FABB Blog

 

Vesper Trail Lighting Meeting Tonight at 7pm

Vesper Trail, the green line between 17 and 24

Fairfax County is hosting a public information meeting tonight, Wednesday, September 9, to discuss the impact of providing lighting on the trail leading from Vesper Street to the Spring Hill Metrorail station on Route 7. The meeting begins at 7pm at Wolf Trap Elementary School, 1903 Beulah Rd, Vienna, VA 22182.

This proposed trail (between 17 and 24 on the map) is an important connection between residential neighborhoods in the northeast part of Vienna and Tysons and the Spring Hill Metro station. Lighting along the trail will make the trail safer for cyclists and others. Cyclists are encouraged to attend to find out more about the project.

Labels: spring hill metro station, vesper trail, vienna

posted by Bruce Wright at 3:00 PM permalink

 

Vesper Trail Meeting September 9

Fairfax County is hosting a meeting on Wednesday, September 9 at 7pm at Wolf Trap Elementary School to discuss updates to work on the trail leading from Vesper Street to the Spring Hill Metrorail station on Route 7.

This trail is an important connection between residential neighborhoods in the northeast part of Vienna and Tysons and the Metro station. Cyclists are encouraged to attend to find out more about this project. Comments can be submitted to john.dresser@fairfaxcounty.gov by September 7.

The trail is the green line on the map on the right, labelled 24 in the lower left. See the Tysons Area Metrorail Station Access Improvement Projects page for more info on this and other Tysons bike/ped projects.

Labels: spring hill metro station, vesper trail

posted by Bruce Wright at 1:11 PM permalink

 

Vesper Trail information meeting Oct 20 - Update

On Monday, October 20 Fairfax County is holding and information meeting on the proposed Vesper Trail. The trail will provide direct bicycle and pedestrian access from communities in north Vienna to the Spring Hill Metro Station in Tysons. In the image on the right the trail is indicated by the green line between 24 and 17.

From the Hunter Mill District newsletter:

Labels: spring hill metro station, Tysons, vesper trail

posted by Bruce Wright at 12:24 PM permalink

 

VDOT meeting on Route 7 bridge over Dulles Toll Road tonight

VDOT is holding a meeting tonight, Thursday, Feb. 20, at Colvin Run ES to provide information and solicit comments on their plans to replace the Route 7 bridge deck over the Dulles Toll Road. See our earlier blog post about the meeting.

There are currently no bike or ped facilities on this bridge other than the normal travel lanes. Current plans include 14-foot trails on each side of Route 7. Proposals include grade-separated crossings to avoid having cyclists and pedestrians crossing dangerous high speed exit/entrance ramps.

This is a great opportunity to speak out for safe ped/bike crossings of the Toll Road. This access will allow users to reach the new Spring Hill Silver Line station and other destinations in Tysons. It will also allow future Tysons residents another option for getting around without using a car. If you can't attend the meeting, please send comments in support of bike access on Route 7. Mention "Route 7 Bridge Decks Replacement" in the subject.

Labels: dulles toll road, route 7, spring hill metro station, vdot

posted by Bruce Wright at 4:22 PM permalink

 

VDOT meeting on Route 7 bridge over Dulles Toll Road - Postponed to Feb. 20 due to snow

VDOT is holding a meeting on Thursday, Feb. 20 13, at Colvin Run ES to provide information and solicit comments on their plans to replace the Route 7 bridge deck over the Dulles Toll Road. There are currently no bike or ped facilities on this bridge other than the normal travel lanes. Current plans include 14-foot trails on each side of Route 7. We have asked that the trails be grade-separated to avoid having cyclists and pedestrians crossing dangerous high speed exit/entrance ramps.

This is a great opportunity to speak out for safe ped/bike crossings of the Toll Road. This access will allow users to reach the new Spring Hill Silver Line station and other destinations in Tysons. It will also allow future Tysons residents another option for getting around without using a car. If you can't attend the meeting, please send comments in support of bike access on Route 7. Mention "Route 7 Bridge Decks Replacement" in the subject.

