Sunday, August 5, 2018
Speak Up! Fairfax City-Mason-Vienna Region Bikeshare Feasibility Study
Here’s another opportunity for Fairfax County riders to make bicycling better. The City of Fairfax, George Mason University, the Town of Vienna, and Fairfax County are working together to evaluate bringing bikeshare to these communities. This feasibility study aims to understand how a bikeshare system would be used to travel throughout these communities as well as to connect to the metropolitan region. It also will identify what type of bikeshare system will be most successful and where shared bicycles and other bikeshare infrastructure should be located.
The bikeshare study is evaluating the area that extends from the W&OD trail in Vienna south through the City of Fairfax and into George Mason University. It includes the GMU-Fairfax campus south to the Burke VRE train station and nearby neighborhoods; the central corridor through the City of Fairfax including Old Town, Northfax, Fairfax Circle, and other commercial and residential centers along Chain Bridge Road and Old Lee Highway; neighborhoods around and including the Vienna/GMU-Fairfax Metrorail Station; and in Vienna, Maple Avenue, the W&OD trail, and surrounding neighborhoods.
The study group wants your input! Study staff will be out in the community conducting "pop-up" events throughout the summer. Specific community meetings about bikeshare are being planned and will be announced soon.
You also can provide input online by logging into cabistations.org to suggest locations where bikeshare stations or priority bikeshare parking areas should be located. There also is a brief survey you can take to express your interest in bikeshare and what kind of system you would like to see by answering a few short questions.
For more information about the Fairfax City-Mason-Vienna bikeshare study, email PW-Transportation@fairfaxva.gov or call (703) 385-7810.
Labels: bikeshare, city of fairfax, feasibility study, george mason university, vienna
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Reminder: VDOT Meeting on Thursday
FABB encourages members and others from Vienna, Fairfax City, and nearby areas around I-66 in Fairfax County to attend this Thursday's VDOT public hearing. The hearing will focus on various projects that will affect cyclists and pedestrians. In particular, there will be information available on additions to the George Snyder Trail in Fairfax City, the planned multi-use trail along Nutley Street in Vienna, and pedestrian improvements along Monument Drive and Lee Highway.
There will be an open house at 6 p.m. with the hearing beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the VDOT Northern Virginia District Office, 4975 Alliance Drive, in Fairfax. If you cannot attend, you can email comments to meetingcomments@vdot.virginia.gov. Please reference “I-66 Concession Projects” in the subject line. You also can mail comments to Maria Sinner at VDOT’s District Office, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 through next Monday, January 8, 2018.
Labels: Fairfax City, i-66 outside the beltway, vdot, vienna
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Faces of Fairfax: Jon Cline
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| Jon Cline |
Jon Cline, an avid bike commuter from Vienna, answered FABB’s brief survey questions while participating in Bike to Work Day 2017 at the Tysons pit stop.
FABB: Why do you ride?
Jon: I just love biking.
FABB: Where do you ride?
Jon: I regularly commute by bike to my work in McLean. I try to Bike wherever I go, so I’ve been using BikeShare when it is available. For fun and on weekends, I will bike out to Purcellville on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail.
FABB: What do you most like about riding?
Jon: I love being outside and being active. It’s a great way to get exercise.
FABB: What would you like to change to make it easier and safer for you to ride?
Jon: More bike lanes!
Labels: BTWD, Faces of Fairfax, Tysons, vienna
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Successful Bike to School Day Ride at Stenwood Elementary
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| Joel's bike train and FCPD escort. |
Stenwood Elementary in Vienna was the scene last week of a great Bike to School Day event. As on of the 78 FCPS schools participating, parents and students, with some help from Fairfax County Police Department officers, set up a bike train to safely bring a record number of student riders to school.
Joel Guzman, who has been running a weekly bike train to Stenwood for the past two months, reports that on Bike to School Day he had 24 kids and 7 adults participate. The FCPD provided 2 bike patrol officers to ride with the students and another officer in a patrol car to assist with traffic control for the ride.
Joel Guzman, who has been running a weekly bike train to Stenwood for the past two months, reports that on Bike to School Day he had 24 kids and 7 adults participate. The FCPD provided 2 bike patrol officers to ride with the students and another officer in a patrol car to assist with traffic control for the ride.
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| A safe route to school. |
Stenwood's population is split by Gallows Road. A good number of students bike from the same side as the school but Joel lives on the other side where all the students are bused. He hasn't let that stop him from giving kids the chance to bike. The school is off Gallows Road near the busy intersection of I-66 and I-495 and just a stone’s throw from the Dunn Loring Metro. Thanks to careful planning, the bike train used a safe route that ran through and picked up riders from several communities in the Dunn Loring area.
