Sunday, August 9, 2009
New bike lanes in Reston
The planned road diet on Lawyers Road is finally a reality. The road was recently repaved and converted from a dangerous four-lane road with fast traffic to a three-lane road with five foot bike lanes. The bike symbols are not yet painted in the bike lanes but they should be in place soon. The road is a much different road than before the restriping.Traffic was flowing well today as I rode up and down the approximately two mile stretch of new bike lanes from Reston Parkway to Myrtle Lane. The lanes end at Myrtle, just before the older, narrow two-lane section. Most cyclists headed east will turn left on Soapstone Dr to head to Glade Dr instead of continuing on Lawyers.
Traffic was much calmer than before the new bike lanes were striped. Instead of having the fastest motorists setting the pace in one of the two 45 mph lanes in each direction, the slowest cars now set the pace in the single through lane. Those who will dislike the results are the fastest motorists, the ones who likely cause the most crashes.
After riding along Lawyers for a while I turned south on Myrtle Lane to explore the roads south of Lawyers. The new bike-friendly Lawyers is a revelation; there is so much more territory to explore safely by bike now. I turned onto Running Cedar Rd, back to Soapstone, then to Foxclove Rd. I had forgotten that Foxclove continues south to Stuart Mill Rd with a jog past a chain across the road where motorists are not allowed to pass. One can take Stuart Mill Rd left to head to Birdfoot Ln and back to Lawyers Rd; a route often used by the Reston Bike Club.
Other options are to head west on Lawyers to Reston Parkway and the Reston South Park and Ride lot, Fox Mill Shopping Center, and the sidepath along West Ox Road that heads south to Route 50 and the Fair Oaks area.
I encourage everyone to check out the new, traffic-calmed Lawyers Rd and the new bike lanes. While it's a relatively short stretch of road, it could be a sign of things to come. There are many mean streets like Lawyers that could be tamed by adding bike lanes. While all lanes are bike lanes, some are better than others.
Update: There is one problem with the new lane configuration; the speed limit is still 45 mph. We think it should be reduced to 35 mph, which is likely the new 85 percentile speed. Traffic will move slower and safer, and a new speed limit would be a recognition of that reality.
There also need to be turn arrows for left turning vehicles at Steeplechase and Soapstone. Both of these changes can be made relatively easily in the future.
Labels: bike lanes, lawyers road
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Good news about road diet on Lawyers Rd
- Average speed dropped by about 1 mph, from roughly 45 to 44 mph, but there was a more notable change in the fastest speeds. Before the road diet, 13% of vehicles were recorded at 50 mph or above. After, only 1% of vehicles were recorded at or over 50 mph. These speed results led VDOT to reduce the speed limit on Lawyers from 45 mph to 40 mph.
- In the four years prior to the road diet, Lawyers averaged 15 crashes per year. In the first year after the road diet, we observed only 3 crashes in the same segment of Lawyers, for an 80 percent drop. It is too early to make any firm conclusions about the safety results, but the initial trend is very encouraging.
According to the survey, people think the road is now safer, encourages more people to travel by bike, that travel times have not increased, and that road diets should be used elsewhere:
A total of 851 responses to the survey were collected. Of these responses, 67 included only answers to the first two demographic questions; these responses were discarded, leaving 784 valid responses.
Key Findings
Key Findings
- 69 percent of respondents said Lawyers seems safer after the road diet was implemented, compared with 15 percent who felt that it seems less safe.
- 47 percent of respondents bicycled on Lawyers more often than before, indicating that the road diet encourages cycling as a travel mode.
- 69 percent of respondents said auto travel times have not increased, even though 59 percent said speeds dropped.
- 74 percent of respondents agreed that the project improved Lawyers Road.
- 71 percent of respondents agreed that other road diets should be considered in Northern Virginia.
