Sunday, January 21, 2018
Job Openings for Transportation Planners
Our friends at the Fairfax County Department of Transportation asked us to help spread the word that two full-time positions with benefits with FCDOT’s Capital Projects and Traffic Engineering Division are available for qualified applicants. These are excellent opportunities for the right individuals to have a direct impact on making bicycling better in Fairfax County.
The first position is for a Bicycle Pedestrian Transportation Planner, who is responsible for project management for bicycle and pedestrian transportation capital projects and non-capital program areas and outreach. A competitive candidate will need a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, urban, regional or transportation planning, or a closely related field plus two years of experience related to transportation planning. More details about the position, requirements, and pay and benefits can be found here. The job listing closes this Friday at 5:00 pm.
The next opening is for a Bicycle Program Coordinator, who directly manages and oversees the county's comprehensive bicycle program BikeFairfax. This includes supervising other planners and managing capital projects, Capital Bikeshare, County Bike Parking, non-capital program areas and outreach. For this position, a competitive candidate needs four years of transportation-related planning experience in addition to a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, urban, regional or transportation planning, or a closely related field. More details on the position, requirements, and pay and benefits can be found here. This listing ends on February 9 at 5:00 pm.
Labels: bikefairfax, fairfax bicycle program, FCDOT, fcdot bicycle program
Monday, August 1, 2016
Fairfax Co Hiring Bicycle/Pedestrian Program Manager
Fairfax County currently has a bicycle program manager, Adam Lind, a pedestrian program manager, Chris Wells, and two bicycle/pedestrian program staff, Nicole Wynands and Lauren Delaware. The county is hiring a Pedestrian & Bicycle Program Manager (Transportation Planner IV) to oversee those two programs. Please spread the word about this position:
Job #: 16-01492
Job Title: Pedestrian & Bicycle Program Manager (Transportation Planner IV)
Opening Date/Time: Sat. 07/30/16 12:00 AM Eastern Time
Closing Date/Time: Fri. 08/19/16 5:00 PM Eastern Time
Salary: $34.78 - $57.96 Hourly
$2,782.14 - $4,636.91 Biweekly
$72,335.54 - $120,559.71 Annually
Pay Grade: S29
Job Type: FT Salary W BN
Location: DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION, 4050 LEGATO ROAD, SUITE 400, FAIRFAX (EJ03), Virginia
Department: Transportation
Posting Type: Open to General Public
Assists the Capital Projects Section Chief in handling the responsibility for planning, coordinating, organizing, and managing professionals engaged in multi-modal transportation projects and studies. Communicates and explains complex Capital Projects plans, studies, and policies with other county, state and federal agencies, as well as residents and elected officials. Projects include intersections, roadways and multi-modal projects, such as pedestrian, bicycle, transit and parking facilities.
Develops policies and procedures to enhance and support pedestrian and bicycle facilities as part of the county's multi-modal transportation policy and complete streets efforts. Recommends projects for future funding programs, reviews traffic data and provides transportation planning analysis. Supervises and mentors several engineering, planning, and technician staff who scope, review, coordinate, and administer a variety of multi-modal capital project plans and studies. Requires attendance and participation at public meetings, public hearings, and workshops, as well as both local and regional events.
Job Title: Pedestrian & Bicycle Program Manager (Transportation Planner IV)
Opening Date/Time: Sat. 07/30/16 12:00 AM Eastern Time
Closing Date/Time: Fri. 08/19/16 5:00 PM Eastern Time
Salary: $34.78 - $57.96 Hourly
$2,782.14 - $4,636.91 Biweekly
$72,335.54 - $120,559.71 Annually
Pay Grade: S29
Job Type: FT Salary W BN
Location: DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION, 4050 LEGATO ROAD, SUITE 400, FAIRFAX (EJ03), Virginia
Department: Transportation
Posting Type: Open to General Public
Assists the Capital Projects Section Chief in handling the responsibility for planning, coordinating, organizing, and managing professionals engaged in multi-modal transportation projects and studies. Communicates and explains complex Capital Projects plans, studies, and policies with other county, state and federal agencies, as well as residents and elected officials. Projects include intersections, roadways and multi-modal projects, such as pedestrian, bicycle, transit and parking facilities.
Develops policies and procedures to enhance and support pedestrian and bicycle facilities as part of the county's multi-modal transportation policy and complete streets efforts. Recommends projects for future funding programs, reviews traffic data and provides transportation planning analysis. Supervises and mentors several engineering, planning, and technician staff who scope, review, coordinate, and administer a variety of multi-modal capital project plans and studies. Requires attendance and participation at public meetings, public hearings, and workshops, as well as both local and regional events.
