FABB Blog

 

Faces of Fairfax: Krishtam Chin

Krishtam Chin

Labels: BTWD, Faces of Fairfax, herndon, Tysons

posted by Steve Ward at 10:47 AM permalink

 

Innovation Station Community Meeting on June 29

Labels: dranesville district, FCDOT, herndon, innovation center

posted by Steve Ward at 7:20 PM permalink

 

Life is a Cycle Ride in Herndon

Life is a Cycle route.

Labels: bike month, herndon, Life is a Cycle ride, My City Bikes

posted by Steve Ward at 5:00 PM permalink

 

FABB January Meeting to Focus on Herndon-Great Falls-Hunter Mill

Labels: bicycle master plan, great falls, herndon, hunter mill district, monthly meeting

posted by Steve Ward at 4:29 PM permalink

 

Support Bike Lanes on Elden Street in Herndon Thursday

E Elden Street Section (eastbound)

VDOT and the Town of Herndon are planning to widen Elden Street from downtown at Monroe Street east to Fairfax County Parkway. Bike lanes are proposed from Monroe Street east to Herndon Parkway, then "off-street bike lanes" to Fairfax Co Parkway. The off-street bike lanes appear to be one-way cycle tracks on each side of Elden Street.

To learn more about the project and speak out in support of bike facilities on Elden Street please consider attending the design public hearing on Thursday, October 27 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Herndon Senior Center, 873 Grace Street, Herndon, VA 20170.

Labels: eldon street, herndon

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:43 PM permalink

 

Herndon W&OD Trail Lighting Presentation on Thursday

W&OD Trail near Van Buren Street.

Labels: herndon, lighting, w&od trail

posted by Steve Ward at 6:26 AM permalink

 

Herndon Middle School Bike Shop Brings Bikes and Joy

HMS Bike Shop members

Two proud new bikers.

Reston Bike Club helmet station.

New rider learning the "ropes" of bike control and safety.

Happy owner of bike refurbished by HMS Bike Shop.

Excited new rider.

Bike Shop members and friends.

Labels: bike club, fcps, herndon, reston bike club

posted by Steve Ward at 8:04 PM permalink

 

Construction along W&OD promises improvements, requires more care on detours

Crestview Drive - photo by Kelley Westenhoff

Labels: crest view, herndon, lawson, monroe, w&od trail

posted by Steve Ward at 4:55 PM permalink

 

Herndon Town Council Bicycle Master Plan letter of support

Mayor Merkel of the Town of Herndon recently sent the following letter of support for the Bicycle Master Plan to the Fairfax County Planning Commission, reaffirming the Town Council's support for the plan. The Commission will hold a public hearing on the plan on Wed., October 1 at the Fairfax County Government Center beginning after 8:15 p.m. Cyclists are encouraged to attend the hearing to show your support and/or to sign the FABB Bicycle Master Plan petition:

Labels: bicycle master plan, herndon, mayor lisa merkel

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:50 AM permalink

 

Adult Cycling Seminar in Herndon

With Bike to Work Day scheduled for Friday, May 16, now is the perfect time to dust off your bike and ride it to work, school or to dinner. If you are a bicycle commuter or just getting started, join us for an interactive presentation by Tom Wyland, FABB board member and bicycle advocate. You will learn how to get around town by bike with a focus on what you might need, how to find a route, and tips for getting started. There will also be an update on W&OD trail crossing improvements planned in Herndon. Getting places by bike is easy and fun, so take advantage of this free class provided by the Town of Herndon!


Thurs., April 24th 7-8 p.m.
Herndon Fortnightly Library
768 Center St, Herndon, VA 20170

Free and open to the public; pre-register at www.herndon-va.gov/webtrac
  Activity #479999.01
  Or call 703-787-7300

Presented by Herndon Parks and Recreation Department

Labels: bike to work day, herndon

posted by Bruce Wright at 6:00 PM permalink

 

Herndon meeting on the Herndon Parkway/Van Buren St intersection project

The Town of Herndon is holding a public information meeting on proposed changes to the  intersection of Herndon Parkway and Van Buren St. The meeting is Wednesday at 6:30pm. See below for details.