Labels: bike lanes, lawyers road, road diet
Friday, February 13, 2009
Bike lanes proposed on Lawyers Road in Reston
VDOT is proposing to restripe a section of Lawyers Rd in Reston from 4 to 3 lanes with 5-foot bike lanes between Fox Mill Rd and Myrtle Lane, about 2 miles in length.There are several destinations for local cyclists located just to the west such as the Reston South Park and Ride Lot, Fox Mill Shopping Center, and a new 10-foot asphalt trail along Reston Parkway/Lawyers Rd to the south. The few short sections of unconnected, crumbling paved trail along the road are not useable for bicycling. The proposed bike lanes would allow residents living in the area to finally have a bike facility on the road.
To the east is a narrow, two-lane section of Lawyers Road that is not part of this project but is used currently by many cyclists from the Reston Bicycle Club on their Tuesday night rides.
According to the bike lanes flier handed out at the Hunter Mill Transportation Advisory Committee meeting, several vehicles have been rear-ended on Lawyers while stopped in the left lane waiting to turn left; through traffic may not expect to encounter stopped traffic in a through lane. Also, 15 preventable crashes have occurred on this section of Lawyers in the year time period 2005-2007.
VDOT and the Hunter Mill District office plan to hold a public meeting on the proposed bike lanes on Wednesday, March 4, 7-9 PM at Langston Hughes Middle School (map). Cyclists are encouraged to attend the meeting and support the proposed bike lanes.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Lawyers Road bike lane meeting
About 30 people attended the meeting on March 4 to discuss the proposed restriping of Lawyers Road. VDOT is proposing to reduce the travel lanes from from 4 to 3 lanes with 5-foot bike lanes and a center turn lane between Fox Mill Rd and Myrtle Lane, about 2 miles in length (project flier). Randy Dittberner of VDOT gave a good overview of the concept of a road diet and how it could improve traffic safety on Lawyers Rd.According to Randy, 30% of the crashes that occurred on the road in the past 5 years were preventable. Without a turn lane, cars are often struck from behind when turning left. In many areas there is a drop off adjacent to the pavement. A police car was once struck from behind when parked on the outside lane.
Lawyers Rd is an ideal candidate for a road diet. It has a relatively low number of vehicles per day (8,000) and the level of service at the two major intersections is A and according to the traffic model, would remain A after the road diet. Most people at the meeting were enthusiastic about the project as it would reduce travel speeds and crashes, and provide a dedicated bike facility.
The main concerns expressed by those in opposition were about travel delays for those living in the area who need to turn onto the road from side streets. While there will be increased delay, it should be minimal. As one person noted, there will be much less danger of being rear-ended with the proposed center turn lane. The benefits seem to far outweigh the negative impacts. Several cyclists said they commute on Lawyers and were looking forward to finally having a bike facility on the road.
One local resident asked that a second meeting be held so that more residents could attend. If a second meeting is scheduled, we will send out a notice. In the meantime, if you would like to comment on the project, send a message to Supervisor Hudgins' office.
Monday, March 25, 2013
More good news about Lawyers Road bike lanes
In 2009 VDOT changed Lawyers Road from a dangerous four lane road to a two lane road with bike lanes and a center turn lane. See our many blog entries about the project. While the new bike lanes are a great benefit for cyclists, the primary advantage of the new road is that is is a much safer road. Car crashes have significantly decreased, as have the speeds. Here is a report from VDOT that includes the latest crash statistics for the first two years after the project was implemented:
In the four years prior to the road diet, this part of Lawyers averaged 15 crashes per year. The literature suggested that we might see a crash reduction of 20% to 40%, but in fact, in the first two years after implementation, Lawyers averaged only 3 crashes per year, an 80% drop. Attached is a chart showing the crash history.
In addition to the crash reduction, the project also helped slow the worst speed offenders without negatively impacting travel time. Public support was mixed prior to the change, but after one year, 74% of survey respondents felt the change was an improvement to Lawyers Road.
In addition to the crash reduction, the project also helped slow the worst speed offenders without negatively impacting travel time. Public support was mixed prior to the change, but after one year, 74% of survey respondents felt the change was an improvement to Lawyers Road.