Many thanks to Joel, the other parents, the FCPD, and everyone else who supports bicycling as a safe and healthy mode of transportation and recreation for children.
Many thanks to Joel, the other parents, the FCPD, and everyone else who supports bicycling as a safe and healthy mode of transportation and recreation for children.
Labels: bike to school day, dunn loring, steendood elementary, vienna
Sunday, May 7, 2017
FABB’s Fairfax-Vienna Social Ride, 13 May
Please join FABB this coming Saturday, 13 May, for a social ride from George Mason University through Old Town Fairfax, the Cross-County Trail, and the Vienna Metro station area to downtown Vienna. It will be fun and educational! The round trip of 16 miles will include four to five brief stops to view and discuss recent and planned bicycling facility improvements throughout the area.
Find more details and sign up for the ride here.
Labels: city of fairfax, cross county trail, fabb social ride, george mason university, vienna
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Faces of Fairfax – Jeff Lewis
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| Jeff Lewis |
Jeff rides every morning with his 9-year-old daughter to Wolftrap Elementary before continuing on to Oakton High School where he teaches Spanish. At other times he bikes with both of his daughters to get ice cream in town, pick up a few items at the grocery store, or just to ride on the W&OD Trail. He is pleased to see that his daughters seem to feel the same sense of independence and adventure when biking that he felt as a kid.
In response to our question about what he enjoyed most about biking, Jeff said that time spent biking with his two daughters is something he would always treasure. He then returned to the sense of adventure he felt as a kid and continues to feel:
“I especially enjoy riding early in the morning or when the weather gets colder. The landscape changes, the air is crisp, and I feel like I am more a part of nature. Before teaching at Oakton, I taught for five years at Herndon High School and would ride from Vienna to Herndon. That ride was mostly on the W&OD trail and I was on the trail between 6:00 and 7:00 in the morning. At that hour, as the sun is coming up and the mist is rising from ground, it is always quite surreal. I would often see rabbits, deer, and foxes trotting through the mist along the trail, not to mention owls and other beautiful birds flying overhead. It is really magical. It is chilly some days, but I'll take that over I-495 any day.”
When asked what he would like to change to make it easier and safer for him to ride, Jeff replied that more dedicated bike lanes would make a big difference. “Biking is so much safer and more enjoyable when you can be confident you aren't going to get run over,” he said. He added that there should be better driver's education about the rights of cyclists as well as how and when to pass a cyclist.Labels: Faces of Fairfax, oakton, vienna, w&od trail, wolftrap elementary school
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Faces of Fairfax - Giresis and Brews
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| Autumn and April Giresi |
It is always great to see parents and kids biking together, especially on Bike to Work Day. April and Autumn Giresi of Vienna were showing their civic spirit by volunteering for Trail Patrol duty. Jessica Brew was staying active by riding with sons, Ben, Theodore, and Samuel (although Theodore was a little too active to pause for a photo).
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| Ben, Samuel, and Jessica Brew |
FABB supports biking for all ages. Our group has worked for years to support the Safe Routes to School program and encourage biking to school every day. We are ready to assist interested groups with planning and sponsoring activities and with identifying safe routes to encourage children to bike and walk to school.
Labels: bike to work day, Faces of Fairfax, vienna
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Faces of Fairfax - Edward Myers
FABB had to talk to Edward Myers when he and his “solar bike car” stopped at the Vienna pitstop on Bike to Work Day. Ed commutes from Sterling to his job in Tysons and also bikes for exercise. His Solar Bike Car project, which he discusses in detail at his website, is about exploring an innovative combination of exercise, transportation, fun, and safety. Ed is all about efficiency and, of course, few things are more efficient than a bike.
Ed’s “bike” is an ELF two-seat recumbent tricycle with a shell enclosure and an electric assist motor powered by a solar panel-charged battery. Because it is relatively large compared to regular bicycles, the ELF’s use on multi-use trails like the W&OD has been controversial. For FABB, this merely underscores the need for more multimodal transportation facilities in the county and for more education and enforcement efforts to insure that everyone—cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians—know the rules of the road and multi-use trails.
Labels: bike to work day, Faces of Fairfax, vienna
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Faces of Fairfax - Matt Merrill and Allison Schwartz
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| Allison Schwartz (left) and Matt Merrill. |
Matt “Viking to Work” Merrill and the equestrian-themed Allison Schwartz spoke to FABB at the Vienna pitstop on Bike to Work Day. Reston-resident Matt, perhaps not surprisingly, told us that he rides for fun and to make people smile. Allison commutes by bike from her home in Arlington to Reston but stressed that fun, exercise and being outside are the main reasons she rides. In response to our question about what would make bicycling better in Fairfax County, Allison asked for more bike lanes and better clearance at intersections while Matt simply requested that everyone “please follow the rules.”
