FABB Blog

Bike Directions using Google Maps

2010-03-10T21:33:00.004-05:00

At the National Bike Summit this morning Peter Birch, Google Product Manager, announced that bicycle routing will be included in Google Maps. A beta version of the product is now available at maps.google.com/biking. Along with directions "By car," "By public transit," and "Walking" you will now have the option to get "Bicycling" directions.

The application includes 12,000 miles of major trails from Rails to Trails Conservancy, which are shown as a dark green line. We tested the new application against Ride the City - DC and it looks like the Google app needs some work.

Directions from Reston to the County Government Center didn't include new bike lanes on Lawyers Rd or the shared use path along Reston Parkway. From Reston to Meadowlark Gardens Regional Park we were routed onto Baron Carmeron Dr and Route 7, two notoriously bad biking roads.

It will likely not be long before the Google app includes better symbology and data. If you find problems, they can be reported (see yellow box in image above). Users enrolled in the "Trusted tester program" will be able to edit the map data to improve routing results.

For more info see the Google Blog entry Biking directions added to Google Maps.

See a good summary at BikePortland.org of the unveiling of the new application at the Summit.

LAB Summit gets underway

2010-03-09T22:51:00.003-05:00

The annual League of American Bicyclists (LAB) National Bike Summit got underway today in DC. At this afternoon's LAB annual meeting Andy Clarke noted that a record 700 people registered for this year's summit, compared to 600 last year. Lance Armstrong appeared in a video welcoming everyone to the conference at the opening reception. The main part of the conference is tomorrow, with concurrent sessions held throughout the day. On Thursday, bicyclists from around the country will descend upon the Capitol to meet with members of Congress. Allen Muchnick of Virginia Bicycling Federation is organizing meetings for the Virginia delegation.

Reasons to go by bike

2010-03-09T10:52:00.005-05:00

Supervisor Cook has received many emails from area cyclists concerned about his statement that "a bicycle is not a transportation device." Several of those emails were also sent to FABB. They all made a good case for why bicycling is a basic, important, low-cost form of transportation. We especially liked the letter from Phillip Troutman, Assistant Professor of Writing at George Washington University.

In this extract from Phillip's letter he outlines many of the reasons why biking is one of the best forms of transportation available:

In light of recent comments you are reported to have made, wanted you to know that bicycles are a form of transport. I ride 15 miles each way to work three times a week, from Falls Church to Georgetown. This saves me roughly $7 in car/gas costs and saves the planet about 29 pounds (!) of carbon. It is also far more reliable in terms of time than driving. When I ride my bike, it takes me 45 minutes always, unless I have a flat, in which case it takes one hour. When I drive, it might take 45 minutes or maybe one hour, or maybe an hour and a half. When I take Metro and bus, it is a similar range of times.

I urge you to reconsider the importance of bike lanes and bike trail infrastructure—supported especially by Arlington and the District, and the NoVa Regional Parks (w/ the WO&D trail)—and help Fairfax continue incorporating bike infrastructure in its new projects (e.g., as it already is in Reston and in plans for Tysons). If you would like to know more about how easy it can be to ride to work, I would be glad to give you more information.

Phillip is putting his words into action by encouraging other people who commute to GWU to go by bike with his bike2gw blog and the bike2gw Facebook page to "provide maps, route details, trail/road condition updates, & local bike event information, & to promote bike-friendly policies at GW."

Phillip obtained the information about the impact of his bicycle commute on the REI Bike Your Drive webpage.

Who needs snow tires?

2010-03-08T21:21:00.002-05:00

When you have rims like these, you don't need snow tires. We could have used this bike a few weeks ago. This photo was sent by a friend who said he took it at a bicycle museum. We can just make out what's in the frame in front of the bike. It's from an entry from Ripley's Believe it or Not that mentions the Oldest Farm in the U.S.A. with a drawing of someone riding the bike.

After a little googling, the only reference I could find is to a history article about the Little family, but there's not mention of the bike or how it was used: "In 1940, 'Ripley's Believe It or Not' printed a drawing of the farm and a story telling that it is the oldest farm in the USA continually cultivated for 300 years by the same family—the Littles. At that time [1940], it was owned by Seth Little, who was a member of the 10th generation of Littles to live there."

WABA Director to accept postion with NACTO

2010-03-08T19:39:00.005-05:00

Eric Gilliland, WABA Executive Director, announced his resignation today, effective April 2, 2010. Eric has done a great job since he was hired by WABA back in 1999. In Fairfax he helped us set up the first Bike to Work Day event in the county, in Reston in 2002, attending some of our first meetings. He worked with FABB from the beginning, helping us get started and providing some seed money for promotional materials. His leadership and dedication will be missed.

Eric Gilliland initially joined the Washington Area Bicyclist Association as a program assistant in the fall of 1999 after brief forays as a Capitol Hill intern and bicycle messenger. Hired part time to assist with a ride called Bike DC, Eric quickly made his mark on bicycling in the Washington region through his involvement on other events such as Bike to Work Day in addition to numerous advocacy and fundraising initiatives. Eric was eventually hired as executive director by the WABA board of directors January of 2004.

He's accepted the position of executive director of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). NACTO recently initiated Cities for Cycling which will "catalog, promote and implement the world's best bicycle transportation practices in American municipalities."

The WABA Board of Directors has begun the search for a new executive director.

Action plan for dealing with snow

2010-03-04T21:58:00.003-05:00

TheWashCycle Snowmaggedon After-Action Report outlines what can be done in the future to recover from a major snowfall. TheWashCycle thinks we should 1) have a plan, that includes having a prioritized list of bike facilities to be cleared, 2) communicate with users about the plan and provide them status of conditions on trails and bike lanes, and 3) ask for help. If a reason for not clearing a trail is lack of resources, ask cyclists and others to help.

Even though roads have been cleared for a while, in Fairfax, some major trails are still blocked, mostly by snow dumped at intersections by VDOT. We just sent this message to VDOT using their Report a Road Problem page about the Fairfax County Parkway Trail:

VDOT has cleared passage for one mode of "transportation" (cars) while blocking a couple of other modes (biking and walking) along the Fairfax County Parkway trail at the Dulles Toll Rd. The trail is blocked by snow piled at the trail entrance to the bridge over the Toll Rd and along the trail between the Toll Rd and the W&OD Trail. It's one thing not to clear snow for bicyclists and pedestrians, it's another when a trail is actively blocked by plows to make way for cars. The snow is hard and will be blocking the trail for many more days. Please clear these areas.

The good news is that it was a beautiful day to be out on the bike and we're looking forward to warmer weather this weekend. FABB plans to meet with fellow advocates from Loudoun and Frederik County at the Village Winery in Waterford on Saturday and it looks like it will be a good day to ride.

Supervisor Cook responds

2010-03-03T15:34:00.002-05:00

We just received this message in response to our letter to Supervisor Cook. It's encouraging to see he believes in bicycling as a mode of transportation, despite his earlier comments. He even thinks that "Bike trails and on-road bike lanes are a valuable asset to the county and can add to our quality of life." Unfortunately he doesn't think they are a very high priority, even near Metro stations, since so few people currently go by bike.

We agree that the number of people who commute to work by bike in Fairfax County is relatively small, but commuting trips comprise only about 20% of all trips. As Supervisor Hudgins states in Region Forward 2050, "'We know that trips are taken for more than just going to and from work,' said Catherine Hudgins, Fairfax County Supervisor. 'People need transportation options for their everyday needs.'" According to that same report, 9% of DC area commuters go by foot or bike. Forty percent of all trips made are 2 miles or less and many could easily be taken by bike if we had better facilities.

Here is Supervisor Cook's response:

Thank you for your e-mail regarding my comments at the recent Fairfax County Board of Supervisors' Transportation Committee meeting. I want to assure you that I am not opposed to cycling or to using bicycles as a mode of transportation for either recreation or commuting. To be clear, I support bicycling for both of these uses. In fact, my family owns several bicycles.

However, I do believe that the county needs to carefully consider its priorities for the use of limited transportation funding. According to the Washington Area Council of Governments, only 0.7% of D.C. area commuters bike to work even once a week, most of them residing outside of Fairfax County.

At the meeting where my comments were made, the Board was receiving a briefing on a study by the Reston Metrorail Access Group. That study was recommending $27.4 million for 33 pedestrian/bike improvements, including $12.7 million for projects associated with the Whiele Avenue Station on the Dulles Rail line. The Board had also just been briefed on a $15.6 million reduction in anticipated revenues from its locally imposed Commercial and Industrial Tax, which is the primary source of county funds for Transportation projects (most transportation projects are funded by the state, but that funding has been reduced significantly over the last couple of years). We do not have the funds to accomplish all our transportation goals. My comments were in the spirit of setting priorities for how to spend the shrinking available funding for a growing list of projects. Reasonable individuals may always disagree on how to spend limited public resources.

Bike trails and on-road bike lanes are a valuable asset to the county and can add to our quality of life. I believe we should continue to build and maintain bike trails and create on-road bike lanes. However, we need to carefully weigh the costs of these investments in light of difficult fiscal realities and determine their appropriate priority along with other transportation projects.

Thank you for reaching out and please keep in touch.

Best regards,

John C. Cook
Braddock District Supervisor

We have scheduled a meeting with the supervisor to discuss the importance of a transportation system that serves everyone.

Response to funding cuts from Supervisor McKay

2010-03-01T22:20:00.003-05:00

Lee District Supervisor McKay is a cyclist who has supported bicycling in Fairfax by sponsoring the Tour de Lee, encouraging kids to walk and bike to school, and offering a motion for the Board of Supervisors to endorse the concept of the Bicycle Master Plan, which was passed unanimously by the Board. Below is his response to letters requesting that funds be restored to the bike program.

He notes that there will be funds from the Commercial & Industrial tax administered by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and passed to the county for funding transportation projects, including bike projects. He also notes that the bike coordinator position will remain. However, there will be no operating funds for the program to support activities like Bike to Work Day or to fund the countywide bicycle master plan. It will be difficult to have an effective bike program without those funds, which the county executive says will be permanently cut.

Supervisor McKay's response:

Thank you for letting me know your concerns about the future of the
County's bicycle program in light of the funding cuts in the County
Executive's proposed FY2011 budget.

As a longtime cyclist myself, I hate to see any cutbacks that would slow
the progress we've made in bicycle and pedestrian initiatives. I
believe the County Executive's proposed budget recognizes the Board's
commitment to bicycling as a transportation alternative and makes the
best of a difficult financial situation. While he proposes to remove
$213,641 in operational funding, he retains the staff position
associated with the program.

The staff person will continue to serve as the point of contact for
bicycle related issues, work on acquiring grant funding for bicycle
programming, provide input on incorporating bicycles into capital
roadway projects, and oversee the $5 million or so in commercial and
industrial (C&I) tax funds for bicycle-related improvements.

Given our severe budget situation, I believe that this is prudent. We
are keeping the infrastructure, institutional knowledge, and staff so
that once we come out of this economic slump we will be able to relaunch
our full bicycle initiative.

Jeffrey C. McKay
Lee District Supervisor

WABA Alert: Save funding for Fairfax bicycle program

2010-02-26T11:28:00.003-05:00

As we noted earlier, the Fairfax County executive is recommending permanently cutting all funding for the county bicycle program. I don't think it is too much of an exaggeration to say that bicycling is under attack in the county. Braddock District Supervisor Cook recently said "the bicycle is not a transportation device," and Springfield District Supervisor Herrity recommended elimination of the Bicycle Coordinator position. Now the county wants to cut all funding from the bike program.

Today WABA is sending out an alert to all area cyclists to encourage them to write to the Fairfax County Board to ask that funding be restored to the bicycle program. If you visit the WABA action center, you can send a message to the entire Board opposing the proposed cuts. Rather than cutting the program, we should be encouraging more people to go by bike.

Loudoun Co to study better bike access at Dulles Town Center

2010-02-26T09:35:00.003-05:00

According to the article There is Really No Safe Way to Get There: Study Would Look at Improving Access to Dulles Town Center for Bikers, Walkers, Loudoun County will study "pedestrian and bicyclist needs along the Atlantic Boulevard corridor in Sterling." The study was approved by the Board of Supervisors based on a motion by Supervisor Andrea McGimsey (D-Potomac) that we mentioned earlier.

In her proposal, McGimsey is calling on county planners, business owners, landowners and citizens to take part in making the town center a "multi=modal" destination. That is, increase its accessibility options to other than just roads. More sidewalks, crosswalks and walking and biking trails are initial suggestions made in McGimsey's proposal as is the addition of bike lanes to some of the roads found in the corridor.

The county's broken network of trails and sidewalks has long been a sore spot for Loudoun's walkers and peddlers [sic]. In 2003, a county bicycle and pedestrian mobility master plan concluded that only 14 percent of Loudoun's nearly 850 miles of roadways had sidewalks. Of the 70 miles of pathways in Loudoun that are dedicated for non-motorized use, only 12 miles were said to be wide enough for cyclists and pedestrians.

BikeLoudoun's Pat Turner is quoted in the article.

By the way, we pedal our bikes, we don't peddle them.

Active Community Transportation Act

2010-02-25T17:47:00.004-05:00

Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon, OR) will introduce the Active Community Transportation Act of 2010 (the ACT Act) on Monday. According to this Rails to Trails fact sheet, the bill will:

provide communities with concentrated investments to complete walking and bicycling networks to shift short driving trips to active transportation. By providing communities with the resources needed to build safe and connected non-motorized routes between the places where people live, work, learn, play and shop, the bill will provide cost-effective transportation choices for millions of Americans.

The U.S. Department of Transportation will administer a competitive fund, which will invest in communities that best make the case for resources to shift large numbers of trips from driving to walking and bicycling.

What do you think the chances are that Fairfax County will have obtaining funds if they permanently eliminate operating funding for the bicycle program?

DC expands bike transportation while Fairfax cuts

2010-02-24T22:50:00.003-05:00

While Fairfax Supervisor Cook says that a bicycle is not a transportation device and the county cuts bike program funding, DC has a more enlightened approach. According to the Post article Transportation chief says bikes, buses are way to go in D.C., Gabe Klein, the Director of the DC Department of Transportation,

is expanding the city's red, dollar-a-ride Circulator bus system beyond tourist destinations and into more neighborhoods. He's promoting car sharing and, with Tregoning's office, said he hopes to build on a bike-sharing pilot program with 1,000 new bicycles and 100 stations.

"There's a lot of things that go into making a city an attractive place to live," Klein said. "You have schools, public safety and high-quality transportation. People are realizing that what we had in our old cities is actually more sustainable than what we have now."

In the case of DC, high-quality transportation includes bikes.

Bicycle access to planned Herndon-Monroe Metro station

2010-02-24T21:54:00.004-05:00

Cyclists in the Reston-Herndon area are encouraged to attend a discussion of future changes around the planned Herndon-Monroe Metro station. The meeting is one of a series to discuss possible changes to the county Comprehensive Plan for the area around the three Reston/Herndon stations. It will be held at Langston Hughes Middle School in Reston from 9 a.m. to noon. See the Reston Master Plan Special Study website for more information.

Many cyclists currently commute to the Herndon-Monroe bus station. Sunrise Valley Drive has narrow lanes, no shoulder and poor line of sight. The road needs dedicated bicycle facilities (wide curb lanes or bike lanes). There should also be good bicycle connectivity to Fairfax County Parkway and the W&OD Trail, as well as a bicycle crossing of the Dulles Toll Road to connect Herndon with the are to the south. Additional covered bicycle parking will be needed as well, including bike lockers.

Another cyclist injured in Fairfax

2010-02-24T09:31:00.006-05:00

This is not a good time to be a vulnerable road user. A cyclist was critically injured at Dranesville Road and Wiehle Ave in Herndon yesterday evening. Two Fairfax firefighters were then struck by an EMS supervisor in an SUV while they were helping the cyclist:

HERNDON, Va. (WUSA) -- Two Fairfax County firefighters were struck by an SUV driven by an EMS supervisor Tuesday evening as they attempted to help a cyclist who had been hit by a car. The injuries are not life threatening.

Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department spokesman Dan Schmidt says a captain responding to the crash as EMS 401 was behind the wheel of the SUV. Engine 404 and Medic 404 from Herndon were already on the scene. The EMS 401 vehicle was described as moving slowly through the area when the collision occurred.

The incident took place near the intersection of Wiehle Avenue and Dranesville Road just before 8:00 PM.

The cyclist and one of the firefighters were flown by helicopter to Inova Fairfax Hospital. The other firefighter was taken by ground to Reston Hospital Center. Both firefighters have been treated and released. No word on the cyclist.

(From a WTOP news article with a very annoying popup ad).

So why is the county proposing to completely eliminate the bicycle program? Oh that's right, bicycles aren't used for transportation. As we said earlier, it's time for cyclists and pedestrians to demand better treatment, including restoration of funding for the bicycle program.

Pedestrian killed at site of earlier cyclist death

2010-02-24T08:15:00.005-05:00

Another person was killed while trying to cross I-495 in Tysons. The crash appears to have occurred at the same location where a cyclists was killed in 2008, traveling along Route 7 crossing the Beltway. Since the construction of the HOT lanes project, this crossing has become even more dangerous. There are no pedestrian or bicycle facilities here despite many people who use it daily to get to work in Tysons.

Before the construction there was a narrow concrete ledge on the north side that pedestrians used. That is gone and pedestrians are forced to walk adjacent to traffic on a very narrow shoulder. You can just make out a pedestrian on the far right of the photo walking along a well-traveled path. We've been told that if there is clear evidence of pedestrian and bicycle use, provisions must be made for them during construction.

We've requested better accommodations at this location and nothing has been provided. Supervisor Cook doesn't think bicycles are used for transportation, and now the county wants to cut all funding for the bicycle program. Something is wrong with the county's priorities and it's time for cyclists and pedestrians to demand better treatment and funding.

Update: 2/24/2010, Washington Post article Hit and run in Tysons.

Co Exec recommends Fairfax bicycle program cuts

2010-02-23T12:48:00.005-05:00

The Fairfax County executive is recommending that all operating funds for the bicycle program will be cut:

Elimination of Operational Funding for the Bicycle Program $213,641—A previous FY 2010 reduction eliminated almost half of the annual program, allowing sufficient funds to meet the requirements of only the Tysons Corner area, therefore the FY 2011 reduction of $213,641 completely eliminates County operating support. As a result, there will be no funding for capital improvements and signage or bike maps and outreach materials. One position will remain to serve as the point of contact for bicycle-related issues, work on acquiring grant funding for bicycle programming, provide input on how to incorporate bicycles when planning capital roadway projects, and oversee approximately $5 million in commercial and industrial tax funds for bicycle-related improvements.

It's not clear whether the remaining position will be that of bicycle coordinator or as a staff person in one of the other programs. We're trying to find more info to pass on.

First Supervisor Cook states that bicycles are not a form of transportation, and now the bicycle program is being cut. It seems that the county executive agrees with Supervisor Cook, otherwise, why would he single out the bicycle program for elimination. The real question is what does the Board of Supervisors think.

Cyclists can sign up to speak at budget hearings to be held on April 6-8, although the April 6 date is full. FABB will speak on April 7. Individual supervisors will also hold community budget meetings and we'll put info about them on the FABB website. You can also submit comments online or contact your county supervisor. We'll provide more info shortly.

Update: Visit the WABA action center to write a letter to the Board of Supervisors.

Politicians are different on the West Coast

2010-02-22T15:06:00.003-05:00

Streetfilms recently released a short film of Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn who rides his bike about 6.5 miles to work most days. Yes, it does rain in Seattle and he knows how to use proper rain gear, and he probably showers at work. "In Seattle I ran as a populist, and in Seattle that means you ride a bicycle." They have nice bike wayfinding signs there too.

