FABB Blog

The revised Tier II Environmental Assessment was recently released for public review and comment with updated language integrating the bicycle and pedestrian improvements approved as part of the I-66 Prefferred Alternative.

According to the revised EA, the I-66 project will include a major regional trail along the I-66 corridor outside the beltway (click on image to see map) as well as new bicycle and pedestrian facilities on all rebuilt bridges. The report states that including these improvements will increase access to public transportation, travel choices, connectivity and safety throughout the I-66 corridor.

Specific design requirements for the bicycle infrastructure was also recently released as part of the I-66 Request for Proposals, which included the draft Technical Requirements.

Here are some key things you should know from these documents:

• The regional trail will be a combination of a parallel trail constructed within the I-66 right-of-way as part of the project, and improvements to adjacent roads and trails that will be built separately in coordination with local jurisdictions.
• Bike and pedestrian improvements at I-66 crossings are included where bridges are being reconstructed.
• All new facilities crossing I-66 or associated ramps shall be grade-separated unless otherwise approved by VDOT.
• Where proposed noise barriers are to be located near homes, the parallel trail will be on the I-66 side of the noise barrier.
• There are 13 access points proposed for the parallel trail, along with the suggestion that access generally be at half-mile increments.
• Park-and-ride facilities will include bike and pedestrian connections to nearby facilities, and covered bike racks for a minimum of 75 bicycles.
• Mile marker and wayfinding signs shall be incorporated in the design.
• Existing trails impacted by the project shall be replaced.

For more information on efforts to include bike facilities in the I-66 project, visit FABB's I-66 page.

Thank you for your support,

Sonya Breehey
FABB Board Member

3.4.2.6 Bicycle and Pedestrian Elements
The bicycle and pedestrian accommodation recommendations would support the overall purpose and need of the project, seeking to achieve the following objectives:

• Increase access to public transportation
• Increase travel choices
• Increase bicycle and pedestrian connectivity for communities within the I-66 corridor
• Accommodate safe and efficient bicycle and pedestrian travel within the I-66 corridor
• Integrate existing and planned bicycle and pedestrian networks in communities along the I-66
• corridor

Bicycle Network
Accommodating bicycles strategically along and crossing the I-66 corridor could provide substantial benefits to the transportation system, benefits to the environment, and improvement to people’s quality of life. Bicycling is a healthy, efficient, and affordable transportation alternative. It can dramatically enhance people’s access to transit and related facilities, connect neighboring communities, improve people’s health, and reduce people’s reliance on a personal automobile for short and moderate-distance trips.

Fairfax County and Prince William County have invested substantially in bicycling infrastructure, and along with transportation-related associations, the counties have also invested in programs to encourage and expand bicycling. Currently, I-66 is a barrier to bicycle network connectivity in many locations outside the Beltway (I-495). The modification of bridges, ramp termini, the freeway mainline, and some local roadways offers the opportunity for bicycling networks along the corridor (existing and planned) to become better connected.

Information about the meeting is posted on the Tranform66.org meetings page. See FABB's previous coverage of the project and info about our efforts to ensure that safe, convenient bike facilities are included. If the project goes forward, bicyclists should be able to travel safely along this congested corridor to commute and take short trips. The county Trails Plan and Bicycle Master Plan recommend including the parallel trail.

There are also great opportunities to improve bicycle facilities through the Inside the Beltway project. Tolling of I-66 inside the Beltway would generate an estimated $10 million/year, funds that can be used for improvements to transit, bicycling, walking and other modes. Without strong support from the public for this plan, it could easily be jettisoned as there is strong opposition from legislators whose agenda is to widen 66 inside the Beltway.

If you cannot attend the meeting you can provide comments at Transform66@vdot.virginia.gov.

Information is not yet posted on the Tranform66.org meetings page but it should be there soon. See FABB's previous coverage of the project and info about our efforts to ensure that safe, convenient bike facilities are included. If the project goes forward, bicyclists should be able to travel safely along this congested corridor to commute and take short trips. The county Trails Plan and Bicycle Master Plan recommend including the parallel trail. It has also been endorsed by the Board of Supervisors.

If you cannot attend the meeting you can provide comments at Transform66@vdot.virginia.gov.

