Sunday, September 30, 2018
Coalition for Smarter Growth Social
Want to support more bikeable and walkable communities in Fairfax County and the region and have an enjoyable and interesting evening at the same time? Sign up now for the Coalition for Smarter Growth’s annual “Smart Growth Social.”
The event is one of the Coalition’s main fundraisers. In addition to food and drink, it will feature Arlington Supervisor Katie Cristol, a forceful champion for more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly communities, to offer a “smart growth pep talk.”
The social is on Tuesday, October 16, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at Eastern Market in Washington DC. Tickets are $30 per person and you can buy them here.
Please consider supporting this worthy cause and joining like-minded supporters of better bicycling in the region.
Labels: coalition for smarter growth
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
Fairfax Co Parkway Widening Meetings Sept. 25, 27, and Oct 3
VDOT is planning to widen Fairfax Co Parkway between Route 29 and Route 123. The parallel bike trail diverts from the parkway in this section between Burke Center Parkway and Route 123. As part of the project the trail a new trail will be built to fill in that gap. From VDOT:This project aims to reduce congestion and improve safety by widening the Fairfax County Parkway (Route 286) from four to six lanes between Route 29 (Lee Highway) and Route 123 (Ox Road). The project also includes building an interchange that will consolidate Popes Head Road and the future Shirley Gate Road extension.
In addition to the roadway widening, improvements will be made to the existing Fairfax County Parkway Trail. Where there is no trail currently, a new shared-use path will be constructed to make the trail continuous within the project limits.
- Fairfax County Parkway Widening - Northern Section: Tuesday, Sept. 25, 6:30 p.m., Willow Springs Elementary School, 5400 Willow Springs School Rd, Fairfax, VA 22030
- Fairfax County Parkway Widening - Southern Section: Thursday, Sept. 27, 6:30 p.m., Fairview Elementary School, 5815 Ox Rd, Fairfax Station, VA 22039
- Fairfax County Parkway Widening - Central Section/Popes Head: Wednesday, Oct. 3, 6:30 p.m., Oak View Elementary School, 5004 Sideburn Rd, Fairfax, VA 22032
Labels: fairfax county parkway, fairfax county parkway trail
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Live Healthy! Support Biking!
The Fairfax County Health Department has joined with its counterparts in Alexandria and in Arlington and Loudoun Counties to conduct a survey of public health issues affecting our neighborhoods. This Northern Virginia team wants to learn about what people think is important, and the survey results will help them in their work to make our communities healthier.
Safety risks to people walking and biking are Public Health issues! So, this is a great—plus quick and easy—opportunity for cyclists to be heard.
Please take three minutes to complete this brief survey. Please consider including “Preventable injuries (car or bicycle crashes, falls)” as an important health issue. Then include “A walk-able, bike-able community” as a top action that would improve quality of life in our region.
Once you’ve done that, please share our message with your friends and ask them to take the survey.
Thanks!
Labels: live healthy fairfax
2018 Braddock District Ride on Sunday
Register on Eventbrite. All riders must wear a helmet and sign a liability waiver.
Labels: Braddock District, fabb social ride
Monday, September 24, 2018
Inaugural Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail Ride with Bike Fairfax
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation and Bike Fairfax want you to join them in celebrating Bike Your Park Day this Saturday with a six-mile family ride from Wakefield Park to Lake Accotink via the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail.
Congressman Connolly is expected to officially kick off the ride, which will start and finish at the Audrey Moore RECenter, 8100 Braddock Road, Annandale, beginning at 10 a.m.
Bike Fairfax is part of FCDOT's bicycle and pedestrian programs. The Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail is a 40-mile long hiking and biking trail that begins in Occoquan and ends in Great Falls.
To RSVP for the ride, please send a note to bikefairfax@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Labels: bike your park day, bikefairfax, congressman connolly, cross county trail, FCDOT
Proposed Removal of Planned Trails from Huntley Meadows Park
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| Location of planned trail along power line right of way |
Fairfax County is proposing to remove two key bicycle trails from the Countywide Trails Plan (large pdf) and the Bicycle Master Plan (SE quadrant map). These trails are both located in Huntley Meadows Park and would provide improved pedestrian and bike access to the park and nearby communities.
The trail along the south edge of the park would be built along the power line right of way, like the W&OD Trail. The power company clears the corridor at Huntley Meadows of vegetation every 3 years. The trail along the east edge of the park could have a greater impact on park resources and there may be on-road alternatives for cyclists. The section of trail along the north edge is mostly contained in a Washington Gas utility right of way.
FABB recently visited the park and reviewed the location of the proposed trails. We plan to meet with staff and others to find out more about the proposal and to ensure that bike/ped connectivity is maintained in the area. A group of Huntley Meadows activists opposes the trails and are actively lobbying the County to remove the trails from the two plans.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission will be holding a hearing on Thursday, November 29, 2018, 7:30 PM-10:00 PM at the Fairfax Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 330. Information on the bike plan trail hearing may be viewed here: Information on the Bicycle Master Plan trail hearing and the Trails Planhearing.
