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
Monday, October 12, 2015
Meeting on paving Cross County Trail in Wakefield Park is Thursday
The public meeting to discuss paving a portion of the Cross County Trail in Wakefield Park will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2015 at Kings Glen Elementary School Cafeteria, 5401 Danbury Forest Drive, Springfield, VA. See the earlier FABB blog post for more info. The paved surface will be easier to maintain and provide a much better surface for most trail users. Even so, some opposition is expected. Cyclists are encouraged to attend the meeting to learn more about the project and voice your support.From the county meeting announcement:
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| Click on image for larger pdf version |
The Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail is one of the most heavily used trails systems in Fairfax County. The Park Authority’s project includes paving approximately 7,800 linear feet of the trail in Wakefield Park between Braddock Road and Americana Park. The proposed route will follow the existing gravel trail, will be approximately eight to ten feet wide, and will be designed to minimize the impact to natural resources contained within the park. The Park Authority’s project team includes environmental and historic resource professionals who will be closely involved in the design process and will work to ensure that any impacts are limited.
For comments or questions about the project, please call Project Manager Bill Boston at 703-324-2710 or send email to William.boston@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Labels: congressman connolly, cross county trail, wakefield park
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Meeting to discuss paving the Cross County Trail in Wakefield Park
The paved surface will be easier to maintain and provide a much better surface for most trail users. Even so, some opposition is expected. Cyclists are encouraged to attend the meeting to learn more about the project and voice your support.
From the county meeting announcement:
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| Click on image for larger pdf version |
The Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail is one of the most heavily used trails systems in Fairfax County. The Park Authority’s project includes paving approximately 7,800 linear feet of the trail in Wakefield Park between Braddock Road and Americana Park. The proposed route will follow the existing gravel trail, will be approximately eight to ten feet wide, and will be designed to minimize the impact to natural resources contained within the park. The Park Authority’s project team includes environmental and historic resource professionals who will be closely involved in the design process and will work to ensure that any impacts are limited.
For comments or questions about the project, please call Project Manager Bill Boston at 703-324-2710 or send email to William.boston@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Labels: congressman connolly, cross county trail
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Register now for the second Fairfax Bike Summit
The program for the second Fairfax Bike Summit, to be held on Saturday, Nov. 2 at George Mason University, is nearly finalized. Congressman Gerry Connolly and other dignitaries will welcome participants at 10 a.m.. The keynote speaker is Jeff Olson, author of the The Third Mode: Towards a Green Society, about the importance of walking and bicycling not only as a transportation mode but as an indicator of the quality of life of our communities.While the focus of the summit is on transforming Tysons into a bike-friendly community, we'll be discussing many other topics during the panel discussions and breakout sessions. A list of the sessions includes:
- Importance of bicycling to the future of Tysons and other transit-oriented communities
- Bicycle and transit integration
- Access and encouragement for all
- Safe Routes to School and getting more kids on bikes
- Bikes and business
- Safety, law enforcement, and evaluation
- Where to next for Fairfax biking?
Why not register online today?
Labels: congressman connolly, fairfax bike summit, jeff olson
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Cross County Trail renamed to honor Congressman Connolly
When Congressman Connolly was Chairman he also created the Bicycle Program and ensured funding for the Bicycle Route Map.
From the Fairfax Co Park Authority news release:
The Cross County Trail is well-known, used by countless trail enthusiasts on foot, or bicycle or horse and now has been named the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail in honor of Congressman Gerry Connolly, who during his tenure as Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors championed its creation. The Cross County Trail (CCT) is more than 40 miles in length running from the Potomac River in Great Falls Park to the Occoquan River in Occoquan Regional Park.
The Fairfax County Park Authority renamed this trail at their June 12, 2013 meeting unanimously, citing the ongoing support that Connolly provided at all stages of the multi-million dollar, multi-year project. “I am truly humbled by this unexpected honor. The Cross County Trail is one of my proudest accomplishments in public office,” said Congressman Connolly.
