FABB Blog

 

Bike Parking Expansion at Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station

There are several options for parking bikes at the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station. The secure bike room can hold over 200 bikes. There is a $60 annual fee. The free bike room just outside the secure room can hold around 36 bikes. There are also now bike racks on the plaza and two sets of U racks on the south side of the station.

The free bike room has become very crowded, with bikes locked to the fence and elsewhere. We've counted over 55 bikes on a nice summer day. Fairfax County will be expanding bike parking in the free bike room next Tuesday, September 5. All bikes must be removed from the room during that time. Thanks to Fairfax County for addressing the need for more parking at the station.

From the county:

Labels: bicycle parking, wiehle station bike room, wiehle-reston east

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:27 AM permalink

 

New Bike Racks on Wiehle-Reston East Station Plaza

According to development plans (Sheet 11, page 177), bike racks will be placed on the plaza outside the station entrance. We're pleased to report that a new set of inverted U racks was recently installed near the bike share station. The racks are not covered but they do provide an option for overflow parking from the bike room. Thanks to Comstock and Fairfax County for working with us to install these racks.

Overflow bike parking at Wiehle station. Capacity is 36 bikes. There were 54 parked on July 12.

New U racks on Wiehle Station Plaza

Reston Station Development Plan, Sheet 11 showing proposed bike rack locations on plaza.

Labels: comstock, wiehle station bike room, wiehle-reston east

posted by Bruce Wright at 7:59 AM permalink

 

Bicycle Parking at Wiehle-Reston Metro Station Inadequate

We received the following guest blog post from Richard Markeloff, a regular bike commuter to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station. Richard is concerned about the lack of free bike parking:

Unsecure Free Bike room at Wiehle-Reston East station.

We agree with Richard that the unsecured bike room, located near the secure bike room, is frequently overflowing with bikes. As we reported back in August 2014, the free room has a capacity of 36 bikes but usually contains several more than that. On Thursday of last week there were 39 bikes there. Many of them, we estimated 15 or so, have been parked there long enough for their tires to be flat or grossly under inflated. The bike room was not intended to be a long term storage area. The county needs to address the problem.

Another way to address the problem is to allow short term use of the secure bike room. Currently only those who pay the annual fee of $75 ($15 of which is refundable) can use the room. There is no daily use. Motorists can pay a daily fee to park cars using their SmartTrip cards and bicyclists should be able to do the same.

Yet another solution is to add bike racks on the plaza outside the station entrance. According to the approved development plans for the property, 29 hoop racks will be installed around the plaza. The only racks there now are outside the Blvd apartments, filled with bikes belonging to the Blvd. We're working with the county and the developer to have the required 29 racks installed. We've been told that temporary racks will soon be installed until the new permanent racks appear, and that the developer seeks to modify the locations of the racks and add 11 more racks on the plaza for a total of 40 racks with a capacity for 80 bikes. That will help.

Labels: wiehle station bike room, wiehle-reston east

posted by Bruce Wright at 1:48 PM permalink

 

Wiehle Station Bike Room Closed Dec. 5-9

An issue that will surface during this closure is the number of bike that have been left in the free bike parking area for many, many months. We occasionally mark bikes in that area to determine which bikes are left for extended periods of time, and we estimate that as many as half of the spaces are taken up by those bikes, leaving much less parking for commuters who need to use the parking on a regular basis. There is always the option to pay for access to the secure bike room ($75/year), but the county needs to address the issue of bike storage in the free parking area.

Labels: wiehle station bike room, wiehle-reston east

posted by Bruce Wright at 1:50 PM permalink

 

Free Access to Metro Bike & Ride Parking

Photo: Washington Post

As reported in the Post recently, Metro introduces free, covered and secured bike parking. The Bike &  Ride parking at College Park will now be free with use of a SmartTrip card. Planned Bike & Ride facilities at East Falls Church and Vienna will also be free.

Like the Wiehe-Reston East bike room, the fees to use the secure room were very affordable. Nevertheless, the fees and application process were a barrier to use of the room. Making the rooms more accessible should encourage more people to bike to the stations.

