Monday, May 21, 2018
Bike-Ped Count Volunteers in Reston Needed
Reston friends! The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is looking for volunteers to help count bicycles and pedestrians at the intersection of South Lakes Drive and Springwood Drive during June 2-4, 2018. Can you help?
The collected data will determine the need for a crosswalk at the intersection. School bound bike traffic turns left at the intersection as do cyclists going to the trail that goes to the underpass under Soapstone. The count will provide a helpful snapshot of current numbers of people walking and biking along this corridor before improvements are implemented.
Counting forms and instructions will be provided. No prior experience is necessary. If you are interested, you can sign up here.
Labels: bike count, FCDOT, reston, soapstone drive, springwood drive
Monday, August 8, 2016
Randy Dittberner leaving VDOT
 |
| Randy receives FABB Recognition Award |
Randy oversaw the completion of the first road diet project in the county on Lawyers Road in Reston. The project was a great success, reducing traffic crashes by 80% and it was one of the examples used in the FHWA publication Road Diet Informational Guide. VDOT (Randy) also received a National Roadway Safety Award for that project.
Not long after that project was competed Randy managed the Soapstone Dr road diet project that connects to the Lawyers Road bike lanes on the south and the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station to the north via the Sunrise Valley Dr trail. As part of that project Randy installed a loop detector and bicycle symbol so that the presence of a cyclist would trigger the traffic signal to change. In 2012 FABB presented Randy with the FABB Recognition Award for his work on the road diet projects.
Over the past couple of years Randy worked with Fairfax Co DOT staff to complete several miles of bike lanes throughout the county as part of the summer repaving projects. We would see Randy at almost every major bike project meeting, either in his role as VDOT engineer or as in interested cyclist. Randy was a regular bike commuter to VDOT's NoVa offices on West Ox Road.
Randy embodies what any organization would want in a public official. He is hardworking and goes above and beyond the requirements of his position. He can clearly explain complex projects. He is patient and willing to take the time to answer the most detailed questions in a way that anyone could understand. And he's a great guy. Randy, thank you for everything you've done for cyclists in Fairfax County and good luck in your new endeavors.
Labels: lawyers road, Randy Dittberner, road diet, soapstone drive, vdot
Thursday, March 17, 2016
FHWA workbook on creating bike facilities during repaving projects
From the report:
Installing bicycle facilities during roadway resurfacing projects is an efficient and cost-effective way for communities to create connected networks of bicycle facilities. This workbook provides recommendations for how roadway agencies can integrate bicycle facilities into their resurfacing program. The workbook also provides methods for fitting bicycle facilities onto existing roadways, cost considerations, and case studies. The workbook does not present detailed design guidance, but highlights existing guidance, justifications, and best practices for providing bikeways during resurfacing projects.
 |
| Soapstone Dr before road diet |
 |
| Soapstone Dr after road diet |
Labels: fhwa, lawyers road, repaving, resurfacing, soapstone drive
Monday, November 16, 2015
VDOT Receives National Safety Award for Lawyers Road
Today VDOT received a National Roadway Safety Award for making Lawyers Road and Soapstone Drive safer by implementing a road diet that also created bike lanes. The Lawyers Road project was the first "road diet" in Virginia and has proven to be very successful. FABB was heavily involved in supporting the project. Congratulations to VDOT. Several more road diet projects were implemented this summer, in part based on the success of these two projects.
PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
November 16, 2015
(Washington, DC) -- During a national awards ceremony on Capitol Hill, the Roadway Safety Foundation (RSF) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today honored the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for its two Reston Road Diet projects, which were designed to increase safety by reducing the number of lanes on 2-mile segments of both Lawyers Road and Soapstone Drive in Fairfax County. Together, these projects jointly received one of 10 2015 National Roadway Safety Awards.
These heavily traveled sections of roadway carry about 10,000 vehicles per day and were prone to excessive speeding. VDOT implemented the Road Diets by cutting the number of through lanes in half to two and adding a center turn lane. There was virtually no cost since the projects were implemented in conjunction with other paving projects. In addition, the extra width of the roadways were converted into bicycle lanes, building on the multimodal transportation network in the Reston area focused on improving safety and mobility of cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. Following project completion, crashes decreased by 69 percent on Lawyers Road and 67 percent on Soapstone Drive.