Letter to Supervisor Cook

2010-02-22T14:24:00.010-05:00

Several outlets have picked up on Supervisor Cook's comments about a bicycle not being a transportation device:

The Wash Cycle post "I don't believe a bicycle is a transportation device"
Greater Greater Washington comment Why do elected Republicans hate bikes?
DC Streetsblog post "A Bicycle Is Not a Transportation Device"
Update: MSNBC—When a Bicycle Isn't a Transportation Device
Bikin Bis—Bicycle quote: "Bicycles are not transportation"
Bike Intelligencer—If John Cook only had a brain
Bike Rack Heads—Britain's upper lip stiffer than any part of John Cook's body, with some nice photos of people using bikes for transportation
EcoVelo—"I don’t believe a bicycle is a transportation device"

We've received copies of many letters to Supervisor Cook from concerned cyclists. We sent the following letter to him, Chairman Bulova, and the supervisor of my district, Supervisor Hudgins:

Dear Supervisor Cook,

As Chairman of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling and a bicycle commuter since moving to Reston in 1979, I'd like to share some statistics regarding non-motorized transportation. While bicycling for transportation is not for everyone, many, many people choose to go by bike in Fairfax, even though our roads are primarily designed for cars. Here are some figures to consider when discussing this mode of transportation:

More bicycles are sold in the U.S. each year (approx. 2.6 million) than cars (approx. 2.5 million).

According to the 2002 National Survey of Pedestrian and Bicyclist Attitudes and Behaviors, About 27.3% of the driving age public (age 16 or older) reported they rode a bicycle at least once during the summer of 2002. Yes, many rode for recreation (26%) or exercise or health reasons (24%), but even those people likely started from home, riding on a street. In Fairfax this is about 200,000 people.

According to the Bureau of Census, 0.55 percent of Americans use a bicycle as the primary means of getting to work (not including those who rode to work less than 5 days a week). This is up 14 percent since 2007, 36 percent since 2005, and 43 percent since the 2000 Census. In places in the U.S. with good bicycle infrastructure, this mode share is around 6%. In Copenhagen, a cold, wet place much of the year, approximately 35% of workers bicycle to work. The city wants that to reach 50% by 2015. 54% of cyclists say they bike because it’s easy and fast.

According to a new report entitled Bicycling And Walking In The United States 2010 Benchmarking Report published by the Alliance for Biking and Walking, Virginia ranks 50th in per capita spending on bicycling and walking.

In 1969, 42 percent of students between the ages of 6 and 12 walked or bicycled to or from school. In 2001, that number was 16 percent of students. Many of our kids are overweight or obese, in part because they are not encouraged to walk or bike and they have inadequate facilities.

I agree that a small number of people bike to work. Many more could if the county provided places for them to ride, educated them in how to ride, and generally encouraged this mode of transportation.

I don't want to exaggerate your comments. I assume you know that some people use bicycles for transportation, and you were likely noting that it's not always an easy thing to do and not appropriate for many people. Bicycling is a small mode share. However, I think most people would like this to change. We think that in communities where bicyclists are welcome, they indicate the existence of quieter, safer streets that are for everyone, not just motorists.

Sincerely,

Bruce Wright
Chairman, Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling

Update 2/22/2010 8:30pm: We're quite sure the $19M figure quoted in the Washington Examiner article about the Board of Supervisors meeting is incorrect: "In an effort to unclog roadways, the county approved more than $19 million last fall for pedestrian and bike projects through fiscal 2012." We're checking on the figure.

Impact of uncleared sidewalks and trails on pedestrians

2010-02-22T09:48:00.003-05:00

Many people, including the kids walking to school in the street pictured here, walk and bike to get where they need to go. About 1/3 of everyone in Fairfax doesn't drive; they are driven, they walk, bike, take the bus, etc. Our current transportation policy regarding snow clearance largely ignores these people.

