FABB Comments on Rolling Road Widening Project
June 16, 2008
My name is Bruce Wright, Chairman of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling. We are affiliated with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association which has 7,000 members. I appreciate this opportunity to comment on the project plans.
As gas prices soar past $4 a gallon and more people are concerned about the effects of driving single occupancy vehicles, more and more people are bicycling as an alternative to driving. The new Fairfax County bike map has been extremely popular. The Rolling Road corridor is an important bicycle route as indicated on the new bike map. It connects the extensive commercial development around the Rolling Road/Old Keene Mill Road intersection to the residential areas to the south and the Fairfax County/Franconia-Springfield Parkway and its parallel trail. Both the Springfield Mall and the Franconia-Springfield Metro station are a short bicycle ride away.
Fairfax County is beginning to realize the importance of providing county residents with transportation alternatives. Wide curb lanes on Rolling Road will provide a small amount of extra space on the road for bicyclists. However, the majority of benefits of wide curb lanes are for motorists. The lanes provide increased sight distance for the many people who will be exiting driveways or parking along the road. They provide space for motorists to make evasive actions and they add a recovery area for regaining control of a vehicle.
We also support the parallel trail for less experienced, casual bicyclists. However, while off-road bicycle facilities may be appropriate for some cyclists, they also present many dangers for those using bicycles for transportation. There are many more possible conflicts between motorists and bicyclists when trails cross driveways and intersections, especially when traveling counter to traffic flow. Bicyclists' actions are much more predictable and safe when they are riding on the road. On some roads with paved parallel trails such as the Fairfax County Parkway many cyclists prefer to ride on the paved shoulder instead the poorly maintained and unmarked trail. They also avoid conflicts with the runners, parents with strollers, and dog walkers.
We applaud the design presented by VDOT to include wide outside curb lanes on Rolling Road and we urge VDOT and Fairfax County to adopt the proposed design.
Bruce Wright, Chairman
Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling