Wednesday, August 1, 2018
FABB August Meeting Postponed
We will get back to the Mount Vernon and Lee Districts before too long. For now, however, enjoy the rest of your summer, keep biking, and we'll see you in September.
Labels: monthly meeting
Sunday, July 1, 2018
July Meeting Features Braddock and Springfield Districts
FABB is returning to Burke for our July meeting, and we are anticipating interesting presentations on bicycle-related developments and future transportation projects in the Braddock and Springfield Districts. Braddock District Supervisor John Cook will be joining us along with a representative from the Fairfax County Department of Transportation and other speakers. There will be time for questions and answers and the usual lively discussion of bicycle issues.
The meeting will be in Braddock Hall at the Braddock Government Center, 9002 Burke Lake Road, in Burke on Wednesday, July 18, from 7:30 to 9:00 pm. See you there!
Labels: Braddock District, burke, monthly meeting, springfield district
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Tysons Highlighted at FABB's Monthly Meeting on June 20
Time to mark your calendars for FABB’s June meeting. The evening will be focused on the Tysons area and neighboring parts of McLean, Falls Church, and Providence District.
As usual, the monthly meeting will feature a Fairfax County Department of Transportation update on bicycle-related projects in the area, including the one to connect Tysons Corner Center and Route 123 at the McLean Metro Stop and the recently opened Rt. 7-Dulles Toll Road crossing. Access Tysons also will be joining us to talk about their initiatives to promote more and better transportation alternatives in and around “America’s next great city.” A representative from Providence District Supervisor Smyth’s office tentatively plans to be there to speak about similar issues in neighboring Providence District. As always, there will be time for discussion involving all of those in attendance.
The meeting will be on Wednesday, June 20, from 7:30 to 9:30 pm at the Tysons-Pimmitt Regional Library, 7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church. See you there.
Labels: access tysons, FABB, monthly meeting, Tysons
Saturday, March 31, 2018
April Meeting To Focus on Advocacy
FABB, as you know, has successfully advocated for improved bicycling in Fairfax County for more than a decade. Our April meeting will feature a Bike Advocacy 101 mini-course to introduce basic tools and strategies for working for change in our communities. Please plan on joining us on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. at the Patrick Henry Library, 101 Maple Ave E, Vienna, near the W&OD Trail.
This will be a great opportunity to learn more about bicycle advocacy and about Fairfax Country. Part of the presentation will help you understand local decision making and how best to get results in making your neighborhood safer and more accessible for riders.
We also will talking about the many plans for and events during National Bike Month in May. And, as usual, FCDOT will be there to provide an update on ongoing and future bicycle-related developments in the county.
Again, please come to our April meeting and get started on helping to make Fairfax County more bike friendly.
See you there!
Labels: advocacy, monthly meeting
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
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Rails-to-Trails Featured at FABB February Meeting
Please plan on joining us for regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, February 21, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. at the Patrick Henry Library, 101 Maple Ave E, Vienna, near the W&OD Trail.
Brandi Horton of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) will be giving a talk on “Making Connections: Trails at the Heart of Healthy, Thriving Communities.” The presentation will highlight how new opportunities can be created for biking and trails as transportation habits change and technologies like autonomous vehicles become mainstream. Join us to explore how we can create the change we want and put trails at the heart of healthy, thriving communities in Fairfax County.
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| Photo courtesy of RTC. |
If you are not familiar with RTC, you should know that this non-profit serves as the national voice for more than 160,000 members and supporters, 31,000 miles of rail-trails and multi-use trails, and more than 8,000 miles of potential trails waiting to be built, with a goal of creating more walkable, bikeable communities in America.
With Washington finally turning its attention to the country's infrastructure needs, bicycle advocates like RTC and FABB have a lot of work ahead of them to make sure that bicycling options are included in the developing plans. Please join us to learn more about potential opportunities.
