Wednesday, December 23, 2015
FABB 2015 Year in Review
FABB had another busy and productive year promoting bicycling in Fairfax County in 2015. Please consider helping us out with a tax-deductible end-of-year donation to FABB to support our work in 2016. Thanks to everyone who has already made a donation. Below is a summary of major bike-related milestones during the past year.
Parallel Trail Included in Final Plans for I-66 Outside the Beltway
FABB led the effort to ensure that a trail parallel to I-66 was included as part of the I-66 Outside the Beltway Project. More than 480 cyclists wrote to VDOT asking that the trail be included in response to our appeal. Thank you and thanks to WABA for their help. FABB reps attended the many I-66 public meetings and spoke in support of the trail. We also met with VDOT and county staff and hosted a larger meeting of I-66 project reps to share our ideas and concerns. We plan to continue to be vigilant over the coming months and years to ensure that bike facilities are an integral part of the project.
New Fairfax County Bike Coordinator
After months of searching, in November, Fairfax County named Adam Lind as the new Bicycle Program Manager, commonly referred to as the Bike Coordinator. Adam served as the acting Bike Coordinator after Charlie Strunk, who became the county's first bike coordinator in 2006, retired in January. On Charlie's last day with the county, the Board of Supervisors renamed the Wiehle-Reston East bike room in his honor.
County Plans for Expanding Bicycle Program and Staff
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in September approved the Transportation Demand Management Plan 2016-2021, which includes recommendations for funding a new "Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator." This position is intended to conduct encouragement and education programs, as recommended in the Bicycle Master Plan, which will complement the existing Bicycle Coordinator and Pedestrian Coordinator positions who focus on the development of infrastructure projects.
Programs for Young Cyclists Continued to Growth
Bike to School Day in May was a huge success in Fairfax County where 54 schools participated. Many schools met the 100 or more bikers challenge and 7 schools participated for the first time. The Fairfax County Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Coordinator conducted bike safety classes at 15 elementary schools. Also, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), using SRTS grant funds, purchased 30 bikes and 6 Strider no-pedal balance bikes for these classes. Additional grant funds will be used to purchase more bikes to expand the bike program to middle schools. FABB played a key role in getting the county to hire the SRTS coordinator who organized these projects.
Reston Bikeshare Plans Advancing
Plans to make Reston a part of Capital Bikeshare continued to progress this year. Fairfax County is applying for an additional $500,000 from the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) for capital equipment. Fairfax’s plan calls for 130 bikes at 13 bike stations in and around Reston Town Center, the Plaza America Shopping Center, Reston Hospital Center, and the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station.
Fairfax County Receives First-Ever Automated Bike Counter
Reston Bicycle Club's generous donation of a mobile bike counter, with help from FABB, enabled Fairfax County to begin to establish bicycle and pedestrian counts at locations around the county. Eventually the county hopes to have a network of counters to establish a baseline assessment of bicycle activity in Fairfax County and track the implementation and performance of the Bicycle Master Plan.
Fairfax Economic Strategic Plan Supports Bicycling
Fairfax County’s updated economic strategic plan, adopted in March, emphasizes the creation of livable communities with expanded bike-pedestrian networks. The plan proposes funding for additional bicycle and pedestrian improvements and easements for new trails and park greenways in line with the Bicycle Master Plan recommendations.
VDOT Receives National Safety Award for Lawyers Road
As it worked on several new road diet projects this summer, VDOT was recognized with a National Roadway Safety Award for the improvements achieved by its FABB-supported 2009 road diet project on Lawyers Road.
Rising Pace of Projects, Proposals, and Hearings
A number of local projects and proposals impacted bicyclists this year. Projects included VDOT’s creation of more than 34 miles of new bike lanes in the county as part of this summer's repaving program, replacement of the rusted Van Dorn Street pedestrian bridge in Alexandria, and a new Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacon (RRFB) signal at the W&OD Trail/Cedar Lane intersection in Vienna. FABB participated in multiple meetings on the Rt. 7 Corridor Improvements Project which includes parallel multi-use trails between Reston and Tysons, and the previously mentioned bike facilities that are part of the I-66 widening project.
