Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Huntley Meadow Park Trails Meeting
FABB wants to remind local cyclists and others about an important meeting tomorrow, November 7, to save two key park trails in Huntley Meadows Park that Fairfax County is proposing to remove from the Countywide Trails Plan and Bicycle Master Plan.
The public meeting on Wednesday will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at Groveton Elementary School, 6900 Harrison Lane in Alexandria.
A Planning Commission public hearing on the Plan Amendments to remove the trails that was originally scheduled for November 29 has been postponed until January 29, 2019. It is currently set for 7:30 to 10:00 pm at the Fairfax Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 330, in Fairfax.
You can speak up at the public hearing or send comments to the Commission at plancom@fairfaxcounty.gov. Sending comments to Supervisor McKay at LeeDist@fairfaxcounty.gov is also encouraged.
Labels: Huntley Meadows Park, lee district, planning commission, supervisor mckay
Monday, October 1, 2018
October Meeting Features Mount Vernon and Lee Districts
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| Huntley Meadows Park |
FABB doesn’t give up. We have twice had to postpone planned Mount Vernon-Lee District meeting. But, we persevere, and FABB is holding its October meeting on Wednesday, October 17, 2018, from 7:30 to 9:00 pm at the Sherwood Regional Library, Alexandria to talk about developments in these two districts.
District Supervisors McKay and Storck have tentatively agreed to join us to share their visions for incorporating bicycling into the county’s transportation options.
FCDOT will be there as usual to go into detail about ongoing and proposed bicycle infrastructure projects.
Based on local interest, we anticipate a discussion of the county’s proposed removal of two bicycle trails from Huntley Meadows Park in Lee District.
Please plan now to join us.
Labels: Huntley Meadows Park, lee district, mt vernon district, supervisor mckay, supervisor storck
Monday, September 24, 2018
Proposed Removal of Planned Trails from Huntley Meadows Park
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| Location of planned trail along power line right of way |
Fairfax County is proposing to remove two key bicycle trails from the Countywide Trails Plan (large pdf) and the Bicycle Master Plan (SE quadrant map). These trails are both located in Huntley Meadows Park and would provide improved pedestrian and bike access to the park and nearby communities.
The trail along the south edge of the park would be built along the power line right of way, like the W&OD Trail. The power company clears the corridor at Huntley Meadows of vegetation every 3 years. The trail along the east edge of the park could have a greater impact on park resources and there may be on-road alternatives for cyclists. The section of trail along the north edge is mostly contained in a Washington Gas utility right of way.
FABB recently visited the park and reviewed the location of the proposed trails. We plan to meet with staff and others to find out more about the proposal and to ensure that bike/ped connectivity is maintained in the area. A group of Huntley Meadows activists opposes the trails and are actively lobbying the County to remove the trails from the two plans.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission will be holding a hearing on Thursday, November 29, 2018, 7:30 PM-10:00 PM at the Fairfax Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 330. Information on the bike plan trail hearing may be viewed here: Information on the Bicycle Master Plan trail hearing and the Trails Planhearing.
FABB opposes the removal of trails from the Plans:
Supervisor McKay and zachary.Krohmal@fairfaxcounty.gov.
The trail along the south edge of the park would be built along the power line right of way, like the W&OD Trail. The power company clears the corridor at Huntley Meadows of vegetation every 3 years. The trail along the east edge of the park could have a greater impact on park resources and there may be on-road alternatives for cyclists. The section of trail along the north edge is mostly contained in a Washington Gas utility right of way.
FABB recently visited the park and reviewed the location of the proposed trails. We plan to meet with staff and others to find out more about the proposal and to ensure that bike/ped connectivity is maintained in the area. A group of Huntley Meadows activists opposes the trails and are actively lobbying the County to remove the trails from the two plans.
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| Location of northern planned trail along gas line right of way |
FABB opposes the removal of trails from the Plans:
- The proposed Comprehensive Plan amendments are not an appropriate way to address the proposed changes.
- Changes to trails should be done as part of a comprehensive effort to update the Bicycle Master Plan and Countywide Trails Plan when there can be a more open and transparent process to engage the public.
- The county plans to revisit and merge these plans next year. That’s the appropriate time to make any changes so they can be made in the context of the need for ped/bike connectivity in the surrounding areas.
