FABB Blog

 

Comment on US Bike Route 1 study

VDOT is conducting a study of possible alternatives to US Bike Route 1. They are taking comments on these alternatives. To see the various options and to provide comments, see the US Bike Route 1 Virtual Meeting presentation. The presentation includes maps of the existing route, the route as shown on the VDOT website, and possible alternatives.

The route follows a key corridor through which several bike routes pass: US Bike Route 1, Adventure Cycling Atlantic Coast Route, East Coast Greenway, and Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. The official route was effectively closed when Woodlawn Road was closed after 9/11, and there are few good alternatives. If you are familiar with this area and want to weigh in on possible routes, visit the Virtual Meeting site and provide comments.

From the presentation:

Labels: U.S. bike route system, US Bike Route 1

posted by Bruce Wright at 9:15 PM permalink

 

VDOT releases updated Bicycling in Virginia map

VDOT recently released an updated version of the state bike map, Bicycling in Virginia. The map shows major bike routes in the state, including United States Bicycle Routes (USBR) 1 & 76, Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway, the Virginia Capital Trail, and a few other major trails. There is a Northern Virginia inset showing details of USBR 1, the Fairfax Co Parkway Trail, the Cross County Trail and others.

Unfortunately there is so little road detail that the map can't be used for navigating any of these routes. The FFX Co Parkway trail is shown incorrectly in a couple of places, including showing that it crosses I-66 parallel to the Parkway. In that section there is an unsigned detour away from the Parkway.

USBR 1 on Bicycling in Virginia map

USBR 1 as shown in the NoVa inset shows the section through Ft Belvoir, that has been closed for many years, as a dashed line. On the VDOT website there is an interactive map of USBR 1 & 76 that shows the route following Route 1 for an extensive stretch, a very dangerous route. Adventure Cycling mostly follows USBR 1 and they have identified an alternative route, that could have been shown on the state map.

This is what USBR 1 looks like on the VDOT website online map. As you can see, there are major differences between the two maps:

USBR 1 on VDOT online map

One day we would like to see a state bike route map that shows the many great routes that exist on Virginia's back roads. BikeVirginia has extensive maps showing good routes throughout the state that could be used.

The map could include some of the major routes in Northern Virginia that are identified on the Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax bike maps.

Labels: bicycling in Virginia map, U.S. bike route system, vdot

posted by Bruce Wright at 11:26 AM permalink

 

Cyclists turn out for Mt. Vernon area bike plan meeting

Bob Patten (left) taking notes on local bike conditions.

About 30-35 cyclists attended the Fairfax Co. 
Bicycle Master Plan meeting for the greater Mt. Vernon area last night. Representatives from VDOT, Fairfax Co., and the Board of Supervisors attended as did members of FABB.

After cyclists studied and commented on detailed maps of the area, Bob Patten of Toole Design gave an overview of the master planning process. He also described several types of bicycle facilities such as cycletracks, buffered bike lanes, shared lane markings (sharrows), and others.

Bob stated that the plan will result in a map showing specific facilities proposed for roads in the county. There will also be policy recommendations to ensure that county policies treat bicycling as an integral part of the transportation system. These not only include bike route facilities but also bike parking requirements, opportunities for bicycle safety education at all levels, improved enforcement, and encouragement of bicycling by using such measures as transportation demand management incentives.

Participants then gathered around the maps to mark  where they would like to ride and to identify barriers to their travel. The Huntington and Franconia-Springfield Metro stations are major destinations.

Several natural and manmade barriers make cycling in this area a challenge. Route 1 is the biggest challenge. Few cyclists choose to ride with 45 mph traffic and there are almost no side paths along the road. Many of the surrounding neighborhood streets don't connect, especially on the south side.

Just north of Route 1, Huntley Meadows Park and Fort Belvoir form another barrier. For a 2 mile stretch just north of Mt. Vernon Estate, Little Hunting Creek is a major barrier between several residential neighborhoods, forcing cyclists to use either the Mt. Vernon Trail or Route 1.

There are several major attractions in the area including Mt. Vernon Estate, Mason Neck State Park and Natural Wildlife Refuge, Pohick Bay Regional Park, Huntley Meadows Park, and Fort Hunt National Park. U.S. Bike Route 1, the East Coast Greenway, and the Adventure Cycling Atlantic Coast route all pass through this area. The area could be a major cycling destination if there were good bicycle routes connecting major attractions. It's going to take the work of everyone to make this happen.