November-December 2015 FABB News

A bi-monthly publication of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling

www.fabb-bikes.org

Board of Supervisors and School Board Candidate Survey Responses

On November 3, all members and the Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors are up for re-election as are all members of the county School Board. FABB recently sent questions regarding bicycling in Fairfax County to candidates for the Board of Supervisors and a separate set to candidates for the School Board. We received responses from 12 of 19 Board of Supervisors candidates and 19 of 24 School Board candidates.

See the Board of Supervisors candidate responses and the School Board candidate responses.

All Board of Supervisors candidates who responded agreed with the statement "Do you support safe bicycling as an integral part of the overall transportation options in Fairfax County."  Three quarters or 75% of respondents said they support implementing the Bicycle Master Plan recommendation to "Allocate an annual budget dedicated to bicycle planning and program initiatives." All School Board candidates who responded to the survey generally agreed with the statement "The school system and school board should be doing more to enable FCPS students to walk and bike to school instead of driving or being driven."

FABB does not endorse candidates. We provide the information so that you can better understand candidates' views on improving bicycling in Fairfax.

Extension of Custis Trail Included in I-66 Outside the Beltway Project

On October 27, the Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board approved the latest plans for the widening of I-66 Outside the Beltway. The plans include the parallel trail that will serve as an extension of the very popular Custis Trail, which is located inside the Beltway. The rebuilt bridges also will include new ped/bike facilities. We are very encouraged that the parallel trail is now included as an integral part of the project and that most of the ramp crossings are grade-separated using either bridges or tunnels.

Unfortunately much of the trail is located on the highway side of the soundwalls, mostly due to opposition from residents living adjacent to I-66, particularly in the Dunn Loring area. As the project moves forward we hope residents will begin to understand the major benefits of having access to this trail and that the final design will be modified to reflect that support.

Adam Lind Named as New Fairfax County Bike Coordinator

Fairfax County recently named Adam Lind as the new Bicycle Program Manager, commonly referred to as the Bike Coordinator. Adam has been serving as the acting Bike Coordinator since Charlie Strunk retired in January of this year. Congratulations Adam!

Adam has done a great job as acting coordinator, working with VDOT on the creation of more than 34 miles of new bike lanes as part of this summer's repaving program. The work included conducting numerous meetings around the county to seek comments on individual projects. He is developing a plan to implement bike sharing in Reston. Most recently he has worked with VDOT on the design of the I-66 parallel trail and other bike facilities related to the project.

See the FABB blog for more info on Adam.

Soapstone  Connector Across Dulles Toll Road in Reston to Provide New Bike Access

Last week Fairfax County presented the latest plans for the Soapstone Connector, which will extend Soapstone Drive from Sunrise Valley Drive to Sunset Hills Road across the Dulles Toll Road. With limited crossings of the Toll Road, intersections around the Reston Parkway and Wiehle Ave. crossings become very congested during rush hour, making them especially dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists. The Soapstone Connector will provide a new way for cyclists and pedestrians to safely cross the Toll Road and access the Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail station and other destinations on both sides of the Toll Road. Bike lanes are included in the project and serve as an extension of the current bike lanes on Soapstone Dr.

Unfortunately the proposed road will extend only to Sunset Hills Road on the north where no bike facilities exist. The W&OD Trail is located a short distance north of Sunset Hills Road but there are no nearby connections to the Trail. Please contact the county and ask that a connection to the W&OD Trail be included in the project. Deadline for comments is November 6. Email comments to audra.bandy@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Support the Proposal for Paving Cross County Trail in Wakefield Park

Fairfax Co. Park Authority has proposed to pave a section of the Cross County Trail through Wakefield Park. The trail is heavily used by commuter and recreational cyclists. The unpaved trail is in poor condition and is difficult for most transportation bikers to navigate. A paved surface will be easier to maintain and would provide a much better surface for most trail users with minimal adverse effects on the environment. Cyclists are encouraged to send a message to Project Manager Bill Boston, William.boston@fairfaxcounty.gov, to voice support for paving the trail segment. See the FABB blog for more info.

