FABB Blog

 

What You Missed – FCDOT Progress Report

Labels: bike map, capital projects, FCDOT, outreach, repaving, studies, wayfinding

posted by Steve Ward at 6:00 AM permalink

 

Date set for Bicycle Master Plan public hearings

Labels: bicycle master plan, fairfax county parkway trail, wayfinding, wiehle station bike room

posted by Bruce Wright at 5:02 PM permalink

 

Vienna disbands Bicycle Advisory Committee

At their June 17 meeting the Vienna Town Council disbanded the Vienna Bicycle Advisory Committee. According to the Sun Gazette, the council "agreed to disband the Vienna Transportation Safety Commission’s (TSC) bicycle advisory committee and a soon-to-be-formed pedestrian committee, saying their functions would overlap."

While there is some overlap between a bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee, bicycle facilities are often very different than pedestrian facilities. In a town like Vienna with many urban sidewalks and few sidepaths, cyclists generally ride on the road, with the major exception of the W&OD Trail. As former chairman of the county Trails and Sidewalks Committee, it's been my experience that combining the two interest groups does not work well. It's difficult for pedestrians, who may not even ride a bicycle, to make decisions that affect cyclists.

The committee is to be commended for developing a number of bicycle routes in the town. They promoted bicycle safety with bike rodeos and safety events, and they did great work getting good bike parking in some of the shopping centers. We're hoping that the bicycle advisory committee is reinstated soon.

Despite not having a BAC, the other day we noticed new wayfinding signs in Vienna. The photo on the right shows the one sign that we noticed at Center St and Locust St where one of the designated routes starts. It points to the Community Center, Downtown, and the W&OD Trail.

To be effective, there needs to be a dense network of route signs leading cyclists to major destinations. The sign in the photo is the only one that we saw. It's a good start and we assume many more signs are coming. Approximately 80 signs were recently placed in McLean that cyclists can use to navigate that town.

Labels: town of vienna, vienna bicycle advisory committee, wayfinding

posted by Bruce Wright at 9:19 PM permalink

 

Supervisor Foust dedicates new McLean bike route signs

FABB recently joined Supervisor Foust and others to dedicate the new McLean bike routes signs. The signs are a great resource for McLean cyclists. I've discovered a couple of routes that are alternatives to major roads through McLean. Thanks to Supervisor Foust for his support of bicycling in McLean and to Marcia Twomey and the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce for helping to get 15 bike racks installed in the downtown area.

From the Connection article New Bicycle Signs Dedicated in Downtown McLean:

Photo by Alex McVeigh The Connection

See also the Post article Signs map out McLean bike routes.

Labels: mclean, supervisor foust, wayfinding

posted by Bruce Wright at 1:42 PM permalink

 

Town of Vienna bike route sign meeting notes

Last night the Vienna Transportation Safety Commission agreed to work with the Fairfax County Bike Coordinator, Charlie Strunk, a Town resident, to improve the existing bike route signage, based on public comments received at the meeting. They agreed with the chairman that it is best to make sure the initial phase is done well before moving on. Once the Town is satisfied with the existing signage they will begin signing an expanded bike route network in the second phase of the project.

Bob McCahill of the Bicycle Advisory Commission submitted numerous detailed comments about the current signs. The BAC is currently not meeting pending a review of their mission by the Mayor and Town Council. Several of Bob's comments involved the need for a few additional signs to help route cyclists. He also suggested that more wayfinding and destination signs be used.

We submitted the following comments:
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• Need signs at important intersections of the W&OD Trail leading to major destinations. Signs should show direction and mileage to destinations and should be bi-directional (to and from Vienna).
• Destinations:
• Metro stations (Tysons, Dunn Loring, Vienna)
• Library
• Town Hall
• Schools
• Parks
• Playgrounds
• Tysons
• Downtown Vienna
• Need better route to Vienna Metro station. (We were later told that the "official" Metro route was along Tapawingo)
• Courthouse/Locust route is incomplete
• Courthouse is not bike-friendly
• Courthouse needs shared lane markings or Bicycle May Use Full Lane signs where the road is narrower
• I think the standard green and white bike route signs work better than the unique Vienna bike route signs.
• Incorporate Vienna bike routes into the Tysons microfiber bike route map.
• Install a kiosk at the Town Green showing information about the bike routes including a map.
• Distribute handouts/maps of the bike routes at W&OD Trail kiosks, Vienna Community Center, merchants, and so forth.
• Develop some scenic or historic signed bike routes/loops highlighting interesting sights.

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We learned that Vienna Police have increased patrols on the W&OD Trail after a recent groping incident was reported by a female jogger near Talahi Rd SE.

Route signs will soon appear on Cottage St, a popular bike route leading to the Dunn Loring Metro station and the Merrifield area.

Driver wayfinding signage

It wouldn't be a bike meeting if someone didn't discuss scofflaw cyclists. J. Leonard Ignatowski said that he was a pedestrian and driver advocate and that if cyclists want rights then they need to stop at stop signs (of course all motorists stop at all stop signs and at red lights when turning right).

Motorists don't need signs to tell them where to go so why do we need all these bike route signs (I see three driver wayfinding signs in the image at the right of the Nutley St/Virginia Center Blvd intersection, and it was pointed out that cyclists need to know where the safe routes are located), and the classic, I pay gasoline taxes but cyclists get a free ride (we all pay taxes used to fund roads, especially local roads). His was a lone voice. Other commissioners seemed very supportive and willing to help cyclists find safe, convenient ways to navigate Vienna's streets.

