Saturday, July 15, 2017
35TH ANNUAL RBC CENTURY, August 27, 2017!
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| Dana Scheurer artwork. |
Registration is limited to 1500 riders and is filling up fast. Distances are the conventional century, metric century (62 miles) and metric half-century (31 miles). All riders receive a t-shirt with commissioned artwork by famous local artist, Dana Scheurer. Rest stops, after party, scenery, fun people-- this is the way to celebrate the end of summer!
All proceeds of the Century enable Reston Bike Club to continue to support bike-related events and projects in Fairfax County. These include helmets and locks for local school kids, bike racks for local communities, support for triathlons for all ages, helmets and technical support for after school bike programs, and more.
FABB is pleased to support RBC and encourages it members and others to register and ride.
FABB is pleased to support RBC and encourages it members and others to register and ride.
Get details and register here: https://restonbicycleclub.wildapricot.org/page-1860707
RBC also needs volunteers, so if you are looking for an opportunity to help, please sign up here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a45acaf22aafe3-2017
Labels: rbc century, reston bike club
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Bike Counter Ceremony Today in Reston
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| Mobile bike counter ribbon-cutting. From left: Tom Biesiadny and Adam Lind (Fairfax DOT) Supervisor Hudgins and Chairman Bulova, Bobby Anderson and Jeff Major of RBC Bruce Wright of FABB Runner/cyclist in orange and Vincent Mendolia, Fairfax County |
FABB worked with RBC's board and the county to select, purchase and deliver the counter to the county. The counter is similar to the network of counters used by Arlington County (see Counting Bikes to Plan for Bikes). The counter contains two parts. One part uses passive-infrared to count all people passing the counter. The second part consists of two tubes that only counts bicyclists. Using the two systems bicyclists and pedestrians can be counted. Yesterday 445 cyclists were counted on the W&OD Trail.
The counter will be moved around the county as needed. The long term goal is to have a network of permanent counters located along important bicycle routes or potential routes to count existing bicyclists and to document changes over time, as outlined in the Bicycle Master Plan. Thanks RBC!
Labels: adam lind, bike counter, chairman bulova, reston bike club, supervisor hudgins, tom biesiadny
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Herndon Middle School Bike Shop Brings Bikes and Joy
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| HMS Bike Shop members |
Local students participating in Herndon Middle School’s after-school bike shop program last Saturday gave away 22 bicycles that they had repaired and prepared for neighborhood children who might not otherwise have a bike. The chilly Saturday morning was warmed by the pleasure of the recipients and the satisfaction of the young bike mechanics.
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| Two proud new bikers. |
The after-school bike shop this fall was run by Kelley Westenhoff with assistance from mechanic Matt Meyer (Green Lizard Cycling), mechanic Aaron Morgan (A1 Cycling), and Reston Bike Club member Ed Robichaud. Other volunteers included Pete Fox and Ken Thompson.
The students turned bikes donated by the community into “nearly new” condition with a combination of repair and cleaning. The students gained valuable bicycle maintenance and repair skills along with an appreciation for--and sense of accomplishment from--doing something for others.
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| Reston Bike Club helmet station. |
Reston Bike Club provided free helmets for the children whose parents brought them to HMS on Saturday for the giveaway.
Sally Smallwood, Fairfax County Public Schools Safe Routes to School coordinator, was on hand to run the new riders through a bike safety course, ensuring they start their biking journey with a better understanding of bike control and safety principles.
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| New rider learning the "ropes" of bike control and safety. |
During the coming spring semester in 2016 the students in the HMS bike shop plan to repair and restore even more bicycles with the goal of selling them to raise funds to support the program.
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| Happy owner of bike refurbished by HMS Bike Shop. |
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| Excited new rider. |
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| Bike Shop members and friends. |
Labels: bike club, fcps, herndon, reston bike club
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
September-October 2015 FABB Newsletter
September-October 2015 FABB News
A bi-monthly publication of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling
Clips Beer & Film Tour in Reston on September 10
New Belgium Brewing Company’s Clips Beer & Film Tour is a celebration of handmade films, handmade beers and community benefiting FABB. Join us at the Reston Town Center on Thursday, September 10 from 7-10 p.m. Sample some of New Belgium Brewery's more exotic beers while enjoying short films displayed on a large portable screen. Films begin at 8:30 p.m. All proceeds raised at the event go toward helping FABB make Fairfax County a better place to bike.
