FABB Blog

Bicycle safety and education

2008-07-19T10:36:00.003-05:00

Many more people are riding bikes in these days of $4+/gallon of gas. I see twice as many people riding on the roads in the areas where I ride. I think the increase is not only due to the price of gas, it's also due to concerns about air pollution and global climate change.

With more riders will come more conflicts between cars and cyclists. We all need to be careful when out on the roads. Motorists need to be aware of the presence of cyclists on the road and on sidewalks and trails. We at FABB feel strongly that riding on the road is generally more safe than on sidewalks or trails. When on the road we are part of traffic, and motorists are looking for other traffic and they are not always looking for bicyclists who may be riding counter to traffic on a sidepath.

This report on MSNBC entitled Deadly tension on the roads — cars vs. bikes: Accident toll rises as gas-shocked commuters opt for bicycles, discusses recent conflicts between cyclists and motorists: “I believe it’s definitely going to cause some problems, because people don’t know how to share the road with cyclists,” said Kirk Hendricks, director of advocacy for the group Idaho Cycling Enthusiasts. “[Drivers] need to know that we have as much right as an automobile even though we’re not as big.”

We can all share the roads, but we need the proper skills to do it safely. On the WABA website you can find listings for their Confident City Cycling classes as well as a number of classes taught by Allen Muchnick in Northern Virginia. There is a good video clip on the above mentioned MSNBC site, Back on the bike, learning to ride later in life and the recent surge in cyclists.

W&OD Trail safety improvements

2008-07-10T21:56:00.004-05:00

Chairman Connolly's office sponsored a tour of the W&OD Trail from Gallows Road to Partlow's store at Ashburn Rd. The purpose of the tour was to evaluate some of the road crossings to determine needed safety and other enhancements. Jakob Helmboldt, the Virginia State Bicycle Coordinator and a member of his staff traveled from Richmond with their bikes to participate. Jakob works from VDOT in the Transportation Planning Division. Others who participated in the tour were members of Connolly's staff, the Fairfax County bike coordinator and a member of his staff, Northern Virginia Park Authority Staff, and FABB. No representatives from the VDOT Northern Virginia District Bicycle and Pedestrian Office were present (probably because most are not cyclists).

One of the issues discussed was the long traffic signal timing at Gallows Road, Maple Ave/Rt 123, and Van Buren Rd. In the first two instances cyclists are forced to wait 2.5 minutes to cross (or between .5 and 1 mile travel time depending on your speed). We discussed several options for reducing the wait times, especially if smart traffic sensors were used.

We also discussed locations where numerous bicycle/car crashes have occurred (Hunter Mill Rd, Sunset Hills Rd, Wiehle Ave). Jakob took several photos and made notes on possible safety enhancements.

Chairman Connolly's office has prepared a matrix of suggested improvements that were discussed in a meeting today. More details will follow.

Cyclists gather to mourn Alice Swanson

2008-07-10T07:33:00.002-05:00

WABA called a press conference yesterday at 6:30pm to call for a full investigation into the death of cyclist Alice Swanson. Alice was killed while riding her bike to work on Tuesday, July 8. A garbage truck turned right into her path, trapping her underneath. No charges have yet been filed against the motorist.

Hundreds of cyclists gathered at the corner of Connecticut and R streets where a white bike, also known as a ghost bike, was placed in honor of Alice. It was a sobering event, as Eric Gilliland of WABA said, a reminder of how vulnerable we are when riding our bikes.

This type of crash is known as the right hook, when a motorist turns right into a cyclist who is proceeding straight. As the Wash Cycle noted back in February of this year, "Seattle is looking at ways to make bike lanes safer, specifically how to avoid right hooks."

There are many blind spots on large vehicles and cyclists need to be careful when riding near them, especially on their right side. However, shouldn't a motorist always be aware of objects surrounding their vehicle? Does having a "blind spot" excuse the motorist from taking full responsibility for their actions? A similar crash occurred in Vienna in August of 2005 when David Marsden was killed by a large truck turning into his path as he crossed a side street in a crosswalk. No charges were filed because the motorist claimed he didn't see the bicyclist.

