FABB Blog

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.  

FABB encourages members and other interested residents in the Tysons and McLean areas to attend a Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) public hearing on the project to connect Rt. 123 and Tysons Corner Center. The meeting will be on Thursday, June 14, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the George C. Marshall High School, 7731 Leesburg Pike, in Falls Church.

Based on the results of the preliminary engineering phase of the study, which included earlier public outreach meetings, the final design plans include a 10’ shared-use path along Old Meadow Road from the McLean Metro Station leading to a pedestrian/bicycle bridge over I-495 to connect to Tysons One place and Fashion Boulevard. This $6.2 million project is tentatively scheduled to begin and be completed in 2020.

This will be great opportunity to speak up in favor of much needed bike improvements and show state and transportation officials the strength of county residents’ support for multimodal transportation options. 

If unable to attend, you can also email comments to meetingcomments@VDOT.virginia.gov. Please reference “Tysons/Old Meadow Road Bike/Ped Improvements” in the subject line.

The FABB-sponsored public talk hosted by the Tyson’s Microsoft Store on Tuesday, January 9, 2018, will focus on a major early 20^th century policy and funding battle that might have changed the face of American transportation—if not American history—if it had succeeded. 

You may know about the “Good Roads” movement in which bikers allied with farmers to create paved shared routes through the countryside. But are you aware that early in the 20^th century there was a movement to include sidepaths—in effect, protected bike lanes—along newly constructed public roads and streets in urban areas? Come hear James Longhurst's talk to find out more about this movement and the lessons it provides for contemporary policy planning. 

In the meantime, check out this video summarizing Dr. Longhurst’s book, Bike Battles: A History of Sharing the American Road. It gives a taste of the fascinating detail he will be providing during his talk. 

Seats are still available. Go now to our EventBrite page and reserve your place. 

Please join us on Tuesday, January 9, 2018, for a public talk on the hidden history of bicycle law and policy conflicts in the United States and their lessons for our current bicycle debates. Our speaker, Dr. James Longhurst, is the author of Bike Battles: A History of Sharing the American Road, which examines the different ways that Americans have thought about the bicycle through popular songs, merit badge pamphlets, advertising, films, newspapers and sitcoms. He has researched how those associations shaped the actions of government and the courts when they intervened in bike policy. 

We all know how bicycling in Fairfax County remains a challenge as city planners, political pundits, and residents continue to argue over bike lanes, bike-share programs, law enforcement, and public safety. Dr. Longhurst, an avid bicyclist himself, brings his fascinating new research from a wide range of sources to show that these battles are nothing new. And, while they are simply a continuation of the original battle over who is—and isn’t—welcome on our roads, the history he will present will provide lessons for advancing bike policies in the future.

Grant Petersen wrote in the Wall Street Journal that Dr. Longhurst’s book ought to give today’s bicycle advocates a sense of their place in history and make them proud to continue the battle. The talk will be just as inspiring, so please plan on joining us. 

The talk will be in the public theater of the Microsoft Store in Tysons Corner Center from 7:00 to 8:00 pm on Tuesday, January 9, 2018. Seating is limited, so sign up now at our event page. 

FABB and the Microsoft Store at Tysons Corner Center are proud to present a public talk by Dr. James Longhurst on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm at the Microsoft Store. 

Dr. Longhurst, a historian, avid cyclist, and author of Bike Battles: A History of Sharing the American Road, will be discussing the early 20^th century battles over taxes, roads, and bicycle trails and the lessons these experiences offer us today. 

Americans have been riding bikes since the late 19th century, and Dr. Longhurst will explore why most American cities are still ill-prepared to handle cyclists. His talk will trace one of the contentious debates between American bike riders, motorists, and pedestrians over the shared road. His presentation and subsequent question and answer session will relate this history to contemporary transportation planning issues like those affecting Tyson’s future. 

Seating is limited, so mark you calendar and go to our EventBrite registration page here. 

FABB would like to thank Access Tysons for its help in arranging this event. 

FABB members in the Tysons area should make plans now to attend two upcoming workshops.  The good news is that the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is designing a bicycle/pedestrian facility in the vicinity of Old Meadow Road and I-495 in the Tysons area.  To get additional input on design elements from the community, VDOT will be holding two design workshops next month.  

The plan includes a shared-use 10-foot-wide asphalt path along Old Meadow Road from Route 123 to a bridge crossing over I-495 near the intersection of Tysons One Place and Fashion Boulevard. Community input is needed on the design details including security, screening, aesthetics, lighting and architectural treatments that can be accommodated within VDOT standards and the project budget. 

