Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Faces of Fairfax - Michelle Neyland
Of the things Fairfax County could do to make biking easier and safer, Michelle offered that she would like to see more snow clearing and de-icing of trails in winter. In addition, she thought that more needed to be done to improve safety at street crossings. Finally, Michelle said that she would love to see more trails like the W&OD and Custis Trails.
Although not something people are likely to think about in July, FABB has been a longstanding advocate for snow removal policies and ordnances in the county. The heavy snows of the past two winters appear to have increased the profile of the issue with the Board of Supervisors. But more public support is needed to push the county and Virginia Department of Transportation to treat pedestrians and cyclists fairly when it comes to clearing snow from trails, sidewalks, and bike lanes.
Labels: bike to work day, Faces of Fairfax, falls church, health, snow plowing, w&od trail
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Faces of Fairfax - Arley Burnette
FABB: Why and where do you ride?
Arley: I ride to work almost every day from Woodbridge to my job at the Harley Davidson store in Fairfax City. I ride on a 1-speed bike, and it's a pretty hilly ride. I stay on the road, taking Rt. 123 most of the way. I often am going faster than the cars caught in stop-and-go traffic. A lot of the people at the Harley store think I'm crazy. But I've been doing this for the past three years and I feel great.
FABB: What do you like most about riding your bike?
Labels: bike to work day, city of fairfax, Faces of Fairfax, health, safety, woodbridge
Thursday, June 30, 2016
A Walk, Run, Bike Challenge from Children’s Science Center
The Children’s Science Center in Fair Oaks has come up with a great way to make biking (and walking and running) even more fun and interesting for kids and their families.
The Science Center has launched the Walk, Run, Bike Challenge. Through a partnership with AFCEA NOVA (Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association), three military veterans will bicycle 4,200 miles across the United States while raising money to donate to the Children’s Science Center.
Meanwhile, the Science Center is also inviting kids to participate in its Walk, Run, Bike Summer Challenge, with a goal of matching the distance of the three riders biking across America. The Challenge runs through July 24. Families can track their daily activity online. The Science Center will compile it. In the process, the Science Center and participants will explore the science related to exercise and nutrition. More information and registration is available here.
Meanwhile, the Science Center is also inviting kids to participate in its Walk, Run, Bike Summer Challenge, with a goal of matching the distance of the three riders biking across America. The Challenge runs through July 24. Families can track their daily activity online. The Science Center will compile it. In the process, the Science Center and participants will explore the science related to exercise and nutrition. More information and registration is available here.
Labels: Children's Science Center, fair oaks, health, walk-run-bike challenge
Thursday, May 12, 2016
How to Be a Durable Human Being - May 18 Event
FABB members interested in a fresh take on the reasons why cycling enriches and strengthens their mind, body, and spirit should plan on attending a book launch party on Wednesday, May 18, at One More Page Books. At the event, FABB member and Northern Virginia community leader Jenifer Joy Madden will be discussing her new book How to Be a Durable Human: Revive and Thrive in the Digital Age through the Power of Self-Design.
In what is described as a handbook for being a human in the 21st century, readers learn to refresh in themselves what has been inadvertently trammeled by their close association with smart phones and other devices of personal technology. Jenifer describes how a cycling crash on the W&OD trail prompted her to think about distractions in her life and then develop simple ways to reduce time spent with gadgets and add more activity to each day to promote better health and sleep, especially for children. Among the stories in her book, Jenifer explores FABB President Jeff Anderson’s efforts to start a bike train for children biking to school and highlights the suburban multi-modal transportation advocacy of local cycling mover and shaker Finnouala Quinn.
Jenifer is a multi-media journalist, digital media professor, and parent of three who lives in the Tysons, Virginia, area, and – as an appointed county transportation commissioner – she literally and figuratively builds bridges to greater well-being.
Everyone is welcome. One More Page Books is easily accessible by bike and is just off the W&OD Trail at 2200 N Westmoreland Street near the East Falls Church Metro.
Labels: bike train, everyday bicycling, fionnuala quinn, health, jenifer madden
Friday, November 5, 2010
You're Safer On a Bike Than On a Sofa
"You won't believe it...You're safer on the bicycle than on the sofa!" Lack of daily exercise is harmful to your health, while physical activity keeps your body healthy.
Cycling extends your life - daily exercise for minimum 30 minutes extends your life with up to five years.
