Saturday, May 13, 2017
Beulah Road Trail Ribbon Cutting - Update
he Beulah Road trail was officially opened on Friday. The project is a culmination of many years of dedicated effort led by Jenifer Joy Madden. Jenifer wanted a safe way to walk and bike to Meadowlark Gardens Botanical Park located a short distance from her house. There was no sidewalk or trail and walking along Beulah Road was dangerous.
Jenifer convinced Supervisor Hudgins that many people in her community wanted safe bike and pedestrian access to the numerous nearby parks, including The Barns at Wolf Trap and The Filene Center. Jenifer then worked with residents, including FABB's president Jeff Anderson, and county staff to obtain Federal funding for trail construction, and with then Congressman Moran's support, funding for a new ped/bike bridge over the Dulles Toll Road parallel to Trap Road. See the project website.
Congratulations to Jenifer and her team and to the county for completing this work. These new facilities have made it much easier to me and others who visit Wolf Trap and Meadowlark Gardens and the other parks in that area to more safely access these great resources.
Update May 26: Article from the Connection newspaper, A Long Time Coming, But Finally Here.
Labels: beulah road, jenifer madden, novi trail network, supervisor hudgins
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
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Supervisor Hudgins asks for forum on sidewalk snow removal
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| W&OD Trail after snow clearing |
This will be a good opportunity to discuss ways to clear the most important walkways and bikeways of snow, especially those leading to activity and transit centers.
Some progress is being made in Fairfax. For the first time this year NVRPA staff removed snow on the W&OD Trail, and Reston Association regularly clears their trails of snow.
Below is the text of the Board Matter. Thanks to Supervisor Hudgins for taking the lead on this issue. When more information is available about the forum we'll pass it on:
BOARD MATTER
Supervisor Catherine M. Hudgins
Hunter Mill District
February 25, 2014
Sidewalk Snow Removal
Background:
As Fairfax County continues to clean up from the latest winter storm, once again the issue of snow removal on sidewalks has been brought up in the Hunter Mill District. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has directed County staff to work on a sidewalk snow removal policy five different times in the past from 2003 to the present. In the past, we had discussions on whether to regulate snow removal with an ordinance and we have even had coordinated community snow removal volunteer efforts. However, these measures continue to miss the mark without an ordinance or the structure of a coordinated agreement. The lack of pedestrian access during snow events causes safety issues for school children and transit users throughout the entire community. As portions of Fairfax County began to urbanize, the inability of pedestrian travel during snow events causes an unnecessary hindrance to our constituents. It is time to revisit this matter.
Proposed Action:
Madam Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors direct the County Executive and the Office of Public Affairs to provide a forum for discussion of sidewalk snow removal. The forum should include the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT), Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES), and community organizations. The goal of the forum is better coordination between these agencies to help provide safe access for school children, pedestrians, and transit customers.
Labels: NVRPA, reston, snow, supervisor hudgins, W and OD Trail
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Bicycling and a healthier Fairfax
The recommendations contain strong support for bicycling and walking. Fairfax should include health considerations as we become a more urban place. By creating a healthy environment in Fairfax more people will be able to use active transportation to get around.
The first two "priority health issues" are "Healthy and Safe Physical Environment – Improving the community environment to support good health for all: Create a more walkable and bikeable community" and "Active Living – Increasing opportunities for physical activity to improve health."
At today's Board of Supervisors meeting Supervisor Hudgins asked the Board to incorporate these principles in future development decisions. By doing so the Board understands that transportation is about more than just moving people and goods. It's also about quality of life and citizen health.
From the report:
Healthy and Safe Physical Environment: Health and wellness are shaped by the places where community members live, work, and play. The community environment, including homes, schools, worksites, parks, and streets, can be transformed to make healthy choices easy and accessible for all.1 According to the U.S. Surgeon General, people are more likely to engage in an active lifestyle when their neighborhoods are connected to safe walking and biking routes and they have easy access to public transportation and recreational areas. Creating a healthy and safe physical environment for everyone begins with developing and implementing policies that support community health.