- Claims about potential ecological impacts of the trails to the park cannot be substantiated because there are no design plans to evaluate.
- None of the designations of the habitat or species in the park requires removal of the trails by either the County or the Commonwealth.
- The Virginia Department of Natural Resources has a vision statement for “active communities and open space linked by trails and greenways that connect individuals, children and their families to nature and to each other.”
- Biking and walking access to Huntley Meadows from nearby neighborhoods needs to be improved and removing these planned trails would have the exact opposite impact
Supervisor McKay and zachary.Krohmal@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Labels: bicycle master plan, countywide trails plan, Huntley Meadows Park, lee district
Sunday, March 18, 2018
Reminder: Monthly Meeting This Wednesday in Alexandria
FABB hopes you will join us for our March meeting this Wednesday, March 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Government Center. We will be focusing on the Lee and Mount Vernon Districts and upcoming bicycling developments, including projects such as the EMBARK Richmond Highway. See you there!
Labels: lee district, monthly meeting, mt vernon district
Thursday, March 1, 2018
FABB’s March Meeting Focuses on Lee and Mount Vernon Districts
FABB encourages all of its members to join us for our regular meeting on the third Wednesday of each month. In March, we will be covering the Lee and Mount Vernon Districts as we start at the usual time of 7:30 p.m. on March 21, 2018, at the Community Meeting Room of the Mount Vernon Government Center at 2511 Parkers Lane in Mount Vernon. A representative of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation will be there to provide an update on ongoing plans to add bicycle infrastructure to the districts. We also will be hearing from a staff member from Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay's office and, tentatively, from Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck.
This meeting will be a great opportunity for local cyclists and other residents to get updates on projects such as the EMBARK Richmond Highway Project. There also will time for questions and answers as well as opportunities to raise issues about bicycling and networking with other multimodal transportation options in the district. See you there!
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| Embark Richmond Highway Proposal |
FABB continues its efforts to better serve and represent cyclists and other supporters throughout Fairfax by holding some of its monthly meetings in various districts around the county. If you would like to assist in setting up the program for the meeting in your district, please contact Steve Ward at secretary@fabb-bikes.org.
Labels: lee district, monthly meeting, mt. vernon district
Lee District Repaving/Restriping Meeting on March 7
The latest in the ongoing series of public meetings by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will focus on repaving and restriping plans for Lee District. It will be held on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. at the Franconia Governmental Center, 6121 Franconia Road, in Alexandria.
VDOT and FCDOT use the repaving and restriping process to implement Fairfax County’s Comprehensive Plan to improve traffic safety and provide more transportation options. Proposed striping changes in the Lee District include: bike lanes on Bland Street, Brandon Avenue and Lake Village Drive; striped parking lanes and shared lane markings (sharrows) on Castlewellan Drive and Fairchild Drive; buffered bike lanes, sharrows and a center turn lane on Frye Road; and sharrows and bike lanes on Buckman Road. Details on the proposed changes can be found here.
FABB encourages Lee District bicyclists to speak up at the meeting in support of the proposals and provide ideas to the VDOT and FCDOT planners for future restriping opportunities. If you can’t attend, you can still provide comments through March 23, 2018. Submit you comments on Lee District improvements here.
Labels: FCDOT, lee district, repaving, restriping, vdot
Monday, October 9, 2017
FABB Lee District Ride this Sunday Oct 15
The ride is a 13 mile loop that will showcase the Kingstowne Village Parkway road diet, new buffered bike lanes on Telegraph Road, and the just completed bike lanes on Rose Hill Drive. A comfortable 8 mph pace is planned, with water available at the several commercial areas along the route. The ride will take approximately 3 hours (there is a hill or two!) and we will have a snack pit stop along the way.
Parking and start/end point are at the Rose Hill Shopping Center, 6116 Rose Hill Dr, Alexandria, VA 22310. The ride departs at 9am.
All riders must wear a helmet. You will be asked to sign a liability waiver before the ride. Alexis Glenn is the ride leader.
Register on Eventbrite.