Labels: bicycle coordinator, bicycle program, fairfax bicycle program, transportation planner iv
Monday, June 27, 2016
Fairfax Bike Program Is Looking for a Fall Intern
The title above was modified to reflect the fact that this internship position is for Fall 2016, not Summer. See the job announcement below from Fairfax Co Dept. of Transportation.
This position will include developing and implementing community and business outreach strategies and materials related to bicycle projects, developing a variety of bike-related encouragement and educational efforts, and attending outreach events.
Minimum QualificationsCurrent student or recent graduate in the field of marketing, sales, communications, community organizing, urban or transportation planning, or similar. Experience with outreach efforts, advocacy or event planning desirable. Must be able to ride a bike. Must have valid driver’s license. Ability to communicate in Spanish a plus.
Salary
This intern position is UNPAID, but will work with intern to earn class credit if offered through his/her college or university.
Schedule
The position requires 20 hours per week from September-December. Attendance of some evening and weekend events is required. Exact length of position will depend on candidate’s availability. Schedule can be flexible.
Preferred Qualifications and Knowledge-Excellent organizational skills and great initiative
-Strong writing skills and ability to synthesize key information into a compelling written presentation
-Strong interpersonal and customer service skills
-Ability to use Word, PowerPoint, Excel
-Some knowledge of bicycle planning and encouragement principles
Please send resume and cover letter to DOTBicyclePrograms@fairfaxcounty.gov by July 18, 2016. Call 703-877-5625 with questions.
Labels: fairfax bicycle program, fairfax county department of transportation
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Adam Lind is new Bicycle Coordinator
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| Image from LinkedIn |
Adam has done a great job as acting coordinator, working with VDOT on the creation of over 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.
Adam came to Fairfax County in February 2014 as a Bicycle Planner. From the county news release:
“Looking to the future, the Bicycle Master Plan will guide the development of bike lanes and trails that will help connect neighborhoods to the places residents want to go,” said Lind. “Our goal is to create a connected and safe bicycle network that will allow people to rethink their commute. I look forward to working with the community to make this a reality.”
Most recently, Lind has worked on coordinating the implementation of bike lanes throughout the county as part of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) repaving program and the establishment of a bike trail along the I-66 corridor outside the Capital Beltway (I-495) as part of the Express Lanes project. One of his early tasks in his new position will be to coordinate an implementation plan for priority projects in the Bicycle Master Plan.
Prior to joining FCDOT, Lind completed internships with the Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; City of Blacksburg, Virginia; and Montgomery County, Virginia. He holds a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Most recently, Lind has worked on coordinating the implementation of bike lanes throughout the county as part of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) repaving program and the establishment of a bike trail along the I-66 corridor outside the Capital Beltway (I-495) as part of the Express Lanes project. One of his early tasks in his new position will be to coordinate an implementation plan for priority projects in the Bicycle Master Plan.
Prior to joining FCDOT, Lind completed internships with the Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; City of Blacksburg, Virginia; and Montgomery County, Virginia. He holds a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Labels: adam lind, bicycle coordinator, fairfax bicycle program
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
No money for bicycle program
It's not all doom and gloom. While we were very disappointed by the lack of operating funds, that doesn't mean there is no money for bicycle-related activities and projects. Funds from the Commercial and Industrial tax are dedicated to bike projects, primarily the Gallows Road bike lanes. Funds are also available from that source for pedestrian and bicycle projects, most of which are pedestrian access projects around Silver Line Metro stations. Read about the Bicycle Initiative on page 164 of the FY 2013 budget.
The first ever Countywide Bicycle Master Plan is fully funded and should be completed this summer. However, without proper program funding or staff, we're concerned that the Countywide plan could meet the same fate of the Tysons Bicycle Master Plan which was completed in Feb. 2011 and has been sitting on the shelf ever since. It has not been approved by the Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors.
Read the FCDOT's response to Supervisor Foust's questions regarding the Bicycle Program.
Labels: budget cuts, fairfax bicycle program, supervisor foust
Thursday, April 19, 2012
FFX Co DOT Chief's vision for Bicycle Program
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| Photo: Fionnuala Quinn |
Tom is a bicyclist who lives and rides in the county on a regular basis. For several years he has ridden in one of the more difficult and popular multi-day rides in the country, RAGBRAI. As a cyclist he is intimately familiar with the problems we face on a daily basis.