Active Living: Physical activity is essential to promote health and well-being in the community. People who are physically active tend to live longer and have lower risk for chronic disease, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, and some cancers. Physical activity can also help with weight control and mental health. However, not all adults engage in physical activity. According to a 2012 CDC report, 21.9 percent of Virginia’s adults reported that during the past month, they had not participated in any physical activity.4 For youth, the most recent Fairfax County Youth Survey showed that rates of physical activity decreased as student grade level increased.
Active Living: Physical activity is essential to promote health and well-being in the community. People who are physically active tend to live longer and have lower risk for chronic disease, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, and some cancers. Physical activity can also help with weight control and mental health. However, not all adults engage in physical activity. According to a 2012 CDC report, 21.9 percent of Virginia’s adults reported that during the past month, they had not participated in any physical activity.4 For youth, the most recent Fairfax County Youth Survey showed that rates of physical activity decreased as student grade level increased.
Labels: community health improvement plan, partnership for a healthier fairfax, supervisor hudgins
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Bike to Work Day presentation at Board of Supervisors meeting
FABB was out in force today at the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors presentation on Bike to Work Day. Six of us rode to the Government Center on a beautiful spring day. County Bike Coordinator Charlie Strunk noted that over 15,000 people signed up for the event, exceeding the goal for this year.At the Fairfax Corner pit stop Charlie noted that he received positive feedback about bike lockers at the courthouse (apparently all the guards were inside the courthouse and not watching the bikes, which were frequently stolen). One of the county employees there was able to bike to work more often now and as a result was able to get rid of his second car.
Supervisor Foust thanked Charlie for the bike wayfinding signs in McLean. Supervisors McKay and Hudgins and Chairman Bulova all talked about the importance of biking as an integral part of our transportation system. They also mentioned the work of bike advocates and FABB in particular.
Here is a link to the presentation photos. Look for the orange shirts:
http://www.flickr.com//photos/fairfaxcounty/sets/72157633928309149/show/with/8950191307/
Labels: bike to work day, chairman bulova, charlie strunk, fairfax county board of supervisors, supervisor foust, supervisor hudgins, supervisor mckay
Friday, July 6, 2012
Article on bike sharing in Reston
In the Examiner article Supervisor Hudgins discusses her interest in bike sharing:
"I am very interested in seeing it happen," said Fairfax County Supervisor Cathy Hudgins, a Democrat whose district includes Reston. "I think it's a possibility in the near future."
Officials say plans for bike sharing are still just being discussed and they aren't sure if a Reston pilot would be plugged into the Capital Bikeshare brand already popular in the District and Arlington. But they said they hope some form of bike system will be in place in time for the opening of Metro's Silver Line at Reston, slated for early 2014.
"The county definitely does want bike sharing," said county spokeswoman Beth Francis. "We don't have funding right now, but it's definitely in the plans."
Montgomery and Prince George's counties and Alexandria are already slated to join the Capital Bikeshare program.
Hudgins toured Arlington's bike facilities last summer. She said she wants to talk to Reston businesses and community members to figure out details such as where to put stations.
She said the county, like Arlington and the District, would search for a private partner for the bike system.
Officials say plans for bike sharing are still just being discussed and they aren't sure if a Reston pilot would be plugged into the Capital Bikeshare brand already popular in the District and Arlington. But they said they hope some form of bike system will be in place in time for the opening of Metro's Silver Line at Reston, slated for early 2014.
"The county definitely does want bike sharing," said county spokeswoman Beth Francis. "We don't have funding right now, but it's definitely in the plans."
Montgomery and Prince George's counties and Alexandria are already slated to join the Capital Bikeshare program.
Hudgins toured Arlington's bike facilities last summer. She said she wants to talk to Reston businesses and community members to figure out details such as where to put stations.
She said the county, like Arlington and the District, would search for a private partner for the bike system.
Labels: bike share, reston, supervisor hudgins
Friday, May 18, 2012
Record numbers of cyclists register for Bike to Work Day
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| Congressman Connolly addresses the Reston crowd |
Congressman Connolly, Supervisor Hudgins, and Reston Association President Ken Knueven spoke to the Reston cyclists. Congressman Connolly started the Fairfax bicycle program by finding funds for the bicycle coordinator position, the bike map, and funding the program. Supervisor Hudgins suggested holding the first every Fairfax County Bike to Work Day event back in 2002 and has been a supporter of bicyclists since she was elected into office in 2000.