“We are just pleased that in working with the community, we have been able to put in minor changes that make a major improvement to safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians,” said Helen Cuervo, Northern Virginia district administrator for VDOT. “We are making the best use possible of the pavement, and because we’re seizing the opportunity to adjust the designs during regularly scheduled work, these changes come at very low cost.”
CONTACT: Cathy Gillen
cell (443) 463-4449
cathy@thegillengroup.com
November 16, 2015
Virginia Department of Transportation Road Diets in Reston
Honored with a National Roadway Safety Award
(Washington, DC) -- During a national awards ceremony on Capitol Hill, the Roadway Safety Foundation (RSF) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today honored the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for its two Reston Road Diet projects, which were designed to increase safety by reducing the number of lanes on 2-mile segments of both Lawyers Road and Soapstone Drive in Fairfax County. Together, these projects jointly received one of 10 2015 National Roadway Safety Awards.
These heavily traveled sections of roadway carry about 10,000 vehicles per day and were prone to excessive speeding. VDOT implemented the Road Diets by cutting the number of through lanes in half to two and adding a center turn lane. There was virtually no cost since the projects were implemented in conjunction with other paving projects. In addition, the extra width of the roadways were converted into bicycle lanes, building on the multimodal transportation network in the Reston area focused on improving safety and mobility of cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. Following project completion, crashes decreased by 69 percent on Lawyers Road and 67 percent on Soapstone Drive.
“We are just pleased that in working with the community, we have been able to put in minor changes that make a major improvement to safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians,” said Helen Cuervo, Northern Virginia district administrator for VDOT. “We are making the best use possible of the pavement, and because we’re seizing the opportunity to adjust the designs during regularly scheduled work, these changes come at very low cost.”
CONTACT: Cathy Gillen
cell (443) 463-4449
cathy@thegillengroup.com
Labels: lawyers road, national roadway safety award, road diet, soapstone drive, vdot
Monday, November 2, 2015
Nov-Dec 2015 FABB Newsletter
November-December 2015 FABB News
A bi-monthly publication of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling
Board of Supervisors and School Board Candidate Survey Responses
On November 3, all members and the Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors are up for re-election as are all members of the county School Board. FABB recently sent questions regarding bicycling in Fairfax County to candidates for the Board of Supervisors and a separate set to candidates for the School Board. We received responses from 12 of 19 Board of Supervisors candidates and 19 of 24 School Board candidates.
See the Board of Supervisors candidate responses and the School Board candidate responses.
All Board of Supervisors candidates who responded agreed with the statement "Do you support safe bicycling as an integral part of the overall transportation options in Fairfax County." Three quarters or 75% of respondents said they support implementing the Bicycle Master Plan recommendation to "Allocate an annual budget dedicated to bicycle planning and program initiatives." All School Board candidates who responded to the survey generally agreed with the statement "The school system and school board should be doing more to enable FCPS students to walk and bike to school instead of driving or being driven."
FABB does not endorse candidates. We provide the information so that you can better understand candidates' views on improving bicycling in Fairfax.
Extension of Custis Trail Included in I-66 Outside the Beltway Project
On October 27, the Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board approved the latest plans for the widening of I-66 Outside the Beltway. The plans include the parallel trail that will serve as an extension of the very popular Custis Trail, which is located inside the Beltway. The rebuilt bridges also will include new ped/bike facilities. We are very encouraged that the parallel trail is now included as an integral part of the project and that most of the ramp crossings are grade-separated using either bridges or tunnels.
Unfortunately much of the trail is located on the highway side of the soundwalls, mostly due to opposition from residents living adjacent to I-66, particularly in the Dunn Loring area. As the project moves forward we hope residents will begin to understand the major benefits of having access to this trail and that the final design will be modified to reflect that support.
Adam Lind Named as New Fairfax County Bike Coordinator
Fairfax County recently named Adam Lind as the new Bicycle Program Manager, commonly referred to as the Bike Coordinator. Adam has been serving as the acting Bike Coordinator since Charlie Strunk retired in January of this year. Congratulations Adam!
Adam has done a great job as acting coordinator, working with VDOT on the creation of more than 34 miles of new bike lanes as part of this summer's repaving program. The work included conducting numerous meetings around the county to seek comments on individual projects. He is developing a plan to implement bike sharing in Reston. Most recently he has worked with VDOT on the design of the I-66 parallel trail and other bike facilities related to the project.