On May 25, 1999, the idea for a cross county trail was presented to the Park Authority by Fairfax Trails and Streams. The proposed route followed the existing stream valley trail system belonging, for the most part, to the Park Authority linking existing trails together with other public lands owned by the National Park Service, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, the City of Fairfax, the town of Reston, and with public sidewalks through each supervisory district in Fairfax County to form a continuous pedestrian route from Great Falls National Park to Prince William County Occoquan Regional Park.
Congressman Connolly added, “There are a lot of people who share this honor with me. This project is a true example of what can happen when the local community, volunteers and our elected officials work together. Thanks to that effort we are leaving behind a real gem for future generations to enjoy.”
The Fairfax County Park Authority renamed this trail at their June 12, 2013 meeting unanimously, citing the ongoing support that Connolly provided at all stages of the multi-million dollar, multi-year project. “I am truly humbled by this unexpected honor. The Cross County Trail is one of my proudest accomplishments in public office,” said Congressman Connolly.
On May 25, 1999, the idea for a cross county trail was presented to the Park Authority by Fairfax Trails and Streams. The proposed route followed the existing stream valley trail system belonging, for the most part, to the Park Authority linking existing trails together with other public lands owned by the National Park Service, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, the City of Fairfax, the town of Reston, and with public sidewalks through each supervisory district in Fairfax County to form a continuous pedestrian route from Great Falls National Park to Prince William County Occoquan Regional Park.
Congressman Connolly added, “There are a lot of people who share this honor with me. This project is a true example of what can happen when the local community, volunteers and our elected officials work together. Thanks to that effort we are leaving behind a real gem for future generations to enjoy.”
Labels: congressman connolly, cross county trail
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Evolution of Transportation summary
The event included several talks, a "panel" discussion (more talks), and was supposed to include a question and answer session. The talks lasted beyond the scheduled meeting time so it was disappointing that none of the questions were asked. One of the main reasons for us to attend was to hear a dialogue about the future of transportation in Fairfax.
The event started with the premiere of the short film History of Transportation in Fairfax County. It was interesting to hear about the history of roads like West Ox Road, Rolling Road, and others. Unfortunately there was no mention of the role that bicyclists played in the development of paved roads in the U.S. The Good Roads Movement was begun by bicyclists in the late 1800's. There was also no mention of walking or biking.
Chairman Bulova introduced Congressman Connolly who discussed the importance of Dulles Rail, noting that it took over 40 years to become a partial reality. He listed the many major transportation projects that have been completed in the recent past including the massive Springfield Interchange Project, the Dulles Rail Project, interchanges on Route 28, the Beltway HOT lanes, and others. Just think what kind of a bicycle network we could have by using just a small portion of the cost of these projects. He also talked about growing up in Boston where he walked and biked everywhere.
Congressman Connolly introduced Peter Rogoff, head of the Federal Transit Administration. Peter's main point was that we haven't properly maintained our current transportation assets and they are crumbling. It's much easier for people to get excited about new projects. He noted that young people are driving less and relying more on transit and other modes.
Tom Biesiadny of Fairfax County DOT discussed the many county transportation projects underway including bicycle and pedestrian projects around the future Tysons and Reston Silver Line Metro stations.
The panel discussion was led by Adam Tuss, transportation reporter for NBC4. It's safe to say that all of the panelists noted that we won't be able to build enough roads to continue relying on the car for all our transportation needs. We'll need more choices including being able to walk and bike to nearby destinations.
David Alpert of Greater Greater Washington said that what we need to do is reclaim the freedom of movement and access we had in earlier times when kids were allowed to ride and walk longer distances and our roads were smaller with slower speeds. It was relatively safe to get around using various modes of travel.
In Fairfax we have many areas like the Route 123/Route 7 interchange, the Route 50/Beltway interchange and others that contain large empty zones that could be used much more productively. Some of those interchanges could be transformed into more urban forms. One challenge is that VDOT needs to be more willing to make changes that they think would slow traffic but would make for more livable places.
Boomers and Millenials want walkable/bikeable places. The sharing economy is growing, freeing some people from the need to own a car or bike if they have access to carshare and bikeshare. David walked from the Dunn Loring station to the theater but it wasn't a pleasant walk, and the big streets around Mosaic are not pedestrian- or bike-friendly. Had bikeshare been available he would have used it.