Everyone is encouraged to ride, walk, or take transit. The Bike Lane will provide free bike valet. Everyone must have a valid government-issued ID to purchase beer tokens. Water stations will be available so bring your water bottle. See the Reston Clips Tour Facebook page for more info.
Progress On Parallel Trail Along I-66 Outside the Beltway
VDOT is refining the design of the I-66 parallel trail to reduce the right of way impacts on residents. VDOT is also trying to reduce at-grade conflicts at ramp crossings using bridges or tunnels. We expect to see the preferred alternative for the trail in mid-September. Public meetings in Fairfax County will be held Monday, October 19, 2015 at Oakton High School
2900 Sutton Road, Vienna, VA 22181 and Tuesday, October 20, 2015 at VDOT Northern Virginia District Office, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030. The meetings go from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Please plan to attend one of these meetings to learn more about the parallel trail and the bicycle facilities planned for the rebuilt bridges crossing I-66.
Reston Bicycle Club Donates Mobile Bike Counter to Fairfax County
Thanks to a generous donation by Reston Bicycle Club and help from Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling, Fairfax County recently took possession of their first-ever automated bike counter. The mobile counter will allow Fairfax to begin to establish bicycle and pedestrian counts at locations around the county.
Counts are transmitted automatically to a central server and are accessible by the county using custom software from Eco Counter. That data can be displayed on a publicly accessible dashboard the following day, similar to Arlington's Counter Dashboard.
Eventually Fairfax County hopes to have a network of counters. The counters would be part of an annual performance tracking program that is recommended by the recently approved Bicycle Master Plan. The counts would be used "to both establish a baseline assessment of bicycle activity in Fairfax County, and to track on an annual basis the implementation and performance of the Master Plan."
Help FABB Identify Bike Rack Locations in Fairfax County
Conveniently located, good quality bike parking is an important way to encourage more people to bike. Many bike destinations either have no bike parking or the racks provided are inadequate or incorrectly installed. The county is making some progress. Bicycle Parking Guidelines were recently presented to the Board of Supervisors. The county also recently ordered 35 inverted U bike racks to be placed where needed on county property.
To improve bike parking in the county, help us locate and map existing bike racks. Rackspotter is a web-app that Arlington County is using to map bike racks. The application is now available for mapping racks in the greater DC area. The app allows you to identify the rack type, capacity, and location. You can also add a photo of the rack. As you travel around the county, why not take a minute to map bike racks that you encounter.
Provide Feedback to VDOT on Biking Conditions in Northern Virginia
VDOT is updating the Northern Virginia Regional Bikeway and Trail Network Study completed in 2004. NoVa cyclists are encouraged to participate in a survey to provide feedback to the study team on the current state of cycling in the NoVa area and future needs. FABB is part of the team that is working with VDOT to update the study.
Fairfax High and Middle School Students Can Ride Connector Buses for Free
Fairfax County is experimenting with allowing high school and middle school students to ride Fairfax Connector buses for free to get to and from school, to after school jobs, and other activities. Students must apply for a pass that is valid on Fairfax Connector buses between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. M-F. In-school outreach is being done at five target high schools. See the FABB blog for more info and a link to a video about the program. We were pleased to see a student demonstrating how to use the bus bike racks in the video.
NVRC Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Events
On August 7 and August 22, Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC), Inova Trauma Center, and FCPS Safe Routes to School (SRTS), along with League Cycling Instructor Kelley, put on pedestrian and bicycling safety events at two apartment complexes on Rt. 1 in Alexandria. The communities were selected under a VA Department of Motor Vehicles Grant because they have experienced pedestrian and/or bicycle fatalities in interactions with motorists.
FCPS SRTS put on bike rodeos, Inova distributed helmets, NVRC gave information in English and Spanish about safe use of the roads and crosswalks, and Kelley instructed about helmet use, the importance of lights, and signaling. On the 22nd, two young mechanics from Phoenix Bikes and volunteers from VeloCity provided minor bike maintenance. The coalition of partners will host another event in Herndon on September 19. For more information or to volunteer, contact Kelley at kbikeva@gmail.com. Spanish language skills particularly sought.