At the Wiehle station, the free, covered bike parking just outside the secure room is usually filled to capacity. The bike room, while heavily used, has considerable room for additional bikes to be parked. We think the county will now face some pressure to follow WMATA's lead and make the Wiehle room more accessibly as well. It would no longer be a "secure" room since anyone with a SmartTrip card could enter, but most people lock their bikes in the room anyway. Cameras are located in the room which add a level of security if access is opened up.

The Wiehle bike room isn't exactly secure now. Not long ago, on two occasions we were filming a segment on bike parking in the covered area outside the bike room. Within a few minutes security guards approached and asked what we were doing. They told us that several unlocked bikes had been stolen from the bike room recently. It's reassuring that they were keeping watch to ensure it didn't happen again. That was the first we had heard of the problem. We've been told by the county that they are working to make the room more secure.

Police do report bike thefts. We have tried to get geo-referenced bike theft data but have not been successful, although we haven't pressed the issue. We know the data is available in The Daily Blotter published by Fairfax Co police.

When we asked for a digital file we were told that the "police blotter is a report put together manually with the creator looking at the exact address and changing it in the Word document to a block number. This is not a field that is readily available." Sounds like the process could be relatively easily automated. If you'd like to volunteer to extract the bicycle theft data for the blotter, please let us know. The goal would be production of a map showing bike thefts in the county. Wouldn't you want to know where thefts are occurring?

Labels: bike thefts, college park, park and ride, wiehle station bike room

posted by Bruce Wright at 9:09 AM permalink

 

Faces of Fairfax - Denise

Reston-resident Denise came by the Bike to Work Day pit stop at the Silver Line Wiehle-Reston East Metro station and shared that she regularly rode to work and around the town.  She said biking for her was a faster means of transportation than driving to work.  Denise also loves getting exercise and fresh air when she bikes.  She thinks more bike lanes and better driver training would make biking in the county easier and safer.

The Wiehle-Reston East Station boasts Fairfax County's first enclosed, secure bicycle parking facility.  This facility provides over 200 bicycle parking spaces located adjacent to the station's bus platform and kiss and ride area and helps make bike commuting to and from Reston much easier.

Labels: FABB, Faces of Fairfax, reston, wiehle station bike room, wiehle-reston east

posted by Steve Ward at 9:00 AM permalink

 

Bike Coordinator Charlie Strunk retires; Wiehle bike room named in his honor

On January 13 Charlie Strunk, the county's first and so far only bike coordinator, retired. Charlie had a long career with the county. One of his earliest projects was working on the Fairfax County Parkway construction project. He became bike coordinator in 2006 and received the FABB Award of Recognition in 2012. He also received the 2009 Transportation Achievement Award from the Transportation Advisory Commission.

Vanessa Aguayo is serving as acting bike coordinator until the position is filled. We've heard that interviews have been conducted and that a coordinator will be hired in the near future.

On Charlie's last day with the county the Board of Supervisors renamed the Wiehle-Reston East bike room in his honor and the county will place a plaque there recognizing his accomplishments.

Charlie worked hard with the developers of the station, Comstock Partners, to ensure that first-class bike parking was provided. While FABB was supportive, Charlie deserves almost all of credit for making it happen. Congratulations Charlie!

From the January 13 Board of Supervisors meeting summary:

Labels: charlie strunk, wiehle station bike room

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:19 PM permalink

 

September-October 2014 FABB News

Bicycle Master Plan

After a series of public meetings over the past year, Fairfax County identified a long list of high priority transportation projects. Funding for road and transit projects will come from money allocated by the Commonwealth of Virginia. After deciding that most pedestrian and bicycle projects were not eligible for those state funds, the county plans to fund those projects using the 2014 Transportation Bond. While most are pedestrian projects such as new sidewalks, several important bike projects are included.

We strongly support the Bond and encourage all county residents to vote YES on November 4 to improve pedestrian and bicycle access. See the list of all projects that will be implemented if the Bond passes.