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| Two younger BTWD riders (FABB's Rob Henenlottter in the background) |
Hope everyone has a great commute home.
For more photos see the FABB Flickr pool.
See our Reston Patch blog post, Bike to Work Day in Reston.
Check out the video of a ride today from the Greenbelt Pit Stop to the Downtown/Reagan Plaza Pit Stop (from WashCycle):
"Friday's grand total was 1,485 - the highest of the week. More than half of all elementary school students participated in the event.
Vienna Elementary School saw the largest ever bike count ever on Friday with 78 kids cycling to school. "We overflowed our two racks and the extra one brought over from the ball fields," said Sean McCall.
Wolf Trap Elementary's bike train had three Fairfax County Police Bike Patrol Officers and members of HPC Junior Team riding with students.
Louise Archer, the largest elementary school in Vienna, saw the most students participating this week."
Update: Kingstowne Patch article on Bike to Work Day at Franconia-Springfield pit stop.
Vienna Elementary School saw the largest ever bike count ever on Friday with 78 kids cycling to school. "We overflowed our two racks and the extra one brought over from the ball fields," said Sean McCall.
Wolf Trap Elementary's bike train had three Fairfax County Police Bike Patrol Officers and members of HPC Junior Team riding with students.
Louise Archer, the largest elementary school in Vienna, saw the most students participating this week."
Burke Patch article on Burke pit stop. That's FABB's Alan Young with the cellphone in hand, probably demonstrating the FABB app that aggregates FABB's social feeds. The app is being developed by his grandson and should be available at the app store in the near future.
Labels: bike to work day, congressman connolly, ken knueven, reston, supervisor hudgins
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Ped/bike bridge at Wolf Trap being installed
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| Bridge span being lowered into place. |
This project is part of the Beulah Road Walkway Project that was initiated by the NoVi Trails group headed by Jenifer Madden. It shows that hard work, persistence, and patience pays off. Funding was obtained from several sources with the help of Congressman Moran and the support of Supervisors Hudgins and Foust.
The final span of the bridge will be installed tonight. Congratulations to Jenifer for her work on making this facility a reality.
Labels: congressman moran, jenifer madden, supervisor foust, supervisor hudgins, trap road, wolf trap
Friday, January 21, 2011
Connection article about FABB
Promoting 'Bike-Friendly' Initiatives: Local bicycling advocacy group drives plans to make county more "bike-friendly." is the title of an article in the Connection newspaper by Victoria Ross about FABB.
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.
He must not have ridden on the John F. (Jack) Herrity Parkway trail lately (also known as the Fairfax Co Parkway). It disappears in several locations with no signs indicating the detour, and in some sections there are wide cracks with protruding grass. The photo on the right was taken in 2008 just south of where the trail disappears at Lee Hwy/Rt 236.
We complained to Supervisor Herrity's office about the trail in August of last year and received no response, and to our knowledge, the trail still looks like this. We're currently trying to get a wide crack in the trail near the Dulles Toll Rd fixed. A friend recently hit a protruding utillity cover on the trail, crashed, and was injured, luckily not seriously. Yes, we need a connected trail system and we need it maintained. We also need a connected on-road bicycle network; the two go hand in hand. Fortunately we have a bike coordinator who is developing a bicycle master plan for the county so we may get both in the future.
Labels: connection newspaper, FABB, herrity, supervisor foust, supervisor hudgins, supervisor penny gross
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Board of Supervisors action on Safe Routes to School
Supervisor Hudgins and Lee District Supervisor McKay have both been supportive in the past. They have discussed the issue at numerous Board meetings and jointly with the School Board. However, to date little has been done by the county to develop a SRTS grant application. The one successful SRTS program in the county is managed by a private organization, Trails for Youth, at Lynbrook Elementary School.
