Thursday, May 10, 2018
May-June 2018 FABB News
Welcome to Bike Month
May is National Bike Month and FABB is doing its part to celebrate the many benefits of bicycling while encouraging more people to give biking a try. We hope everyone will use the month to get out for a ride and share with the others your love of bicycling.
As part of FABB’s Faces of Fairfax series, you’re invited to share your bicycling story. Faces of Fairfax is FABB’s way to show the many different faces of Fairfax bicyclists who commute to work or school, ride to save money and time, and bike to improve their health and the environment. Just send a short note to info@fabb-bikes.org and we will include you in our Faces of Fairfax series to show the breadth, depth, and humanity of cyclists here in northern Virginia. Check out FABB's Faces of Fairfax blog to learn more.
Bike to Work Day is May 18
Bike to Work Day is almost here. Join the fun on Friday, May 18 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 get their free 2018 Bike to Work Day t-shirt. Join the fun! Register today.
FABB will be out at Fairfax County’s 17 pit stops to celebrate with and encourage the Bike to Work Day participants. We still need volunteers, especially in Springfield, Lorton and Herndon. If you can help, please sign up here.
You can also help by spreading the word about Bike to Work Day to friends, neighbors and 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.
Global Women’s Cycling Day or CycloFemme (May 13).
Each year on Mother’s Day, self-led bike rides around the globe unite riders, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity or bicycle preference, to inspire others to bicycle and gain all of the benefits that come from riding. CycloFemme began with a belief in the power of a bike to transform lives. To find out more about the program and donate to the charity’s work in providing bicycles for women in poorer parts of the world, visit the CycloFemme website here.
Join the National Bike Challenge
The National Bike Challenge is underway and FABB wants you to join the challenge to get on your bike and ride. Last year, FABB members were part of the more than 30,000 bicyclists from all 50 states and the District who participated in the challenge. Between May and September, FABB members rode enough miles to finish among the top 20 groups and clubs in the nation. Let’s see if we can’t do better in 2018. Register today!
The National Bike Challenge is a nationwide event that encourages current and new bicyclists to get out and ride. It is a free and easy way to challenge yourself, your colleagues and your community to ride more while competing on a local, state and national level for various prizes and awards for you and for FABB. The 2018 Challenge is organized and presented by the League of American Bicyclists with help from Love to Ride. The Challenge runs from May 1 to September 30. Visit the National Bike Challenge/Love to Ride website for details and to record your miles.
Meet Katherine Lewis, FABB’s New Communications Coordinator
You may have noticed that FABB’s social media has recently stepped up its game with more and more interesting posts and tweets. Well, that’s thanks to our new Communications Coordinator, Katherine Lewis. A Fairfax native, Katherine is a Media and Professional Communications major at the University of Pittsburgh. She’s been working remotely from the Steel City and doing a fantastic job. FABB is really pleased (and grateful) to have her help in getting our message about making bicycling better in Fairfax County. Please let Katherine know that you appreciate her work. Give her some likes, shares, and retweets, and help spread the word!
Celebrate Bike Month with FABB at Lake Anne Brewhouse
You’re invited to join FABB at Lake Anne Brewhouse on May 25, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., to celebrate Bike Month. In lieu of FABB’s regular May meeting, we’re getting out ofthe meeting rooms and riding over to Lake Anne to enjoy some drinks and snacks together. As an added benefit, Lake Anne Brewhouse will donate $1 from every pint or soda to FABB. We hope you’ll come meet up with fellow bicyclists, enjoy the festivities and support FABB. Stay tuned for more information on a social ride in the works for that night too.
Mark Your Calendar! FABB Providence District/Tysons Area Meeting June 20
FABB’s June meeting will focus on the Providence District and the immediate Tyson’s area. We are planning to have local officials and business representatives talk about plans for future bicycle infrastructure and related transportation developments. Please join us on Wednesday, June 20 at the Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library, 7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church.
FABB Bicycling Classes Coming This Summer
In July, FABB will kick off Learn to Ride classes. These classes will be for adults who have never learned or need to build confidence in riding again. A team of certified instructors will teach the proven "glide" methodology, balancing techniques and other basic bike handling skills. Classes will held on Saturday mornings at the new Reston Bike Lane location from 8:30-10:30. Stay tuned for exact dates and registration information!
Tell NVTA to Prioritize Multi-Modal Transportation Funding
The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority released a draft plan for $1 billion in transportation funding over the next 6 years and is currently seeking public input. This is a great opportunity to speak out for funding better bicycling in Northern Virginia.
Sixty transportation projects from around the region were submitted for NVTA’s 6-year plan. Several Fairfax area projects would expand biking, walking, and transit access across our region. These included enhanced bike routes on the W&OD, the West Falls Church Multimodal project, Richmond Highway widening and BRT, and bikeshare for the City of Fairfax. Check out FABB’s blog for a fuller list of projects up for NVTA funding.
Comments in support of key multimodal projects can be emailed to NVTA until May 20.
Park Authority Strategic Plan Missing Bicycling
Your help is needed ensure the Fairfax County Park Authority includes bicycling in its FY19-23 Strategic Plan for the parks. FCPA is developing the strategic plan to help direct implementation of the county’s Parks & Recreation Master Plan over the next five years. While FABB is pleased the park authority established a goal to improve access and opportunities for healthy and active lifestyles in its recently passed master plan, they failed to include bicycling anywhere in the draft strategic plan. FABB is urging the Park Authority to add an objective to increase bikeable access to park facilities just like the walkable access objective already included in their draft plan. You can review the draft FY19-23 Strategic Plan here and submit comments via email to parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov through May 25.
Speak Up in Support of Major Tysons Bike/Ped Project
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is holding a design public hearing on the Tysons/Old Meadow Road bike/ped improvements that will connect Rt. 123 and Tysons Corner Center. Plans include a 10’ shared-use path along Old Meadow Road and a pedestrian/bicycle bridge over I-495 connectiont to Tysons One place and Fashion Boulevard. Please consider attending to hear the latest project details and speak up in favor of the much needed bike improvements. The hearing is Thursday, June 14, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the George C. Marshall High School, 7731 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church. You can also email comments to meetingcomments@VDOT.virginia.gov. Please reference “Tysons/Old Meadow Road Bike/Ped Improvements” in the subject line.
Successful FABB Rides to Springfest
FABB led two social rides to the Sully Historic Site for SpringFest 2018, the County’s Earth Day celebration, on April 21. One group departed from the Wiehle-Reston East Metro and the other left from the Stringfellow Road Park and Ride lot in Centreville. The groups rode on bike lanes, neighborhood streets, and paved trails, arriving at Sully Historic Site in time for lunch. One goal of the FABB rides is to show cyclists that there are many options for weekend bike rides besides the major multi-use trails such as the W&OD and Mount Vernon Trails. While the W&OD Trail was extremely crowded that day, the Springfest riders encountered much quiters routes. FABB also had a table at Springfest where our volunteers talked about bike routes for commuting and local trips and how to get involved with FABB.
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