Labels: bicycle master plan, east coast greenway, mt. vernon, route 1, U.S. bike route system

posted by Bruce Wright at 9:12 AM permalink

 

US Bike Route 1 meeting

One of the meetings held during the week of the National Bike Summit was an update to work being done on US Bike Route 1. Representatives from organizations working on the route gathered at AASHTO headquarters in DC.

Any changes to the route must be approved by AASHTO. Currently there are only two official US Bike Routes, USBR 1 extending from Virginia thru North Carolina, and USBR 76 extending from Virginia to Illinois. Adventure Cycling Association is leading development of a complete network of US bike routes, extending the existing routes to the national border and creating several other cross-U.S. routes.

The USBR 1 meeting was mostly a discussion of the status of the route through the states north of VA and south of NC, and changes to the VA and NC segments. In VA the route through Ft. Belvoir has been closed since Woodlawn Rd was closed to through traffic after September 11 (map). A new road, Mulligan Road, is being built that will extend across Ft. Belvoir from Route 1 to Telegraph Rd that will be open to bike traffic with wide outside lanes and a shared use path. According to VDOT, construction of Mulligan Rd will be complete in 2012.

The alignment of USBR 1 as it enters VA from the north was also discussed. Documentation of the official route is being sought to determine if it enters VA using the Arlington Memorial Bridge or the 14th Street bridge. With the Memorial bridge crossing cyclists ride along a paved trail leading to the Mt Vernon Trail. This connector trail crosses fast moving traffic at two places, the entrance ramp from Washington Blvd, and GW Parkway. The 14th Street crossing has a more direct connection to the Mt Vernon Trail.

 During the meeting Virginia Sullivan of Adventure Cycling announced the availability of a new interactive US Bike Route map. Click on a state to see a summary of the current status of work on routes in that state. Liz McAdory of VDOT is the Virginia coordinator. Liz.McAdory(at)VDOT(dot)Virginia(dot)gov. Much of the on-the-ground work is being done by members of Virginia Bicycle Federation, several of whom attended the meeting.

Labels: U.S. bike route system

posted by Bruce Wright at 3:57 PM permalink

 

Telegraph Road public hearing

Section of Vicinity map

VDOT is planning to modify a short section of Telegraph Rd just north of Huntley Meadows Park near Ft. Belvoir. This part of Telegraph Rd, from S Van Dorn St to S Kings Hwy, is a narrow, congested two-lane road. It is now part of U.S. Bicycle Route 1 (see also the Adventure Cycling U.S. Bicycle Route page). Now that access through Ft. Belvoir is restricted, cyclists are not able to ride along Woodlawn Rd through the fort. Telegraph Rd is part of the alternate route as shown on the Northern Virginia inset (large pdf) of the Virginia bike map, Bicycling in Virginia.

VDOT plans to modify the two-lane section by adding several new turn lanes, bike lanes, a shared use path on one side and a sidewalk on the other. With two busy roads on either end of the project, there are many turning movements and safely routing bike lanes through traffic will be a challenge. See the VDOT Telegraph Rd project web page that includes a vicinity map.

VDOT recently announced that the public hearing will be held on September 23 from 5-8 p.m. at Hayfield Secondary School, 7630 Telegraph Rd, Alexandria, 22315. We will review the plans at VDOT headquarters and will be preparing comments for the public hearing. This is an important part of the bicycle network for Fairfax County. Bike lanes on Telegraph Rd are part of the county Trails Plan. Mulligan Rd, just south of this project, will have bicycle facilities and will be replace Woodlawn Rd as part of U.S. Bike Route 1. Bike lanes are also planned  as part of the Mulligan Rd/Telegraph Rd project about which we've written in the past.

As the date for the public hearing approaches we'll be posting our comments on the project.

Labels: telegraph road, U.S. bike route system, vdot

posted by Bruce Wright at 7:25 PM permalink

 

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on NPR

On the NPR program All Things Considered (A National Network Of Bike Trails? It Could Happen), Secretary LaHood continues to stress the need for better bike facilities in the U.S. He's a cyclist who regularly gets out on his bike: "My wife and I have our bikes in Washington and on the weekend, sometimes both days, we are on the C&O Canal and we see thousands not hundreds of people out on bikes. My wife and I appreciate being able to get out on bikes."

From the NPR website: Despite the NPR headline, the national bike route is an on-road route being developed by Adventure Cycling Association.

Labels: transportation secretary LaHood, U.S. bike route system

posted by Bruce Wright at 4:12 PM permalink