FABB Blog

Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust and the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will hold a public information meeting on the Balls Hill Road and Old Dominion Drive Improvement Project this Thursday, June 28, 2018. The planned project calls for realigning the intersection, improved traffic signals, and approximately 1.5 miles of new bike lanes and 2,750 feet of pedestrian walkways. You can find details on the project here. 

The meeting will be at the Cooper Middle School, 977 Balls Hill Road, in McLean, and will start at 7:00 pm. If you are unable to attend, you have until July 13, 2018 to submit comments on the project website. 

That's 1.5 miles of new bike lanes, people! Let's get out there and show our support. 

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. 

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.

The audience then broke into groups that made comments on the various maps showing segments of the study area. 

The area is a popular destination for many cyclists. The low population density and scenic roads makes for interesting riding conditions although most of the roads have no paved shoulders. It will be difficult to add new bike facilities in the future given the limited right of way.

The summary of the meeting will soon be available on the project website. The Burke-Springfield area will be the focus of the next bike plan area meeting, sometime in late January.

Fionnuala Quinn of Fairfax regularly hops on her Trek hybrid bike for many local trips, including visits to the dentist, grocery store and book club meetings. A native of Dublin, Quinn grew up bicycling and using public transportation.

Bruce Wright and his wife, Kerie Hitt of Reston, also use their bikes instead of a car for many trips. For nearly 20 years, they bike-commuted to work on a daily basis.

As active members of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling (FABB), all three hope to make it easier for the other 200,000 bicycle-owners in Fairfax County to get out of their cars and onto the seats of their two-wheelers in the coming year.

"We often hear 'I wish I could ride my bike to work or to school but it's just not safe enough around here,'" said Wright, chairman and co-founder of FABB, which has a core membership of about 30 residents and an email list of 850 area cyclists.

"Since 2006, Fairfax County has become more bike friendly with the adoption of the county-wide bicycle initiative, but cyclists still need better-connected bike routes, secure bicycle parking and education programs to help them travel comfortably and safely," Wright said.

Dranesville Supervisor John Foust announced that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has approved the funding of over twenty intersection, pedestrian, and bicycle projects in the Dranesville District. These improvements are in addition to several recently completed projects and seven projects previously funded and scheduled for completion this summer or fall.

In selecting these projects, Supervisor Foust listened to the concerns of numerous constituents, Dranesville homeowner associations and civic organizations, the McLean Pedestrian and Bicycle Task Force, as well as the Dranesville representative to the Fairfax County Trails and Sidewalks Committee.