available for volunteer bike counters for the Fairfax County Department of Transportation and BikeFairfax bike and pedestrian count.
This year's annual bicycle and pedestrian counts, which are part of the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project, will be held on Thursday, September 14, from 5-7pm and on Saturday, September 16, from 12-2pm.
To sign up, please visit this Fairfax County volunteer site.
Please sign up soon. Orientation training is scheduled for Thursday, September 7, from 6:30-7:30pm at 4050 Legato Road, Suite 400, in Fairfax. If you are unable to attend the orientation, the county will be able to provide you with training materials via email.
Labels: bike count, bikefairfax, FCDOT
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Route 1 Bicycle Route Upgraded
FABB member Kelley Westenhoff reports that on 1 August there was a ribbon cutting ceremony near Ft. Belvoir celebrating the completion of the Route 1 Expansion, a 3.6-mile-long road improvement project between Jeff Todd Way and Telegraph Road. As part of the expansion, the Rt. 1 Bicycle Route was upgraded significantly.
Kelley and FABB member Rick Landers joined Fairfax County Bike Coordinator Adam Lind and other local cyclists for a short but hilly bike ride to explore and enjoy some of the infrastructure before the ribbon cutting ceremony.
The new facilities include a bike lane for both directions on Rt. 1 as well as a 10-foot multiuse path that runs parallel to Rt. 1 on the west side. The multiuse path runs all the way to Lorton Road where it connects to bike facilities there.
This is an exciting development because this new infrastructure makes it possible to ride from the Ft. Belvoir area to northern Fairfax County using bike facilities the entire way. By turning east on Rt. 235 cyclists can bike to Mount Vernon and then connect with the Mount Vernon Trail. From there it is simple to connect to the Martha Custis Trail at Rosslyn and then with the W&OD near Falls Church to travel on to the Reston-Herndon-Sterling areas.
Labels: route 1, route 1 bike route, route 1 expansion
VA Legislators Support Improved I-66 Parallel Trail
Several VA legislators recently sent a letter to Aubrey Laine, the Virginia Secretary of Transportation, to express their concerns about the design of the I-66 parallel trail. The trail will be included as part of the widening of I-66 outside the Beltway. Senator Scott Surovell spearheaded this effort, working with FABB and other advocacy groups. Thank you Senator Surovell and thanks to your Senate and House colleagues! Please consider sending a thank you note to these officials.The Washington Post reported on the letter and the response from VDOT in the online article Virginia lawmakers oppose plan to sandwich I-66 trail between a sound wall and traffic. The article includes a link to an edited version of the simulation video produced by FABB. The original version is below.
From the Post article:
Some Virginia lawmakers, like their constituents, are unhappy with plans that put a bike and pedestrian trail alongside traffic lanes on busy Interstate 66.
The Virginia Department of Transportation proposal squeezes the walking path between the highway and the concrete wall that serves as a buffer between traffic noise and adjacent neighborhoods. A jersey barrier and fence would separate trail users and traffic.
“We believe this is an insufficient design,” says a letter addressed to transportation secretary Aubrey Layne and signed by 18 members of the Virginia General Assembly. “I-66 Trail users will be closely sandwiched between a sound wall and traffic exposing them to concentrated quantities of car exhaust, noise pollution and road debris.”
The letter concludes by asking Secretary Laine to "Please redesign this project to place the shared use path on the outside of the sound walls, ten- feet-wide with two-foot-shoulders on either side, or 14-feet-wide, and extend the shared use path the entire length of the widening project."The Virginia Department of Transportation proposal squeezes the walking path between the highway and the concrete wall that serves as a buffer between traffic noise and adjacent neighborhoods. A jersey barrier and fence would separate trail users and traffic.
“We believe this is an insufficient design,” says a letter addressed to transportation secretary Aubrey Layne and signed by 18 members of the Virginia General Assembly. “I-66 Trail users will be closely sandwiched between a sound wall and traffic exposing them to concentrated quantities of car exhaust, noise pollution and road debris.”
Here is VDOT's response in the Post article.
Susan Shaw, director of Mega Projects for VDOT said the department is working with the project’s private partners to find other locations within those five miles of trail where the facility could be moved to the other side of the wall. A modified design would be released for public review this fall, she said.