Northern Virginia Cycle Fest Sunday, September 14

Northern Virginia Cycle Fest is a series of mostly on-road rides in Fairfax and Arlington Counties. The event will be held on Sunday, September 14. Four ride options, departing at 7:30 a.m., range from 11 to 62 miles. All rides originate and return to the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, 8900 Little River Turnpike. The rides are designed to be fun and challenging for riders of all levels and experience - with a suggested minimum age of 12. FABB will have an information table at the event.

Riders should be comfortable riding on roads with traffic. All ride options have rest stops, SAG vehicles, mechanical support, merchant sponsorship and light refreshments. The 2014 ride benefits Wounded Warriors Project and Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA). For more information, visit the Northern Virginia Cycle Fest website. Fee: $50/$45 JCCNV members/$20 active military and first responders.

Bike Lanes Striped on Sherwood Hall Lane in Mt. Vernon District

VDOT is completing bike lanes on Sherwood Hall Lane as part of a repaving/pavement marking project to improve safety. Bike lanes were added in both directions from Fordson Road to Fort Hunt Road, about 1.5 miles. As the street is not wide enough for bike lanes in the one-block, 450-foot segment from Holland Road to Parkers Lane, shared-lane markings, known as "sharrows," were installed to let cyclists and motorists know that bikes will share the travel lane with motorists.

Thanks to Supervisor Hyland and Delegate Surovell for supporting the project and to Fairfax County and VDOT staff for their work on the project. The newly configured road will benefit all users by making it safer and providing a dedicated bike facility.

Back to School in Fairfax

Fairfax County Schools resumed classes on Tuesday, September 2. Drivers who have been commuting past empty schools all summer will face a plethora of walkers/bikers/buses and additional cars on their normal commute. The best advice to drivers is to simply slow down and enjoy watching all the kids make their way to school for another year of learning.  Students and parents also need to be reminded to be safe. If walking, cross at intersections and look both ways before crossing. If riding, wear a helmet, ride with traffic and signal your intentions. Some advice from our Police Department: Back to School Safety Reminders.

We hope this year in FCPS will show a marked increase in schools participating in Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Programs.  Some dates to remember:  September 15-19 is VDOT's Student Tally Week, October 8 is International Walk to School Day and October 28 is the Greater Washington DC SRTS Regional meeting. The National SRTS Partnership is also looking for feedback about the types of services and support you need in your work to advance Safe Routes to School. Please take the SRTS Survey. Lastly, here is a good article from our UK brethren: Pedal Power: Why Cycling to School is Good for Learning and the Planet. And here is a nice school-related graphic from our friends in Arlington.



Bicyclists Flocking to Wiehle-Reston East Station

FABB has been doing midday counts of bikes parked at the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station since the station opened. There are 10 U racks at the south station entrance, with a capacity of 20 bikes. On the north side there are 16 U racks outside the bike room that hold 32 bikes. There is no charge to park at those racks located under cover. The secure bike room can hold over 200 bikes.

Below is a chart of counts from July 31 to August 28. Over time the number of bikes has gradually increased from a low of 61 on the second count to a high on August 28 of 107. If you compare the high number with the 2013 Metrorail bike parking census conducted by WMATA, the Wiehle station would rank 3rd in the category "Top Stations for Total Bikes Parked".

Upcoming Events

• September 14, Sunday, Northern Virginia Cycle Fest
• September 15, Monday, Bicycle Master Plan South County meeting
• September 15-19, VDOT's Student Tally Week
• September 17, Wednesday, FABB Monthly Meeting, Vienna, VA
• September 22, Monday, Car Free Day
• October 1, Wednesday, Planning Commission public hearing on Bicycle Master Plan
• October 8, Wednesday, International Walk to School Day
• October 15, Wednesday, FABB Monthly Meeting, Vienna, VA
• October 28, Tuesday, Greater Washington DC SRTS Regional meeting
• October 28, Tuesday, Board of Supervisors public hearing on Bicycle Master Plan

Labels: 2014 transportation bond, fabb newsletter, northern virginia cycle fest, sherwood hall lane, wiehle station bike room

posted by Bruce Wright at 1:14 PM permalink

 

Bike parking counts at Wiehle station

We live near the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station and ride by the station most days. We've been stopping by the three bike parking locations at the station and counting bikes since the station opened, usually around 10am.