The first workshop will be on Thursday, November 9, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the 

Westgate Elementary School, 7500 Magarity Road, Falls Church.

The second one also will be at Westgate Elementary and will be held on Tuesday, November 28, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

If you have any questions, contact the project manager, Abi Lerner, by email at Abraham.Lerner@VDOT.Virginia.gov or by telephone at 703-259-3345.

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.  

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.

Jon Cline, an avid bike commuter from Vienna, answered FABB’s brief survey questions while participating in Bike to Work Day 2017 at the Tysons pit stop.

FABB: Why do you ride? 

Jon: I just love biking.

FABB: Where do you ride? 

Jon:  I regularly commute by bike to my work in McLean. I try to Bike wherever I go, so I’ve been using BikeShare when it is available. For fun and on weekends, I will bike out to Purcellville on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail.

FABB: What do you most like about riding? 

Jon: I love being outside and being active. It’s a great way to get exercise. 

FABB: What would you like to change to make it easier and safer for you to ride? 

Jon: More bike lanes!

Daniel Graifer is dedicated bike commuter, regularly riding from his home near George Mason University to his job at Freddie Mac (the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation) in Tysons.  He told FABB that he rides for his health and to avoid traffic.  

With support from his employer, Daniel set up a commuting group at Freddie Mac that encourages people to ride to work and that has up to two dozen participants.  Freddie Mack supports the group by providing lockers, showers, parking, and even a repair stand and tools.  

In response to our question about what he would like to change to make it easier and safer for you to ride, Daniel responded that more sharrows and bike lanes around Tysons would really help. 

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will be hosting a public information meeting on a proposed bicycle/pedestrian facility in the vicinity of Route 123 and I-495 in Tysons on May 17, 2017, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The meeting will be at the Westgate Elementary School, 7500 Magarity Road, in Falls Church.

Unfortunately, this meeting is scheduled for the same time as FABB's monthly meeting. FABB members who don't normally attend the monthly meetings and other interested citizens in the Tysons and McLean area are encouraged to attend and provide public input to help VDOT select one of two project options. 

The two designs under discussion were developed with public input from community meetings in 2015 and 2016. They are: 

In both options the shared-use trail will be constructed as a 10-foot-wide asphalt trail with bridge segments. 

FABB will have a representative at the meeting but, again, we encourage everyone in the Tysons and McLean area who is interested in making bicycling better to please attend the meeting. 

Update 5 May: Route 123 Bike/Ped Improvements Project page that includes a link to a March 2017 presentation with more details about the project.

Cyclists are encouraged to attend the meeting to learn more about the project, provide feedback, and support the county's efforts to make Tysons a more bike-friendly place.

In 2007 when FABB sponsored the Tour of Tysons to show Fairfax officials and others what it was like to bike in Tysons, Commissioner Lawrence and Supervisor Smyth greeted us before the ride. When Fairfax County was developing the first Bicycle Route Map, Commissioner Lawrence attended one of the public meetings where cyclists marked up maps to help develop the first draft of the map. 

Commissioner Lawrence was a kind man with a good sense of humor who could be counted on to provide sage advice on how Fairfax should grow in the future. He'll be missed.

Since his profile on the Planning  Commission site will likely be replaced by his successor's, we've taken the liberty of copying it below:

Kenneth Lawrence was appointed by the Board of Supervisors (on a motion by Supervisor Linda Smyth) to serve as the Providence District Planning Commissioner in January 2004 to complete the term of his predecessor. In January 2013, Commissioner Lawrence was reappointed by the Board of Supervisors to his third consecutive term, which will expire in December 2016.

Commissioner Lawrence is an active member in various community organizations. He has chaired the Briarwood Citizen's Association Land Use Committee and served as the Briarwood representative on the 2001 Area Plan Review task force. He also chaired the work group on the Fairlee out-of-turn plan amendment in the Providence District. In addition, Commissioner Lawrence is a member of the Northern Virginia Family Services' Training Futures Advisory Council and an active volunteer with the American Lung Association of Virginia, serving as a member on the Government Relations Committee.

Commissioner Lawrence retired in 1998 from a 40-year career in private industry and the federal government. He began his career conducting training device design and human factors research, which ultimately led to a focus in instructional design. His work ranged from developing single units to entire courses in technical and procedural training, employee development and employee performance support, and the target populations for the training included members of the military, sales staff, procurement and tax specialists, and research managers.