Labels: lawyers road, road diet, vdot
Sunday, April 19, 2009
News article on Lawyers Road bike lanes
As we noted earlier, VDOT recently held a meeting to discuss a proposal to restripe Lawyers Rd from 4 to 3 lanes. A few people who attended the meeting were opposed to the plan. Try to follow the reasoning of one of those opponents. Because there are many blind spots (that will be reduced with the project), and the road is very dangerous (VDOT says that a crash reduction of 20% is possible with the project and traffic will be slowed), VDOT should not implement the project.According to an article in the Reston Observer, VDOT Considers Lane Changes to Lawyers Rd., this person (who earlier in the meeting made a joke about getting points for hitting a cyclist):
is concerned that the bike lanes would result in more cyclists and cause further danger. He said cyclists could choose to use the pathways that are located throughout the area. However many cyclists who attended the meeting were in favor of the plan.
The cyclists are in favor because there are no pathways along Lawyers Rd. There is a nice path that meanders along the stream valley nearby, but it is not appropriate for most bicycle trips. The majority of the people who attended the meeting were in favor of the project including a couple who live adjacent to the road:Others at the meeting thought the plan could make driving on Lawyers Road safer. One homeowner said in the four years she has lived off the road there have been multiple times where she has had to clean accident debris from her back yard.
Labels: bike lanes, lawyers road, vdot
Monday, November 16, 2015
VDOT Receives National Safety Award for Lawyers Road
Today VDOT received a National Roadway Safety Award for making Lawyers Road and Soapstone Drive safer by implementing a road diet that also created bike lanes. The Lawyers Road project was the first "road diet" in Virginia and has proven to be very successful. FABB was heavily involved in supporting the project. Congratulations to VDOT. Several more road diet projects were implemented this summer, in part based on the success of these two projects.
PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
November 16, 2015
(Washington, DC) -- During a national awards ceremony on Capitol Hill, the Roadway Safety Foundation (RSF) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today honored the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for its two Reston Road Diet projects, which were designed to increase safety by reducing the number of lanes on 2-mile segments of both Lawyers Road and Soapstone Drive in Fairfax County. Together, these projects jointly received one of 10 2015 National Roadway Safety Awards.
These heavily traveled sections of roadway carry about 10,000 vehicles per day and were prone to excessive speeding. VDOT implemented the Road Diets by cutting the number of through lanes in half to two and adding a center turn lane. There was virtually no cost since the projects were implemented in conjunction with other paving projects. In addition, the extra width of the roadways were converted into bicycle lanes, building on the multimodal transportation network in the Reston area focused on improving safety and mobility of cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. Following project completion, crashes decreased by 69 percent on Lawyers Road and 67 percent on Soapstone Drive.
“We are just pleased that in working with the community, we have been able to put in minor changes that make a major improvement to safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians,” said Helen Cuervo, Northern Virginia district administrator for VDOT. “We are making the best use possible of the pavement, and because we’re seizing the opportunity to adjust the designs during regularly scheduled work, these changes come at very low cost.”
CONTACT: Cathy Gillen
cell (443) 463-4449
cathy@thegillengroup.com
November 16, 2015
Virginia Department of Transportation Road Diets in Reston
Honored with a National Roadway Safety Award
(Washington, DC) -- During a national awards ceremony on Capitol Hill, the Roadway Safety Foundation (RSF) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today honored the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for its two Reston Road Diet projects, which were designed to increase safety by reducing the number of lanes on 2-mile segments of both Lawyers Road and Soapstone Drive in Fairfax County. Together, these projects jointly received one of 10 2015 National Roadway Safety Awards.
These heavily traveled sections of roadway carry about 10,000 vehicles per day and were prone to excessive speeding. VDOT implemented the Road Diets by cutting the number of through lanes in half to two and adding a center turn lane. There was virtually no cost since the projects were implemented in conjunction with other paving projects. In addition, the extra width of the roadways were converted into bicycle lanes, building on the multimodal transportation network in the Reston area focused on improving safety and mobility of cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. Following project completion, crashes decreased by 69 percent on Lawyers Road and 67 percent on Soapstone Drive.