Labels: monthly meeting, rails to trails
Friday, January 19, 2018
What You Missed: FCPD Presentation
At FABB’s January monthly meeting, we were honored to host two Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) officers who shared information about how the department is handling bicycling- and pedestrian-related issues. FABB member Charlie Bobbish, who has been leading FABB efforts to build relations with the FCPD gave a brief history of these efforts, including the start of a dialogue in 2017 with the FCDP Traffic Division and its commander, Captain Bob Blakley. He then introduced the guest speakers, officers Shelia Ayers and Christina Gaizick.
Both officers were from the Traffic Safety section of the Traffic Division. They began by discussing the division’s current areas of focus: school-crossings and crossing guards, police support to upcoming bike to school day events, and increased education and enforcement efforts against distracted driving. They reported that their unit’s officers regularly conduct community outreach and are available to support community initiatives.
In response to a question about incident data, the officers reported that the FCPD uses the state-wide reporting system, TREDS (Traffic Records Electronic Data System). They looked at the county’s data in preparation for the meeting and reported that bicycle-related incidents were down since 2013 with only one fatality, which occurred in 2015. In contrast, pedestrian incidents are increasing and account for half of the traffic-related fatalities in Fairfax. In 2017 there were 72 reportable bicycle incidents in the county. The threshold for reporting is $1,500 or more in property damage or an injury. FCPD is taking action to deter reckless behavior with greater presence and visibility but recognizes that changing human behavior and local driving habits is difficult.
The Traffic Safety section has plans to complement the police’s presence and warning activities with education events, using the the media and PSAs to promote general traffic safety. The officers requested that the bike community talk to each other, kids, and friends about traffic safety to help the education effort. FCPD is open to suggestions from the public and has a presence on Facebook and Twitter. They also can be contacted through the Media Relations office (703-246-2253).
In response to questions about police training on bike laws, the officers said bike and pedestrian laws are covered at the Academy but not in as much detail as other traffic laws. Ongoing professional training relies on Motor Squad (motorcycle-borne) officers to teach traffic laws drawing from their experiences on the roads. FABB might have an opportunity to contribute to the FCPD’s instruction, perhaps by focusing on new laws when the come into force in July of each year.
Another member asked about the process for dealing with aggressive drivers. The officers’ first emphasized that a cyclist’s initial action should be to first pull over and be safe. Then, a rider can call the FCPD’s non-emergency phone number (703-691-2131) and report the incident. [Note: According the FCPD’s Citizen Reporting System website, aggressive driving is not a reportable offense. The officers’ statements seemed to distinguish between witnessing unsafe behavior and an incident where a motorist’s actions appear to intentionally threaten a cyclist or run the cyclist off the road.] The officers told us that if the driver is reckless and a potential threat to others, calling 9-1-1 is acceptable.
The key to helping the FCPD put a stop to the driver’s behavior is to be the best witness you can be. Get as much detailed information on the car as possible: make, model, color, full or partial license number, and direction of travel. The FCPD will alert patrol officers to this information with a “Look Out” notice. And, while the patrol officers cannot stop the driver without witnessing the reported incident, they can stop the car if they notice any other type of infraction (e.g., busted tail light). This will allow them to question the driver about the reported threatening driving, issuing a warning as appropriate. Our FCPD speakers confirmed that the department welcomes Go-Pro and other video evidence of this type of aggressive driving and hit-and-run incidents.
FABB wants to again thank the FCPD and Officers Ayers and Gaizick for their work and for coming out to talk to our members.
Labels: FCPD, monthly meeting, traffic safety
Thursday, January 11, 2018
January Meeting to Feature Police and Safe Routes to School
Please mark your calendars and plan to join FABB at 7:30 pm on January 17 for our monthly meeting at the Patrick Henry Library in Vienna.
During the meeting we will hear from a representative of the Fairfax County Police Department’s Traffic Safety Division on efforts to keep us safe on county roadways. Come learn about the process to report aggressive drivers and how bicyclists can work with FCPD to ensure their concerns are heard.
Sally Smallwood, the Safe Routes to School Coordinator for Fairfax County Public Schools, will also be joining us to provide a brief summary of upcoming SRTS activities.
See you there.
Labels: FCPD, monthly meeting, srts coordinator
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Reminder: FABB Monthly Meeting This Week
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New Pickett Road underpass in Fairfax City.