Commissioner Lawrence lives with his wife in the Fairfax area of the Providence District

In 2016, Lawrence chaired the Tysons Committee. In addition, he was a member of the following committees: Environment, Land-use Process Review, and Transportation. He was an alternate member of the Telecommunications Committee. Lawrence has been a Virginia Certified Planning Commissioner since 2005. He was featured in the August 2007 Planning Communicator, which is available online at: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planning/august2007newsletter.pdf.

Please plan on joining FABB for our November meeting, which will be held at the McLean Governmental Center next Wednesday, November 16, from 7:30 to 9:00 pm. 

We will be welcoming Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust for a discussion of bicycling and related transportation developments  in the areas around McLean, Tysons, and Falls Church. Adam Lind, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation Bicycle Coordinator, also will be there to talk about current and future bicycling projects in the southern part of the district. And, of course, the meeting will provide an opportunity for riders and other to raise questions and share their ideas about bicycling in the southern part of Dranesville District. 

We are hoping to have a great turnout, so please help spread the word about this upcoming meeting. 

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation in coordination with the Fairfax County Park Authority is holding a design public hearing on a pedestrian improvement project for Scott’s Run Trail on Tuesday, November 15, 2016.  The meeting will be held at the Westgate Elementary School, 7500 Magarity Road, Falls Church, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. 

The proposed project plans to provide a new pedestrian walkway through Scott’s Run Park. This new walkway will include two bridges and lighting along the trail alignment. Scott's Run Park--not to be confused with Scott's Run Nature Preserve--will be almost 2.9 acres of naturalized trails and overlooks that pass through the Scott's Run stream valley near the McLean Metro station. 

The formal presentation will begin at 7:15 pm but people are encouraged to arrive earlier to view project plans and learn about the proposal from project team members who will be available to answer questions. Project information also can be found at the project website here.

If you are unable to attend, questions and comments may be submitted until

25 November 2016, to Ms. Elizabeth Cronauer, Project Manager, Fairfax County Park Authority, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 406, Fairfax, VA 22035. You also may e-mail comments to Elizabeth.Cronauer@fairfaxcounty.gov (include “Scott’s Run Trail” in the subject line). 

Mark your calendars to join FABB in welcoming Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust for a discussion of bicycling and related transportation developments and needs at our November meeting. The meeting will be held at the McLean Governmental Center on Wednesday, November 16, from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. This is the last in a series of meetings in 2016 in venues around the county. 

Because of the extensiveness of Dranesville District, November's meeting will focus on the areas around McLean, Tysons, and Falls Church. Adam Lind, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation Bicycle Coordinator, will also be there to talk about current and future bicycling projects in the southern part of the district. 

FABB plans to have a separate meeting in early 2017 to cover developments in and plans for the Great Falls and Herndon areas of Dranesville District. The McLean Governmental Center is located at 1437 Balls Hill Road in McLean, near the intersection of Route 123 and Lewinsville Road.

Please help spread the word about this upcoming meeting to talk about ways to make bicycling better in this area.  

• Free tastings from selected Tysons restaurants
• A raffle for a free Capital Bikeshare membership
• Coupons for one-day bikeshare rentals
• Live music
• Presentations from developers and county staff on upcoming plans and projects

This father and son duo from McLean spoke to FABB at the Tysons pitstop on Bike to Work Day. Both bike commute to Tysons and also ride to exercise. In response to our question about what they like most about cycling, they agreed that being out “in the beautiful outdoors” is a key attraction.  Asked what could be done to improve bicycling in Fairfax County, John joked that he would like to see “fewer hills.”  He added that he thought Tysons’ greatest need was better sidewalks. 

It is not surprising to hear a bicyclist advocate for improved walkability along with better bicycling. People who ride bikes know that better pedestrian facilities encourage people to walk rather than drive and create more opportunities for using bikes for short trips, especially when bike sharing is available. FABB has long been involved in the planning for the future of Tysons, to include this year’s announcement that Capital Bikeshare will soon arrive. FABB also has worked with Fairfax County on the recent additions of new bike lanes on several Tysons roads, new trail links into Tysons, improved on-road conditions in and around Tysons, new bike parking requirements, and improved signage. But, more needs to be done and FABB needs more volunteers to help keep up the demand for better bicycle infrastructure.