As was noted by Dan Reed on Greater Greater Washington today, Fairfax is not alone when it comes to the need to tame or big roads.
Josh Sawislak of Mobile Work Exchange noted that one way to reduce congestion is telework. It's a new concept for many people, but it works better than most think. We have a great deal of transportation capacity that is overburdened for only relatively short periods each day. By removing a small percentage of those people, through flexible work schedules or occasional telecommuting (or biking) we could greatly reduce congestion without the need for more capacity.
Frank Weith of Volkswagen Group of America started off his discussion by noting that he lived in Munich, Germany for several years. The city could be used as a benchmark for personal mobility. Travel between various modes is relatively seamless and is a good model for the U.S. The Tysons Mobility Hubs are based on a similar concept, specifically a system used in Bremen, Germany.
Frank also described the future of car travel that included a couple of Volkswagen commercials and a discussion of the advanced features being added to cars (that many people think will lead to increased driver distraction). It is possible that the connected car could reduce crashes in the future but it requires a great deal of infrastructure before becoming a viable option.
After the many talks there was no time for the questions submitted by the audience. We wanted to know what can be done to keep from creating islands of mixed-use development near transit that are surrounded by big roads, like the Mosaic District.
A single, synthesized question was asked of the panelists: How can we remake our transportation system so that there is space for everyone, not just cars. David pointed to the need for a grid of streets rather than having just a few big roads where all traffic is funneled. It's counter-intuitive to many people that having more roads can make places more ped and bike friendly. A connected grid of streets can lead to smaller blocks, lower speeds, and more options. Not many roads in DC have nine lanes like Gallows Road.
Frank noted that it's difficult to walk and bike in his neighborhood and that we need to connect the gaps in our bike and ped networks.
Thanks to Chairman Bulova for holding the event. She apologized for the lack of time for questions; maybe we need a second Evolution of Transportation meeting to respond to the first one...
Labels: chairman bulova, congressman connolly, david alpert, evolution of transportation, greater greater washington, tom biesiadny
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Evolution of Transportation meeting June 12
As a result, we need to figure out better ways to move people. Big roads don't work where pedestrian and bicycle movement is encouraged. Mixed use developments allow people to walk and bike to many more places.
Bicyclists played a major role in the evolution of transportation nationwide. In the late 1800's/early 1900's bicyclists led the Good Roads Movement to advocate for a network of paved roads:
The Good Roads Movement was officially founded in May 1880, when bicycle enthusiasts, riding clubs and manufacturers met in Newport, Rhode Island to form the League of American Wheelmen to support the burgeoning use of bicycles and to protect their interests from legislative discrimination. The League quickly went national and in 1892 began publishing Good Roads Magazine. In three years circulation reached a million. Early movement advocates enlisted the help of journalists, farmers, politicians and engineers in the project of improving the nation's roadways, but the movement took off when it was adopted by bicyclists.
Some FABB members will be riding to the event, which will be held at Angelika Theater in the Mosaic District. See our earlier blog entry about that area. Thanks to Chairman Bulova's office for including Biking Directions on the RSVP page.From the Evolution of Transportation RSVP page:
Join Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova for an exciting opportunity to learn more about the County we live and work in!
From buffalo trails to roads and rails, this event will be a fun and interesting look at how Fairfax County’s transportation network evolved over time and what the future holds for transportation in the region.
Speakers include: Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff, Congressman Gerry Connolly, and a panel discussion moderated by Adam Tuss from NBC4 and panelists David Alpert from Greater Greater Washington, Josh Sawislak from the Mobile Work Exchange, and Frank Weith of Volkswagen of America. A video production titled The History of Transportation in Fairfax County, produced by Channel 16, will also be screened.
Free Admission. Free Parking. Open to all.
Food, beer, and wine are available for purchase in the lobby. Enjoy them during the event!
From buffalo trails to roads and rails, this event will be a fun and interesting look at how Fairfax County’s transportation network evolved over time and what the future holds for transportation in the region.
Speakers include: Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff, Congressman Gerry Connolly, and a panel discussion moderated by Adam Tuss from NBC4 and panelists David Alpert from Greater Greater Washington, Josh Sawislak from the Mobile Work Exchange, and Frank Weith of Volkswagen of America. A video production titled The History of Transportation in Fairfax County, produced by Channel 16, will also be screened.