There are 10 U racks at the south station entrance, with a capacity of 20 bikes. On the north side there are 16 U racks outside the bike room that hold 32 bikes. Those racks are free and under cover. And then there is the secure bike room that can hold over 200 bikes.

Over time the number of bikes has gradually increased from a low of 61 on the second count to a high today of 107. If you compare the high number with the 2013 Metrorail bike parking census conducted by WMATA, the Wiehle station would rank 3rd in the category "Top Stations for Total Bikes Parked".

Here's a chart of the counts from July 31 to August 28:

The free bike room racks were over capacity 6 of the 10 days, at capacity 1 day, and under capacity 3 days. The south racks usually were in the 12-14 bike range (of 20 capacity), so there was usually place to park there. The bike room was at about 1/4 capacity with plenty of room for more bikes.

While it's great that people are using the existing racks and there is plenty of capacity in the bike room, the free bike parking at the Wiehle station needs to be expanded soon, especially on the north side nearest the W&OD Trail. We think many commuters are using the W&OD Trail to reach the station, many going to/from the Reston Town Center and other locations on the north side of the station. Ultimately there will be bike racks on the plaza outside the station entrance; those racks should be installed as soon as possible.

Information about the bike parking is located in several places online. If you visit the WMATA Wiehle-Reston East station page there are 10 lockers listed. Those are located on the south side of the station, next to the 10 U racks that are not listed. The bike parking on the north side is not listed either. If you visit the Silverline Metro Wiehle-Reston East page it incorrectly lists 15 racks on both the north and south sides. It also lists the 200 spaces in the bike room.

To rent the lockers you need to contact WMATA. To rent space in the bike room you need to contact Fairfax DOT. We were contacted recently by someone who tried to park their bike in the free racks outside the bike room but the racks were full. He checked the WMATA Bikes & Metro leaflet and there was no contact info about the bike room. He asked staff at the station but they didn't know how the system worked. Metro police told him to call the WMATA bike locker number, 202 962 1116, but they don't control the bike room. Not wanting to lock his bike to the fencing around the racks he gave up.

There is a sign next to the bike room that lists the Fairfax County DOT phone number (Information and  Lost & Found, 703-877-5600). There is also a sign on the door to the bike room with the county logo with the text County of Fairfax Virginia, Wiehle-Reston East Bike & Ride, not to be confused with WMATA's Bike & Ride, a completely different system.

People don't care who controls what at the stations; they just need clear information about how to use the facilities. Ideally there would be one point of contact for all bike facilities at the stations, but that will likely not happen for a while.

Labels: bicycle parking, bike parking, wiehle station bike room

posted by Bruce Wright at 1:12 PM permalink

 

Post article on riding to the Wiehle station

Lucinda Shannon works downtown and lives two miles from the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station. Like many Reston residents, she started bike commuting when the station opened. Kelley, of FABB and the Reston ped bike committee, volunteered to help her find a good bike route and gave her some moral support. See Lucinda's story in the Post article, Meet the Silver Liners! We tagged along with a few new riders to see how it's going.

Labels: Silver line, wiehle station bike room, wiehle-reston east

posted by Bruce Wright at 12:59 PM permalink

 

Post reports on biking to Silver Line stations

Bicycles filling up Wiehle south rakes this morning.

Biking to the Tysons Silver Line stations was featured in the Post article Silver Line brings good karma for parkers - at least for now. While most people, when they hear the term "parking," only think about car parking. There is no permanent car parking planned at the four Tysons Metro stations. A temporary parking lot is available at the McLean station. There are bike racks and lockers at each of the four Tysons stations. From the article:
People will ride to the stations if it's safe and convenient. Bike access to the Wiehle station is relatively good and bikers are flocking there. This mooring at just after 8am the 16 racks outside the Wiehle bike room were nearly full as were the 10 racks on the south side of the station. Once the free racks regularly fill, I assume many people will want to join the bike room, which works out to about 25 cents/day for regular commuters.