We hope the DC police spend the time necessary to find out the cause of the crash and file appropriate charges. There were several witnesses.

What Works: Ride a bike and lengthen your life

2008-07-08T20:29:00.002-05:00

Tonight's NBC News What Works segment, Ride a bike and lengthen your life, was a follow-up to yesterday's report on cities developing better bicycle facilites: Willy Adkins, an 82-year old Jacksonville resident, bikes 16 miles a day. "It's just healthy for you. You need exercise, I don't care how old you get." Cycling an hour a day can reduce your mortality risk by 35%. 30 minutes of daily cycling can cut the risk of heart disease and stroke by as much as 35%, and a 15 minute bike ride to and from work 5 times a week can burn off 11 pounds of fat a year.

What Works: Bicycle Commuting

2008-07-07T20:59:00.002-05:00

The What Works segment of NBC News tonight highlighted what some cities are doing to promote bicycle commuting, focusing on Portland's efforts. "Many cities in the U.S. could be and in some instances are following the example of Portland. Six percent of people who live in Portland commute by bike on 170 miles of bike lanes."

Dulles Rail project construction hotline

2008-07-04T13:01:00.002-05:00

Construction on the Dulles Rail project has also begun. The first phase of the project is relocation of utilities along Route 7. There is a service road along Route 7 between the Dulles Toll Road and Route 123 that cyclists use. There is also a sidewalk that is used by service workers and many office employees during the day. Due to the recent construction, both the service drive and the sidewalk on the south side are completely blocked. Would VDOT allow a major road to be closed with NO access for traffic? They would provide a detour. Why don't the same rules apply to non-motorized traffic.

Dulles Transit Partners, the primary project contractor, has set up a hotline to report problems associated with the construction: 877-585-6789. If you use the route above, or any other route that is blocked by project construction, you can call the above number to report the problem. I called about the lack of a detour on the Route 7 construction and was given a report number and I'll be checking in a week or so to see what is being done to allow cyclists and pedestrians to get around the construction.

W&OD Trail bridge over the Beltway

2008-07-04T12:49:00.002-05:00

Construction for the HOT lanes project has begun, and as the project progresses, more and more news articles are appearing, like this one in the Post about the loss of the tree buffer along the Beltway. We were asked recently if the W&OD Trail bridge over the Beltway will be closed when it is rebuilt as part of the project.

At the HOT lanes public hearings we asked VDOT and contractor staff that same questions. We were assured that the new trail bridge would be built before the old one is removed, and that there would be a very short period during which traffic from the old bridge would be switched to the new one. Since the new bridge will be offset from the old one, there will be a gradual curve approaching and existing the bridge from the trail. If you hear otherwise, please let us know. We will continue to monitor this and other bicycle access issues during the project.

Bicycle racing in Reston

2008-06-29T21:32:00.003-05:00

The Reston Town Center roads were closed to motorized traffic today as amateur cyclists raced through the streets during the Reston Town Center Grand Prix (flyer). Bikes for the World was there collecting many bikes to that will be shipped to various countries. The event is sponsored by Evloution Cycling, The Bike Lane, and Golds Gym. It was also opening day for the new Reston Town Center branch of The Bike Lane.

It was great to see the Town Center devoted to a cycling event, one of many that occur there each year (Reston Bike to Work Day, the Reston Century, the Tour de Cure). Shouldn't it be a regular occurance in more places, closing the streets to cars and opening them up to people on bikes, skates, two feet, etc.?

There is a term for such a thing, Ciclovía, or life in the streets. Every Sunday in Columbia many of the main streets in the major cities are closed to cars and trucks and opened up to everyone else. Maybe one day the same will happen to Route 7 in Tysons or Route 123 in Vienna. We all pay for these roads, why shouldn't everyone be able to use them safely?

Fairfax Bike Map meeting

2008-06-29T20:59:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday July 30 the Fairfax bicycle map advisory committee will meet to discuss changes to the Bike Map that was released on Bike to Work Day, May 16. The Bike Map is available on the County website. It has been very popular, with the first limited printing of 3,000 gone in the first couple of weeks.