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Pleas join us to discuss opportunities to improve bicycling in and around the City of Fairfax.
There is bike parking at Old Town Square behind the town hall. Automobile parking is available at nearby surface lots and at the parking deck on University Drive.
See you there.
Labels: city of fairfax, monthly meeting
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
FABB October Monthly Meeting in Fairfax City
The meeting will be held in the Old Town Hall, 3999 University Drive, in Fairfax. There is bike parking at Old Town Square behind the town hall. Automobile parking is available at nearby surface lots and at the parking deck on University Drive.
Please come and share your concerns and suggestions for improving bicycling in your community.
Hope to see you there!
Labels: city of fairfax, monthly meeting
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Monthly Meeting Set for Vienna
See you there!
Labels: FABB, fabb social ride, monthly meeting
Sunday, July 16, 2017
FABB July Meeting This Week in Vienna
FABB will be holding its monthly meeting this Wednesday, July 18, at the Patrick Henry Library in Vienna starting at 7:30 pm. The meeting will feature the usual updates on FABB activities and the FCDOT report on current bicycle-related projects. We also will have officials from the Town of Vienna there to discuss planned bicycle transportation infrastructure improvements and bicycling initiatives.
Please plan on joining us to learn about what you can do to help make bicycling better.
Labels: monthly meeting, town of vienna
Friday, June 23, 2017
What You Missed
FABB’s June Monthly Meeting, held at the Braddock District Government Center on June 21, focused on the Springfield and Braddock Districts. We had a great turnout with three excellent presentations by Ann Sharp of Supervisor Cook’s office, Nancy-Jo Manney of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, and Nicole Wynand of the FCDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Office. Here are some of the highlights:
Ann Sharp updated the group on a number of recent and planned improvements in Braddock District, including multimodal paths on both sides of Braddock Road from Rt. 286 to I-495 and paths connecting the Burke VRE Station to nearby neighborhoods.
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| Photo by Mike Salmon, Courtesy of The Connection. |
Nancy-Jo Manney shared some of the Greater Springfield Chamber’s bike and pedestrian achievements that have made central Springfield more bikeable. The Chamber has identified and gotten improvements made to a bike route that connects central Springfield, Springfield Plaza, and Springfield Town Center. In addition bike lanes are being added to Commerce Street along with minor improvements on signage, turn lanes, and signal timing in the area. The Chamber also arranged for the installation of branded bike parking at Springfield Plaza and elsewhere with the help of a TransUrban grant that was matched by private property owners. The rack’s logo and design can be used by other communities.
Nicole Wynand's FCDOT updates included:
- A new bicycle and pedestrian Ambassador program has started with three volunteers. The ambassadors will do outreach at public meetings and events to spread a safety message.
- The VDOT summer repaving program in the Braddock and Springfield districts will add or extend bike lanes on Commerce Street and Braeburn Road. Overall, the county will add 26 miles of new bike lanes this summer.
- Fairfax County Parkway Trail signage is being designed along with mile markers for the trail between Rt.1 and Rt. 7. Currently, there are 150 bicycle-related signs in the county and this project will add another 300.
- The Bicycle/Pedestrian Program plans to hire two more staffers this fall.
- An Annandale to Springfield wayfinding project is underway.
- A Little River Turnpike Corridor study is ready and soon will be submitted to the Board of Supervisors for approval. Funding is available for the most important and needed projects in the study.
Each of the three presentations included questions and discussions on a variety of issues. One important update shared with the group was the news that VDOT has plans to repave the entire Fairfax County Parkway Trai, in the coming year. Also, VDOT is conducting an inventory of all of the trails in the county to update its database on which trails it owns and is responsible for maintaining.
FABB’s monthly meeting are very informative. There is always good discussion, good energy, and good company. Please plan on joining us for a monthly meeting in the coming months. Our next meeting is July 19 at the Patrick Henry Library in Vienna and our August meeting on the 16th at the Mosaic Community Center will be focusing on the Providence and Mason Districts.