See the FABB blog for more info on Adam.
Soapstone Connector Across Dulles Toll Road in Reston to Provide New Bike Access
Last week Fairfax County presented the latest plans for the Soapstone Connector, which will extend Soapstone Drive from Sunrise Valley Drive to Sunset Hills Road across the Dulles Toll Road. With limited crossings of the Toll Road, intersections around the Reston Parkway and Wiehle Ave. crossings become very congested during rush hour, making them especially dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists. The Soapstone Connector will provide a new way for cyclists and pedestrians to safely cross the Toll Road and access the Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail station and other destinations on both sides of the Toll Road. Bike lanes are included in the project and serve as an extension of the current bike lanes on Soapstone Dr.
Unfortunately the proposed road will extend only to Sunset Hills Road on the north where no bike facilities exist. The W&OD Trail is located a short distance north of Sunset Hills Road but there are no nearby connections to the Trail. Please contact the county and ask that a connection to the W&OD Trail be included in the project. Deadline for comments is November 6. Email comments to audra.bandy@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Support the Proposal for Paving Cross County Trail in Wakefield Park
Fairfax Co. Park Authority has proposed to pave a section of the Cross County Trail through Wakefield Park. The trail is heavily used by commuter and recreational cyclists. The unpaved trail is in poor condition and is difficult for most transportation bikers to navigate. A paved surface will be easier to maintain and would provide a much better surface for most trail users with minimal adverse effects on the environment. Cyclists are encouraged to send a message to Project Manager Bill Boston, William.boston@fairfaxcounty.gov, to voice support for paving the trail segment. See the FABB blog for more info.
County to Apply for Federal Funds for Bike Projects
At their October 20 meeting, the Board of Supervisors endorsed four bike project applications to VDOT and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government's Transportation Planning Board for FY2017 Transportation Alternative funding. See the Board Agenda for details (Action Item 3):
Vienna Metrorail Bicycle Access Improvements: $400,000[Application postponed until after planned Vienna Metrorail construction is completed.]- Cinder Bed Bikeway: $400,000
- Van Dorn Street Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements: $400,000
- Reston Bike Share Capital Equipment: $400,000 (See FABB blog for details of recent Reston bikeshare meeting.)
Fairfax County SRTS Coordinator Conducts Bike Safety Classes
Using Safe Routes to School grant funds, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has purchased 30 bikes and 6 Strider bikes for bicycle safety lessons at elementary schools. Week-long lessons were conducted at 12 elementary schools last spring for grades 4, 5, and 6, reaching over 8,000 students. Students at several more schools received lessons this fall. Additional grant funds will be used to purchase more bikes to expand the bike program to middle schools. Lessons include bike skills, safety education, signaling, and road simulation riding.
Elementary schools where classes have been held include: Island Creek, Kings Glen, Rolling Valley, Stratford Landing, Washington Mill, Greenbriar West, Lane, Hollin Meadows, Canterbury Woods, North Springfield, West Springfield, Colin Powell, Fort Hunt, Hunters Woods, and Rose Hill. Kudos to Sally Smallwood, FCPS SRTS Coordinator for implementing this program. We hope the program can grow in the near future to allow all elementary students to learn safe bicycling skills. See the Fairfax SRTS Newsletter for more info.
Fairfax County Parkway Trail Restored Between Fox Mill and Pinecrest Roads
Fairfax Water recently replaced a major water main adjacent to Fairfax County Parkway. Major construction work required removing and relocating the Parkway trail. Fortunately, Fairfax Water provided a paved detour throughout the long construction phase, which lasted for several years. In October, construction was completed and the original trail was replaced and opened. We want to thank Fairfax Water for their diligent efforts toward maintaining trail access during the construction period.
Help FABB Identify Bike Rack Locations in Fairfax County
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.
-----
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.
- November 18, Wednesday - FABB Monthly Meeting in Vienna at 7:30 p.m.
- December 16, Wednesday - FABB Monthly Meeting at Mosaic District at 7:30 p.m.
- December 19, Saturday - Tour de Lights in Reston, 4:30-6 p.m.