Free Admission. Free Parking. Open to all.
Food, beer, and wine are available for purchase in the lobby. Enjoy them during the event!
Labels: chairman bulova, congressman connolly, evolution of transportation, greater greater washington, peter rogoff
Monday, October 29, 2012
FABB Awards of Recognition given at Bike Summit
At the Fairfax Bike Summit FABB handed out two special Recognition Awards to VDOT traffic engineer Randy Dittberner and Fairfax County bike coordinator Charlie Strunk. From my remarks at the ceremony:
Back when FABB was formed in 2005 Fairfax did not have a bike coordinator. At that time Charlie Strunk, who was head of capital projects in the county, was our de-facto coordinator. One of FABB's first goals was to obtain funding for a bike coordinator position. In 2006 we met with then-Chairman, now Congressman Gerry Connolly. He agreed to try to find funding for the coordinator position, for a county bike route map, one of our other major goals, and a pilot on-road bike route program. Later that year the Board approved funding for the comprehensive bicycle initiative and formation of the bike program. Without Charlie and the bike program we wouldn't have the bike map, bike racks on all Fairfax Connector buses, and most importantly, the recently completed Tysons and Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plans. Charlie, thanks for everything you've done to help bicyclists in Fairfax.
Labels: charlie strunk, congressman connolly, Randy Dittberner
Friday, May 18, 2012
Record numbers of cyclists register for Bike to Work Day
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| Congressman Connolly addresses the Reston crowd |
Congressman Connolly, Supervisor Hudgins, and Reston Association President Ken Knueven spoke to the Reston cyclists. Congressman Connolly started the Fairfax bicycle program by finding funds for the bicycle coordinator position, the bike map, and funding the program. Supervisor Hudgins suggested holding the first every Fairfax County Bike to Work Day event back in 2002 and has been a supporter of bicyclists since she was elected into office in 2000.
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| Two younger BTWD riders (FABB's Rob Henenlottter in the background) |
Hope everyone has a great commute home.
For more photos see the FABB Flickr pool.
See our Reston Patch blog post, Bike to Work Day in Reston.
Check out the video of a ride today from the Greenbelt Pit Stop to the Downtown/Reagan Plaza Pit Stop (from WashCycle):
"Friday's grand total was 1,485 - the highest of the week. More than half of all elementary school students participated in the event.
Vienna Elementary School saw the largest ever bike count ever on Friday with 78 kids cycling to school. "We overflowed our two racks and the extra one brought over from the ball fields," said Sean McCall.
Wolf Trap Elementary's bike train had three Fairfax County Police Bike Patrol Officers and members of HPC Junior Team riding with students.
Louise Archer, the largest elementary school in Vienna, saw the most students participating this week."
Update: Kingstowne Patch article on Bike to Work Day at Franconia-Springfield pit stop.
Vienna Elementary School saw the largest ever bike count ever on Friday with 78 kids cycling to school. "We overflowed our two racks and the extra one brought over from the ball fields," said Sean McCall.
Wolf Trap Elementary's bike train had three Fairfax County Police Bike Patrol Officers and members of HPC Junior Team riding with students.
Louise Archer, the largest elementary school in Vienna, saw the most students participating this week."
Burke Patch article on Burke pit stop. That's FABB's Alan Young with the cellphone in hand, probably demonstrating the FABB app that aggregates FABB's social feeds. The app is being developed by his grandson and should be available at the app store in the near future.
Labels: bike to work day, congressman connolly, ken knueven, reston, supervisor hudgins
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Congress urges Amtrak to provide roll-on/roll-off service to Pittsburgh
One of the challenges of self-supported touring is transporting your bike for one leg of the journey. Amtrak’s Capitol Limited Route between DC and Pittsburgh is one option. Currently your bike must be boxed for travel on the train. Roll-on/roll-off service would be much more convenient for cyclists and would likely attract many more passengers traveling the Passage.