Labels: Braddock District, FCDOT, greater springfield chamber of commerce, monthly meeting, springfield district, vdot
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Reminder: FABB's June Meeting in Burke On Wednesday
Please join FABB this Wednesday, 21 June, at 7:30 pm at the Braddock District Government Center, 9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke, for our next monthly meeting. We have a great program this month featuring Ann Sharp from Supervisor Cook’s office, Nancy-Jo Manney of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, and Nichole Wynands from the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.
See you there.
Labels: burke, greater springfield chamber of commerce, monthly meeting, supervisor cook
Thursday, June 1, 2017
FABB's June Meeting to Focus on Braddock-Springfield Districts
Please mark your calendars and plan to join us on Wednesday, 21 June, at 7:30 pm at the Braddock District Government Center, 9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke, for our next monthly meeting. Ann Sharp from Supervisor Cook’s office will be there to discuss county plans for the area. We also will have Nancy-Jo Manney of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce speaking about the Chamber’s efforts to improve central Springfield’s bike-ability. Nichole Wynands, one of our great bicycle program staffers at the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, will report on recent and planned bicycling improvements for the Braddock and Springfield areas.
We would love see a good turnout from all of our members. Also, please invite interested friends and neighbors to join you in learning about county plans and sharing concerns about other local needs for bicycling and multimodal transportation improvements.
See you there!
Labels: Braddock District, burke, fcdot bicycle program, greater springfield chamber of commerce, monthly meeting, springfield district, supervisor cook
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Reminder: April Monthly Meeting Next Week in Falls Church
Please plan on joining FABB next week for our April meeting in Falls Church. We have a great program planned to learn about upcoming city and nearby county efforts to make bicycling better. Falls Church Principal Planner Paul Stoddard and FCDOT’s Adam Lind will be there to provide the details. The meeting will be held at 7:30pm, April 19, in the Dogwood Room, Falls Church City Hall at 300 Park Avenue. See you there!
Labels: falls church, monthly meeting
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
FABB’s April Bike Meeting in Falls Church
Join FABB in Falls Church to talk bicycling and learn about upcoming city and county bike plans in and around the Falls Church area. The meeting will be held at 7:30pm, April 19, in the Dogwood Room, Falls Church City Hall at 300 Park Avenue.
Falls Church Principal Planner Paul Stoddard is scheduled to attend to discuss planned infrastructure improvements for the city and the pending arrival of Bikeshare. Adam Lind of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation will also be there to provide one of his regular updates on developments in the county with a focus on areas surrounding Falls Church.
This will be our first gathering in Falls Church as FABB continues to meet around the county in an effort to hear from local residents about their bicycling needs. The meeting, of course, is for all FABB members from all areas. Sharing knowledge and ideas for improving bicycling and the interconnected trails and routes throughout northern Virginia is a major FABB goal. Please plan on joining us.
Labels: falls church, FCDOT, monthly meeting
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, January 11, 2017
FABB January Meeting to Focus on Herndon-Great Falls-Hunter Mill
Please plan on joining FABB next week for our monthly meeting, which will feature bicycling and related issues in the Hunter Mill District, Town of Herndon, and Great Falls areas. We will be meeting on Wednesday, 18 January, from 7:30pm to 9:30pm at the Herndon Fortnightly Library, 768 Center St, Herndon.
In 2017 FABB will be continuing the practice started last year of holding its monthly meetings throughout Fairfax County in the various magisterial districts and associated jurisdictions. Changing venues has allowed us to be more inclusive by encouraging attendance from local residents near the venues and making it easier for government officials or their representatives to participate in the often lively discussions about bicycle-related needs and concerns.
Among the guest speakers on the 18th we will have FCDOT's Adam Lind or a colleague there to talk about progress on and upcoming plans for implementing the County's bicycle master plan in the Hunter Mill-Herndon-Great Falls areas. There will be a question-and-answer period as well as FABB's usual program of providing updates and sharing information about our upcoming activities, bicycling-related public meetings, and other bicycle advocacy opportunities.
See you there!
Labels: bicycle master plan, great falls, herndon, hunter mill district, monthly meeting
