Saturday, March 17, 2018
March-April 2018 FABB News
FABB News
March-April 2018
A bi-monthly publication of Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling
Volunteers Needed for Springfest and Bike to Work Day
Spring is coming and FABB needs your help! Volunteers are needed to staff FABB tables at Springfest on April 21 and Bike to Work Day on May 18. Help FABB get out in the community and promote bicycling as a fun and healthy way to run errands, commute to work and get excercise. Sign up now for Springfest or Bike to Work Day!
Upcoming Repaving Meetings and Comment Deadlines
VDOT and FCDOT continues to hold district specfic public meetings on their plans for 2018 repaving and restriping projects, which include bicycle and other safety improvements. Upcoming meetings will be held in the Mason District on Tuesday, March 13; Hunter Mill District on Monday, March 19; and Springfield District on Thursday, April 5. You're encouraged to attend to speak up in support of the planned addition of new bicycling infrastructure.
There is still time to submit comments on proposed improvements in the Braddock District, comment deadline is March 16, and Lee District, comment deadline is March 23. Learn more about the 2018 Paving and Restriping Program here.
County Budget Meetings: Speak Up for Bikes
Fairfax County is seeking public input on its proposed FY2019 budget and is hosting several town hall meetings around the county. This is a great opportunity to speak out for better bicycling in the county. Consider attending a meeting near you one and speaking up or writing in support of: maintaining Safe Routes to School funding for a full-time Coordinator to work with county schools to improve bicycling and walking to school; and increasing funding for maintenance and repair of bicycle facilities.
Budget Town Hall meetings will be held at the following locations and times:
Budget Town Hall meetings will be held at the following locations and times:
- GREAT FALLS: Monday, March 12 at 7:30 PM, Great Falls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike
- PROVIDENCE: Wednesday, March 14 at 7:00 PM, Providence Community Center, 3001 Vaden Drive, Fairfax
- BRADDOCK: Wednesday, March 14 at 7:30 PM, location TBD.
- MASON: Thursday, March 15 at 7:00 PM, Mason District Governmental Center, 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale
- MOUNT VERNON: Monday, March 19 at 7:00 PM, Whitman Middle School, 2500 Parkers Lane, Alexandria
- LEE: Wednesday, March 21 at 7:00 PM, Franconia Governmental Center, 6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria
- SPRINGFIELD: Thursday, March 22 at 7:00 PM, Springfield Governmental Center, 6140 Rolling Road, Springfield
Visit the County’s webpage on the proposed budget for more information. You can also contact your local district Supervisor to express your support for expanded funding for better bicycling. Find their contact information here.
Park E-Bike Policies Under Review
Electric bikes (E-Bikes) are growing in popularity and now park groups in Fairfax County are considering how best to manage the bikes use and safety on trails. The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority and the Fairfax County Park Authority are considering whether to allow e-bikes on shared use park trails.Shared-used trails in our parks are key transportation links so local jurisdictions are determining how best to accommodate e-bikes, while hopefully providing some consistency in the rules between jurisdictions. Currently under Virginia law, e-bikes are treated as bicycles if they have a maximum power of 1,000 watts, and a top speed of 25 mph. They’re subject to the same rules of the road as human-powered bicycles, and are allowed on sidewalks and paths where traditional bikes are allowed. However, shared use trails in our parks are subject to different rules, which currently prohibit motor vehicles on trails.
If you’re unfamiliar with e-bikes, they are bikes and trikes with an electric motor that can be used to assist the rider’s pedaling efforts. People for Bikes developed model legislation categorizing e-bikes into three classifications. The Class I pedal-assist bike has a motor that kicks on only when pedaling. Class II has a throttle and the motor engages on demand. Both of these types have a 750 watt motor that cuts out at 20 mph. There is also a Class III pedal assist that tops out at 28 mph.The FABB Board is looking into the impact of the small yet growing numbers of e-bikes. E-bikes can help make the benefits of bicycling accessible to more people and encourage more trips by bike instead of a car. At the same time, we want to make sure increased e-bike use is safe on our trails. What do you think? Take FABB's quick survey on E-Bikes.
Distracted Driving Bill Moves in Virginia General Assembly
Distracted driving legislation was the one bicycling related bill to move in the Virginia General Assembly this year. The distracted driving legislation, HB181, states that the use of a cellphone that “substantially diverts the driver’s attention from the operation of the motor vehicle is guilty of distracted driving.” The bill would make distracted driving a primary motoring offense (a driver can be stopped solely for the offense) with fines of up to $500.While HB181 passed the House, the bill was amended in the Senate to address concerns about the potential for racial profiling. The new language would require development of best practices and that law enforcement keep a record of citations. With the amended language, the bill passed the Senate, but is now in conference committee to reconcile the different versions of the legislation. Given the legislative session is over, time may have run out on the bill for this year.
Due to this increase in distracted-driving related deaths, bike advocacy groups, as well as AAA, Drive Smart Virginia, and police groups have called for revisions to Virginia’s distracted driving laws. According to The Virginian-Pilot, since 2012 as smart phones became more widely used, there have been 949 distracted driving-related fatalities in Virginia. This compares to 1,380 drivers who have been killed as a result of alcohol-related crashes during the same period.