A planned cycle track on the south side of Herndon Parkway ends at Van Buren St and any changes to the intersection such as additional lanes will impact cyclists.

Herndon cyclists are encouraged to attend the meeting and find out how bicyclists will be accommodated in any proposed changes.

Labels: herndon, herndon parkway, van buren

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:39 PM permalink

 

New bike lanes in Herndon

The Town of Herndon recently implemented a traffic calming project on the south end of Dranesville Road, between Herndon Parkway and Park Ave, a stretch of about 1/3 mile. The project includes bike lanes and a new raised median. Lanes were reduced from 4 regular travel lanes to 2 travel lanes and 2 bike lines, what is known as a "road diet." Similar road diets have been very successful in Reston on Soapstone Dr and Lawyers Rd.

Initially there was a proposal to install a roundabout at the Dranesville/Park intersection but residents were vocal in their opposition.

The photo at the top was taken on eastbound Park Ave approaching the Dranesville intersection, site of the proposed roundabout. Note the extra cargo on the back of Kerie's bike (three plant pots).

The second photo shows the bike lanes and new raised median on Dranesville Rd headed north toward the Herndon Parkway intersection.

The final photo shows where the bike lanes end at Herndon
Parkway. About .5 miles north of here bike lanes extend from Herndon High School to Route 7, a distance of about 1.8 miles. The next step will be to connect these two segments of bike lanes between Herndon Parkway and the high school (about .5 miles).

Let's hope the new bike lanes are a sign of good things to come in Herndon.

Labels: bike lanes, herndon, road diet

posted by Bruce Wright at 9:29 AM permalink

 

Fantastic Bike to Work Day

Riding from Herndon to Reston

What a great day for Bike to Work Day. The weather was perfect and it was impressive to see so many cyclists out enjoying the day and celebrating biking to work.

Kerie and I started at the Reston pit stop that we've helped organize for the past 12 years. Fortunately Reston Association has taken over management of the pit stop which allowed us to check out some of the other events. Reston was the first Fairfax pit stop back in 2002. Now there are 11.

We said hi to Todd from The Bike Lane at the Reston stop. Todd's wife Anne attended the first FABB meeting in 2005. FABB volunteers Rob and Kelley were providing advice on bike routes. As we were leaving Del. Ken Plum, who may have attended almost every Reston event over the years, stopped to say hi.

After Reston we rode to Herndon to visit with Tom and Mike of FABB and take some photos. The pit stop was adjacent to the W&OD Trail and it was buzzing with activity. A-1 Cycling, another early FABB supporter, was providing free checkups.

Next we rode to Vienna which was overrun with cyclists. Liz and Susan, with the help of Jeff Palmer from Spokes, Etc, managed to sign up nearly 60 people for the FABB newsletter. Tim Fricker of bikes@vienna was also there. FABB's first meetings were held at that shop.

Next we visited the Merrifield-W&OD Trail stop that was just closing down, but the Performance mechanic was still working on bikes. From there we rode to the Merrifield-Mosaic stop that

FABB at the Vienna pit stop

was about to close. We took a photo with John, our FABB rep there. This was their first year as a pit stop and they had around 40 cyclists, which is OK for a first year event. Alex of Freshbikes was checking over people's bikes.

Final stop in Tysons

Finally we rode north past the Dunn Loring Metro station to reach the Gallows Road bike lanes north of I-66 and continued north to the Tysons pit stop in front of the LL Bean store at Tysons Corner Center mall. They had blocked off the parking lot in front of the store and they reported a decent turnout. LL Bean mechanics were checking out bikes there.

Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to get to Burke VRE Station (Alan), Fairfax Corner (Fionnuala), Fairfax City Downtown (Douglas, Charlie, and Jim), Mt. Vernon-Collingwood Park (Eric), or Springfield/Metro Park (Paul). Thanks to all the FABB volunteers for helping out today.