At last night's FABB meeting Adam Lind, the county bike coordinator, noted that FCDOT, VDOT, and the contractor are working together to find places where the trail can be placed outside the sound walls.Organizations that supported the letter and legislators who signed on:
(1) The Virginia League of Conservation Voters;
(2) The Virginia Sierra Club;
(3) The Southern Environmental Law Center;
(4) The Virginia Bicycling Federation;
(5) The Virginia Cycling Association;
(6) The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA);
(7) The Coalition for Smarter Growth;
(8) The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy;
(9) Mid Atlantic Bicycle Racing Association (MABRA)
(10) The Fairfax Alliance for Better Biking;
(11) Active Prince William;
(12) The Sierra Club – Mt. Vernon Chapter;
(13) The Alexandria Bike & Pedestrian Advisory Committee;
Senator Scott A. Surovell, 36th District, Fairfax, Prince William, & Stafford Counties
Senator Jeremy McPike, 29th District,Manassas, Manassas Park, & Prince William County
Senator Barbara Favola, 31st District, Arlington, Fairfax, & Loudoun Counties
Senator Janet D. Howell, 32nd District, Arlington & Fairfax Counties
Senator Jennifer T. Wexton, 33rd District, Fairfax & Loudoun Counties
Senator David F. Marsden, 37th District, Fairfax County
Delegate Ronald A. Villanueva, 21st District, Chesapeake & Virginia Beach
Delegate Richard C. Sullivan, Jr. 48th District, Arlington & Fairfax Counties
Delegate J. Randall Minchew, 10th District, Clark, Frederick, & Loudoun Counties
Delegate Sam Rasoul, 11th District, Roanoke
Delegate Kenneth T. Plum, 36th District, Fairfax County
Delegate Kaye Kory, 38th District,Fairfax County
Delegate Vivian E. Watts, 39th District, Fairfax County
Delegate Mark H. Levine, 45th District, Alexandria, Arlington & Fairfax Counties
Delegate Charniele L. Herring, 46th District, Alexandria
Delegate Patrick A. Hope, 47th District, Arlington County
Delegate James M. LeMunyon, 67th District, Fairfax & Loudoun Counties
Delegate Jennifer M. Boysko, 86th District, Fairfax & Loudoun Counties
Labels: i-66 outside the beltway, i-66 parallel trail, i-66 trail video
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Faces of Fairfax: Krishtam Chin
 |
| Krishtam Chin |
Herndon resident Krishtam Chin stopped by the Tysons pit stop on Bike to Work Day and helpfully answered FABB’s brief survey questions.
FABB: Why do you ride?
Krishtam: I ride for the exercise and the sheer pleasure of being on my bike. I’ve just started this year trying to commute to work at least one day each week.
FABB: That's great! Where do you ride?
Krishtam: I mostly ride on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail. For commuting, I ride from Herndon on the W&OD and then use bike lanes and side streets to get to my job in Tysons.
FABB: What do you most like about riding?
Krishtam: I love the fresh air.
FABB: What would you like to change to make it easier and safer for you to ride?
Krishtam: I would like to see more bike lanes and more connected networks of bike lanes.
Businesses in Tysons, such as Tysons Corner Center, are devoting more attention to making the area a more bike-friendly destination for employees and customers. FABB is working with the Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Tysons Partnership to help insure that the needs of cyclists (and the benefits of serving the bicycling community) are taken into consideration as Tysons continues its quest to become America’s next great city. FABB applauds initiatives, such as Access Tysons, that seek to improve multimodal transportation options to reduce congestion in the area.
Labels: BTWD, Faces of Fairfax, herndon, Tysons
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
FABB Meeting tomorrow: Providence & Mason Districts
Please join us tomorrow to discuss bicycling in the Mason and Providence Districts. Meet-up with other local bicyclists at FABB's meeting in Annandale. We'll hear about plans for an Arlington Boulevard Trail and get an update on bike improvements happening in your area of the county. FABB also wants to hear from you about ways to improve bicycling for you in your community. Hope you can make it!
BICYCLING IN THE
PROVIDENCE & MASON DISTRICTS
August 16, 2017 at 7:30 pm
Mason District Governmental Center
6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale
- Learn about the Arlington Boulevard Trail, a proposed trail connecting Washington D.C. to the City of Fairfax. See the Arlington Boulevard Trail Concept Plan.
- Hear from Fairfax County Dept. of Transportation’s Adam Lind about local bike improvements in the Mason and Providence Districts.
- Share your concerns and suggestions for improving bicycling in your community.
- Find out about upcoming events and other bicycle activities.
Sonya Breehey
VP, Board of Directors
Labels: arlington boulevard trail concept plan, mason district, providence district
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Faces of Fairfax: Kathleen Kelley
 |
| Kathleen Kelley |
Kathleen Kelley of Falls Church spoke to us at the Tysons pit stop on Bike to Work Day, telling us that she commutes daily from her home to Tysons. She said that she rides because it is way more fun than driving. In addition to her daily commute, she has a few favorite routes she rides to Shirlington and around the Harper’s Ferry area.