Proposed changes include correction of spelling and labeling, correction of the location of facilities, and whether some routes should be included or removed. In the area with which I am most familiar, some routes included on the map are rarely used by cyclists, such as Fox Mill Road. It is a narrow, hilly road with no shoulder. Cyclists do use short stretches to connect to other side roads, but rarely do they ride the length of the road. Without it, there are many gaps in the route network. Including it may give some cyclists the false notion that it is a common bike route, albeit "Less Preferred".

In another case a trail is located on the wrong side of the road. Errors can be expected in any map, especially one with the rapid production of the county bike map that was schedule for release on Bike to Work Day. Now that most of the map work is completed, including the design, color scheme, route network, etc., the changes should be able to be made quickly and a new edition should be out by late summer.

If you have used the map and have comments, please send them to me at chairman@fabb-bikes.org and I will bring them to the advisory committee.

The Big Initiatives

2008-06-24T05:54:00.002-05:00

At the June FABB meeting we reviewed our goals. Our early goals of encouraging the County to hire a bike coordinator and to publish a county bike map have been met over the last couple of years. We still have a long way to go to achieve our main goal of having more on-road bike routes. We have made some progress with future projects such as the planned wide curb lanes on Stringfellow Road and bike facilities on the Beltway bridges. VDOT has funds for adding shoulders on existing roads but Fairfax received none of those funds last year. Several roads are scheduled for getting paved shoulders this year, but none will be stripped bike lanes or wide curb lanes with sharrows.

Fairfax County has had funds for bike lanes on Gallows Road for several years. VDOT has found many reasons why it can't be done. The latest absurdity is to demand a feasibility study that will cost over $100,000, more than some communities would spend for the entire project.

We didn't get far in our discussion of the goals. We plan to devote some time during the next couple of meetings to the topic. In the meantime, thanks to a reference by The Wash Cycle, we will ponder the The Big Initiatives: 17 things on which advocates of bicycling should concentrate from Google Maps Bike There blog. Comments?

The Dangers of NOT Cycling

2008-06-17T19:56:00.002-05:00

EcoVelo has a good post on two studies that show the benefits of cycling, and as a consequence, the dangers of NOT cycling:

“According to a 1996 study funded by the Australian Department of Transport, regular cycling reduces over four times as many heart attack fatalities as it increases in collision fatalities¹. By choosing not to ride to work, you’re substantially increasing your probability of dying prematurely, even when weighed against the risks associated with cycling in traffic.”

“A similar 2000 study, funded by the Danish Medical Research Council and the Danish Heart Foundation, found the dangers of cycling are far outweighed by the health benefits derived from the daily, moderate exercise that is typically associated with bike commuting.”

Rolling Road widening project public hearing

2008-06-16T15:46:00.002-05:00

Several members of FABB met with Supervisor Herrity on June 11, the day before the VDOT public hearing on the Rolling Road widening project. After Supervisor Herrity told us about his ride to work on Bike to Work Day we discussed our background and goals, including our support for both the wide outside curb lanes and the multiuse trail along the widened road. Supervisor Herrity was supportive of the wide curb lanes but not the trail. Instead he will likely recommend 5-foot sidewalks, depending on what he hears at the public hearing and from various constituents and county residents. He made it clear that he is not opposed to bike facilities. He has reservations about devoting excessive roadway to bicyclists in this situation with property frontage constraints.

FABB members also attended the public hearing the following evening. During the Q&A session there were many negative comments about the bicycle facilities, mostly from residents who live adjacent to the road. Because there are few cyclists riding on the road now, some think there is no need for the facilities. This ignores the fact that there are very few facilities now, and there will likely not be many new cyclists unless we provide facilities for all cyclists. We spoke out in favor of VDOT's plan and recognized VDOT and the County for finally including bike facilities in road plans. The plans should be supported in the long term interests of the county.