Labels: adam lind, candidate survey, fabb newsletter, i-66, I-66 multimodal study, rackspotter, safe routes to school, soapstone connector, soapstone drive, transportation alternatives, wakefield park
Monday, October 26, 2015
Soapstone Connector meeting tonight in Reston
Fairfax County plans to build a bridge across the Dulles Toll Road/Access Road as an extension of Soapstone Dr. The Soapstone Connector will extend from Sunrise Valley Dr to Sunset Hills Dr. The County is holding a public meeting tonight to provide an update on the project. The meeting will be held from 6-8pm at South Lakes High School, 11400 South Lakes Drive, Reston, VA 20191. A presentation will be given at 7pm.In Reston the Dulles Toll Road is a major barrier to north-south bike travel. The Soapstone Connector will provide a much needed additional way for northbound cyclists to reach the W&OD Trail, Plaza America, and other locations. Bike lanes are planned on the Connector along with a shared use trail. The new bike lanes will connect to bike lanes on Soapstone Drive to the south. Those lanes extend from Sunrise Valley Drive all the way to Lawyers Road. Many cyclists use this route to connect to the Wiehe-Reston East Metrorail station and destinations to the north.
From the Soapstone Connector page:
The Soapstone Connector Project aims to provide a direct connection between Sunset Hills Road and Sunrise Valley Drive crossing over the Dulles Toll Road (Route 267), as recommended by the Reston Metrorail Access Group (RMAG).The project is also included in the Reston Comprehensive Plan Amendment which was approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in February 2014.
The proposed Soapstone Connector alignment is a composition of two previously evaluated alternatives and was chosen due to its advantages over the numerous alternatives studied. These advantages include benefits to multi-modal users, connectivity to Soapstone Drive, and minimization of impacts to environmentally sensitive areas.
The typical section of the bridge will include:
The proposed Soapstone Connector alignment is a composition of two previously evaluated alternatives and was chosen due to its advantages over the numerous alternatives studied. These advantages include benefits to multi-modal users, connectivity to Soapstone Drive, and minimization of impacts to environmentally sensitive areas.
The typical section of the bridge will include:
- Two (2) travel lanes (one lane in each direction).
- One (1) bike lane in each direction.
- A sidewalk on one side of the roadway and a shared use trail on the other side of the roadway
Labels: soapstone connector, soapstone drive
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Lawyers Road featured in national road diet guide
The Federal Highway Administration recently published the "Road Diet Informational Guide" that users Lawyers Road as the case study. VDOT staff provided input to the guide's authors based on their experience with road diets in Virginia. In 2011 a second road diet in Reston converted Soapstone Drive from four lanes to two lanes and bike lanes, providing good bike access to the new Wiehle-Reston East Silver Line station.
See our coverage of the Lawyers Road and Soapstone Drive projects.
We are fortunate to have some very forward thinking engineers in the Northern Virginia District of VDOT who are willing to experiment with new road treatments that make some of our roads safer for everyone.
See our coverage of the Lawyers Road and Soapstone Drive projects.
We are fortunate to have some very forward thinking engineers in the Northern Virginia District of VDOT who are willing to experiment with new road treatments that make some of our roads safer for everyone.
Labels: lawyers road, road diet, soapstone drive, vdot
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Soapstone Connector meeting Wednesday
The crossing would relieve congestion on the Reston Parkway and Wiehle Ave bridges, especially during rush hour. The new bridge would also provide easier access to the areas parallel to the Toll Road as they redevelopment. Bike-bus lanes are proposed on the bridge.
A meeting to discuss the Soapstone Connector Feasibility Study will be held on Wed., March 20 starting at 7 p.m. at South Lakes High School. See a copy of the Soapstone Connector Feasibility Study.
While we would prefer a separated bicycle facility, a shared bike-bus lane should work. They have been successfully used in several cities around the world. See a streetswiki article about bike-bus lanes. There will also be "Facility accommodation for pedestrians." Unfortunately the study does not include a bridge cross section diagram.
The bridge would eventually tie in to a planned new grid of streets that could help alleviate traffic on Sunset Hills Dr and Sunrise Valley Dr. The grid of streets and bridge would provide many more travel options through the area for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians and foster mixed-use, transit-oriented development.