Labels: fabb social ride, lee district
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Lee District: Rose Hill Bike Lanes Meeting Set for June 8
Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will host a community meeting to discuss proposed bike lanes on Rose Hill Drive on Thursday, 8 June, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., in the cafeteria of Mark Twain Middle School, 4700 Franconia Road, Alexandria. The Rose Hill Drive project calls for narrowing existing travel lanes and striping bike lanes from Franconia Road to Telegraph Road as part of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s summer road repaving program. Rose Hill Drive is an important connector between parks, shopping, the local library, and a trail to Kingstowne.
This meeting is another important opportunity for FABB members and other interested citizens to share their ideas and local knowledge with FCDOT to help make the new bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure as safe and user-friendly as possible. If you live in this part of Lee District, please plan on attending.
Labels: franconia road, lee district, rose hill drive, telegraph road
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Lee District Repaving Meeting, 28 March
Local FABB members are encouraged to make their voices heard at a Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) community meeting to discuss proposed bicycle improvements in the Lee District on Tuesday, March 28, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of Crestwood Elementary School, 6010 Hanover Avenue in Springfield. The following areas in the Lee District are under review for the Virginia Department of Transportation's (VDOT) 2017 repaving schedule:
-- Commerce Street from Old Keene Mill Road to Franconia Road
-- Loisdale Road from Franconia Road to Spring Mill Drive
This will be an excellent opportunity to give feedback to VDOT and FCDOT on traffic safety, bicycling, pedestrian, and related concerns in the Lee District.
Labels: FCDOT, lee district, repaving, vdot
Monday, February 13, 2017
Lee District Bike Meeting & FABB Meeting on Thursday
FABB has decided to hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, 16 February after the FCDOT community meeting on proposed bike facilities in the Lee District near Route 1. Please join us at the Groveton Elementary School cafeteria at 6900 Harrison Lane, Alexandria, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for the FCDOT and FABB meetings. The FCDOT meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.
We’ve done this type of thing in the past but generally don’t like to give up our monthly gatherings. We will return to our usual arrangements in March. Our general meeting will then be held on Wednesday, March 15, at the Oakton Public Library.
Regards
Jeff Anderson
President - Board
Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling
Labels: FABB meeting, lee district
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Change to February Monthly Meeting This Week
FABB is switching its monthly meeting in February from Wednesday, 15 February, to Thursday, 16 February, and is combining our meeting with an FCDOT community hearing that evening. Please join us at the Groveton Elementary School cafeteria at 6900 Harrison Lane, Alexandria, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for the FCDOT and FABB meetings.
An explanation: FABB had intended to focus its February meeting agenda on developments in the Lee and Mt. Vernon Districts and was scheduled to meet at the Mt. Vernon Government Center. As it happens, FCDOT scheduled a meeting on plans for bicycling improvements in Lee District the next evening. So, FABB’s Board decided the best use of our members’ time would be to focus on supporting the proposed bicycling infrastructure improvements. Our intention now is to hold a quick membership meeting after the FCDOT meeting ends.
We’ve done this type of thing in the past but generally don’t like to give up our monthly gatherings. We will return to our usual arrangements in March. Our general meeting will then be held on Wednesday, March 15, at the Oakton Public Library.
Labels: FCDOT, lee district, monthly meeting, mt. vernon
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Lee District Community Meeting Next Week
FCDOT will host a community meeting to discuss proposed bike lanes in the Lee District on Thursday, 16 February, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., in the cafeteria of Groveton Elementary School, 6900 Harrison Lane, Alexandria. Representatives from FCDOT and VDOT will present plans for the project, which includes bike lanes and pedestrian and overall safety improvements. The proposed new bike lanes for five roads in Lee District will be created during VDOT’s repaving and restriping of existing roads.
- Harrison Lane from South Kings Highway to Lockheed Boulevard
- Memorial Street from South Kings Highway to Richmond Highway
- Bedrock Road from Harrison Lane to Green Spring Lane
- Vantage Drive from South Kings Highway to Bedrock Road
- Rolling Stone Way from Bedrock Road to Vantage Drive
Labels: bike lanes, FCDOT, lee district
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
July-August 2016 FABB News
A bi-monthly publication of Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling
www.fabb-bikes.org
www.fabb-bikes.org
Capital Bikeshare is Coming to Falls Church
Falls Church will be part of the growing Capital Bikeshare network providing important links to East and West Falls Church metro stations, as well as, connecting to neighboring bikeshare networks. Local officials heard from several FABB members and bikeshare supporters who wrote in and spoke up asking that the Falls Church bikeshare program be funded during a round of public hearings in June.
