Monday, July 21, 2014
Bicycling to the Silver Line Stations
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| Commemorative SmartTrip card to be issued on July 26 |
Service on the new Silver Line, serving Reston and Tysons, will begin on Saturday. We've created a page of information about bicycling to each of the new Silver Line stations. The page includes possible bike routes to the Wiehle and Tysons stations, information about bike facilities at each of the stations, and info about using bikes on Metro.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Saturday, July 26 on the south side of the Wiehle-Reston East Station around 11am. The first train will depart from the Wiehle station at noon. See the Silver Line Metro page for details about opening day activities.
Based on the response to the Wiehle bike room open house, we expect many people will want to ride to the stations. Parking in the parking garage will cost $4.75 per day. Parking in the secure bike room will cost $60/year plus a one-time fee of $15. Daily cost of the bike room, assuming someone would park M-F, is about 25 cents a day. It's your choice.
The Tysons stations will not have permanent car parking but each station will have bike parking. Bike lockers are located at the Tysons and Wiehle stations. Contact WMATA to reserve a bike locker. WMATA charges $120/year. The one exception is bike lockers located on the north side of the Spring Hill Station which are managed by Fairfax County DOT. The county bike locker fee is $60/year.
We just learned that WMATA is not yet ready to rent bike lockers at the Silver Line stations. I received this message today from WMATA about renting a locker at the Greensboro station: "We are not ready to sign up [Silver Line] bike locker patrons. After this has taken place, I will email you."
Labels: bike locker, Silver line, wiehle station bike room
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
New bike lockers at Burke VRE Station - Update with new photos
Burke FABB member Alan Young reports on the new bike lockers at the Burke VRE Station: |
| Bike lockers at Burke VRE Station |
Burke VRE Station now has easy bicycle access via the Burke VRE Trail, Roberts Parkway and Burke Center trails. If you want to save yourself the cost of a car, try a bike! If you want to rent a locker, $60 a year, send an email applicant per the FCDOT website (the website does not list Burke VRE station, but the lockers are available).
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| Indoor bike racks at Burke VRE Station |
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| Outside bike racks at Burke VRE Station |
Labels: bike locker, burke vre station
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
WMATA proposes to reduce locker fee to $120
There was a significant price increase a few years ago. According to TheWashCycle:
Two years ago, the annual fee was tripled, and Metro predicted that the price hike would bring in an extra $200,000 per year. Metro assumed that the demand for bike lockers was so inelastic that locker rentals would decline less than a 10%.
Cycling advocates suggested that the tripling would cause a sticker shock leading to widespread non-renewals, possibly enough to cause a net loss in revenues. I recommended to my then-Metro board member (Elizabeth Hewlitt) that increasing the cost to $100 would have made more sense and brought in more revenue. But Metro board members paid scant attention to this issue, possibly because of the small magnitude of revenues involved. (Nor was it a high priority for WABA, coming during the transition as Eric Gilliland moved on.)
I predict that this 40% price cut will cause a small increase in revenues, both because more lockers will be rented, and because having a bike locker will lead a few more cyclists to take Metro more often.
Cycling advocates suggested that the tripling would cause a sticker shock leading to widespread non-renewals, possibly enough to cause a net loss in revenues. I recommended to my then-Metro board member (Elizabeth Hewlitt) that increasing the cost to $100 would have made more sense and brought in more revenue. But Metro board members paid scant attention to this issue, possibly because of the small magnitude of revenues involved. (Nor was it a high priority for WABA, coming during the transition as Eric Gilliland moved on.)
I predict that this 40% price cut will cause a small increase in revenues, both because more lockers will be rented, and because having a bike locker will lead a few more cyclists to take Metro more often.
Labels: bike locker, wmata
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Bike lockers at Metro stations available
Labels: bike locker, Metro
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Bike to Work Day Prize Awarded to Local Commuter
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| Kerie Hitt of FABB (right) and Charlie Strunk, Fairfax County Bicycle Program Manager (left), give Scott Smith the key to a bicycle locker. Photo by Michael Olson. |
FABB member Kerie Hitt is part of the organizing committee for Reston's Bike to Work Day event and thought up the idea of raffling the use of a bike locker to promote bicycle transportation. Kerie said, "I realized that many people don't even know what a bike locker is, let alone that we have lockers practically right next to Reston Town Center, along the W&OD trail. Since Reston has the largest Bike to Work Day event in Fairfax County, I thought a drawing would be a good way to raise awareness about the lockers and the transportation options they offer."
Having a bike locker at the park and ride allows bike riders to string together car/bike trips or bus/bike trips. All county Connector buses are equipped with bike carriers. Combining bike travel with other modes can help bicyclists go farther distances and get to places they might not be able to access solely by bike. Every time a person travels by bike, traffic congestion is eased somewhat.
Kerie mentioned her idea to staff at the Fairfax County bicycle program, the office that administers the lockers. Almost immediately they decided to support the drawing and offered to waive the usual fees involved in securing a locker. The Reston Town Center Association agreed to cover the key deposit. On the morning of Bike to Work Day on May 20, several dozen people entered the drawing, and Scott's name was selected as the winner.
After the necessary paperwork was completed, Kerie and Fairfax County bicycle program manager Charlie Strunk presented Scott with the key to his locker a few weeks later. At that time in mid June, several other lockers still were available for rent at the Sunset Hills Park and Ride, at 2050 Sunset Hills Road.
Fairfax County also manages bike lockers at the Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride on Sunrise Valley Drive and the Reston South Park and Ride on Reston Parkway. The usual yearly rental fee is $60 with a one-time administrative fee of $10 and a key deposit of $50. For more information about renting a bicycle locker, go online to the Fairfax County Bicycle Locker Rental Program at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/bike/bikelockers.htm or call the bike program office at 703-324-BIKE (2453).
Labels: bike locker, charlie strunk
Friday, May 13, 2011
Win one year free bike locker rental at Sunset Hills Park & Ride
If you plan to attend the Reston Bike to Work Day event, you can enter a drawing for one year free bike locker rental at the new Sunset Hills Park & Ride lot. The lot is adjacent to the W&OD Trail at Sunset Hills Rd and Town Center Parkway. Fairfax County Dept of Transportation has generously waived the fees for one year and Reston Town Center Association has donated the key deposit for one locker. It's not too late to register. Here's info from the flier:Reston Bike to Work Day
Special Drawing for
One Year Free
Bike Locker at Sunset Hills Park and Ride
A bicycle locker is a "garage" for your bike that provides a way to store your bicycle securely out of the rain, sun, and snow. The bicycle lockers are owned and operated by Fairfax County Dept of Transportation. FCDOT has generously waived the fees for one year and Reston Town Center Association has donated the key deposit for one locker.
The Sunset Hills Park and Ride is located at 12050 Sunset Hills Road at Town Center Parkway, next to the W&OD trail, 1/3 mile from Reston Town Center Pavilion.
Start up bike locker fees usually are $120:
$60 rent per year + $10 one-time admin fee + $50 refundable key deposit
If interested in the locker, please provide your name and contact information on your business card or the form provided and drop it in the bucket. The winner will be notified after Reston Bike to Work Day concludes.
Bike lockers at Sunset Hills Park & Ride
with Reston Town Center in the background
Follow the Reston Pit Stop on Twitter.
Labels: bike locker, bike to work day