It would be good for cyclists to attend this meeting (if you don't plan to attend the FABB meeting held at the same time) and speak out for bike facilities on the bridge.
Labels: Silver line, soapstone drive
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Soapstone bike lanes swept
 |
| Sweeping Soapstone Dr bike lanes |
Kudos and thanks to VDOT for being proactive and sweeping the lanes. They aren't much use to cyclists when filled with leaves and debris.
Labels: soapstone drive, street sweeping, vdot
Friday, October 14, 2011
Soapstone bike lane project starts Monday
 |
| Soapstone Dr. |
Work will begin on the southern-most segment of the road from south of Lawyers Rd to Glade Dr which is currently only 2 wide lanes. That configuration will not change. This project will link up with the new bike lanes on Lawyers Rd, giving cyclists from the south a very good route leading toward the new Reston-Wiehle Avenue station on the Silver Line.
A big thank you to VDOT for having the vision to modify Soapstone and Lawyers, making both roads safer for everyone and creating dedicated bike facilities for cyclists.
Labels: road diet, soapstone drive
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Soapstone Dr road diet planned for next month
 |
| Soapstone Dr. |
According to the VDOT news release, which contains additional photos and diagrams: “Here on Soapstone, we’re able to take advantage of a regularly-scheduled repaving project to change the markings at a very low cost to benefit motorists, cyclists and pedestrians,” said Randy Dittberner, VDOT regional traffic engineer. “We appreciate the input from the community at our public meeting over the summer, and the support from Fairfax County for this project.”
Labels: road diet, soapstone drive
Monday, August 22, 2011
A case for bike lanes
| Photo from Fairfax City Patch |
In the past 10 years I have seen bike lanes installed in every condition, from the cycle tracks along Pennsylvania Avenue to converted shoulders on rural roads in Delaware. George Mason recently installed them along Patriot Circle and they have been used as part of a “road diet” in Reston.
Fairfax City has yet to hop on this bandwagon, but it has been discussed. So, should we? And if so, where do bike lanes make sense?
First, it is important to understand why bike lanes have been all the rage over the past few years. I mean, why not just use sidewalks or paths? Well, bike lanes function more like bike highways for commuters in that they don’t require you to slow down at every street crossing as you do when using a sidewalk or parallel path. It is important for bike commuters to be able to maintain a constant high rate of speed in order to make biking a more competitive alternative to driving (bikers should still stop at traffic lights and stop signs, though I realize many do not). Bike paths on the other hand are more desirable for leisure riders.
Fairfax City has yet to hop on this bandwagon, but it has been discussed. So, should we? And if so, where do bike lanes make sense?
First, it is important to understand why bike lanes have been all the rage over the past few years. I mean, why not just use sidewalks or paths? Well, bike lanes function more like bike highways for commuters in that they don’t require you to slow down at every street crossing as you do when using a sidewalk or parallel path. It is important for bike commuters to be able to maintain a constant high rate of speed in order to make biking a more competitive alternative to driving (bikers should still stop at traffic lights and stop signs, though I realize many do not). Bike paths on the other hand are more desirable for leisure riders.
Labels: bike lanes, lawyers road, soapstone drive
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Meeting on Soapstone Dr bike lanes on Monday
VDOT is proposing to add bike lanes to Soapstone Dr between Glade Dr and Sunrise Valley Dr. The project is similar to the restriping of Lawyers Rd which created almost 2 miles of bike lanes, reduced crashes, and reduced speeds. There was opposition to the Lawyers Rd project and it was only because cyclists attended the two public meetings and spoke out in support of the project that it was approved.According to the Hunter Mill District office, "A public meeting will be held to get community input on possible changes to Soapstone Drive pavement markings after the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) repaving project in the summer. The meeting will take place on Monday, May 9th from 7-9 PM at Terraset Elementary School. VDOT and Fairfax County Department of Transportation staff will be available for a question and answer session."
Please try to attend this important public meeting to learn what is being proposed by VDOT and speak out in support of the project. The bike lanes would connect to the Lawyers Rd bike lanes via the wide curb lanes on Soapstone south of Glade Dr. They would also connect to the shared use path along Sunrise Valley Dr and provide a bike route to the future Metro station at Wiehle Ave. See the public meeting notice on the Hunter Mill Facebook page.
Labels: road diet, soapstone drive