Snow Removal from County Trails
In October, the Reston Association Board of Directors voted unanimously to work with Fairfax County to remove snow from county trails in Reston near the Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail station. Earlier in the year NOVA Parks began clearing snow from the 45 miles of the W&OD Trail. This will help transportation cyclists commute year round.
New Bike-Related Laws in 2015
Virginia’s legislators passed two bicycle-related laws that went into effect on July 1, 2015. The first prohibits motorists from following too closely behind another vehicle, including a bicycle, not just another "motor" vehicle. The second law allows a motorist to safely pass a bicyclist by crossing the solid yellow line.
Successful Clips Beer & Film Tour in Reston
In September, FABB volunteers helped bring New Belgium Brewing Company’s Clips Beer and Film Tour to Reston Town Center for its inaugural Northern Virginia run. Proceeds from the event benefit FABB’s work in making Fairfax a better place to bike. Crowds of visitors got to try some of New Belgium’s more exotic beers while enjoying short films displayed on a large portable screen. FABB received help from The Bike Lane which provided bike valet service.
FABB Chairman Bruce Wright Honored
The Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations awarded Bruce Wright a Citation of Merit as part of its annual Citizen of the Year program, which recognizes people whose voluntary contributions of time and talent enhance the quality of life of Fairfax County citizens.
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Labels: year in review
Monday, December 31, 2012
2012 Year in Review
Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling
Year in Review 2012
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
In 2012, FABB continued to be a strong local voice for all those who want to bicycle comfortably and safely in Fairfax County. This past year saw the completion of the Fairfax Bicycle Master Plan and the first Fairfax Bike Summit in addition to considerable activity on the biking-to-school front.
Fairfax County Bike Master Plan: Extensive work on the on-going bicycle master plan project occurred in 2012. At the start of the year, 70 residents attended the Burke-Springfield bike plan meeting, just one of eight regional meetings held around the county to receive public input. FABB representatives served on the bike plan advisory committee, attending many meetings dealing with detailed aspects of the plan. FABB representatives also participated in focus groups related to economic impacts, health, safety, school transportation, and law enforcement. Based on earlier field work and the extensive public and committee input, the contractor presented the final draft route network and a map of the final bicycle route recommendations. The county currently is finalizing the plan. An important FABB goal is to ensure that the plan is approved by the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors in 2013.
Successful Fairfax Bike Summit: The Fairfax Bike Summit was on Saturday October 27 with almost 140 attendees. Andy Clarke, the president of the League of American Bicyclists, was the keynote speaker at this inaugural event held at George Mason University. As the day progressed, speaker after speaker detailed ways to bring better and safer conditions to Fairfax. The summit also included refreshments, vendor displays, and a bike tour of the campus. FABB presented awards to Fairfax County Bicycle Coordinator Charlie Strunk and VDOT Traffic Engineer Randy Dittberner for their work on behalf of bicyclists; both are avid transportation cyclists. The summit was a great chance to meet other bike advocates and people interested in making Fairfax a better place to bike. See the Ideas for Moving Forward submitted by attendees during the summit. We heard much positive feedback about this event and hope to organize more such events in the future.
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) for Fairfax kids: For several years, FABB has been working with both Fairfax County government and Fairfax County Public Schools, encouraging them to embrace a system-wide effort to get more children to walk and bike to school. In January, the Fairfax County School Board adopted a policy that clarifies that parents make the final decision as to whether their children bike to school. This policy also added language that encourages kids to walk and bike to school, and the school system encouraged participation in the inaugural Bike to School Day in May. Jeff Anderson has been leading the charge for FABB and in 2012 brought national exposure to local efforts. In May, WAMU's Metro Connection interviewed Jeff and his children, while Wolfie’s Bike
Train, led by Jeff, was featured on Nickelodeon and in an international report by Nike. The heightened exposure generated considerable interest, and school-related efforts are springing up in many parts of the county. Terra Centre Elementary School and Cunningham Park Elementary School received infrastructure funds, and a number of additional local schools received mini-grants from the VDOT SRTS program. See the FABB SRTS page for details. We hope to see more programs develop and many more children riding in 2013.