“We are just pleased that in working with the community, we have been able to put in minor changes that make a major improvement to safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians,” said Helen Cuervo, Northern Virginia district administrator for VDOT. “We are making the best use possible of the pavement, and because we’re seizing the opportunity to adjust the designs during regularly scheduled work, these changes come at very low cost.”
CONTACT: Cathy Gillen
cell (443) 463-4449
cathy@thegillengroup.com
Labels: lawyers road, national roadway safety award, road diet, soapstone drive, vdot
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Lawyers Road featured in national road diet guide
The Federal Highway Administration recently published the "Road Diet Informational Guide" that users Lawyers Road as the case study. VDOT staff provided input to the guide's authors based on their experience with road diets in Virginia. In 2011 a second road diet in Reston converted Soapstone Drive from four lanes to two lanes and bike lanes, providing good bike access to the new Wiehle-Reston East Silver Line station.
See our coverage of the Lawyers Road and Soapstone Drive projects.
We are fortunate to have some very forward thinking engineers in the Northern Virginia District of VDOT who are willing to experiment with new road treatments that make some of our roads safer for everyone.
See our coverage of the Lawyers Road and Soapstone Drive projects.
We are fortunate to have some very forward thinking engineers in the Northern Virginia District of VDOT who are willing to experiment with new road treatments that make some of our roads safer for everyone.
Labels: lawyers road, road diet, soapstone drive, vdot
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Sharrows placed on Lawyers Road in Reston
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| Photo: Charlie Bobbish |
Sharrows, also known as Shared Lane Markings, are intended to let motorist know to expect cyclists in the road, and to guide cyclists as to where they should be riding. Here is info on use of sharrows from the national standard on traffic markings, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices:
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| Image from the Arlington PAL campaign |
- Assist bicyclists with lateral positioning in a shared lane with on-street parallel parking in order to reduce the chance of a bicyclist's impacting the open door of a parked vehicle,
- Assist bicyclists with lateral positioning in lanes that are too narrow for a motor vehicle and a bicycle to travel side by side within the same traffic lane,
- Alert road users of the lateral location bicyclists are likely to occupy within the traveled way,
- Encourage safe passing of bicyclists by motorists, and
- Reduce the incidence of wrong-way bicycling.
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| Sharrows being installed on Lawyers Rd Photo: Jeff Anderson |
Standard:
03 Shared Lane Markings shall not be used on shoulders or in designated bicycle lanes.
Guidance:
04 If used in a shared lane with on-street parallel parking, Shared Lane Markings should be placed so that the centers of the markings are at least 11 feet from the face of the curb, or from the edge of the pavement where there is no curb.
05 If used on a street without on-street parking that has an outside travel lane that is less than 14 feet wide, the centers of the Shared Lane Markings should be at least 4 feet from the face of the curb, or from the edge of the pavement where there is no curb.
06 If used, the Shared Lane Marking should be placed immediately after an intersection and spaced at intervals not greater than 250 feet thereafter.
Option:
07 Section 9B.06 describes a Bicycles May Use Full Lane sign that may be used in addition to or instead of the Shared Lane Marking to inform road users that bicyclists might occupy the travel lane.
Labels: lawyers road, shared lane markings, sharrows
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Lawyers Road bike lane letter to the editor
In response to an earlier article about the latest Lawyers Road bike lane meeting in the Reston Observer, we submitted a letter to the editor that was recently published entitled Lawyers Plan is Good for Drivers, Riders:It would be difficult to argue against a project that could reduce crashes by 20 percent, slow traffic, and provide bike lanes. Many bicyclists use this road for commuting and recreation. Participants in the Reston Triathlon often train on this section, which is part of the official triathlon bike course.