We were very encouraged by several comments he made:
- The Board of Supervisors is researching various options for local funding of transportation projects and bicycle projects are an integral part of that discussion. Bicycling will play a bigger role in the transportation system in the future because it's a cost-effective solution to relieving congestion.
- FFX DOT recently got approval to fill the Bike Program position vacated by Jeff Hermann nearly a year ago. While the new person will be asked to handle additional duties, working on bicycle projects will be a key part of the position.
- The County will look into implementing encouragement activities similar to those conducted by BikeArlington. While our CMAQ funds are allocated for the next couple of years, other sources could be used and that will be discussed more in the future.
- Trail Maintenance: There are funds in this year's budget to assess the condition of the 700 miles of trails in the county and to develop a prioritized list of needed maintenance. While we would like to have funds to actually conduct maintenance this year, this is a start to addressing a long term problem. There has been no money for trail and bike facility maintenance for many years.
Labels: fairfax bicycle program, fairfax county department of transportation, tom biesiadny
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Funding for the Bicycle Program
The timing was right. Most messages to the Board are received before Wednesday of last week when Hunter McCleary presented the FABB testimony before the Board at the budget hearings (see video of budget testimony on April 11). After his testimony there were questions regarding the funding levels. We sent a followup message to the Board responding to their questions. In part it stated:
In the FY 2010 advertised budget the Bicycle Program was cut by 45%. See page 121 of the budget document: "This reduction decreases the Bicycle Program operating budget by 45 percent or $170,456." In the FY 2011 budget all program funding was eliminated but as you know, the Bicycle Coordinator position was retained. The funding level before the cuts was around $379,000.
We asked cyclists to contact you about funding the program. We were encouraged by their response; there really are many cyclists who want to be able to safely bike in the county for transportation and recreation. Please consider funding the program this year.
The Board will mark up the budget on April 24. Prior to that session we will be discussing our request with a representative of the Board. Thanks to the messages from cyclists, the Board knows that the request is not just coming from a small group of activists. Thanks to WABA for helping us with the Alert. If you don't currently receive WABA Alerts, you can sign up online.We asked cyclists to contact you about funding the program. We were encouraged by their response; there really are many cyclists who want to be able to safely bike in the county for transportation and recreation. Please consider funding the program this year.
Below is a copy of testimony presented to the Board:
Testimony on 2013 Fairfax County Budget
Bruce Wright, Chairman
Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling
April 11, 2012
Good evening. I am here today to ask that you fund the Bicycle Program. Program funding was cut in half two years ago and eliminated last year, at a time when more and more people are choosing to use bikes for transportation.
We appreciate your previous support for bicycling in Fairfax. Thanks to your support a great deal of work is being done to create the County Bicycle Master Plan and the Tysons Plan is now complete. Now we need your support to ensure that both plans become part of the Comprehensive Plan. We especially need your support to ensure that both plans get implemented. Most of the recommendations are not costly but they will take dedicated staff time and resources to become a reality.
FABB attends many events and we talk to a lot of people. Invariably when we ask people if they ride and we get answers from two types of people: The 1% of fearless riders who will ride anywhere, and everyone else who say they would like to ride more but don't because they don't feel it's safe. The second group represents a wide cross section of people and it's always the same answer.
I recently spoke to a woman from San Diego. I asked if she biked. She said she missed being in San Diego where they could bike to shops and to school. When they moved here her daughter asked her why they had to drive everywhere; why couldn't they walk and bike. If we want to provide our residents with a good quality of life, and be able to attract others looking for the same, we need to devote the resources necessary to make Fairfax a better place to bike.
Fairfax also needs to attract young professionals to stay competitive with surrounding jurisdictions. In Arlington Co, voters approved a bond that provides dedicated funds for bicycle and pedestrian projects. BikeArlington has dedicated staff to educate cyclists and promote the use of bicycling in the county. They've also committed to implementing the very popular Capital Bike Share system.
What would funding for the bicycle program mean? Money for shared lane markings (sharrows) placed on busy sections of road to remind motorists that bikes belong on those roads. Repaving of the Fairfax County Parkway trail, and installation of signs to guide users where the trail diverts from the Parkway. It would mean resources to ensure that the Tysons Bike Plan is approved by the Planning Commission and the Board. Building of small neighborhood connections so that cyclists can avoid riding on busy arterials that have no bike facilities. Support for Bike to Work Day and many other events to encourage people to travel by bike. Implementation of a bicycle counting program to show the increase in bicycling around the county. And much more.