Cyclists need to let VDOT know there is a demand for bike facilities on Rolling Road. Please send comments to VDOT before June 22. Email your to Meeting_Comments@VDOT.Virginia.gov. Include "Rolling Road Widening" in the subject line.

Cyclists should also contact Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, Fairfax County Board Chairman Gerry Connolly, and other members of the Board of Supervisors and ask that on-road bicycle facilities be part of the VDOT plan.

Obama unwinds on his bike

2008-06-09T13:34:00.002-05:00

What does the new Democratic candidate for president do after one of the longest primary battles in history? He goes for a bike ride with his family. According to the AP news item Obama family joins neighbors for a lake shore bicycle ride, Senator Obama and family went for a ride along the Chicago lake shore.

In a related story, the president and CEO of the bicycle component company SRAM will hold a fundraiser for Obama. “the event’s goal is to introduce Obama to industry leaders and to discuss cycling’s positive impact on health, energy policy, transportation issues and the environment.”

Supervisor Herrity rides on Bike to Work Day

2008-06-09T12:51:00.002-05:00

There are photos of Supervisor Herrity's 15 mile ride to work on Bike to Work Day back on May 16 on the Supervisor's website:

“On Bike To Work Day, Friday, May 16, Supervisor Herrity rode his bike from his home in the Little Rocky Run neighborhood in Clifton to one of the regional pit stops at University Mall at Braddock Rd. and Rt. 123. After meeting several fellow riders, he continued to his Springfield District Office on Rolling Road, for a total of 15 miles.”

Congratulations to Supervisor Herrity for being an example to others and participating in Bike to Work Day.

Helmet use and motorist behavior

2008-06-09T10:49:00.002-05:00

Today's Post contains an article on page 2 entitled Taking More Risks Because You Feel Safe that includes a reference to a study about helmet use and motorist behavior. A British researcher rode his bike equipped with a distance sensor on several stretches of road. He rode with a helmet, without a helmet, and with a wig:

“Walker was trying to figure out whether his interventions changed the way drivers passed his bike. He came to two conclusions: Cars gave him more leeway when drivers thought he was a woman with curly black hair. And they gave him less leeway -- getting dangerously close -- when he wore a helmet.

“Walker thinks drivers are influenced by unconscious stereotypes -- they may believe that female bicyclists are less steady, and that helmeted bikers are pros.”

I'm not sure what to think about the study but it certainly shouldn't affect one's use of a helmet, the benefits of which far outweigh most negative aspects. It was interesting that the photo used to illustrate the article was taken at the FABB Tour of Tysons last year when we hosted a ride for local government officials, including Kathy Ichter, head of the Fairfax County Dept. of Transportation, and her husband Larry Ichter, who also works for the county Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. Larry is adjusting Kathy's helmet in the photo. Yours truly is in the background giving the pre-tour talk.

VDOT to count bicyclists and pedestrians this summer

2008-06-04T19:23:00.002-05:00

There is very little solid information available about the number of people who bicycle in Northern Virginia. In 2004 the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority conducted a W&OD Trail use study that indicated that there are approximately 1.6 million trips made each year on the trail. While this confirms what many of us know about the popularity of the Trail, we need quantitative information about bicycle trips throughout the county. Without this information, it is impossible to determine if the number of bicycle trips is increasing.

This year VDOT Northern Virginia District Bicycle and Pedestrian program has contracted for bicycle and pedestrian counts at various locations throughout the district. Counts will be conducted during the late spring and summer. We have created a map of the count locations.

There are only 19 locations, heavily weighted toward major trail intersections, including the W&OD, Custis, and Mt. Vernon trails. It's important that future counts include more on-road locations. The city of Portland, OR conducts annual bike counts and they increased the number of locations from 60 in 2006 to 98 in 2007.

We hope to review the data once it is released and to provide comments on count methodology and locations.

Cycling for Everyone

2008-06-04T19:09:00.002-05:00

EcoVelo pointed out this video of John Pucher, professor of planning and public policy, Rutgers University, entitled Cycling for Everyone: Lessons for Vancouver from the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany. He has done extensive research on bicycling in Europe and the video, while long, contains some excellent info on why people ride bikes much more frequently in some European counties than in the U.S.