Train, led by Jeff, was featured on Nickelodeon and in an international report by Nike. The heightened exposure generated considerable interest, and school-related efforts are springing up in many parts of the county. Terra Centre Elementary School and Cunningham Park Elementary School received infrastructure funds, and a number of additional local schools received mini-grants from the VDOT SRTS program. See the FABB SRTS page for details. We hope to see more programs develop and many more children riding in 2013.
FABB volunteers out and about in the community: FABB representatives continued to speak at many public meetings, appeared in media articles, and provided input to various committees. FABB volunteers attended almost 100 meetings over the course of the year, including 30 directly related to the bicycle master plan. Volunteers came out in all weather for bike rodeos, bike valets, bike counts, Bike to Work Day events, Tour de Fat festival, and more. Plus many FABB volunteers were involved in planning the Fairfax Bike Summit.
New and old modes of communication: We posted more than 310 articles on the FABB blog, sent our bi-monthly newsletter to 1,400 folks, and have several FABB columnists on the Patch media sites. In our social media outreach, FABB has 600 friends on Facebook and more than 1,200 followers on Twitter. Back in the real world, we continue meeting on the third Wednesday of every month at Patrick Henry Library in Vienna. As always, all are welcome at the monthly meeting: next meeting will be Wednesday, January 16 at 7:30 p.m.
First bicycle fatality since 2010: A cyclist was killed crossing Columbia Pike in November when she was hit by a motorist driving a pickup truck. At this location, Columbia Pike is a high speed arterial road with no bike facilities, and apparently the cyclist was trying to cross over to the Barcroft Plaza Shopping Center. FABB subsequently placed a ghost bike near the site of the crash. As well as acting as a memorial to this cyclist, the ghost bike is intended to remind passing motorists to share the road. We continue in our on-going efforts to improve the safety of county roads for all cyclists.
News from our state & local agencies: Garrett Moore, VDOT Northern Virginia District Chief, was recently named the Chief Engineer for the Commonwealth so we are expecting to see someone new appointed to the district position in 2013. Meanwhile, Fairfax County Department of Transportation hired a new bicycle (and pedestrian) staff person to work in the county bike program. In policy news, VDOT completed a strategic plan to guide their SRTS work in Virginia through 2017.
Thank you: We couldn’t do what we do without the support and assistance we receive from our volunteers, supporters, donors, and well wishers. A big thank you to all of you; we always appreciate people giving their time, energy, and skills. Thanks also to the public officials who patiently work with us on an on-going basis. We all are working for safety, access, and the health and well-being of our community.
Thank you: We couldn’t do what we do without the support and assistance we receive from our volunteers, supporters, donors, and well wishers. A big thank you to all of you; we always appreciate people giving their time, energy, and skills. Thanks also to the public officials who patiently work with us on an on-going basis. We all are working for safety, access, and the health and well-being of our community.
Good riding and always remember to use lights after dark.
FABB BLOG - For other news and articles of interest, visit the FABB blog.
Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling is a grassroots initiative, affiliated with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, aiming to make bicycling an integral part of Fairfax County's transportation network. Visit us on the web.
Labels: 2012, year in review
Saturday, December 31, 2011
FABB - 2011 Year in Review
Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling
2011 in Review
“When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race.” H.G. Wells
FABB entered its seventh year of volunteer advocacy in Fairfax and continues to play a major role in ensuring that the needs of bicyclists are being incorporated into the county’s future. FABB is a strong local voice for those wishing to ride comfortably and safely to work, their child’s school or for recreation.
Planning in Fairfax: Early in the year, FABB assisted in finalizing the Tysons Bike Master Plan. Fairfax County is now working on the county-wide bicycle master plan which will determine how bicycle-friendly design should be incorporated into roadway and transit projects as well as what program and policy changes are needed to support bicycling. FABB members serve on the county bicycle plan advisory committee and play a very active role in the project. Several local public meetings will be held in 2012 that will give cyclists opportunities to give input on the plan. The Burke-Springfield area meeting is planned for January 24.
Safe Routes to School for Fairfax Kids: FABB is part of a successful ongoing coalition that has worked behind the scenes to bring about policy changes to increase walking and biking to schools all over Fairfax County.
New Infrastructure: Bike facilities were installed along Gallows Road, as part of the Soapstone Drive road diet and on the rebuilt bridges over the Beltway. WMATA plans to improve bike access to several Metro stations. WMATA is also planning a bike and ride facility at the Franconia-Springfield station.