VDOT has proposed an excellent solution to dangerous conditions on Lawyers Road that should be widely supported by the community. In fact, I would be concerned if VDOT didn't take advantage of this opportunity to improve the safety of the road.
VDOT has proposed an excellent solution to dangerous conditions on Lawyers Road that should be widely supported by the community. In fact, I would be concerned if VDOT didn't take advantage of this opportunity to improve the safety of the road.
Labels: lawyers road, letter to editor
Friday, October 14, 2011
Soapstone bike lane project starts Monday
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| Soapstone Dr. |
Work will begin on the southern-most segment of the road from south of Lawyers Rd to Glade Dr which is currently only 2 wide lanes. That configuration will not change. This project will link up with the new bike lanes on Lawyers Rd, giving cyclists from the south a very good route leading toward the new Reston-Wiehle Avenue station on the Silver Line.
A big thank you to VDOT for having the vision to modify Soapstone and Lawyers, making both roads safer for everyone and creating dedicated bike facilities for cyclists.
Labels: road diet, soapstone drive
Friday, October 28, 2016
Public Meeting on Reston Repaving Projects
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| Crash reduction on Lawyers Road after road diet |
This is your chance to support better biking in Reston. There is very little cost to the county to improve safety for bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorists. The bike lanes on Lawyers Road and Soapstone Drive were an outcome of repaving projects. Please consider attending this meeting and supporting the county's efforts to make biking safer and more convenient in Reston.
Roads under consideration include:
Where: Terraset Elementary School, Cafeteria, 11411 Ridge Heights Rd, Reston, VA 20191
- Glade Drive - Glade Bank Way to Twin Branches Rd
- Twin Branches Road - Lawyers Road to South Lakes Drive
- Colts Neck Road - Reston Parkway to Sunrise Valley Drive
- North Shore Drive - Ring Road to Oak Spring Way
Where: Terraset Elementary School, Cafeteria, 11411 Ridge Heights Rd, Reston, VA 20191
Friday, March 17, 2017
Support Needed for Reston Bike Projects
When the Lawyers Road and Soapstone Drive road diet projects were proposed, the same arguments were used against those roads. On Lawyers Road there was almost no impact on traffic throughput while at the same time crashes were deducted by over 60% during the 5 years since project completion.
The most vocal opposition was against the road diet project on Colts Neck Road. During repaving of the road this summer Fairfax Co is proposing to reduce the regular travel lanes from two in each direction to one lane in each direction with bike lanes. Current traffic volume is well below the recommended level for implementing a road diet and less than the volume on the successful Lawyers Road project. The Colts Neck project will provide dedicated bike facilities and a safer road for everyone, including the many pedestrians in that area who regularly cross to access the shopping center on the east side.
Please contact the Fairfax County bike program by March 31 with your supportive comments:
I strongly support the bike projects on Colts Neck Road, North Shore Drive, and Twin Branches Road will make those roads safer for all users while providing much needed bike facilities. The road diet on Colts Neck Road, where many cyclists currently ride, is especially important.
Byclists will have dedicated space on Colts Neck and pedestrians crossing the road will be safer, having to only cross one lane in each direction rather than two. Speeds should be reduced as well. When the Reston Town Center Metro station opens, Colts Neck will be a major bike route to that station. The bike lanes on Colts Neck will connect to the planned cycletrack on Sunrise Valley Dr. and connect to the many developments planned along Sunrise Valley Dr.
Byclists will have dedicated space on Colts Neck and pedestrians crossing the road will be safer, having to only cross one lane in each direction rather than two. Speeds should be reduced as well. When the Reston Town Center Metro station opens, Colts Neck will be a major bike route to that station. The bike lanes on Colts Neck will connect to the planned cycletrack on Sunrise Valley Dr. and connect to the many developments planned along Sunrise Valley Dr.