It's not too early for WMATA and Fairfax County to figure out how to add bike parking at the Wiehle-Reston East station. Fairfax County and VDOT need to expedite construction of bike facilities to all the new stations. Signage is needed for cyclists and motorists such as sharrows and Bicycles May Use Full Lane signs. People biking to the stations reduces congestion, relieves the need for additional car parking, and is good for so many other reasons.

Labels: wiehle station bike room, wiehle-reston east

posted by Bruce Wright at 11:17 AM permalink

 

Lots of bikes at Wiehle station on Monday

Bikes parked in the free bike parking outside the Wiehle bike room

Today was the first weekday service for the Silver Line. At around 8 a.m. there were already a large number of bikes parked in the Wiehle station bike racks.

There was a bike parked in every rack at the free bike parking just outside the bike room. Each rack holds two bikes so there was still room for more bikes. I believe there are 16 racks in that space.

There were several bikes parked in the secure bike room although there was room for many more. The room can hold over 200 bikes, and the racks can be reconfigured to hold additional bikes by replacing the single inverted U racks with the vertical racks.

Bikes parked in the Wiehle bike room

On the south side of the station there are 10 U racks and there was a bike parked at nearly every rack. Again, there was room for additional bikes. See photos on the right, all of which were taking this morning at around 8 a.m.

It looks like there is considerable demand for bike parking at the Wiehle station. For those who cannot find free parking, the bike room works out to costing around 25 cents/day if you use it on a daily basis ($60/year plus one-time $15 processing and fob fee). Eventually there will also be several bike racks installed on the plaza outside the station entrance.

The one comment I heard was from a woman who said that the bike room entry door was a little hard to hold open while walking a bike. An automated or auto-assist door would be much easier for cyclists entering the room.

WMATA is renting the bike lockers at the Wiehele and Tysons stations with the exceptions of those lockers on the north side of the Spring Hill station that are located on county property. This is the last message we heard from WMATA regarding rental of those lockers: "We are not ready to sign up bike locker patrons." Not sure what the problem is since the lockers are in place and seem ready to be used.

Congratulations to Fairfax County for having the foresight to work with the property developer, Comstock Partners, to build the bike room and

Racks on south side of Wiehle station

provide the additional free parking.

Labels: Silver line, wiehle station, wiehle station bike room, wmata

posted by Bruce Wright at 3:01 PM permalink

 

Silver Line opening day

New bike room customers with Charlie Strunk, county bike coordinator

Today was the long awaited debut of Silver Line service to Reston via Tysons. It was also the official opening of the Wiehle-Reston East bike room. We live about a mile from the Wiehle station so we headed over to try to catch a ride on the first train. We parked in the bike room and noticed that most cyclists had parked at the free indoor bike parking located just outside the bike room.

At around 11:30 a.m. the ribbon was cut at the south entrance to Wiehle station. Participants included US Department of Transportation Secretary Foxx, Virginia Governor McAuliffe, Congressmen Connolly and Moran, and several Virginia and Fairfax elected officials.

Cutting the ribbon at Wiehle-Reston East

The first train pulled out of Wiehle station shortly after noon. The cars were packed so it took a while to close the doors ("Please stand back to allow the doors to close.") Most of the luminaries exited at the Tysons Corner station. We rode to East Falls Church, then crossed the platform with about half the other passengers to catch the return train to Wiehle-Reston East.

We exited again at Tysons Corner to check out the new Plaza at Tysons Corner Center (see construction camera). The direct connection from Tysons Corner station to the Plaza is not completed so we followed a circuitous route to street level then through Lord & Taylor. There were no bikes parked at the station racks but we expect them to get more use during the week.

Tysons Corner station

After lunch in Tysons we returned to Reston to retrieve our bikes from the bike room. The free parking was nearly full and there were a few bikes parked in the bike room.

We saw several passengers with bicycles at the Tysons and Reston stations. Metro is a great way to extend your cycling opportunities in the metro DC area.