All in all the day was a huge success. We hope that many more cyclists discovered the joys of biking to work and that they continue to ride throughout the year. We also hope everyone has a safe ride home.

Cyclists crossing Maple Ave in Vienna

Vienna pit stop

Labels: bike to work day, herndon, merrifield, mosaic district, reston, Tysons, vienna

posted by Bruce Wright at 12:19 PM permalink

 

New bike shop in Herndon opens soon

Green Lizard Cycling, a new bike shop in downtown Herndon, plans to have a soft opening this weekend. We stopped by the shop today as shop staff were scurrying around getting ready for customers. I stuck my head in the store and the owner, Dave Meyer, introduced himself and told me a bit about the shop. There will be a coffee bar on the left as you enter the shop. They will sell road, hybrid, mountain, and kids bikes. They also plan to rent bikes.

Hefler Performance Coaching, a shop located nearby that does endurance athlete coaching, will move into a space in the back to the shop. They are currently located across the side street near Great Harvest Bread store.

This is a great location for a bike shop. The W&OD Trail is across the street and the bread store is nearby. Many cyclists pass through Herndon and lots of them stop by the bread store.

The Green Lizard Cycling website is just a template for now (lot's of "lorem ipsum" text). Their Facebook page has more current info. We wish Green Lizard good luck in their new venture. This is another sign of the popularity of cycling in this area.

Labels: green lizard cycling, herndon

posted by Bruce Wright at 5:40 PM permalink

 

Herndon approves bike plan

The Herndon Town Council approved the bicycle facility recommendations of their Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee. Those recommendations were based on the county bicycle master plan:
See our report on the earlier public hearing. Voting in opposition were Councilmember Charlie Waddell and Vice Mayor Connie Hutchinson. The term "sharrows" was removed from the recommendation which is probably OK:
Sharrows are more than "a sign to increase awareness of cycles." They also indicate where cyclists should ride to avoid the door zone and other hazards. Other treatments are possible, including bike lanes or lane or road diets.

This is a first, major step toward Herndon becoming a bicycle-friendly community.

Labels: bicycle master plan, herndon

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:52 AM permalink

 

Town of Herndon to discuss bike plan recommendations August 14

Herndon Town Council will hold a public hearing on August 14 starting at 7pm to discuss a resolution of support for the Countywide Bicycle Master Plan developed by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee. All Herndon-area cyclists are encouraged to attend the hearing and speak out in favor of the plan recommendations.

As reported here, the Town Council recently held their first public hearing on adoption of recommendations for bike lanes, sharrows, and other bike facilities that are included in the county bicycle master plan. Adoption of the recommendations will be a great step forward for helping to make Herndon a more bicycle-friendly place.

Unfortunately there was some misinformation discussed at the earlier hearing about where cyclists are allowed to ride on the road, and about the purpose of sharrows. FABB has scheduled a meeting with Town officials to discuss the use of sharrows, rights of cyclists to ride in the road, and how the sharrows will be implemented in the Town. Among other sources we'll be referencing VDOT's guidelines on use of sharrows that we wrote about extensively in an earlier post.

Labels: herndon, shared lane markings, sharrows

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:10 PM permalink

 

Herndon Town Council discusses Bicycle Master Plan

BICYCLE FACILITY PLANNING – FAIRFAX COUNTY AND TOWN OF HERNDON

What is the Fairfax County Bicycle Transportation Plan, and how does it impact the Town of Herndon?

The Fairfax County Bicycle Transportation Plan is a comprehensive planning effort, currently under way, to make the county’s roads bicycle-friendly. The plan will consist of a map identifying locations of future bicycle facilities as well as a policy document that outlines implementation of the plan. After getting community input at a series of public meetings, Fairfax County has developed a recommendation for a bicycle facility network that includes facilities in the Town of Herndon. The county plan is expected to be considered for adoption by the Board of Supervisors in winter 2012-13.

Does the Town of Herndon have an opportunity to weigh in on the plan and make its own recommendations?