There were a few twists to the victory, however. The City of Falls Church had applied to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority for funding to cover the capital costs of buying the equipment and to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission for the first few years operating costs. The NVTC approved the operating funds but NVTA denied the needed capital leaving the program in doubt. Luckily, Fairfax County and City of Falls Church officials recognized the value of the bikeshare program and were able to work out a deal to help allocate necessary funds to jumpstart the city's program. Fairfax County agreed to defer $2 million of its 2018 Regional Surface Transportation Program funds for the Falls Church bikeshare. The county will get those funds back during the next RSTP process.
This is great news for bicycling in Northern Virginia and kudos to officials in both jurisdictions in working out a deal. With Reston and Tysons Corner bikeshare coming soon, keep your eye out for lots of red Cabi Bikes in the area.
FABB and Potomac Pedalers Promoting Bike-Friendly BrewFest
FABB is proud to be working with the Potomac Pedalers and the Workhouse Arts Center in promoting and supporting BrewFest, the first of its kind craft beer event in Fairfax County. BrewFest takes place on August 13, 2016 from 10am-6pm, rain or shine, at the Workhouse Art Center, 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, VA 22079. The Potomac Pedalers will have rides starting at 9am near the event with routes ranging from 30-60 miles out to Mason Neck and back. See the Potomac Pedalers calendar for ride details here. Bike racks will be available on site and FABB-prepared cue sheets for bike routes to BrewFest are available on the Workhouse website by clicking here.
FABB Supports Sports Backer’s First RVA2DC Ride
Despite some of the hottest weather in four years, more than 150 bicyclists took to the roads for the inaugural RVA2DC last weekend. They rode 156 miles over two days from Richmond to Arlington helping to raise awareness for bicycling across the Commonwealth. Approximately 30 riders from Fairfax participated in the ride, earning a cool medal and bragging rights for riding in the first RVA2DC ride.
FABB members supported the riders running the aid station in the Town of Vienna. Volunteers provided food, drink and a cool place to rest as temps hit the high 90’s. Hopefully that helped energize the riders for the remaining 15 miles along the W&OD to the finish in Arlington’s Gateway Park. Riders we spoke with said that despite the heat, the ride was great and would do it again. Some expressed the need for better biking infrastructure coming up out of Manassas, and improvements along the Fairfax County Parkway. FABB was a proud partner with Sports Backers and advocacy beneficiary for RVA2DC.
Clips Beer & Film in Reston September 16, Volunteers Needed
FABB is excited to again be partnering with New Belgium Brewing for the Clips Beer and Film tour at the Reston Town Center. Mark your calendars. This year Clips will be Friday, September 16. We’re looking forward to building on last year’s success and making this event even better!
Clips is a fun outdoors event at the Reston Town Center showcasing a collection of film shorts and sampling many of New Belgium’s specialty beers, all while benefiting bicycling in Fairfax County.
This is FABB's biggest fundraiser. We can’t do it without our volunteers! Volunteers will receive a Clips T-shirt, pizza before the event, and a special beer to celebrate afterwards. For details on volunteer positions and to sign up, check out the volunteer signup page.
If you can’t volunteer, then come by, have a few drinks and be sure to invite your friends! Bike valet will be available on site. The event begins at 7pm. Films will begin showing around 9pm.
County Supervisors Attend FABB's Lee and Braddock District Meetings
FABB was fortunate to have Fairfax County Supervisors join its last two monthly meetings that were held in the Lee District in June and Braddock District in July. Lee Supervisor Jeff McKay and Braddock Supervisor John Cook both attended the FABB meetings in their districts and discussed on-going and future bicycle projects and offered their support of biking as a key element to building better neighborhoods. Discussion at the meetings also covered the importance of providing trails to parks and recreation facilities, and continuing to add bike lanes around the county.
In addition, Fairfax County Public Schools Board Member Megan McLaughlin attended the Braddock District meeting. She talked about Fairfax County Public School’s efforts to increase biking and walking but also offered her experience on how to become better advocates to the FCPS School Board. Thank you Supervisors McKay and Cook and School Board Member McLaughlin for your time and support of better bicycling.