Here is one of many, many stories about what pedestrians and bicyclists have to deal with when we don't treat walking and biking as legitimate forms of transportation:

I am a resident of Fairfax; on Nutley near the cross street of Kingsley Rd I was walking on the road as the sidewalk was covered beneath the snow from the plowed road. As I was walking on the edge of the road a truck came honking behind me. To get out of its way I tried to jump up the snow pile on the roadside but slide back enough that the passing truck hit my foot.

Although I was not injured I still find the incident disturbing, even more so because the truck did not stop. The only comment I would have is that we all need to remember to move with caution and act (drive/bike/walk) defensively. We have to share the road and since we can't control the actions of others we need to anticipate and pre-emptively act to prevent accidents.

This pedestrian lived to tell his tale. The pedestrian mentioned in the recent Post article Pedestrian killed on Branch Avenue while avoiding snowy sidewalks didn't.

Shouldn't some of our sidewalks and trails be cleared of snow? It may be unrealistic to clear all trails and sidewalks, but why don't we have snow priority routes for walkers and bikers? We could start by clearing sidewalks within a mile of schools, and along heavily-used sections of major bike commuter routes.

Snow plowing the W&OD Trail

2010-02-21T12:59:00.006-05:00

The W&OD Trail is now somewhat clear between Church Street and Maple Ave. (Rt 123) in Vienna, thanks to the mystery snow plow man and his merry band of helpers. He just happened to have access to a Bobcat track loader and managed to clear about a 4 foot path along the trail.

This shouldn't be necessary; other communities (such as Reston) have figured out how to keep their trails, bike lanes, and wide curb lanes cleared of snow. Even with light snow, the W&OD Trail is sometimes not usable by most cyclists for several days, cyclists who depend on bicycles for getting to work and elsewhere. With a narrow, 4-foot cleared space for bicyclists and pedestrians, other winter users could use the other 8 feet of trail, or they could use the parallel gravel side path. There's plenty of trail to go around, if only it were cleared. (See Update below)

Thanks to the mystery snow man. We think his experiment was a success and we look forward to the day when local governments will give the same respect to other modes of transportation as they do cars and buses. See The Wash Cycle's recent informative post on this topic.

Update 2/22/2010: According to a comment on WashCycle by Paul McCray, Operations Manager for NVRPA, "The W&OD Trail staff will begin clearing snow during the week of February 22 to speed up the melting process. This is in line with our policies of the past which included leaving snow for cross country skiers and then clearing intersections and plowing deeper accumulations.

When we plow, we won't put the blades right on the pavement but will leave an inch or so which will melt off fairly quickly. If we were to scrape right down to the asphalt, we'd do just as much damage as road plows do on the streets and then the W&OD would have rough, patched sections throughout the year. We don't have the funds to pave the trail more often than every 15 years so it's important to preserve the surface any way we can." Thanks to the BikeArlington Twitter feed for pointing to that info.

"Bicycle is not a transportation device"

2010-02-21T12:17:00.004-05:00

That's according to Supervisor Cook (R-Braddock District), who at a recent Board of Supervisors Transportation Committee meeting said "I don't believe a bicycle is a transportation device. I think it's a recreation device. The big problem is people don't want to ride their bike in the rain or get sweaty before work."

Supervisor Cook needs to get out more. Every day people in Fairfax County use bicycles to get to work, shops, and to run errands. They use bikes to get to Metro, to libraries, and yes, some even ride to jobs at the Government Center. Some people don't want to ride in the rain but many do because they have few other options. You could ask some of the workers pictured above who are receiving free bike lights. They ride in the rain, snow, and darkness to get to jobs around the county.

According to a recent survey, nearly 40 percent of all trips made are 2 miles or less. With a good bicycle infrastructure, many of these trips could easily be taken by bike. Apparently Supervisor Cook doesn't think bicycling is a viable option for these trips.

Earlier Supervisor Herrity (R-Springfield District) stated that the county should eliminate the bicycle coordinator position. While we think these are minority opinions among the Board, which implemented the Comprehensive Bicycle Initiative in 2006, cyclists may need to gear up to fight for the bicycle coordinator position in the county budget which will be announced on Tuesday. I plan to attend that meeting (earlier in the meeting I'll be among a group of citizens receiving recognition for serving on the Tysons Task Force for nearly 5 years) and will report afterwards.