Kathleen told us that one of the things she likes most about bicycling is the friends she has made over a common love of biking.
Kathleen would like to see better transportation planning to correct car-centric networks such as is found in and around Tysons. The good news is that a number of projects are underway in the Tysons area that address Kathleen’s concerns. For example, shared use paths on both sides of Route 7 from Tysons to Reston Avenue are included in the Route 7 widening design. And grade separated ramp crossings for the Route 7 bridge over the Dulles Toll Road are under construction. The 14-foot-wide shared-use path being built for pedestrians and bikes as part of this project will tie into future trails.
Labels: BTWD, Faces of Fairfax, falls church, Tysons
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
New Bike Lanes in Reston
 |
| New North Shore Dr Bike Lane in Reston |
Other repaving projects in Reston still to be completed this summer are Twin Branches Road, Glade Drive, and Colts Neck Road, all located south of the Dulles Toll Road. See the Hunter Mill repaving projects page for details.
These new bike lane projects are well-timed as the county is proposing to add bikeshare stations south of the Toll Road (map of proposed stations). Currently all bikeshare stations are located north of the Toll Road. You can provide feedback on future station locations.
 |
| Sharrow on North Shore Drive. Bike lane on opposite side. |
Labels: bike lanes, north shore drive, repaving, reston
Friday, August 4, 2017
Fairfax County DOT Installing New Bike Racks
Fairfax County DOT recently installed bike racks at several county-owned locations. The racks are simple, functional inverted U (or Hoop) racks. These racks allow two contact points on the bike and the use of a variety of bike locks. See the county Bicycle Parking Guidelines for more info. Thanks to FCDOT for the following photos. |
| Gum S[rings Community Center |
 |
| Patrick Henry Library in Vienna |
 |
| Huntington Community Center |
 |
| Sherwood Regional Library |
Racks were also installed at several bus stops along Little River Turnpike in Annandale.
Labels: bicycle parking guidelines, bike racks
Thursday, August 3, 2017
Workhouse Brewfest on Saturday, August 12
The Workhouse Brewfest runs from 1 pm to 8 pm and will feature food, live music, craft brews from Northern Virginia and throughout the Commonwealth, and more. More than a dozen bands and performers will be on the two main stages. Plus there will be a number of workshops, demonstrations, and other fun how-to’s related to beer!
See you there!
Labels: Brewfest, Lorton, Workhouse Arts Center
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Faces of Fairfax: Maureen Roche
 |
| Maureen Roche |
Burke resident Maureen Roche told FABB that she loves to ride. She finds that getting out on her bike just makes her feel better. Maureen also told us that she likes to ride because of the freedom it gives her and because she regularly meets new people while out on her bike.
In response to our question about where she rides, Maureen told us that she usually rides on the W&OD Trail and along Rt. 123 for trips to Occoquan.
Before heading off to finish her ride, Maureen mentioned that she also values biking because when she and others ride it helps reduce local traffic congestion by taking at least a few cars off the road.
Labels: burke, Faces of Fairfax
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Feedback Needed on Bikeshare Expansion in Reston
Fairfax County is expanding bikeshare in Reston south of the Dulles Toll Road. All existing stations are located north of the Toll Road. See the map below for proposed locations. Click on image for a larger pdf version. Most (all?) of the proposed locations in the north part of the image are already in place. FCDOT will be doing outreach during August to get feedback on the proposed locations. From Fairfax County:
New Stations Planned for Reston - Feedback Sought on Proposed Locations
(Updated Aug. 1, 2017) Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) is seeking public input on the location of 10 new bikeshare stations in Reston. The goal of Phase II is to expand Capital Bikeshare to south Reston and increase the number of destinations within the system, while also taking advantage of new bike infrastructure in 2017 to make riding safer and more enjoyable for all.FCDOT will conduct three public outreach events in Reston to gather community input on future Bikeshare stations:
- Thursday, Aug. 10, Lake Audubon Pool, 2070 Twin Branches Road, 1-5 p.m.
- Thursday, Aug. 17, Glade Pool, 11550 Glade Drive, 1-5 p.m.
- Saturday, Aug. 26, Reston Farmer’s Market, Lake Anne Village Center, 1603 Washington Plaza North, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
To submit feedback on proposed stations, use the comment form on this page, email DOTbicycleprograms@fairfaxcounty.gov or call the FCDOT Bicycle Team at 730-877-5600, TTY711.
Labels: bikeshare, Reston bikeshare