Yes. A resolution currently before the Herndon Town Council outlines specific bicycle facilities, located within the town that, if adopted by the council, will be formally endorsed for inclusion in the county plan. The Town Council will hear public comment at its public hearing on August 14, 2012, and is expected to vote on the resolution at that meeting.

Who crafted the town’s recommendations, as outlined in the resolution the council will be considering on August 14?

Upon receipt of the county draft plan, town staff worked with the town’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee (PBAC), a committee formed by the Town Council to study and advise on issues related to bicycle and pedestrian access and safety throughout the town. PBAC worked to refine the county plan to specifically address issues within the Town of Herndon. The PBAC recommendation was then presented to, and subsequently recommended by the town’s Planning Commission for Town Council approval.

What types of recommended bicycle facilities are included in the town’s resolution?

The PBAC recommendations call for inclusion within the county plan of bike lanes on Dranesville Road between Herndon Parkway and Park Avenue, and on Elden Street between Monroe Street and Fairfax County Parkway. The recommendations also call for cycle tracks, trails and sharrows in specific locations within the town to facilitate safe bicycle traffic. A full outline of the resolution draft is available at www.herndon-va.gov, see “What’s New.”

I see references to “sharrows” in the PBAC recommendations. What is a sharrow?

A sharrow, or shared lane marking, which is identified with a distinctive bicycle marking: 1) identifies where bicyclists should ride in a lane where on-street parking is present to reduce the chance of being impacted by the open door of a parked vehicle; 2) identifies where bicyclists should ride in lanes that are too narrow for a motor vehicle and bicycle to travel side by side in the same lane; 3) alerts road users of where bicyclists are likely to ride within the roadway; 4) encourages safe passing of bicyclists by motorists; and 5) reduces the incidence of wrong-way bicycling.

If the Town Council does not adopt the resolution making specific recommendations to the county plan, what happens then?

Fairfax County may include facilities proposed in the Town of Herndon in its comprehensive planning effort, but the plan will not be considered as part of the town’s comprehensive plan. Comprehensive plans are long-range planning documents that set policy and do not usually indicate short-term construction projects. Inclusion in the county’s plan does not place any obligation on the town to finance or construct bicycle facilities, nor does it give permission to Fairfax County to build facilities in the town.

If the Town Council does adopt the resolution, what happens then?

Should the Town Council, after hearing public comment, adopt the resolution on August 14, the town’s recommendations will be formally submitted to Fairfax County for inclusion in their plan. This action will not, however, automatically revise the town’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan. The town may opt to include its bicycle recommendations in future updates of its comprehensive plan; this would not happen without advertised public hearings before both the Planning Commission and the Town Council, so that public input may be provided.

How much will it cost to implement the county’s plan?

The costs to implement the county’s plan are unknown at this time. Should the Town Council adopt the resolution endorsing specific recommendations to the plan, the cost of implementation of bicycle facilities in the town would then be considered when bicycle facilities are added to the town’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan and Capital Improvements Plan. It is important to note that inclusion of the PBAC recommendations in the county’s plan will likely provide additional leverage should the town then apply for grants to fund the construction of bicycle facilities.

How can I get more information?

Visit the town’s Web site at www.herndon-va.gov; see “What’s New” to link to a page with information on the Fairfax County Bicycle Transportation Plan and the town’s proposed recommendations.

Labels: bicycle master plan, herndon, shared lane markings

posted by Bruce Wright at 2:02 PM permalink

 

Herndon Town Council public hearing on county bike plan tonight

We just learned that the Herndon Town Council is holding a public hearing tonight on the Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plan recommendations for the Town. The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Herndon Council Chambers Building located at 765 Lynn Street, Herndon.

Cyclists are encouraged to attend the meeting and speak out for on-road bike routes in the Town. Herndon has great potential for being a very bicycle-friendly community but there are currently no designated on-road bike facilities. Bike lanes on Dranesville Road end just north of the Town boundary.

Labels: bicycle master plan, herndon

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:47 AM permalink