County to Apply for Federal Funds for Bike Projects

At their October 20 meeting, the Board of Supervisors endorsed four bike project applications to VDOT and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government's Transportation Planning Board for FY2017 Transportation Alternative funding. See the Board Agenda for details (Action Item 3):

• Vienna Metrorail Bicycle Access Improvements: $400,000 [Application postponed until after planned Vienna Metrorail construction is completed.]
• Cinder Bed Bikeway: $400,000
• Van Dorn Street Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements: $400,000
• Reston Bike Share Capital Equipment: $400,000 (See FABB blog for details of recent Reston bikeshare meeting.)

Fairfax County SRTS Coordinator Conducts Bike Safety Classes

Using Safe Routes to School grant funds, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has purchased 30 bikes and 6 Strider bikes for bicycle safety lessons at elementary schools. Week-long lessons were conducted at 12 elementary schools last spring for grades 4, 5, and 6, reaching over 8,000 students. Students at several more schools received lessons this fall. Additional grant funds will be used to purchase more bikes to expand the bike program to middle schools. Lessons include bike skills, safety education, signaling, and road simulation riding.

Elementary schools where classes have been held include: Island Creek, Kings Glen, Rolling Valley, Stratford Landing, Washington Mill, Greenbriar West, Lane, Hollin Meadows, Canterbury Woods, North Springfield, West Springfield, Colin Powell, Fort Hunt, Hunters Woods, and Rose Hill. Kudos to Sally Smallwood, FCPS SRTS Coordinator for implementing this program. We hope the program can grow in the near future to allow all elementary students to learn safe bicycling skills. See the Fairfax SRTS Newsletter for more info.

Fairfax County Parkway Trail Restored Between Fox Mill and Pinecrest Roads

Fairfax Water recently replaced a major water main adjacent to Fairfax County Parkway. Major construction work required removing and relocating the Parkway trail. Fortunately, Fairfax Water provided a paved detour throughout the long construction phase, which lasted for several years. In October, construction was completed and the original trail was replaced and opened. We want to thank Fairfax Water for their diligent efforts toward maintaining trail access during the construction period.

Help FABB Identify Bike Rack Locations in Fairfax County

To improve bike parking in the county, help us locate and map existing bike racks. Rackspotter is a web-app that Arlington County is using to map bike racks. The application is now available for mapping racks in the greater DC area. The app allows you to identify the rack type, capacity, and location. You can also add a photo of the rack. As you travel around the county, why not take a minute to map bike racks that you encounter.

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This would be a big boost for area trails

Building out the entire thing would make the Custis Trail one of the longest trails in the region. It'd be up there with the W&OD Trail's 45 mile long path, and it'd dwarf other well know trails in the area like the Mount Vernon Trail (18 miles) or the Capital Crescent Trail (11 miles). You'd be able to take the trail all the way from the Key Bridge to Manassas Battlefield National Park and beyond.

Working new trails in with road plans is a way to make sure that even highway expansions are, in their own way, bike and walking-friendly. For such efforts to be successful, though, trails have to both get built and is adequate for people's needs. Otherwise the trail just gets seen as a simple amenity rather than a necessary part of the area's transportation infrastructure.

Monday, October 19, 2015,
Oakton High School
2900 Sutton Road, Vienna, VA 22181

Tuesday, October 20, 2015VDOT Northern Virginia District Office
4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030

Bikeways, trails and/or sidewalks will be constructed on bridge crossings impacted by the project. In coordination with local partners, and consistent with previous planning efforts, a trail concept parallel to the I-66 corridor has been developed. In the preferred alternative, the parallel trail will be located in the I-66 right-of-way and on local streets. TDM strategies will include support for bicycling and walking.

Cyclists in the Interstate 66 corridor are hoping that the proposed highway widening project also will create an opportunity to add new bike facilities.

However, for residents in Dunn Loring and Oakton already concerned about the highway encroaching into their yards and a community school, one proposed bike trail signifies to them another 10 feet of property that they might lose.

“There is simply no physical way to fit a bike lane in the I-66 corridor, at least through Vienna. Simply adding extra travel lanes is stressful enough,” Sen. Chap Petersen (D-Dist. 34) wrote on his Ox Road South blog, expressing the concerns of his constituents. “There’s no point in reducing the right of way take for new lanes, if you’re simply going to take it for a bike path.”