Labels: colts neck road, north shore drive, repaving, road diet, twin branches road
Friday, August 6, 2010
VDOT survey on Lawyers Rd bike lanes
It's been a year since bike lanes were stripped on Lawyers Road. The road was modified from four travel lanes to two travel lanes, two bike lanes, and a center turn lane, in what is known as a "road diet." Before the project I would avoid the road, especially on a bike. Traffic speeds were high and there was no shoulder so the road just didn't feel safe. For some cyclists it was OK; motorists could use the inside lane to pass. The Reston Bike Club Tuesday night riders could take one lane and there was still another lane for motorists. But for most cyclists, it wasn't a comfortable place to ride.The new configuration makes for a much more pleasant ride. The traffic volume is low enough that there is never much of a backup, even during rush hour. Speeds seem to be lower, and the bike lanes help considerably, giving cyclists plenty of room. I even use the road when I'm driving a car as it seems safer.
VDOT is gathering statistics about safety and traffic volumes before and after the project. While waiting for the results of that study, you can fill out an online survey about the Lawyers Road project to let VDOT know what you think about the project. What do you think about traffic speeds before and after the project? Have the number of bicyclists and pedestrians increased? (I was surprised to see pedestrians using the bike lanes. They have nowhere else to go and are desperate for a place to walk.) Do you use the road more after the addition of the bike lanes?
Probably the most important question on the survey is "A similar project should be considered for other streets in Northern Virginia. Agree or disagree?" We think there are many roads that could go on a road diet. Soapstone Dr intersects this road and leads north to the future Wiehle Ave Metro station and would be an ideal candidate for a road diet as would some roads in the Town Center.
Labels: lawyers road, road diet
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Meeting on Soapstone Dr bike lanes on Monday
VDOT is proposing to add bike lanes to Soapstone Dr between Glade Dr and Sunrise Valley Dr. The project is similar to the restriping of Lawyers Rd which created almost 2 miles of bike lanes, reduced crashes, and reduced speeds. There was opposition to the Lawyers Rd project and it was only because cyclists attended the two public meetings and spoke out in support of the project that it was approved.According to the Hunter Mill District office, "A public meeting will be held to get community input on possible changes to Soapstone Drive pavement markings after the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) repaving project in the summer. The meeting will take place on Monday, May 9th from 7-9 PM at Terraset Elementary School. VDOT and Fairfax County Department of Transportation staff will be available for a question and answer session."
Please try to attend this important public meeting to learn what is being proposed by VDOT and speak out in support of the project. The bike lanes would connect to the Lawyers Rd bike lanes via the wide curb lanes on Soapstone south of Glade Dr. They would also connect to the shared use path along Sunrise Valley Dr and provide a bike route to the future Metro station at Wiehle Ave. See the public meeting notice on the Hunter Mill Facebook page.
Labels: road diet, soapstone drive
Friday, April 17, 2009
Gallows and Lawyers Road bike lane meetings
Two bike lane-related meetings were held this week. VDOT will be repaving Gallows Road from the Dunn Loring Metro station north to Old Courthouse Road in Tysons. Fairfax County has requested that bike lanes be added when the road is restriped. Money has been available for many years.The Gallows Road meeting on Tuesday was a chance for the community to hear about the proposal, see the plans, and comment on the project. About 25 people attended the meeting hosted by Supervisor Smyth, who introduced the VDOT and Fairfax County DOT team who presented the plans. The first phase of the project will consist of bike lanes from just north of the I-66 bridge to Idylwood Drive. There will be a short section of wide curb lanes between the W&OD Trail and Idylwood. Construction is expected to occur this summer.
The second phase will include bike lanes and wide curb lanes from Idylwood to Old Courthouse. This phase involves more extensive median and pavement work and will not happen until 2010. VDOT presented details of the project at an earlier FABB meeting.
Several bicyclists spoke out in favor of the project. FABB supports the project and sent a letter of support to VDOT earlier in the year. A representative from an adjacent homeowners association submitted a list of comments. Most comments were positive and we look forward to the completion of the first phase later this year.