FABB opposes the removal of trails from the Plans:
Supervisor McKay and zachary.Krohmal@fairfaxcounty.gov.
The trail along the south edge of the park would be built along the power line right of way, like the W&OD Trail. The power company clears the corridor at Huntley Meadows of vegetation every 3 years. The trail along the east edge of the park could have a greater impact on park resources and there may be on-road alternatives for cyclists. The section of trail along the north edge is mostly contained in a Washington Gas utility right of way.
FABB recently visited the park and reviewed the location of the proposed trails. We plan to meet with staff and others to find out more about the proposal and to ensure that bike/ped connectivity is maintained in the area. A group of Huntley Meadows activists opposes the trails and are actively lobbying the County to remove the trails from the two plans.
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| Location of northern planned trail along gas line right of way |
FABB opposes the removal of trails from the Plans:
- The proposed Comprehensive Plan amendments are not an appropriate way to address the proposed changes.
- Changes to trails should be done as part of a comprehensive effort to update the Bicycle Master Plan and Countywide Trails Plan when there can be a more open and transparent process to engage the public.
- The county plans to revisit and merge these plans next year. That’s the appropriate time to make any changes so they can be made in the context of the need for ped/bike connectivity in the surrounding areas.
- Claims about potential ecological impacts of the trails to the park cannot be substantiated because there are no design plans to evaluate.
- None of the designations of the habitat or species in the park requires removal of the trails by either the County or the Commonwealth.
- The Virginia Department of Natural Resources has a vision statement for “active communities and open space linked by trails and greenways that connect individuals, children and their families to nature and to each other.”
- Biking and walking access to Huntley Meadows from nearby neighborhoods needs to be improved and removing these planned trails would have the exact opposite impact
Supervisor McKay and zachary.Krohmal@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Labels: bicycle master plan, countywide trails plan, Huntley Meadows Park, lee district
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Safe Routes to School: Can You Help?
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At FABB’s October meeting we were treated to a presentation by Sally Smallwood, the county’s Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) Coordinator. She gave a brief rundown on the program’s efforts, including the encouragement of daily commuting to school where appropriate by walking or biking, promoting special events (Bike/Walk to School Day and monthly or weekly walks), and teaching students to ride along with beginning bicycle maintenance skills.
Aided by donations and grants, the program has purchased and placed bicycles at 23 county elementary and middle schools. Each school gets 35 to 50 bikes with 4 to 6 striders, 40 to 50 helmets, and a storage shed. The program also has two traveling fleets of bikes (one for elementary schools with 40 bikes and one for middle schools with 30 bikes) that it moves between schools for bike instruction during the school’s physical education class. According to Sally, in her experience, about twenty percent of the kids do not know how to ride a bike.
Another part of the program involves instructing teachers on the SRTS curriculum along with maintenance skills. Eighty Fairfax County Public School teachers were trained in August, but the course is limited to two hours.
SRTS is looking for volunteers to create bike clubs at the schools to teach bike maintenance and to help maintain the schools’ bikes. The program provides tool boxes and supplies to schools with bikes. In addition, grants fund more demanding repairs at local bike shops. Volunteers to help “triage” bikes for repairs and to help winterize the bikes when they go into storage later this year would be extremely helpful for the program and the kids.
SRTS accepts donated kid’s bikes and occasionally gets discarded but working bikes from the I-66 Waste Station and abandoned bikes collected by FCDOT.
If you are interested in volunteering or donating a child's bike, please send Sally an email here: SafeRoutestoSchool@fcps.edu.
The attendees gave Sally a round of applause in appreciation for all she has done to make Fairfax County’s SRTS program one of the best in the country.
Our next meeting is scheduled for October 17, 2018, at the Sherwood Regional Library, Alexandria, and will be the twice-postponed Mount Vernon and Lee Districts meeting.
Our next meeting is scheduled for October 17, 2018, at the Sherwood Regional Library, Alexandria, and will be the twice-postponed Mount Vernon and Lee Districts meeting.
Labels: safe routes to school, srts coordinator
Thursday, September 20, 2018
Fall FABB Rides
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| New bike lanes on North Shore Dr in Reston |
Ride starts at 5pm. The route is approximately 12 miles (shortened due to sunset at 7pm) and the ride will take about 1.5 hours. Meet at The Bike Lane, 11150 Sunset Hills Road, Reston. Helmets are required and riders will be asked to sign a liability waiver before the ride. Register on Eventbrite.
See a map of the proposed route.
Ride highlights include:
- Mount Vernon Estate
- River Farm
- Gum Springs
- The Grist Mill
- The Pope-Leighy House
- And many of our unique communities in between
Register on Eventbrite.
Labels: fabb social ride, mt vernon district, reston, tour de mount vernon
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
I Bike. I Vote.
