Budget Alert
Let's get bicycling in the budget!
Fairfax County has included several important bicycling initiatives as part of its 2007 fiscal year budget. The final budget will be approved on May 1, 2006. You can make these initiatives happen by contacting your supervisor today.
Context
For Fairfax to become a more bicycle-friendly community, its transportation agency must have more resources to plan and implement bicycle facilities such as on-road bike routes. The Fairfax County Department of Transportation currently has no staff members focused on bicycling.
Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling has pushed for a bike coordinator position along with several other county initiatives. In December 2005, the Fairfax Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion directing county staff to hire a full-time bicycle coordinator and take other specific measures related to bicycling. These include a county-wide bicycle map and a pilot bicycle program in a specific area of the county.
Each of these programs still must be adopted in the 2007 fiscal year budget. The current draft budget does NOT include these programs. To get bicycling in the budget, Fairfax bicyclists must contact their supervisors and make them fully aware of the vital need to fund these programs.
What You Can Do:
1) Contact Chairman Connolly and other Board members today. Write or call Chairman Gerry Connolly to thank him for proposing a Comprehensive Bicycle Initiative and to voice your support. Chairman Connolly's contact information is chairman@fairfaxcounty.gov; 703-324-2321. Contact information for other Board members can be found on the county website. Ask Chairman Connolly to continue his leadership by including the following initiatives in the 2007 budget:
- Hiring a full-time bicycle coordinator. Getting better bicycling is all about the details. Fairfax needs a full-time staff member focused on bicycling transportation improvements to make them happen.
- Creating on-road bike routes NOW. Many Fairfax roads could include bicycle accommodations such as bike lanes and signage without any further redesign. The Board directed county staff to examine roads where bicycle improvements could be made without additional construction. Ask that the country follow through on this. Use examples based on your riding experiences.
- Producing a county-wide bicycle map. Working with the bicycling community to develop a bicycle map would represent an excellent investment. Far more bicycle trips would be taken for recreation and transportation if bicyclists had a good map delineating trails and safe on-road routes.
- A bicycle pilot program. Ask the county to put funds into establishing a pilot program that would establish an interconnected network of trails and on-road accommodations in a specific area of the county. A good example is Tysons Corner, where bicycle facilities could significantly reduce car trips if they are incorporated into the planned redesign.
2) Speak at a budget hearing. Fairfax County is holding public hearings on the budget on April 3, 4 and 5. All hearings will be held at the Fairfax County Government Center on 12000 Government Center Parkway, 22035-0065. Each begins at 7 PM. To sign up to speak, call 703-324-3151 or visit the Speaker Sign-up page.
3) Submit written comments. To submit written comments you can send mail to Clerk to the Board of Supervisors, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 533, Fairfax, VA 22035, or e-mail Clerk to the Board at clerktothebos@fairfaxcounty.gov.