The Lawyers Road bike lane meeting was more contentious. VDOT proposes to reduce the travel lanes from 4 to 3 lanes with 5-foot bike lanes and a center turn lane between Fox Mill Rd and Myrtle Lane, about 2 miles in length. See notes from the first Lawyers Road meeting. While the majority of attendees supported the project, a few people were strongly opposed. One person started off on the wrong foot by joking about getting points for hitting a cyclist; sorry, that's not a laughing matter.Most of the concerns were based on a belief that a road can't be reduced from 4 to 2 travel lanes and still function properly. Randy Dittberner of VDOT was very good about explaining the benefits, related to slower speeds and fewer crashes. It's hard to argue against a road plan that will potentially reduce crashes by 20% and have almost no reduction in travel times. And by the way, will create the first ever bike lanes in Reston.
This could be one of the first road diets in Northern Virginia and could be looked upon in the future as a starting point for many more to come if it works. Road diets are not uncommon. According to the Wikipedia entry on road diets, "There are perhaps over 20,000 road diets in the United States, with another 500-1,000 being conducted each year." Dan Burden, a nationally known ped/bike advocate, has written a good article on road diets.
If you haven't written to Mr. Dittberner or Supervisor Hudgins about the project, please do. Just a few words of support helps. Many cyclists use the route for commuting to work or to reach the nearby Fox Mill Shopping Center and the new paved trail on Reston Parkway. Many participants in the Reston Triathlon train on this section which is part of the official triathlon bike course. The Reston Bike Club uses this section as well. It's time for a dedicated bike facility for cyclists in Reston.
Labels: gallows road, lawyers road
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Lawyers Road bike lane meeting tonight
VDOT is proposing to restripe Layers Road from 4 to 3 lanes with 5-foot bike lanes (or paved shoulders) between Fox Mill Rd and Myrtle Lane in Reston. They are holding a public meeting tonight, March 4 from 7-9:00 p.m. at Langston Hughes Middle School, 11401 Ridge Heights Road, Reston (map). Cyclists are encouraged to attend the meeting and speak our in support of the proposed bike lanes. See the bike lanes flier. If you cannot attend and wish to send comments, send them to the Hunter Mill District office with the Subject: "Lawyers Road bike lanes".Labels: bike lanes, lawyers road
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Reston Association Board supports Lawyers Road bike lanes
At tonight's meeting of the Reston Association Board, they voted 8-1 in support of the restriping of Lawyers Road to change the profile from 2 lanes in each direction with no shoulder or left turn lanes to 1 lane in each direction, a center turn lane, and 5-foot bike lanes (know as a "road diet"). The Board chairman noted that many cyclists had contacted Board members to explain their support for the project. We read a statement of support and two other cyclists who live in Reston spoke out very effectively in favor of the project.Not only did the RA Board support the project, they requested that VDOT consider lowering the speed from 45 mph to 35 mph after the restriping, which should help make the road safer. Thanks to everyone who wrote to the Board supporting the project. The restriping should begin in the near future.
Labels: bike lanes, lawyers road, reston association
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Post covers Lawyers Road bike lanes
While we were out of town riding GRABAAWR (the Great Annual Bicycle Adventure Along the Wisconsin River) Dr. Gridlock wrote about the creation of bike lanes on Lawyers Road, Northern Virginia Getting 'Road Diet'. As we've discussed before, the plan is to turn the four lanes just east of Reston Parkway into two travel lanes, a center turn lane, and bike lanes:When drivers first see such redesigns, "win-win" is not the first thing on their minds. It's more like, "Where did my road go?" And they often say that the narrower road looks more dangerous to them. That's what happened on Arcola Avenue and on the uppermost portion of Connecticut Avenue just after Montgomery County slimmed down the roads to improve safety.
Drivers get used to it. The technique of road narrowing has been used thousands of times across the country in various ways to protect drivers from each other or to protect pedestrians from drivers.
Drivers get used to it. The technique of road narrowing has been used thousands of times across the country in various ways to protect drivers from each other or to protect pedestrians from drivers.
Labels: bike lanes, lawyers road
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