FABB agrees with these suggestions and continues to advocate for the completion of the Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plan. In particular, FABB is seeking the implementation of bike safety education curriculum in county schools, updated Virginia Driver Education curriculum, and public education campaigns on sharing the road, safety at trail/roadway crossings, and other trail safety issues.
Labels: bike to work day, Faces of Fairfax, vienna
Monday, June 20, 2016
Results from Vienna Walk Bike Challenge Week
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| Banner over Maple Ave during Walk Bike Challenge Week |
Cunningham Park received the Challenge Cup at an awards ceremony June 17 before the Chillin On Church Street Party. The Cup is awarded to the school with the most improvement in participation over the prior year. Westbriar came in second making 3 years in a row with a top 2 finish.
Vienna Elementary will also be recognized for the fifth straight year with the Biking Cup which is awarded to the school with the highest level of participants that bike to school. Vienna ES had 232 students bike to school on Friday - over 50% of the students - which is as far as we know only the second time in the Commonwealth of Virginia that a school has had over 200 students bike to school. The previous time being last year Vienna Elementary had 279 students bike to school for our field day.
Final results:
Challenge Cup:
1. Cunningham Park
2. Westbriar
3. Vienna Elementary
Biking Cup:
1. Vienna Elementary
2. Marshall Road
3. Wolftrap
Labels: vienna, vienna bike/walk challenge
Monday, February 8, 2016
Faces of Fairfax - M.J. Erskine
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| M.J. Erskine |
Vienna-resident M.J. Erskine paused at the Bike to Work Day 2015 pit stop in her town and told FABB that she rode her bike as a primary means of transportation. M.J. said that she doesn’t like driving and is happy to be able to ride her bike around Vienna, Tysons, and Falls Church.
Labels: FABB, Faces of Fairfax, vienna
Monday, December 28, 2015
Faces of Fairfax - Team D-Rock
Labels: FABB, Faces of Fairfax, falls church, Tysons, vienna
Monday, November 9, 2015
Faces of Fairfax - Melissa England
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| Melissa England |
Melissa said she rides because she hates highway traffic and loves being outside. She would like to see more bike lanes in Fairfax County to help make commuting safer.
Labels: FABB, Faces of Fairfax, mclean, vienna
Monday, September 14, 2015
Faces of Fairfax - The Bueschers
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| Heather, Isabel, and Mia Buescher |
The Vienna Town Green, located at 144 Maple Avenue East in Vienna, features water fountains and benches that bikers can use for a quick break from their rides. The park frequently features various musical and other live performances.
Labels: FABB, Faces of Fairfax, vienna
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Vesper Trail Lighting Meeting Tonight at 7pm
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| Vesper Trail, the green line between 17 and 24 |
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
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Metro Building More Bike and Ride Facilities
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) recently
announced that Bike & Ride facilities are coming to East Falls Church and
Vienna stations. By the end of this year, riders to these two metro stations
will have a more secure way to store their bikes. Each new facility will include capacity for
up to 100 bikes, docking space for oversized bikes, enclosed space out of the
weather, security features, including steel mesh walls, cameras and lighting,
and emergency egress door, phone and intercom.
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| Photo courtesy of WMATA |
The East Falls Church facility
is being constructed on the edge of the Kiss and Ride lot and the Vienna
facility will be located within the existing north parking garage. For more information about these projects,
visit wmata.com/bikeandride or call 202-637-7000.
Labels: east falls church, metro bike & ride, metro parking garage, vienna
Monday, March 16, 2015
Walk, Bike, Shop Vienna! May 2-9
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From the Walk, Bike, and Shop Vienna! registration page:
Businesses wishing to participate will donate $50 to an aggregate PTA fund, which will be allocated to all Vienna Elementary School PTAs that participate in the Walk/Bike Challenge.
In addition, we are also looking for 5 local restaurants willing to host a “Dining for Dollars” event during the week, and donate 5% of their total event-related proceeds.
The Vienna Bike Rodeo: Saturday, May 9, 9am – noon at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department
In addition, we are also looking for 5 local restaurants willing to host a “Dining for Dollars” event during the week, and donate 5% of their total event-related proceeds.
The Vienna Bike Rodeo: Saturday, May 9, 9am – noon at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department
Labels: vienna, vienna bike/walk challenge
Monday, December 9, 2013
FABB/WABA Holiday Shopping Ride -- Sunday, December 15th. 10:30am
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| Pete's cargo bike on FABB social ride |
"What if I purchase more than I can carry on my bike?" you ask? NO PROBLEM! Pete will be riding his cargo bike with cargo trailer attached to carry anything you've purchased that won't fit on your bike.
