FABB Blog

FABB encourages members and other interested residents in the Tysons and McLean areas to attend a Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) public hearing on the project to connect Rt. 123 and Tysons Corner Center. The meeting will be on Thursday, June 14, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the George C. Marshall High School, 7731 Leesburg Pike, in Falls Church.

Based on the results of the preliminary engineering phase of the study, which included earlier public outreach meetings, the final design plans include a 10’ shared-use path along Old Meadow Road from the McLean Metro Station leading to a pedestrian/bicycle bridge over I-495 to connect to Tysons One place and Fashion Boulevard. This $6.2 million project is tentatively scheduled to begin and be completed in 2020.

This will be great opportunity to speak up in favor of much needed bike improvements and show state and transportation officials the strength of county residents’ support for multimodal transportation options. 

If unable to attend, you can also email comments to meetingcomments@VDOT.virginia.gov. Please reference “Tysons/Old Meadow Road Bike/Ped Improvements” in the subject line.

Please plan on joining FABB for our November meeting, which will be held at the McLean Governmental Center next Wednesday, November 16, from 7:30 to 9:00 pm. 

We will be welcoming Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust for a discussion of bicycling and related transportation developments  in the areas around McLean, Tysons, and Falls Church. Adam Lind, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation Bicycle Coordinator, also will be there to talk about current and future bicycling projects in the southern part of the district. And, of course, the meeting will provide an opportunity for riders and other to raise questions and share their ideas about bicycling in the southern part of Dranesville District. 

We are hoping to have a great turnout, so please help spread the word about this upcoming meeting. 

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation in coordination with the Fairfax County Park Authority is holding a design public hearing on a pedestrian improvement project for Scott’s Run Trail on Tuesday, November 15, 2016.  The meeting will be held at the Westgate Elementary School, 7500 Magarity Road, Falls Church, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. 

The proposed project plans to provide a new pedestrian walkway through Scott’s Run Park. This new walkway will include two bridges and lighting along the trail alignment. Scott's Run Park--not to be confused with Scott's Run Nature Preserve--will be almost 2.9 acres of naturalized trails and overlooks that pass through the Scott's Run stream valley near the McLean Metro station. 

The formal presentation will begin at 7:15 pm but people are encouraged to arrive earlier to view project plans and learn about the proposal from project team members who will be available to answer questions. Project information also can be found at the project website here.

If you are unable to attend, questions and comments may be submitted until

25 November 2016, to Ms. Elizabeth Cronauer, Project Manager, Fairfax County Park Authority, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 406, Fairfax, VA 22035. You also may e-mail comments to Elizabeth.Cronauer@fairfaxcounty.gov (include “Scott’s Run Trail” in the subject line). 

Mark your calendars to join FABB in welcoming Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust for a discussion of bicycling and related transportation developments and needs at our November meeting. The meeting will be held at the McLean Governmental Center on Wednesday, November 16, from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. This is the last in a series of meetings in 2016 in venues around the county. 

Because of the extensiveness of Dranesville District, November's meeting will focus on the areas around McLean, Tysons, and Falls Church. Adam Lind, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation Bicycle Coordinator, will also be there to talk about current and future bicycling projects in the southern part of the district. 

FABB plans to have a separate meeting in early 2017 to cover developments in and plans for the Great Falls and Herndon areas of Dranesville District. The McLean Governmental Center is located at 1437 Balls Hill Road in McLean, near the intersection of Route 123 and Lewinsville Road.

Please help spread the word about this upcoming meeting to talk about ways to make bicycling better in this area.  

This father and son duo from McLean spoke to FABB at the Tysons pitstop on Bike to Work Day. Both bike commute to Tysons and also ride to exercise. In response to our question about what they like most about cycling, they agreed that being out “in the beautiful outdoors” is a key attraction.  Asked what could be done to improve bicycling in Fairfax County, John joked that he would like to see “fewer hills.”  He added that he thought Tysons’ greatest need was better sidewalks. 

It is not surprising to hear a bicyclist advocate for improved walkability along with better bicycling. People who ride bikes know that better pedestrian facilities encourage people to walk rather than drive and create more opportunities for using bikes for short trips, especially when bike sharing is available. FABB has long been involved in the planning for the future of Tysons, to include this year’s announcement that Capital Bikeshare will soon arrive. FABB also has worked with Fairfax County on the recent additions of new bike lanes on several Tysons roads, new trail links into Tysons, improved on-road conditions in and around Tysons, new bike parking requirements, and improved signage. But, more needs to be done and FABB needs more volunteers to help keep up the demand for better bicycle infrastructure. 

Register free online.

Fairfax County staff joined with bicycling advocates in downtown McLean Thursday, June 20, to celebrate the installation of several bicycle wayfinding signs. The signs give directions to bicyclists and pedestrians throughout downtown McLean to community landmarks such as the McLean Community Center, and W&OD Trail.

We’re hoping what they’ve done in McLean will set the standard for the rest of the county,” said Bruce Wright, chair of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling.

More than 80 signs were installed around McLean, some of which indicate the bike route itself, while others point to specific locations, including the new Metrorail stations. Input from McLean area bicyclists was used in the creation of the routes, as well as from the county-wide Bicycle Master Plan.

“I live east of downtown, and like to bike west, toward McLean Central Park and Old Dominion Drive, and sometimes it can be hard to efficiently navigate all the side streets in downtown,” said Barry Williams, who first saw the signs Thursday afternoon. “These definitely make it easier for me, and I’d imagine they’d be very helpful for long range cyclists that are trying to get through as quickly as safely as possible, which I’m all for.”

Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville) said this has been a priority since he took office. Shortly after his election in 2008, he appointed a Pedestrian Task Force that gave recommendations on making McLean more accessible on bike and on foot.

“I’m excited that McLean was the first area in the county to have the benefit of these signs,” he said. “Bicycle use is increasing and these signs will be useful to both community and recreational bicyclists in the area.”

The project was funded through the county’s Commercial and Industrial Tax revenues.

Further improvements for bicyclists in McLean will be coming soon. Marcia Twomey, president of the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce, said that 15 bicycle racks will be installed downtown in the coming months.