Once again thank you for your past support for bicycling but we really do need some dedicated funds to make Fairfax a better place to bike and to live.
Presented by:
Hunter McCleary
2205 Trott Ave
Vienna Va. 22181
Labels: fairfax bicycle program, waba alert
Monday, April 9, 2012
Restore funding to the Bicycle Program
What would the program funding support? Money for shared lane markings (sharrows) placed on busy sections of road to remind motorists that bikes belong on those roads. Repaving of the Fairfax County Parkway trail, and installation of signs to guide users where the trail diverts from the Parkway.
It would mean resources to ensure that the Tysons Bicycle Plan and Countywide Bicycle Plan are approved by the Planning Commission and the Board. Building small neighborhood connections so that cyclists can avoid riding on busy arterials that have no bike facilities. Support for Bike to Work Day and many other events to encourage people to travel by bike. Implementation of a bicycle counting program to show the increase in bicycling around the county. And much more.
If you haven't done so already, please send a message to the Board letting them know you care about the future of bicycling in Fairfax. At a time when more people are choosing to use bikes for transportation, we should be providing more funding and better, safer bike facilities for these cyclists.
Labels: fairfax bicycle program, fairfax county board of supervisors, waba alert
Saturday, March 10, 2012
No bike program funds in the Fairfax County budget
Despite this goal, the bicycle program funds were cut in half in 2010 and eliminated in 2011. During County Executive Tony Griffin's online chat session on the proposed FY2013 budget we asked about funding for the program:
Bikecommuter : Two years ago the operating funds were cut from the Bicycle Program. It's not possible for the county to have an effective program without operating funds. More and more people are choosing to use bicycles for transportation, especially as the price of gas hovers around $4/gallon. Were the Bicycle Program operating funds reinstated this year and if not, why not?
Anthony Griffin : No, we have not had the capacity in our budget to fund the restoration of previously cut programs and services.
What could be done with Bicycle Program funds? Installing signs on and repaving of the Fairfax Co Parkway Trail, placement of Shared Lane Markings on bike routes on narrow roads, support for events like Bike to Work Day, a bike sharing pilot project, basic functions like printing the bike plans and the draft bike parking guidelines, striping bike lanes, installing bike parking; the list could go on. We can't have a Bicycle Program without funds.
The Tysons Bicycle Plan was completed over a year ago and still sits on a shelf. Actually it hasn't even been printed because of a lack of funds. We paid $14 to print our copy at Kinkos. The Countywide Bicycle Plan will be finished this summer and could meet the same fate. Despite all the good work that is going into developing these plans, they mean nothing if there are no funds for getting them approved and implemented.
Your voice can be heard. If you think Fairfax should have a funded bicycle program, please consider attending one of the upcoming budget town hall meetings in your district. If the Board does not hear from us, there will be no funding for the bike program or bike projects. You can also write to the Board of Supervisors and ask that Bicycle Program funds be included in the budget.
Town Hall Meeting |
Location |
Date |
|---|---|---|
| Mason District Spring Town Meeting | Mason District Government Center – Main Community Room – 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale | Wednesday, March 14 - 7:00 p.m. |
| Braddock District | Kings Park Library, Braddock Hall | Wednesday, March 14 - 7:00 p.m. |
| West Springfield | Government Center - conference rooms 9/10 | Thursday, March 15 - 7:00 p.m. |
| Braddock District | Canterbury Woods Elementary – Cafeteria – 4910 Willet Drive, Annandale | Monday, March 19 - 7:30 p.m. |
| West Springfield | West Springfield Governmental Center | Monday, March 19 - 7:00 p.m. |
| Providence District Council | Dunn Loring Center - 2334 Gallows Road | Tuesday, March 20 - 7:30 p.m. |
| Sully District | Rocky Run Middle School - Cafeteria - 4400 Stringfellow Road, Chantilly | Thursday, March 22 - 7:00 p.m. |
| Hunter Mill Budget Meeting | Reston Community Center (Rooms 3 and 4) | Saturday, March 24 - 10:00 a.m. |
| Dranesville District | Ingram Council Chambers (Halls B and C) - 765 Lynn Street, Herndon | Monday, March 26 - 7:00 p.m. |
| Braddock District | Robinson Secondary School – Gold Cafeteria – 5035 Sideburn Road, Fairfax | Wednesday, March 28 - 7:30 p.m. |
| Sully District Council | Sully District Governmental Center - Front Meeting Room - 4900 Stonecroft Boulevard, Chantilly | Wednesday, March 28 - 7:00 p.m. |
| Lee District Association | Franconia Governmental Center | Wednesday, March 28 - 7:30 p.m. |
| Dranesville District | Great Falls Library - 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls | Thursday, March 29 - 7:00 p.m. |
| Hunter Mill Budget Meeting | Vienna Community Center (Multi-Purpose Room) | Saturday, March 31 - 11:00 a.m. |
| Dranesville District | McLean Community Center - 1234 Ingleside Avenue | Monday, April 2 - 7:00 p.m. |
Labels: budget cuts, budget hearings, fairfax bicycle program
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Bicycling section in Environment Report
The county has made much progress this year, especially with almost no operating funds and the loss of a very valuable staff person, whose position was not filled. The Tysons Bike Plan was completed and the Countywide Bike Plan was started. Phase II of the Gallows Road bike lanes, extending from Idylwood Rd north to Old Courthouse Rd, was finalized and should be completed in 2012. The county is working much more closely with VDOT's repaving program and bike lanes were added to segments of the following roads: Soapstone Dr, Lewinsville Rd, and Sleepy Hollow Rd.