Bicycling and the Post

2008-05-30T07:44:00.002-05:00

Two days, two more articles about cycling in the Washington Post. Probably one reason that bicycle racing has not received coverage recently was due to pervasive drug doping that has plagued the sport for many years. The problem reached a peak last year when top riders Vinokourov, Rasmussen, and Moreni were all implicated in doping schemes. The sport is trying to clean up it's image and the article in yesterday's paper, Cycling's Drug Test: After Years of Doping Controversies, the Tarnished Sport Knows It Has to Come Clean or Become Obsolete, summarized efforts underway to rid the sport of illegal drugs.

Today's article on Mayor Fenty and his passion for cycling, Fenty's Fitness for Office: The Discipline That D.C. Mayor Brings to Cycling, Running Also Marks Politics, Some Say, is much more upbeat. The mayor understands the sport and has first hand experience cycling on the city's streets, which is one reason why the city has the nation's first bike sharing program and has been adding bike lanes and bike racks throughout the city.

Vienna Town Green bike parking

2008-05-30T07:23:00.002-05:00

The Vienna Town Green is the new park located adjacent to the W&OD Trail on Maple Ave (Route 123) in downtown Vienna. The plan for the park called for a bike rack, likely one known as a grill rack that doesn't allow the use of a U lock and is not recommended in most local juridictions. John Brunow, owner of bikes@vienna, FABB member, and member of the town Planning Commission had a better idea. He donated several inverted U racks that are now located in the park next to the fountain. The rack was full of bikes during the Viva! Vienna! festival. Thanks John for the rack and for setting an example for others in Vienna and Fairfax County.

Transportation cycling blog

2008-05-28T21:52:00.002-05:00

EcoVelo is a new blog devoted to transportation and utility cycling.

“In these times of global warming, declining oil reserves, and an exploding world population, those of us with the means need to take whatever steps we can to improve the situation, one of which is to seriously consider alternatives to fossil-fuel-based personal transport. Given the right circumstances and sufficient motivation (>$4 a gallon gas maybe?), I believe bicycles can be an important part of the solution for many people.”

So far there are posts on folding bikes, a trip to buy groceries, recumbents, and crank forward bikes. The author formerly maintained The Recumbent Blog.

Another bike article in the Post

2008-05-27T15:01:00.002-05:00

Today's Post contains another article on bicycling, An Easier Way Up: Hills Are Good for the Heart, but Many Hate The Effort. Here Are Some Tips to Ease the Pain. We especially liked the comments about avoiding the crowded trails at this time of year. With the new Fairfax Bike Map, “road” cyclists can begin to explore the many bikeable roads in the county.

“You could shrug off the challenge and stick to the flats -- Washington's bike trails, connecting outposts as diverse as Purcellville, Mount Vernon and downtown Bethesda, are as free of elevation changes as they are of motorized traffic. But at this time of year, when cyclists, skaters, dog-walkers and others mix it up on these narrow stretches of pavement, you might be sorry. And you'd be missing out -- on health benefits as well as thrills.”

Bike commuting in New York City

2008-05-25T07:24:00.003-05:00

Bike commuting has increased by 75 percent in New York City since 2000, in part due to the support from city government, which has created many new bike lanes and is encouraging more people to commute by bike. As reported by the Post in the article N.Y. Hopes to Ensure Smooth Pedaling for Bike Commuters, the city plans to have 400 miles of bike lanes by next summer, out of 6,000 miles of streets. By contrast, Fairfax County has around 4,000 miles of roads and about 20 miles of bike lanes.

"We've run out of room for driving in the city. We have to make it easier for people to get around by bikes." said Janette Sadik-Kahn, the city's transportation commissioner, who herself bikes to work.

With gasoline prices nearing $4 a gallon, obesity rates rising and gridlock tightening, New York is one of the many cities planning to promote the bicycle and move the perception of cyclists from Lycra-clad thrill-seekers to responsible citizens.

DC's SmartBike program is mentioned as are the efforts by Chicago, Portland, and event Flint, Michigan, to encourage more bicycling.