We were encouraged to see that 18 members of Congress, including Representatives Connolly, Moran, and Norton, recently signed a letter to Joseph Boardman, President and CEO of Amtrak, asking that roll-on/roll-off service be provided:
May 2, 2012
Joseph H. Boardman
President and Chief Executive Officer
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
60 Massachusetts Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
Dear Mr. Boardman,
Thank you for your interest in providing enhanced bicycle service to your riders. We are encouraged by the prospects of Amtrak being able to offer roll-on / roll-off accommodations to travelers with bicycles on the Capitol Limited route and strongly urge you to move foreword with implementing these improvements as soon as possible.
As you know, the Capital Limited line parallels the Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal towpath, which together make a 335-mile bike trail that connects Pittsburgh, PA to Washington, DC. These trails were recently featured in the Washington Post travel section and are increasingly recognized as an international tourist destination. There are over 3.5 million visits to the Great Allegheny Passage trail system every year, many of them long distance riders who need transportation for themselves and their bicycles.
Roll-on / roll-off bicycle service is an important transportation improvement and will serve as a model for expunging this type of service nationwide. Providing these accommodations will help Amtrak attract new customers and will enhance tourism and economic development. These improvements are truly a winning proposition for everyone involved and we look forward to their successful implementation.
Thank you in advance of your attention tot his important issue. We look forward to continuing to work with you on solutions to allow this serve to begin as soon as possible, as well as long term options for dedicated rail equipment to handle bicycles efficiently and safely that help contribute to increased ridership for Amtrak, enhanced tourism, and economic development.
Sincerely,
Bill Shuster, Earl Blumenauer, Corrine Brown, Mark S. Critz, Gerald E. Connolly, Peter DeFazio, Jeff Dunham, Mike Doyle, Bob Filner, Jesse L. Jackson Jr., Dennis J. Kucinich, Patrick Meehan, Jim Moran, Jerrold Nadler, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Laura Richardson, Tim Ryan, and Edolphus Towns, Members of Congress.
Joseph H. Boardman
President and Chief Executive Officer
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
60 Massachusetts Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
Dear Mr. Boardman,
Thank you for your interest in providing enhanced bicycle service to your riders. We are encouraged by the prospects of Amtrak being able to offer roll-on / roll-off accommodations to travelers with bicycles on the Capitol Limited route and strongly urge you to move foreword with implementing these improvements as soon as possible.
As you know, the Capital Limited line parallels the Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal towpath, which together make a 335-mile bike trail that connects Pittsburgh, PA to Washington, DC. These trails were recently featured in the Washington Post travel section and are increasingly recognized as an international tourist destination. There are over 3.5 million visits to the Great Allegheny Passage trail system every year, many of them long distance riders who need transportation for themselves and their bicycles.
Roll-on / roll-off bicycle service is an important transportation improvement and will serve as a model for expunging this type of service nationwide. Providing these accommodations will help Amtrak attract new customers and will enhance tourism and economic development. These improvements are truly a winning proposition for everyone involved and we look forward to their successful implementation.
Thank you in advance of your attention tot his important issue. We look forward to continuing to work with you on solutions to allow this serve to begin as soon as possible, as well as long term options for dedicated rail equipment to handle bicycles efficiently and safely that help contribute to increased ridership for Amtrak, enhanced tourism, and economic development.
Sincerely,
Bill Shuster, Earl Blumenauer, Corrine Brown, Mark S. Critz, Gerald E. Connolly, Peter DeFazio, Jeff Dunham, Mike Doyle, Bob Filner, Jesse L. Jackson Jr., Dennis J. Kucinich, Patrick Meehan, Jim Moran, Jerrold Nadler, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Laura Richardson, Tim Ryan, and Edolphus Towns, Members of Congress.
Labels: amtrak, c and o canal, congressman connolly, congressman moran, great allegheny passage
Thursday, March 10, 2011
FABB is headed to Capitol Hill
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| VA bike advocates meet with Zack Fields of Congressman Connolly's office last year. |
See the article in today's Post, Bicycle advocates lobby Congress with jobs pitch:
The cyclists want continued dedicated funding for three key federally backed programs: a $117 million program to develop safe routes that promote walking and biking to school by children; a program that builds and maintains recreation trails; and funding for bicycling and pedestrian projects.