Today was a major milestone for multimodal transportation in Fairfax County. It will be interesting to watch how travel patterns change over the next several years. We expect many more people in Fairfax to add Metro and biking to their transportation options.

First train riders entering Wiehle-Reston East

Passing under Wiehle Ave

Tysons Corner station bike racks

Bird sculpture on The Plaza at Tysons Corner Center

John Wetmore of Perils for Pedestrians

Metro entrepreneur

Bikes at the Wiehle station

Free parking outside Wiehle bike room

Bike coordinator Charlie Strunk and Bruce Wright of FABB inside Wiehle bike room

Bruce and Kerie in Wiehle bike room

Bike parking on south side of Wiehle station

Labels: dulles metrorail, Tysons, wiehle station bike room, wiehle-reston east

posted by Bruce Wright at 5:02 PM permalink

 

Bicycling to the Silver Line Stations

Commemorative SmartTrip card to be issued on July 26

Labels: bike locker, Silver line, wiehle station bike room

posted by Bruce Wright at 3:48 PM permalink

 

Wiehle station bike room open house recap

Supervisor Hudgins rides in with cycle convoys

A large crowd checked out the Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail station bike room on Saturday. The day started with bike convoys converging on the station and then riding in together. Several local bike groups, including FABB, had information tables.

A common question people had concerned what is the best bike route to the station from their neighborhood. People are excited they will soon be able to ride to the station to take Metro to Tysons and points east.

As opposed to free parking at existing Park & Ride lots, car parking at the Wiehle station is going to cost nearly $5. A better option is to ride the short distance

Elected officials cut the ribbon on the Wiehle station garage and bike room

from home and either park your bike for free or reserve a spot in the bike room for $60/year plus a one-time fee of $15. Others can leave their bike overnight and use it to get to their destination once they arrive on Metro.

Several people obtained bike room memberships at the open house. So far, over 200 people have signed up. While there is currently space for just over 200 bicycles, the county will likely sell up to 300 memberships, knowing that not everyone will want to use the facility at the same time.

We think the coming of Metro to Reston is going to lead to major changes in how people think about getting around. Many people in this area rarely or never take public transportation. It's often easier, more convenient, and cheaper, for them to drive. Many residents in Reston have never ridden a Fairfax Connector bus. I

FABB's Kerie Hitt at our info table

spoke with someone yesterday who has lived in Reston for many years who has never taken Metrorail.

Fairfax County hopes more people will consider leaving their cars at home and taking public transportation. Several bus route changes are planned, including more frequent service on some routes serving the new stations. The only permanent car parking will be at the Wiehle station, but bike parking will be available at all the stations. Bike lockers can be rented by contacting WMATA (except for the lockers on the north side of the Spring Hill station).

We were asked by a few people if we were concerned about heavy traffic around the station. We'll be riding a bike, so while we will have to be much more careful at intersections around the station, we won't have to contend with most of the expected congestion.

For detailed information about the Silver Line stations, visit WMATA's SilverLineMetro.com.

Inside the bike room

Labels: Silver line, wiehle station bike room

posted by Bruce Wright at 5:26 PM permalink

 

Wiehle-Reston East bike room open house on Saturday July 19

Wiehle station bike room Photo: David Madison

Check out the new bike room at the Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail station garage open house on Saturday, July 19. A ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. FABB and other local groups will have information tables. If you have questions about routes to the station, stop by the FABB table. The event is scheduled to end at 3 p.m.

The key-entry bike room has space for over 200 bikes. Just outside the bike room is free, covered bike parking. The bike room contains "Two 'fix it' stations featuring a work stand, an assortment of commonly used bike tools, and an air pump."

We've heard that several neighborhood groups are riding in convoys to the station from several locations around Reston. They plan to meet at the North Park and Ride lot at the intersection of Sunset Hills Dr and Wiehle Ave at 9:15. There will be a procession from there across Sunset Hills Dr to the parking garage.

See other FABB blog entries about the bike room.

Update: Here's a list of exhibitors at the Open House/Expo:

Labels: wiehle station bike room

posted by Bruce Wright at 4:59 PM permalink