Volunteers Out and About: FABB representatives continue to speak at many public meetings, appear in media articles, and provide input to various committees. FABB spoke to many groups including the Vienna Bicycle Advisory Committee, Transition Centreville, Burke Walks, Transportation Advisory Commission, Reston Bike Club, and the YMCA. Volunteers worked in all weather at bike light giveaways, bike rodeos, Bike to Work Day events, and more. Thank you as always to all our volunteers.
Modes of Communication: While continuing to post more than 250 articles this year alone on the FABB blog, FABB has almost 500 friends on Facebook and 1000 followers on Twitter. We send out our bi-monthly newsletter to more than 1250 cyclists. We have several regular FABB columnists and many articles appearing on the Patch sites.
Meetings and Visitors: All are welcome to attend FABB's monthly meetings on the third Wednesday of every month at Patrick Henry Library in Vienna. Usually around 15 people including the county bike coordinator attend. While we conduct a lot of business at the meetings, we also socialize and network. This year, meeting presenters included Randy Dittberner of VDOT, Police Officer Alice Eggers, Allen Muchnick of Virginia Bicycling Federation, as well as speakers on Complete Streets and Open Street Maps. We hope to hold some of the monthly meetings in different parts of the county in 2012. Next meeting: Wednesday January 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Patrick Henry Library in Vienna.
Awards and Honors: In March, FABB received national recognition from the Alliance for Biking & Walking for the Virginia advocates guide that we published in 2010. At the WABA Annual Meeting, FABB member Fionnuala Quinn received the Bicycle Advocacy Award. We appreciate the support and recognition for our work.
Fun Times on Bikes: FABB participated in many rides including Bike to Work Day in May. FABB members Bruce Wright and Kerie Hitt organized and participated in a bike/car/bus challenge, which demonstrated bicycling can take less time than driving or riding the bus for short trips in Reston. In August, FABB greeted and provided refreshments for 30 velomobile riders along the W&OD Trail in Vienna. We joined some of the monthly bike trains at Wolf Trap Elementary School, organized by parent Jeff Anderson. The bike trains continue to be an inspiration to the community and we hope to see many more children riding through the Safe Routes to School program in 2012.
Conferences and Other Events: FABB representatives attended the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC, Bike to Mason Day at George Mason University, Cyclefest, Paul’s Ride for Life, Earth Day, Herndon Festival bike valet, county health events, Graham Road Elementary School Bike Rodeo, and congressional visits on the Hill. We learned lots and met a wide range of folks working hard on bicycling issues.
Disappointment: The three-foot passing law, championed by the Virginia Bicycle Federation, failed to be adopted into law. Another attempt to pass the law will be made in 2012.
Happily, No Bicycle Fatalities: After four fatalities in 2010, we are unaware of any biking-related deaths in the county in 2011. However, a number of serious injuries occurred and our work for safer design, education and driver awareness continues. See stats on 2011 bike crashes.
News from the Agencies: Several key appointments were filled this year: VDOT Northern Virginia District Administrator, Fairfax County Transportation Director, VDOT State Bike Coordinator and Virginia Safe Routes to School Coordinator. We have established good working relationships with the new officials.
Thank Yous: A sincere thank you for the help and support from our volunteers, well wishers, and donors. Thank you also to the public officials who patiently listen and work with us on an ongoing basis. We are all working for safety, access, and the health and well-being of our community.
We wish you good riding in 2012 and always remember to use bike lights after dark.
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For more details on FABB events, see the FABB Events page. See also theWABA events page.
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FABB BLOG - For other news and articles of interest, visit the FABB blog.
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Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling is a grassroots initiative, affiliated with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, aiming to make bicycling an integral part of Fairfax County's transportation network. Visit us on the web. If you would like to unsubscribe to the newsletter, send a message to news@fabb-bikes.org.
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Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling is a grassroots initiative, affiliated with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, aiming to make bicycling an integral part of Fairfax County's transportation network. Visit us on the web. If you would like to unsubscribe to the newsletter, send a message to news@fabb-bikes.org.
Labels: 2011, FABB, year in review