Incremental Progress Improving Multi-modal Transportation - by FABB member Paul Kent
We are seeing incremental change in multi-modal transportation. Many have seen bicycles of all different types (and condition) locked to anything vertical at entrances of Metro stations in NoVa. Bike lockers were installed at stations but they cannot be expanded easily so why not install a secure bicycle room with greater capacity?
A while back though, money was found to improve bus stops in Fairfax County. Concrete pads were installed and some shelters were also installed. Now we are seeing bicycles locked to the posts of shelters in what is a clear indication of the appeal and utility of multi-modal transportation. All Fairfax Connector buses have dual bike racks on the front that have become so popular, bicyclists now are reluctant to use them for fear the rack will be full when the bus arrives at their stop.
Reflecting on this, while I have multiple bicycles at my disposal, a year in review finds I most often reached for my folding bicycle, which follows me on the bus and Metro to get me pretty much anywhere I want to go in the greater Washington Metropolitan Area, and back.
More and more on-road bicycle facilities are appearing. While painfully slow for some, the dots are being connected, making cycling available to an ever greater proportion of the 1 million-plus inhabitants of Fairfax County.
There is much to cheer us, even as we face a mountain of work ahead.
One step at a time.
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If you don't already, please Like us on Facebook and follow our Twitter feed. If you have news about bicycling in Fairfax to share with our readers, please submit brief articles to news@fabb-bikes.org.
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Labels: bike counter, clips beer and film, fabb newsletter, i-66, northern virginia regional bikeway and trail network study, rackspotter, reston bike club
Friday, August 21, 2015
Reston Century on W&OD Trail on Sunday
This weekend would be a great time to use the Fairfax County Interactive Bike Map to find a new bike route and explore the county. There are many on-road routes that are safe and provide a variety riding conditions. I often wonder why some of the faster cyclists insist on training on the W&OD Trail, especially on a busy weekend. If they want to ride fast, what better place than on the road.
I think many faster cyclists are afraid to ride on the road because they don't know how to do so safely, riding too far to the right and inviting cars to pass too close. According to Virginia law, if a lane is too narrow to share with a motorist, which describes most of our 11- and 12-foot lanes in Fairfax, than cyclists are not required to ride to the right. They should take the lane and force motorists to pass them properly, often requiring them to change lanes. This is much safer than hugging the curb. As of July, motorists can legally cross the double-yellow line to safely pass cyclists, allowing 3 feet when passing.
Today I saw a policeman riding a bike on Sunrise Valley Dr. in Reston in the gutter pan, riding much too far to the right. He then moved across two lanes to the left turn lane without signaling. Most bicycle police receive bicycle safety training so that officer should know better. Riding on the road safely is a skill that can be taught, and yet there is basically no bicycle education in Fairfax. Maybe that should change.
Labels: bicycle education, reston bike club, reston century
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Reston Bike Club sponsors FABB at National Bike Summit
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The theme of this year's summit is Bikes+ "We believe it's time to change the equation for bicycle advocacy. To build a bicycle-friendly America for everyone, we can't stop at bicycling as an end in itself. We must consider how bikes can add value to other movements and how our movement can expand to serve broader interests."Several FABB members are also attending the National Forum on Women & Bicycling held the day before the Bike Summit. The theme of the Forum this year is Bikes + Women Leaders = Big Ideas. "We believe in empowering women to take on positions of leadership in bike advocacy. By creating more diverse leaders, and proposing new systems of leadership we invite more creativity and innovation into the bike movement. We think this will lead not only to more women on bikes, but more inclusive conversations about bike advocacy."
Labels: national bike summit, reston bike club
Sunday, August 25, 2013
FABB at Reston Century
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| Reston Century riders |
It was a beautiful day and lots of cyclists stopped by to pick up a county bike map, sign up for the FABB e-newsletter, and learn about the latest county bike news and FABB projects. We gave out 50 maps and signed up 47 newsletter subscribers. Thanks to Kelley for taking the time to represent FABB. Here's a photo of two of the riders who stopped by the FABB table.