You can write to Supervisor Cook to let him know that you use bikes for transportation.

North American Handmade Bicycle Show this weekend

2010-02-18T23:10:00.003-05:00

If you like beautiful handbuilt bikes you should head down to Richmond this weekend to see the North American Handmade Bicycle Show. It's being held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, 403 N. Third Street, Richmond, VA 23219, February 26-28. If you go, be sure to buy tickets online to save 25%. This is the first time the show has come to the east coast.

Three foot passing bill fails in House (again)

2010-02-18T19:36:00.004-05:00

There was one last chance for the Virginia House to pass a three foot passing bill. Even though the House version of the bill, HB1068, was defeated, the Senate version, SB566, passed in the Senate by a vote of 40-0. When SB566 moved to the House, it was tabled yesterday by House Transportation Subcommittee 2, effectively killing it. Delegate Rust of Herndon voted to table it.

See the VBF account of the vote, which included statements unrelated to the bill, about scofflaw cyclists:

Del. Oder from Newport News (who had supported 1048) recounted an incident on his way to church with his wife last Sunday where he observed two cyclists passing too close to his stopped car and then running a red light, and asked if this behavior was legal, to which I replied "absolutely not". He had some other comments about what apparently is a large, peloton-like, ride that he sees regularly on Sunday mornings in his area, and questioning me as to whether this riding behavior is proper. He concluded by stating that perhaps we should put in some bills with specific penalties for bicyclist misbehavior.

Del. Rust, from Herndon & the W & OD Trail area, then took his turn and recounted the publicized incident last spring where, on their MS Ride, a number of riders were ticketed for running a Stop sign, but the charges were dismissed in court.

Finally, Chairman Carrico, the retired State policeman, stated as he has consistently , that none of these passing distances are enforceable; and that this is an "Educational Problem". He then called Linwood Buckner (the Legislative Affairs representative from DMV) forward and strongly requested that Linwood "work with the bicycling folks to improve the way the bicycling rules are presented in the DMV materials and driver's exam". Linwood agreed to do so, and we will meet after the conclusion of this legislative session, so we may yet get some benefit from all of this. All that having been said, the bill was promptly Tabled.

The only good that will come out of this process is the possibility of updating "DMV materials and driver's exam."

See VBF's post Three Feet to Pass—Why Such Resistance? for a thorough discussion some objections raised to passage of the bill and responses to those objections. Thanks to VBF for doing a great job of tracking this and other legislation and for getting the word out to advocates around the state.

In the meantime, we'll have to settle for the 3 Fee Please jersey (photo above).

Portland Bicycle Master Plan approved

2010-02-16T19:59:00.004-05:00

Not only was the new Portland Bicycle Master Plan unanimously approved recently by the City Council, Mayor Sam Adams, a cyclist, has committed $20 million over 10 years to kick start implementation. That money will come from their Green Streets program, used in part for implementing bicycle boulevards.

The plan has been in the works since 2007. Bike Portland has been covering the process since the beginning:

For anyone interested in going back down the road, browse the 66 articles of Bike Plan coverage in my archives dating back to February '07. From the rides Roger Geller led to gather public input, to the policies in the plan, to the infamous funding cut by Mayor Potter and much more.

We'll know on Feb. 26 whether Fairfax County receives funding for their Bicycle Master Plan. That's when the CDC will award funds to successful applications for the Communities Putting Prevention to Work grants.

Contact Delegate Rust Now

2010-02-16T18:06:00.003-05:00

Senate Bill 566, the three foot passing bill, was passed unanimously in the Senate and now goes to House Transportation Sub-Committee 2 tomorrow morning. While it may be too late to make a difference, please call or write to Delegate Rust (804-698-1088, deltrust@house.state.va.us), the only N. Va. delegate on that committee. Del. Rust voted for the similar House Bill 1068 in committee but then voted against it in the full House. His support is critical to getting the bill out of committee.

Also before the committee is SB 228, "Stop for Pedestrians in Crosswalks," which gets closer to passage each year.