Here's info on the meeting:

Labels: dulles toll road, route 7, spring hill metro station, vdot

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:05 PM permalink

 

Bike parking at REI Tysons

From the DC Bike Parking Design document

When the new REI store opened in Tysons we were disappointed that there was no bike parking available. We were told that it would be installed real soon now. On a recent visit a FABB member noted that there is now bike parking at the store. The bad news is that the rack is a "wave" rack, which is discouraged by most jurisdictions, including Arlington Co. and DC. See the image on the right from the DC Bike Parking Design document.

A photo of the REI rack is below on the right showing how most people end up using the rack. The rack is supposed to hold 5 bikes but in effect usually holds 2 at the most. We've written to REI asking that they use inverted U racks in the future at their stores.

Fairfax County does not have bike parking guidelines. There are guidelines in draft form and we've been told they should be implemented soon. Bike parking is a very important component of bicycle infrastructure and all too often either the incorrect rack is used or a good rack is installed incorrectly.

REI Tysons bike rack

An example of an incorrectly installed rack is one of the new bike racks at the Spring Hill Metrorail station in Tysons. U-racks were used, but the nearest rack in the photo is installed too close to the concrete structure to the left so that there isn't enough room to properly park a bike. We've pointed out this problem and hope it's fixed soon. In my experience WMATA has gotten much better about bike parking recently and the Spring Hill example is the exception.

Spring Hill Metro bike racks

Labels: bicycle parking, rei, spring hill metro station

posted by Bruce Wright at 3:38 PM permalink

 

Walking tour of Tysons on Saturday

On Saturday morning we will be part of a walking tour of Tysons focused on the area around the Spring Hill Metrorail Station sponsored by the Coalition for Smarter Growth. We'll be discussing the importance of bicycling to the future of Tysons, which is the theme of the Fairfax Bike Summit on November 2. The Tysons Bicycle Master Plan outlines a vision for transforming Tysons from an auto-dependent office park community into a vibrant, mixed-use, transit-oriented community where bicycling is an integral part of the transportation network.

Tysons is a large place and bicycling is one option for traveling to and from the new Metrorail stations. All of the stations will have bicycle parking and none will have permanent auto parking.

Registration is required. If you plan to join the tour, you could bike there:

Bicycle routes to Spring Hill Metro station - From the W&OD Trail:
From the west: turn L on Clarks Crossing Rd to L on Beulah Rd. Continue straight at stop sign to Trap Rd. At the next stop sign turn R on Gelding Lane then a quick L on Bois Ave. Follow Bois around to L on Montmorency Dr. Take Montmorency to the very end where there is a paved trail. Take the trail then turn L on the paved road/trail that leads into Tyson. Follow this trail to a gate. Go around the gate to Northern Neck Dr. Turn R on Ashgrove House Lane and continue on Ashgrove Lane to R on Sheraton Tysons Blvd to L on Westwood Center Dr. Turn R on the Route 7 sidewalk to the station.

From the south & east: In Vienna turn R on Church St and go 2 blocks to L on Park St then R on Ayr Hill Ave. Continue to the end and L on East St, R on Creek Crossing Rd, R on Fairway Dr. Continue to L on Old Courthouse Rd, R on Pine Valley Dr, then L on Higdon Dr. Continue to Palm Springs Dr to the end where you will see a paved trail on the left leading to a R on the paved trail/road that leads into Tyson. Follow this trail to a gate. Go around the gate to Northern Neck Dr. Turn R on Ashgrove House Lane and continue on Ashgrove Lane to R on Sheraton Tysons Blvd to L on Westwood Center Dr. Turn R on the Route 7 sidewalk to the station.

Labels: coalition for smarter growth, spring hill metro station, Tysons

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:58 AM permalink