FABB continues to rotate its monthly meetings around the county in an effort to hear from bicyclists about their local biking concerns. The next FABB meeting will be held at 7:30pm, Aug 17, at the Patrick Henry Library in Vienna. Check out FABB's event calendar for information about upcoming meetings.
Bike Data Shows Commuters Avoiding SafeTrack Impacts by Biking
According to BikeArlington's bicycling data, the first week Metro’s SafeTrack program saw a 42%-86% increase in biking on the Custis Trail over last year’s numbers. The Mt. Vernon trail near Reagan International Airport experienced a 47% increase during Surge 3. With four surges of SafeTrack completed, some patterns are emerging with respect to the effect the Metro maintenance program is having on the bike traffic in Arlington. The bottom line is that biking numbers were up, but those numbers fluctuated between the different maintenance surges.
For a closer look at the numbers, check out BikeArlington’s “Arlington Bike Counters During SafeTrack: High Volume, Though Your Surge May Vary” which offers an interesting analysis of the county’s bike data during the different stages of WMATA’s SafeTrack program.
Vienna Schools Hold 9th Annual Bike/Walk Challenge
During the last week of school, students at Vienna area elementary schools participated in the annual Walk Bike Challenge Week and clocked a combined 6,473 trips to school by foot, bike, skateboard and scooter. Of those trips, 1,250 were by bicycle. Vienna area students have continued to fortify their impressive record during this annual event. This was the 4th year in a row students have exceeded 5,000 trips, and the second time they’ve topped 6,000.Cunningham Park E.S. received the Challenge Cup and Vienna E.S. was recognized with the Biking Cup for the fifth straight year. Vienna E.S. had 232 students bike to school on Friday - over 50% of the students. Great work everyone!
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Upcoming Events
- August 13 - 10a - 6pm, Brewfest, Workhouse Art Center, 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, VA 22079.
- August 17 - 7:30 pm, FABB Monthly Meeting - Patrick Henry Library, Maple Ave, Vienna, VA 22180
- September 16 - 7-10pm, FABB/New Belgium Brewery - Clips N Beer, Reston Town Center, Reston VA
- September 20 - 7:30pm, NOTE: TUESDAY NOT WEDNESDAY. FABB Monthly Meeting, Sully District Meeting, Frank Room at the Sully Governmental Center, 4900 Stonecroft Boulevard, Chantilly, VA 20151
Labels: Braddock District, Brewfest, capital bikeshare, clips beer and film, fabb newsletter, lee district, RVA2DC Ride, vienna bike/walk challenge
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
FABB’s Next Monthly Meeting to be Held in Lee District, 15 June
Join FABB on June 15 at 7:30 pm at the Richard Bird Library in Springfield to talk bicycling and learn about upcoming Fairfax County bike plans for the Lee District. These meetings in district venues are part of FABB’s effort to hear more from local residents about their bicycling needs.
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| Supervisor McKay |
Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay will be there to speak about his vision for bicycling in the district and county. Fairfax County Bicycle Program Manager Adam Lind also will be there to discuss current and future bicycle plans for the district. We also plan to have a discussion about Safe Routes to School programs and representatives from local bike shops and Springfield Towne Center there. As always, FABB monthly meetings will provide updates on various events and developments around the county of interest to cyclists. And, the meeting is your opportunity to share concerns about and suggestions for improving bicycling in Fairfax County.
The Richard Byrd Library is at 7250 Commerce Street in Springfield. See you there!
Labels: adam lind, FABB, lee district, monthly meeting, safe routes to school, supervisor mckay
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Embark Richmond Highway Community Meeting Set for May 9
Embark Richmond Highway supports Fairfax County’s long term planning goals of expanding transit service, improving the county’s multimodal transportation system for mixed use areas and building more dense, mixed-use, transit-oriented developments that attract more residents and businesses, and create more job and tax revenues.
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| Map courtesy of FCDOT |
A presentation on the project and remarks by Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay and Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck will be followed by an open house in the cafeteria where the public will be able to talk one-on-one with county staff representatives who are leading various aspects of the project.
For more information on the May 9 community meeting, visit the Embark Richmond Highway web page or contact Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning at (703) 324-1380, TTY 711.
Labels: EMBARK, lee district, mt. vernon, richmond highway