Bruce Wright, chairman of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling, said his organization is working with VDOT to ensure that the project includes bike facilities that were planned for in the county’s bicycle master plan and other planning documents.

For example, this includes adding bike and pedestrian facilities to bridges across I-66 that would be replaced due to the road widening. A similar effort was made when the 495 Express Lanes were being constructed.

“This is a great opportunity to provide safe, convenient bike and pedestrian access,” Wright said.

The biggest point of contention is a potential major trail that runs parallel to I-66, like the Custis Trail in Arlington County, which connects the Washington & Old Dominion Trail to the Key Bridge in Rosslyn.

Wright said the high number of both commuters and recreational users of the W&OD and the Custis Trail show that there is great demand for these types of major trails.

“What we really need are better first-class trails for everyone,” he said.

I think we all agree that improvements to the I-66 corridor are necessary but to truly transform I-66 for the future, we need long-term solutions that are legitimately multi-modal, maximizing public transit, and biking and walking connectivity.

I truly appreciate the incorporation of bicycle and pedestrian facilities for reconstructed bridges. These connections are imperative to ensuring this massive highway project does not sever neighborhoods, and that our bridges remain a humane place for residents to walk and bike transit, schools, or anywhere they need to go.

I am concerned however that while the Tier II Environmental Impact Statement indicates VDOT has studied the feasibility of a parallel bicycle facility; the trail still has not been included in the project.

An I-66 parallel trail would provide significant connectivity to the northern Virginia transportation trail network.  A recent study showed that 25% of Fairfax County residents live within a mile of I-66 or within 1/2 mile of either the Fairfax Co Parkway or W&OD Trails, both of which would be connected by an I-66 parallel trail.

In fact, over 500 county residents provided comment to VDOT asking that a parallel trail be part of your multi-modal solutions.

They know, as do I, that a parallel trail along I-66 could provide direct access for biking and walking from neighborhoods to:

• Current and future public transit, and park and ride lots;
• Suburban centers like Merrifield, Fairfax Corner and Fair Oaks; and
• Employment centers throughout central Fairfax County.

This bike and pedestrian connectivity is what will help make any TDM program more successful.

While the EIS suggests a trail would require additional ROW in certain areas, VDOT should seek to reduce those impacts by fitting as much of the trail within the existing project right-of-way minimizing impacts to neighbors.

It is also essential that VDOT provide a safe and consistent trail for its entire length to ensure maximum use for all ages. Circuitous routes outside the immediate I-66 corridor is inefficient, confusing, and will reduce its successfulness.  If absolutely necessary to use alternative routes, upgrading the bike and pedestrian facilities, including wayfinding signage would be critical.

I also urge you to address bike and pedestrian crossings at Rt. 50, 123 and other significant interchanges and crossings where bridges are not being rebuilt.

Now is the time to take the long view.  Providing safe accessible connections for people to bike and walk to transit, and along and across the I-66 corridor, will offer residents and commuters transportation options that are truly a multi-modal solution.

Also, we are concerned that previously approved applications appear not to have included basic bicycle accommodations, according to the table on page 57 of the Fairfax Center Area Study Staff Report. Bicycle parking facilities were either not included or were not considered essential in commercial and residential developments, and no bicycle support facilities were included.

Introductory remarks by Providence District Supervisor Linda Smyth
Moderated by Stewart Schwartz, Coalition for Smarter Growth
Speakers from Virginia Department of Transportation, Fairfax County
Department of Transportation, and Transportation Advisory Commission
Closing comments by Tania Hossain, Providence District Council

Each of these two projects proposes to reduce the existing travel lane width, and repurpose the extra space for bike lanes. No travel lanes will be removed. The meeting is being held March 25 at George Mason Regional Library 7001 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003. The meeting scheduled fro 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

Everyone is invited to attend to learn more about proposed bike and pedestrian facilities planned on the many bridges across I-66 that will be rebuilt as part of this project. We've also asked for a briefing on current planning for the extension of the Custis Trail, a parallel paved trail that would extend from the Beltway to the western county border. The plan is included in the Countywide Trails Plan and the Bicycle Master Plan.

See the FABB I-66 Info Page for more details.