Cyclists speak out for bike facilities at HOT lanes hearings

2008-05-22T07:40:00.002-05:00

Over half of the speakers at last night's public hearing on the Beltway HOT lanes project spoke out for including bicycle facilities on the HOT lanes bridges that will be reconstructed as part of the project. Dranesville Supervisor Foust noted that the project is a once in a generation opportunity to provide bicycle and pedestrian access across the Beltway, which has been a barrier to bicycle travel since the late 1960's.

WABA president Douglas Stewart and I both noted the importance of including on-road facilities on the bridges. Others pointed out that Route 7 has no on-road facilities and the off-road sidepaths, while providing access over the bridge, will be dangerous given the high speed traffic entering and exiting the HOT lanes and the Beltway. We think the message was clear; citizens demand transportation alternatives, including bicycle facilities on all our roads.

VDOT and Fairfax County have agreed to a number of bicycle accommodations (see Exhibit N, Attachment 3-1A), and displays showing these facilities were posted at the open house before the public hearing. We will continue to monitor this project to ensure that the bike facilities remain a part of the project.

House Concurrent Resolution 305

2008-05-21T22:15:00.003-05:00

Congressman Earl Bluemenauer announced at the National Bike Summit that he had introduced a resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 305, “Recognizing the importance of bicycling in transportation and recreation”. As he stated at the time, “Bicyclists are an indicator species of a livable community, a place where our families are safe, healthy and economically secure. It's time for the Federal Government to step up and do its part”.

From what I can tell from today's Floor Summary, the resolution passed the House. While it contains no funds or direct mandates, it could have major implications for funding of bike initiatives in the future. The “Whereas” text contains some good info about various aspects of bicycling such as “Whereas surveys show that a majority of people want to ride and walk more but are dissuaded by concern over traffic danger and other barriers, and case studies have shown that when those barriers to bicycling are removed, people start riding;” Here's the resolution part of the text:

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Congress--

recognizes that increased and safe bicycle use for transportation and recreation is in the national interest;
supports policies that--
1. establish national target levels for increased bicycle use, reduce the number of motor vehicle miles traveled (VMT), improve bicycle safety to be achieved within a specific timeframe, and collect data needed to monitor progress;
2. increase intermodal travel between public transportation and bicycles;
3. provide incentives for State and local governments to adopt and implement complete street policies designed to accommodate all users, including motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and people of all ages and abilities;
4. encourage bicycle use in communities where significant segments of the population do not drive and where short trips are most common;
5. expand funding for core Federal transportation programs that support non-motorized infrastructure, education, and encouragement programs by--
  1. safeguarding existing funding sources for nonmotorized transportation from inequitable treatment in the Federal transportation funds rescission process;
  2. supporting funding for core Federal transportation programs that support nonmotorized travel, including transportation enhancements, safe routes to school, and recreational trails; and
  3. ensuring that highway safety improvement program funds are spent in proportion to the percentage of bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities in each State;
6. facilitate the development of a coordinated system of United States bicycle routes across the country that cross state borders and connect metropolitan regions;
7. create bicycle-friendly Federal land protection legislation, such as national recreation areas, to encourage regulations and management practices for mountain biking as an environmentally friendly nonmotorized use of natural surface trails;
8. provide flexibility in Federal transportation law that would speed up the delivery of nonmotorized infrastructure without sacrificing necessary environmental protections;
9. provide Federal tax or funding incentives to--
10. build upon the `Green the Capitol Initiative' as a model, create and provide an environmentally sustainable and healthy working environment for employees that includes the promotion of bicycling as a transportation alternative;
encourages the Department of Transportation to provide leadership and coordination by reestablishing the Federal bicycle task force to include representatives from all relevant Federal agencies.

More Bike to Work Day 2008

2008-05-20T16:41:00.003-05:00

Check out the Bike to Work Day video blog on WTOP by Markette Smith.

Here are some Reston Bike to Work Day photos.

Fox 5 news interviewed cyclists at the Vienna pit stop.