Labels: reston bike club
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Virginia get together at National Bike Summit
We've been attending National Bike Summit events this week. Several FABB members attended the National Women's Bicycling Forum on Monday. For more info on the forum see the Women Bike Facebook page and impressions of the forum from SouthLakesMom.Later that afternoon Alta Planning hosted a get together of Virginia advocates who were in town for the summit. FABB's Fionnuala Quinn sent a note to attendees afterwards:
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| Mark Blacknell addresses the group |
Towards the end of the short evening, we held a Speed State Bike Summit with 2-minute apiece presentations (like speed dating but bikes):
- Bruce Wright, Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling Chairman, on the Fairfax Bike Summit: http://www.fabb-bikes.org/summit/
- Amanda Poncy, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator at City of Charlottesville, on the new contraflow cycle track on 6th Street in Charlottesville (see before-after illustration)
- Thanh Dang, Public Works Planner at City of Harrisonburg, on the impact of the Advocacy Advance workshop in gaining funding support for local improvements: http://www.advocacyadvance.org/media/blog/harrisonburg-the-future-bicycle-capital-of-virginia
- Mark Blacknell, Washington Area Bicyclist Association President and Virginia Bicycle Federation board member, on the recent Virginia legislative session: http://www.vabike.org/legislation-articles-recap-2013-ga-session/
- Chris Eatough, BikeArlington Program Manager, on the PAL: Safety on Our Streets program materials (free for use by others): http://www.bikearlington.com/pages/pal-safety-on-our-streets/
- Champe Burnley, President of Virginia Bicycle Federation, on Richmond 2015 and getting the word out regarding the tourism potential for Virginia:http://richmond2015.com/about/economic-impact/
Labels: bikearlington, charlottesville, harrisonburg, national bike summit, reston bike club, virginia bicycling federation, waba
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
FABB at the National Bike Summit
I am able to attend thanks to a generous donation from the Reston Bike Club, sponsors of the popular Tues/Thurs rides in Reston and Herndon and the annual Reston Century. After the Summit I'll give them an overview of the Summit and will relay the latest news about the Transportation Bill.
FABB's Fionnuala Quinn helped organize one of the kick-off events, the Women's Cycling Forum, that is being held today from 2-4pm.
Labels: national bike summit, reston bike club
Monday, May 9, 2011
Reston Patch article on bike rodeo
Reston resident Adam Piceno says he's an enthusiastic biker and wanted his 3-year-old daughter Addison to start pedaling now.
"This was a good chance to get her to come out and practice," he said. "She did well on the turns, but needed practice with the brakes."
Ed Robichaud, Reston Bicycle Club board member, said the purpose of the event was to show kids that biking is fun, and to make it safer for them. By teaching them low speed handling, and focusing on the proper fit of the helmets and braking, it builds their confidence, he says.
The Bicycle Club would like to see more children biking to school, and is planning to fund bike racks at local schools to promote cycling.
Adam is a FABB member."This was a good chance to get her to come out and practice," he said. "She did well on the turns, but needed practice with the brakes."
Ed Robichaud, Reston Bicycle Club board member, said the purpose of the event was to show kids that biking is fun, and to make it safer for them. By teaching them low speed handling, and focusing on the proper fit of the helmets and braking, it builds their confidence, he says.
The Bicycle Club would like to see more children biking to school, and is planning to fund bike racks at local schools to promote cycling.
It's great to hear that RBC plans to support biking to school. For more info on our efforts to generate support for the Safe Routes to School Program visit the Safe Routes to School Fairfax County Facebook page.
Labels: bike rodeo, reston bike club, safe routes to school
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Bike rodeo in Reston on Saturday
Labels: bike rodeo, reston bike club
Friday, March 4, 2011
2011 National Bike Summit next week in DC
As Congress develops the budget for this year and next, including reauthorization of the Transportation Bill, it's important that bicyclists have a strong presence on the Hill. As prepared by the League of American Bicyclists, the main "Ask" will be: "Will you support continued dedicated funding for vital bicycling and walking programs such as the Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School, and Recreational Trails Program?"
A good publication n the federal transportation program is Transportation for America's Transportation 101. See also DCStreetsBlog's post about the guide, Transportation 101: Cliff's Notes for the Reauthorization Debate
See the full 2011 National Bike Summit program. For more information about the Reston Bike Club see the RBC website and read about the Reston Century, one of the best century rides on the East Coast.
Labels: league of american bicyclists, national bike summit, reston bike club