However, the Tysons Bicycle Plan, still has not been reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission or the Board of Supervisors. The Bicycle Parking Guidelines are still in draft form. The Bike the Sites project, a tour of historic sites in the Sully District, is incomplete, and there are still no wayfinding signs on the Fairfax County Parkway. Only so much can be done with limited resources and staff. A great deal has been accomplished, but much more needs to be done which means the program needs dedicated funding and more staff.
The Transportation recommendations in the report are disappointing. We agree wholeheartedly that the county needs to conduct "Holistic Land Use and Transportation Planning." However the recommendations are very general and include no mention of the need for increased resources for non-motorized transportation planning and implementation.
It's worth spending some time browsing the report; it's a good look at the state of the county's environment.
Labels: bicycle master plan, eqac, fairfax bicycle program, tysons bike plan
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Fairfax Co bicycle program highlights
See the bike program highlights presented at the Fairfax County Board Meeting today. FCDOT staff will give an overview of the Board's Four-Year Trans. Program:Summary of Highlights from April through June 2011
Bicycle Program
- On-Road Bike Lane Initiative
- FCDOT and VDOT are developing new bike lane projects as part of the 2011 summer repaving program.
- Routes under consideration include: Soapstone Drive, Sleepy Hollow Road, Lewinsville Road, Sully Park Drive, and Route 123 (Dolly Madison Drive).
- Plans for Gallows Road Phase II Bike Lanes, funded by 2007 County Bonds, were finalized and construction is anticipated in late 2011.
- Increase and Enhance Bicycle Parking
- 150 new bicycle racks and 30 new bicycle lockers were purchased and are currently being installed countywide.
- In coordination with Comstock Partners, FCDOT is designing a "state of the industry" secure bicycle parking room at the proposed Reston-Wiehle Ave. Station including 200 spaces, bicycle retail use, and future bicycle sharing.
- Stringfellow Road Park-and-Ride Lot expansion is under design, including secure, covered bicycle parking for over 100 bikes and enhanced trail and sidewalk connections.
- Fairfax County bicycle parking guidelines, standards, and specifications will be released soon, providing guidance to developers and government agencies.
- Bicycle Master Plan
- Phase I focuses on the greater Tysons area including segments of McLean, Merrifield, and Vienna, and will go before the PC and BOS in late 2011.
- Phase II will encompass the rest of Fairfax County. Work began in April 2011, with a study duration of 18 months.
- Bobann Drive Bikeway
- One mile of paved, 10-foot wide shared use path from Wharton Lane to Stringfellow Road, providing access to the expanded Stringfellow Road Park-and-Ride Lot.
- Bike the Sites Map
- FCDOT is creating a family-friendly bicycle route map centered around historic sites in the western area of the County.
- Funded with a Federal Transportation Enhancement grant, the project is scheduled for completion in 2011.
- Bicycle Route Signage
- Routes include three locations in the Dranesville District, the Fairfax County Parkway, and the GMU-Fairfax City-Vienna Metrorail Station Bike Route
- Outreach, Education and Events
- FCDOT, with private sector and County agencies, continues to sponsor the region's "Bike to Work Day" with nine pit stop locations within the County.
Labels: fairfax bicycle program