Kudos to the Town for implementing their bike route network and continue to refine it. We look forward to riding in a more bike-friendly Vienna in the future.

Labels: bicycle route network, town of vienna, transportation safety commission, vienna bicycle advisory committee, wayfinding

posted by Bruce Wright at 9:01 AM permalink

 

New bike signage in McLean

Earlier this month approximately 80 bike route signs were installed throughout the downtown area of McLean providing directions and information. The signage was the product of the Fairfax County bicycle coordinator, FABB members, and other cyclists. Dranesville Supervisor Foust was instrumental in getting funding for purchasing and installing the signs.

Bike route directions are provided to the new Silver Line Tyson-McLean station, and the West Falls Church station. The signage also directs cyclists toward the W&OD trail, Arlington and more. This is one of the first installations of wayfinding signage in Fairfax County based on new bicycle sign standards.

Thanks to Supervisor Foust for supporting this project, to the county bike program staff, and to McLean cyclists who advocated for the signs, especially FABB's Dennis Frew, who provided much of the above information. We hope this is just the beginning of a comprehensive network of signed bike routes throughout the county.

Labels: mclean, supervisor foust, wayfinding

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:18 PM permalink

 

Video of bike ride from DC to Tysons

I happened across a video of a ride from Pennsylvania Ave. in DC to Tysons, mostly using trails, posted on The WashCycle. It was recorded about a year ago by Greenbelt Bike Videos.

I'm very familiar with most of this route which primarily consists of the Custis Trail to W&OD Trail. Part of the last section to Tysons is on a route that's new to me, the Beltway crossing on Barbour Rd.

Where the W&OD Trail crosses Shreve Lane the rider takes a right and quick left to follow Pinecastle Rd to Barbour Rd which crosses the Beltway. The rider continues on Barbour then turns left on Idylwood Rd. I am often harassed along this stretch of Idylwood Rd where drivers seem very aggressive and intolerant of bicyclists.

The rider then stops at the intersection of Idyl Lane and Idylwood Rd (see the sign for Idylwood Towers in the background) to check directions. After a short pause they head down Idyl Lane only to turn around and climb back up to Idylwood Rd, a fairly steep climb, and turns right on Idylwood. This is a really bad section that's narrow with lots of aggressive traffic. We've lobbied for better bike facilities here. There is funding for paved shoulders but there are many physical challenges to implementation. Bicycles May Use Full Lane signs were installed by VDOT last year.

The rider continues on this bad stretch of Idylwood toward Gallows Rd. There's lots of traffic and many close passes. Surprisingly the rider makes a U-turn and passes through this same section back to a left on Idyl Lane, a relatively bike-friendly road. Wayfinding signs indicating good routes to major destinations are definitely needed in Fairfax.

At Route 7 the rider turns left on the service road headed west toward Tysons. They then make their way through the parking lots and services roads parallel to Route 7, a route identified on the Tysons Master Plan as a possible bike route given a few improvements.

Where the service road ends the rider follows the sidewalk past Marshall High School. Past Marshall HS there is a service road that could have been an alternative. At Lisle Ave the rider crosses Route 7 and rides to the Westin Hotel.

While the Westin may have a Tysons address, it's on the periphery. To reach Tysons one would have to continue on Route 7 and cross the Beltway, which in the past has been one of the more dangerous places to ride. A cyclist was killed riding there in 2008 and a pedestrian was killed in the same location in 2010. Since the Route 7 bridge was rebuilt there is now a wide side path that cyclists can use.

It is possible to ride to Tysons and it's gradually getting better. With over 100,000 people working there, direct, safe bike routes with good wayfinding signs, are desperately needed.

Labels: Tysons, wayfinding

posted by Bruce Wright at 11:55 AM permalink

 

CTB approves new bike signage

At their December 7 meeting the Commonwealth Transportation Board approved the Virginia supplement to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). That's a mouthful; what it means is that VDOT can now use Shared Lane Markings (Sharrows), Bicycles May Use Full Lane signs, and new wayfinding signs. See our earlier post about this topic.

There are many roads where Shared Lane Markings should be used. Examples include where bike lanes end due to limited right of way: Gallows Road at I-66, Old Courthouse Road at Freedom Hill Park, and Westmoreland St leading to Kirby Rd. Other locations include along Idylwood Rd between the W&OD trail and Idyl Lane, and on many roads where cyclists ride and there is no room for bike lanes or wide outside lanes.

The wayfinding signage will help cyclists follow bike routes without having to refer to a map. The county bike map is a great resource but not very useful when out on the road. The signs include arrows and can include distance to a destination.

Bicycles May Use Full Lane signs let bicyclists, and especially motorists, know that the lane is not wide enough for bicycles and motor vehicles to share and bicyclists may ride in the center of the lane. These can be used with or without Shared Lane Markings and are especially useful where bicyclists are frequently harassed by angry motorists, such as on Idylwood Road.

We're anxious to see the first applications of these signs.

Labels: bicycles may use full lane, mutcd, shared lane markings, wayfinding

posted by Bruce Wright at 1:58 PM permalink