Their first objective is to preserve those programs in the cost-cutting debate over the 2011 federal budget, and then to see them maintained in the long-term transportation funding bill that may be considered this year.
They are armed with statistics that show that 1.5 percent of federal transportation dollars are spent to support biking and walking while 12 percent of all trips are on two feet or two wheels.
With an increased emphasis on reducing funding for federal programs we'll be making the argument that investing in bicycling is cost-effective. A study conducted in Baltimore showed that bike projects put more people to work than road projects. And in Portland, Oregon for the cost of 1 mile of highway they’ve built a world-class bicycle network with a high percentage of daily trips are taken by bike. It costs 22 times more to build the infrastructure needed for new car trips vs. new bike trips.Their first objective is to preserve those programs in the cost-cutting debate over the 2011 federal budget, and then to see them maintained in the long-term transportation funding bill that may be considered this year.
They are armed with statistics that show that 1.5 percent of federal transportation dollars are spent to support biking and walking while 12 percent of all trips are on two feet or two wheels.
Labels: bike summit, congressman connolly, congressman moran, congressman wolf
Friday, October 29, 2010
Connolly and Fimian
The major contested Congressional race in Fairfax is between Congressman Connolly and Keith Fimian, the two major candidates. During his political career Congressman Connolly has been very supportive of bicycle infrastructure funding. As Chairman of the Fairfax Co Board of Supervisors he authored the Comprehensive Bicycle Initiative that created the first bicycle coordinator position and developed the first bicycle route map of the county.As a Congressman, he along with 23 of his colleagues sent a letter supporting Secretary LaHood's USDOT Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation which includes "considering walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes." He's also supported implementation of new experimental bicycle facilities in the MUTCD and an increase in funding for bicycle and pedestrian transportation projects in the Surface Transportation Authorization bill.
On Oct. 21 we asked Mr. Fimian for his views on bicycling as a form of transportation. We haven't received a response. We've searched his website for information on bicycling and transportation and "Transportation" isn't listed under Issues. This morning Fimian and Connolly debated on the WTOP Politics Program. During the interview Fimian stated that we would be much better off if we didn't spend money on bicycle trails. Once the broadcast is online we'll try to find a direct quote.
If you have additional information about the two candidates' positions on bicycle issues, please leave a comment.
Update: The Connolly/Fimian debate on the Politics Program is now online. There was an exchange (with about 12:05 left in the program) regarding raising the Federal gas tax:
Mark Plotkin: "Isn't it time to raise the Federal gas tax of 18.4 cents to help fund transportation in your district?"
Mr. Fimian: "Listen, the problem is that massive amount of tax money is gone and they spent it on a transportation museum and flowers in the median and bike paths."
Congressman Connolly: "I'm on record favoring raising the gas tax."
Labels: congressman connolly, keith fimian
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Congressman Connolly introduces trails bill
The Complete America's Great Trails Act, H.R. 1912, recently introduced by Congressman Connolly, will provide landowners with a tax credit to grant conservation easements and public access easements in 1/2 mile corridors of National Scenic Trails. This will help complete the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, providing bike access south and east of the DC Metro area.Representatives Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) have introduced Complete America’s Great Trails Act to help close missing links and protect the scenic vistas of America’s eight National Scenic Trails.
Connolly said the bill will help connect America's greatest historic and scenic places, including trails in Fairfax and Prince William Counties connecting Mount Vernon with Pope’s Creek, George Washington's birthplace, and Pope's Creek with the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.
"The Complete America's Great Trails Act will protect trails that protect America's most treasured places, from Mt. Vernon to Mount St Helens, by providing landowners with incentives to protect public access and natural landscapes along America’s National Scenic Trails," Connolly said.
Connolly said the bill will help connect America's greatest historic and scenic places, including trails in Fairfax and Prince William Counties connecting Mount Vernon with Pope’s Creek, George Washington's birthplace, and Pope's Creek with the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.
"The Complete America's Great Trails Act will protect trails that protect America's most treasured places, from Mt. Vernon to Mount St Helens, by providing landowners with incentives to protect public access and natural landscapes along America’s National Scenic Trails," Connolly said.