You'll have experienced ride marshals to help guide the ride and someone at each stop that will help lock the bikes and keep an eye on them while you're shopping.
To make it more fun, Tyson's Corner Shopping Center and the Freshbikes shop in Mosaic District have chipped in VIP Shopping and Dining discounts and a shopping/gift bag for each rider.
- When: Sunday, December 15th at 10:30am
- Where: Vienna Train Station along the Washington and Old Dominion Trail. Near the intersections of Ayr Hill Ave. NE and Dominion Rd. NE in Vienna, Virginia
- Distance: The ride is 13 miles in all and will include some Multi-Use trail as well as public roads.
- What to bring: A helmet is required for this ride! You'll need a bike, a bike lock and clothes/shoes that are suitable for riding and shopping. Please have a mobile phone so that you can be contacted to regroup to continue the ride. All riders will be asked to sign the ride waiver.
Please RSVP to Pete at Pete.Beers@gmail.com or on the Facebook Invitation.
Labels: cargo bike, fabb social ride, mosaic district, pete beers, Tysons, vienna
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
FABB Social Ride this Saturday - Merrifield/Vienna tour - Note 10am start time
Date: 7/13/2013 at 10 am. In the case of rain we will notify registered riders via email and a message on the FABB home page.
About the Ride:
- Riders will depart at 10am from Angelica Theater in the Mosaic District. The ride is a combination of neighborhood streets, and multi-use trails. A section of the Cross County Trail is unpaved.
- The ride is a loop of about 12 miles
- This is a no-drop social ride at a 10-12 mph pace. There will be stops along the way.
- The ride is for adult WABA Members. Children 14-18 may participate if they are accompanied by an adult WABA member.
- FABB will provide Ride Marshals for the ride
- Your bike
- Helmet (required no exceptions)
- Lock to secure your bike at the cafe
- WABA membership number
- Water and a snack, sunscreen
- Cash for purchasing an optional lunch at Lost Dog Cafe near Dunn Loring Metro station
The Angelika Theater is located in the new Mosaic District near the intersection of Gallows Road and Lee Highway in Merrifield. Angelika Theater is located at 2911 District Ave, Fairfax , VA 22031. It's a short ride from the Dunn Loring Metro station. Take Prosperity Ave to left on Merrilee Dr which turns into Eskridge Rd after crossing Lee Hwy. Turn left on Strawberry Lane. Angelika Theater is on your right. If you cannot bike to the start, there is free parking nearby.
Optional Lunch/Brunch:
Please indicate whether you plan to stop at Lost Dog Cafe after the ride.
Optional Lunch/Brunch:
Please indicate whether you plan to stop at Lost Dog Cafe after the ride.
Labels: dunn loring, fabb social ride, merrifield, mosaic district, vienna, vienna metro
Friday, May 17, 2013
Fantastic Bike to Work Day
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| Riding from Herndon to Reston |
Kerie and I started at the Reston pit stop that we've helped organize for the past 12 years. Fortunately Reston Association has taken over management of the pit stop which allowed us to check out some of the other events. Reston was the first Fairfax pit stop back in 2002. Now there are 11.
We said hi to Todd from The Bike Lane at the Reston stop. Todd's wife Anne attended the first FABB meeting in 2005. FABB volunteers Rob and Kelley were providing advice on bike routes. As we were leaving Del. Ken Plum, who may have attended almost every Reston event over the years, stopped to say hi.
Next we rode to Vienna which was overrun with cyclists. Liz and Susan, with the help of Jeff Palmer from Spokes, Etc, managed to sign up nearly 60 people for the FABB newsletter. Tim Fricker of bikes@vienna was also there. FABB's first meetings were held at that shop.
Next we visited the Merrifield-W&OD Trail stop that was just closing down, but the Performance mechanic was still working on bikes. From there we rode to the Merrifield-Mosaic stop that
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| FABB at the Vienna pit stop |
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| Final stop in Tysons |
Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to get to Burke VRE Station (Alan), Fairfax Corner (Fionnuala), Fairfax City Downtown (Douglas, Charlie, and Jim), Mt. Vernon-Collingwood Park (Eric), or Springfield/Metro Park (Paul). Thanks to all the FABB volunteers for helping out today.
All in all the day was a huge success. We hope that many more cyclists discovered the joys of biking to work and that they continue to ride throughout the year. We also hope everyone has a safe ride home.
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| Cyclists crossing Maple Ave in Vienna |
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| Vienna pit stop |
Labels: bike to work day, herndon, merrifield, mosaic district, reston, Tysons, vienna