From Copenhagenize.com.Cycling extends your life - daily exercise for minimum 30 minutes extends your life with up to five years.
Labels: copenhagen, health
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Hidden Health Costs of Transportation
A new report, The Hidden Health Costs Of Transportation, recently released by the American Public Health Association, outlines some of those hidden costs:
The combustion engine and the creation of the highway system increased mobility and access to goods and services.However, investments in highways have come at the expense of other transportation modes.Over the years this has led to a heavier reliance on vehicles and roadways and less on walking, bicycling and transit use. Further, suburban development has resulted in communities that are away from town centers and public transit and require a near-total reliance on the automobile for transport and access.
Our dependence on automobiles and roadways has profound negative impacts on human health: decreased opportunities for physical activity, and increased exposure to air pollution, and the number of traffic crashes. The health costs associated with these impacts, including costs associated with loss of work days and wages, pain and suffering, and premature death,may be as high as several hundred billion dollars. (emphasis added)
Recommendations included:Our dependence on automobiles and roadways has profound negative impacts on human health: decreased opportunities for physical activity, and increased exposure to air pollution, and the number of traffic crashes. The health costs associated with these impacts, including costs associated with loss of work days and wages, pain and suffering, and premature death,may be as high as several hundred billion dollars. (emphasis added)
- A considerable increase in transportation investments is needed to offer more balanced and affordable
modes of transport including biking,walking and public transit. - Federal planning and funding practices need to more fully account for impacts, costs and benefits to health, throughout the planning and decision-making processes.
- A national set of health-related policy objectives needs to be part of the criteria for federal transportation funding decisions.
- Research funding should be allocated to document the health costs of transportation investments and
develop and apply evidence-based tools that account for the health impacts of such investments.
Labels: cost of transportation, health, negative externalities
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Transportation and Health
The Centers for Disease Control has been studying the linkage between our transportation system and health. "In 2007, representatives from CDC created a Transportation Policy Group to develop a more comprehensive approach to identifying and addressing issues related to transportation and health. Their efforts have extended to include work with the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as non-federal partners such as the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the Healthy Eating, Active Living Convergence Partnership (Convergence Partnership)."CDC just released their transportation policy recommendations, that stress the need for better active transportation options, including bicycling:
The current U.S. transportation infrastructure focuses on motor vehicle travel and provides limited support for other transportation options for most Americans.
- Physical activity and active transportation have declined compared to previous generations. The lack of physical activity is a major contributor to the steady rise in rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other chronic health conditions in the United States.
- Motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of injury-related death for many age groups. Pedestrians and bicyclists are at an even greater risk of death from crashes than those who travel by motor vehicles.
- Many Americans view walking and bicycling within their communities as unsafe because of traffic and the lack of sidewalks, crosswalks, and bicycle facilities.
Labels: active transportation, centers for disease control, health
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Health and Commuting Study
Today's Washington Post reports on a study of health and commuting, Walking, biking to work linked with better fitness: "Walking or biking to work, even part way, is linked with fitness, but very few Americans do it, according to a study of more than 2,000 middle-aged city dwellers." Anyone who bikes to work knows about the fitness aspects of commuting; it's one of many reasons why we commute by bike. It's also fun, doesn't cost much, generates no air pollution, reduces congestion, is reliable (we know how long it takes to get somewhere; we rarely know what's in store for us when driving), and others. It's good to see research being done to verify the health benefits of bike commuting:In what may be the first large U.S. study of health and commuting, the researchers found only about 17 percent of workers walked or bicycled any portion of their commute.
Those active commuters did better on treadmill tests of fitness, even when researchers accounted for their leisure-time physical activity levels, suggesting commuter choices do make a difference.
Crumbling sidewalks, lack of bike paths and sheer distances all keep American commuters in their cars, experts said.
"I would love to bike to work, but it is completely unsafe for me to do so," said Penny Gordon-Larsen of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who led the study in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine. "There's one real small, narrow area where there's no bike lane."
Those active commuters did better on treadmill tests of fitness, even when researchers accounted for their leisure-time physical activity levels, suggesting commuter choices do make a difference.
Crumbling sidewalks, lack of bike paths and sheer distances all keep American commuters in their cars, experts said.
"I would love to bike to work, but it is completely unsafe for me to do so," said Penny Gordon-Larsen of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who led the study in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine. "There's one real small, narrow area where there's no bike lane."
Labels: bike commuting, health