The League of American Bicyclists is encouraging riders to get out and support building a bicycle friendly America this fall. Bikes can bring people together and unite us on the nonpartisan goals of safe streets, less traffic congestion, and less pollution.
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| Photo courtesy of League of American Bicyclists |
The next Congress will be responsible for drafting an updated transportation bill, and over the next two years other opportunities will arise to promote bicycle friendly policies and laws.
It is not too early to think about saving funding for bicycling and walking infrastructure and for improving safety. Examine the candidates' platforms and records and let them know that you bike and you vote.
More details on LAB plans can be found here.
Just remember to get out and vote.
Labels: league of american bicyclists
Monday, September 10, 2018
Capital Bikeshare E-Bikes in Reston and Tysons
On September 5, 2018, Fairfax County launched a pilot project that added black e-bikes to the bright red-colored Capital Bikeshare fleet in Reston and Tysons. The e-bikes, known as Capital Bikeshare Plus, are battery operated pedal-assist bicycles that provide users with a small boost, making pedaling uphill or longer distances effortless.
The pilot is scheduled to run through November 2018. There will be approximately 80 e-bikes deployed across the National Capital Region as part of the pilot.
E-bikes can be identified by their black color at a Capital Bikeshare station and are marked with a lightning bolt symbol in the Capital Bikeshare app. Unlike the regular bikeshare bicycle, the e-bike will need to be powered on before the start of the trip. The e-bikes are available to current Capital Bikeshare members at no additional charge via the Capital Bikeshare app.
To learn more about the Capital Bikeshare system and station locations in Fairfax County, visit www.CapitalBikeshare.com.
Labels: capital bikeshare, e-bikes, reston, Tysons
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Trail Maintenance Begins on Sugarland Run
The Fairfax County Park Authority has announced that it will begin work on the Sugarland Run Stream Valley Park trail this month. The project will pave approximately 12,000 linear feet of trail from the existing bridge near Kingstream Circle to Wiehle Avenue and from Wiehle Avenue to Dranesville Road. Residents should expect occasional construction traffic at maintenance access points. As a safety precaution, portions of the existing trail will be closed to users during the project.
For more information, contact Project Manager Ed Deleon, 703-324-9569.
Labels: fcpa, sugarland run trail
Monday, September 3, 2018
Mark Your Calendars: FABB September Meeting
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| Photo Courtesy of FCPS SRTS. |
FABB’s next monthly meeting will be on September 19, 2018, from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm at the Thomas Jefferson Library at 7415 Arlington Boulevard in Falls Church. Our focus will be on bicycling-related developments in the Mason District with a Fairfax County Department of Transportation on recent projects in and future plans for the district.
In addition, the meeting will feature discussions on bicycling encouragement and education. Sally Smallwood, the Fairfax County Public School’s Safe Routes to School Coordinator, will give a presentation on efforts to improve the health and well being of our children by helping them become more active. FABB’s own Katie Kelly will talk about teaching beginning riders and the rewards of being an instructor. Please plan on joining us.
Labels: bicycle education, mason district, safe routes to school, srts coordinator
Sunday, September 2, 2018
See Yourself at the Visualize 2045 Open House
The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board will be hosting a series of Open Houses in September to dive deeper into its long-range transportation plan, Visualize 2045. The Open Houses will give attendees the chance to explore the draft plan and learn about the region, major projects, and analysis. The Open House for Fairfax County will be on Monday, September 17, 2018, from 4:00 - 7:00 pm at the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Northern Virginia District Office at 4975 Alliance Drive in Fairfax.
FABB encourages members to attend the open house to advocate for improvements to the Visualize 2045 plan. The proposed National Capital Trail (Initiative 7) does not go far enough in offering a bold future vision for a regional trail network. It actually fails to extend into Fairfax County!
We need to speak up and fix this. The Open House will be an excellent forum to advocate for an expansion of the trail initiative to include more of our region's planned trails. The Capital Trails Coalition has a collaboratively developed methodology and criteria for including trails in a regional trails plan that FABB recommends to the planning board.
For more information about Visualize 2045 and the Open House, please visit visualize2045.org or email: azenner@mwcog.org.
Labels: CTC, national capital region transportation planning board, visualize 2045
Saturday, September 1, 2018
Finish Strong
September is the final month for this year’s National Bike Challenge, and FABB is encouraging Fairfax County riders to get together with friends—and new riders—and go biking. August ended with 191 county bicyclists having logged 9,772 trips and almost 147,000 miles since the challenge started in May. This has kept Fairfax County fourth in the nation among communities of one million residents or more, trailing only the San Francisco Bay area, Atlanta, and Philadelphia. Fairfax’s total miles represent well over half of the 270,000 miles all Virginia bicyclists have logged to date for the challenge.
All participants should be proud of their role. Nationwide, nearly 110,000 bicyclists have joined the challenge and taken more than 5 million rides totaling nearly 55 million miles.
You can still register and join us for a strong finish to the challenge. Just go to the Love to Ride website and sign up.
Labels: national bike challenge