I-66 Parallel Trail Update
While initial construction activities on the I-66 Outside the Beltway Project are set to begin, there are no new developments to report on the parallel bike trail. The contractor is working to finalize design plans for the trail as they complete engineering surveys of the corridor. Fairfax County DOT, meanwhile, is focusing on the off-corridor portions of the planned parallel trail, developing the scope of work documents and revising cost estimates. The good news is that the county will be able to begin the design process using existing funds. The bad news is that more money will be needed to complete the projects, and this funding must be identified and allocated. VDOT and FCDOT continue to assert that the entire I-66 parallel trail will be complete and open when the overall highway project is delivered.
Save the Date! Join Us at FABB's March and April Meetings
The March FABB meeting will be in Alexandria focusing on bicycling developments in the Lee and Mount Vernon Districts. Join us at 7:30 pm, Wednesday, March 21 at the Mount Vernon Government Center. We'll hear the latest updates from the Fairfax County bike program, Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay's staff and, tentatively, Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck. This meeting is a great opportunity to get updates on projects such as the EMBARK Richmond Highway Project and raise concerns about bicycling and other multimodal transportation options in the district.
At the April meeting, FABB will provide an introduction to basic techniques and approaches for effective bicycle advocacy. If you've been contemplating becoming more involved in bicycle advocacy, this meeting can help jumpstart your participation. Join us at 7:30pm on Wednesday, April 18 at Patrick Henry Library in Vienna. Consider bringing a friend who may be interested in getting involved too!
Springfest Fairfax in April
Join FABB at Springfest 2018, Fairfax County’s annual Earth Day and Arbor Day event. This year’s FREE festival will be on April 21, from 10-4 pm at the Sully Historic Site. FABB is proud Springfest partner. Stop by FABB's table or join one of our social rides to the event. Stay tuned for more details. Interested in volunteering with FABB at Springfest? Sign up today!
Springfest 2018 will include workshops, exhibitors, and activities to help people take action to make a “Healthy Planet-Healthy People.” Activities include a petting zoo, an environmental obstacle course, and arts and crafts. You check out the bees and the trees exhibit, consult with Master Gardeners,and buy plants for your garden.
Join Us for National Bike Challenge
Are you ready for the challenge? After FABB's successful advocacy challenge last year as part of the National Bike Challenge, we're getting ready to do it again! Will you join us? Register today! Invite your friends and neighbors too! We're gearing up for the challenge which starts May 1st. The goal is get people out on their bikes to reap the benefits that come from an active, healthy, and fun means of recreation and transportation.
National Bike Summit A Success
The 2018 National Bike Summit wrapped up this week in Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, the Summit featured speakers, workshops and panel discussions on a variety of bicycle education and advocacy efforts around the country. FABB was represented by President Jeff Anderson, Vice President Sonya Breehey, and Reston advocate Mario Martin-Alciati.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao opened the summit on Monday highlighting the administration's efforts to address bicycle safety, announcing the Federal Highway Administration's release of guidelines for Measureing Multi-Modal Network Connectivity, and touched on the Trump administration's infrastructure plan. Over the two days, there were workshops on developing e-bike policies, working with law enforcement, autonomous vehicles, bicycle friendly driver training, and many other topics. On Wednesday, FABB joined Bike Arlington, the Virginia Bicycling Federation and other advocates from around the state meeting with legislators on Capital Hill to advoacte for better bicycling in Virginia.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao opened the summit on Monday highlighting the administration's efforts to address bicycle safety, announcing the Federal Highway Administration's release of guidelines for Measureing Multi-Modal Network Connectivity, and touched on the Trump administration's infrastructure plan. Over the two days, there were workshops on developing e-bike policies, working with law enforcement, autonomous vehicles, bicycle friendly driver training, and many other topics. On Wednesday, FABB joined Bike Arlington, the Virginia Bicycling Federation and other advocates from around the state meeting with legislators on Capital Hill to advoacte for better bicycling in Virginia.
2018 FABB Planning, Volunteers Needed
FABB held two planning meetings in February to develop a 2018 work plan. The first meeting was among the Board members and the second involved a larger group of other key volunteers. In the first meeting, the board reviewed the organization’s overall objectives over the years and agreed to condense these into five priority areas. In the second meeting, the broader group of FABB volunteers broke into groups to develop goals, activities, and timelines for 2018 under each of the priority areas. The five priority areas are:- Advocacy for Better Bicycle Infrastructure and Multimodal Transportation
- Bike Ridership and Education
- Alliances with Regional, Government, and Private Sector Partners
- Inclusive Outreach to All Fairfax County Communities
- Legal Rights for Cyclists
A board member was assigned to lead each priority area and will work with a broader team of volunteers to meet the objectives for each priority area. But, we need more help! If you would like to learn more about any of these priority areas or contribute to them in any way, please contact info@fabb-bikes.org.
If you don't already, please Like us on Facebook and follow our Twitter feed. If you have news about bicycling in Fairfax to share with our readers, please submit brief articles to news@fabb-bikes.org.
Labels: bike to work day, budget, e-bikes, fabb newsletter, i-66, national bike summit, repaving, springfest
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