At today's Board meeting Supervisors Hudgins and McKay directed staff to figure out how to do a better job of supporting this effort in the future. The County Executive was directed to "determine which county agency should coordinate the grant application for the Safe Routes to School program." The school system, Department of Transportation, Health Department, and Police all play a role in creating safe, healthy communities. Someone needs to take the lead. FABB's offer to give a presentation on Safe Routes to School to the Board's Transportation Committee was also noted. Gina Arlotto, the DC SRTS Network Organizer, has offered to give the presentation and we hope to schedule it in the near future.
Finally, "a letter should be drafted to our School Board counterparts for a meeting to discuss future collaborative efforts between both boards in regards to transportation and sustainability."
It's time for the county to support the many parents who want their kids to have the option of walking and biking to school. Kids need to know there are other ways of getting around than sitting in a car or bus; that they can get exercise and have fun while getting to school. We hope this is a major step forward.
Update: The above photo is from the Alliance for Biking and Walking photo gallery. A more appropriate photo is below showing kids who rode to Wolftrap Elementary School recently:
Labels: fairfax county board of supervisors, supervisor hudgins, supervisor mckay
Friday, October 22, 2010
Encouraging more kids to walk and bike to school
This week members of FABB and some concerned parents met with Supervisor Hudgins to discuss how Fairfax County and the Fairfax school system can be more supportive of kids walking and biking to school. From past experience we know that the benefits of walking and biking to school are rarely if ever mentioned to parents by the school system. The problems associated with driving kids to school, such as increased congestion and air pollution, are also not discussed.Instead we build kiss-and-ride lots to facilitate this behavior, making traffic at schools worse. According to one teacher who bikes to school, the most dangerous place for him to ride is the immediate area around the school. In one study it's been estimated that around 21-27% of morning traffic is attributed to parents driving their children to school.
There is a misconception that by encouraging kids to use active transportation that the schools will be liable if a student is injured on the way to school. According to 10 Tips for Safe Routes to School Programs and Liability,
A school will not ordinarily be held liable for injuries sustained by children while they are walking or bicycling to school simply because the school encourages children to walk or bike, where injuries occur off school property, and parents have been reminded that the school is not responsible for supervising children who walk or bike to school.
The FCPS Transportation Services FAQ addresses this issue. If there are liability issues, the Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS) is one way to address them. Unfortunately Fairfax County, the largest school district in the state, has received approximately $10,000 of the $13 million available for SRTS in Virginia.Supervisor Hudgins is very supportive of more kids having the option of safely walking or biking to school and of the SRTS program.With her help we hope to provide a briefing on SRTS to the Board of Supervisors and the school board in the near future. We also hope to identify a school in the Hunter Mill District for implementation of a SRTS program. With new CDC report indicating that one in three adults will have diabetes by 2050, isn't it time that we made it possible for kids to get more exercise by the simple act of walking or biking to school?
Labels: hunter mill district, safe routes to school, supervisor hudgins
Friday, September 17, 2010
FABB recognized by Supervisor Hudgins
At the September 14 Board of Supervisors Meeting, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Hudgins presented the following Board Matter:Recognition of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling(FABB): For their work on the completed Guide for Reviewing Public Road Design and Bicycling Accommodations for Virginia Bicycling Advocates, outlining ways bicycling proponents can get involved in the process of designing, and building roads to ensure that bicycling accommodations are integrated into the plans where needed.
Labels: advocates guide, supervisor hudgins
Friday, May 21, 2010
Another great Bike to Work Day
We had a large crowd at the Reston Bike to Work Day event that we help organize each year. We expected fewer participants this year with the new pit stop located nearby in Herndon. However, our registration numbers were about the same as last year and the turnout seemed to be greater with the excellent weather.National Wildlife Federation won the Employer Challenge by having the most bike-friendly business. Employees have a place to shower and change, they have bike parking (although it could be better), and they were the only employer in the challenge that has implemented the $20/month Bicycle Commuter Tax Provision.
Their office is located adjacent to the W&OD Trail and employees have access to a fleet of bicycles for taking short trips during the day. They also have a Cool-It Commuting Committee to promote alternative commuting options and solutions for employees. Congratulations to National Wildlife Federation.Photos: Top - Rob Henenlotter at the FABB table. Bottom - Supervisor Hudgins addresses the crowd.
Labels: bike to work day, reston, supervisor hudgins
