Herndon approves bike plan

The Herndon Town Council approved the bicycle facility recommendations of their Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee. Those recommendations were based on the county bicycle master plan:

The Herndon Town Council approved bicycle facilities for inclusion in the Fairfax County Bicycle Plan by a five to two vote at their Aug. 14 meeting. Fairfax County commenced planning for bicycle facilities in the comprehensive plan about a year ago. They included incorporated towns Herndon, Vienna and Clifton so there would not be gaps in the network of trails.

"I think we have an opportunity here to be forward thinking and move forward with multi-modal [transportation] options, we’ve got Metro coming, we want our downtown more walkable," Mayor Lisa Merkel said. "Now is the time to plan for the very long term, for 20 years with Metro here and more and more of people moving here, maybe with one car or even no car, that we’re ready for that."

See our report on the earlier public hearing. Voting in opposition were Councilmember Charlie Waddell and Vice Mayor Connie Hutchinson. The term "sharrows" was removed from the recommendation which is probably OK:

"[The facilities] might be a sharrow, it might be a sign that says bicyclists can use a full lane, or, since this will be active at some point in the future, might be additional devices or signs to raise awareness or show changes," Gilleran said. "We’re leaving it open, because it’s long range items. A sharrow does not provide any changes to laws on the books, does not add additional rights, it is just a sign to increase awareness of cycles."

Sharrows are more than "a sign to increase awareness of cycles." They also indicate where cyclists should ride to avoid the door zone and other hazards. Other treatments are possible, including bike lanes or lane or road diets.

This is a first, major step toward Herndon becoming a bicycle-friendly community.

Town of Herndon to discuss bike plan recommendations August 14

Herndon Town Council will hold a public hearing on August 14 starting at 7pm to discuss a resolution of support for the Countywide Bicycle Master Plan developed by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee. All Herndon-area cyclists are encouraged to attend the hearing and speak out in favor of the plan recommendations.

As reported here, the Town Council recently held their first public hearing on adoption of recommendations for bike lanes, sharrows, and other bike facilities that are included in the county bicycle master plan. Adoption of the recommendations will be a great step forward for helping to make Herndon a more bicycle-friendly place.

Unfortunately there was some misinformation discussed at the earlier hearing about where cyclists are allowed to ride on the road, and about the purpose of sharrows. FABB has scheduled a meeting with Town officials to discuss the use of sharrows, rights of cyclists to ride in the road, and how the sharrows will be implemented in the Town. Among other sources we'll be referencing VDOT's guidelines on use of sharrows that we wrote about extensively in an earlier post.

Herndon Town Council discusses Bicycle Master Plan

At a Public Hearing last week Herndon Town Council members were presented the recommended elements to be incorporated into the Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plan.  The Council was asked not to build a bicycle network but just to endorse a plan that will go forward to the County.  The Herndon Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee (PBAC) presented a well thought-out plan that outlined some recommended bicycle infrastructure that would connect the historic downtown with the future Metro station, the W&OD Trail and surrounding communities like Reston, Sterling and Oak Hill.   The PBAC plan includes on-road paint treatments like Sharrows (aka shared lane markings) and bike lanes.  They also recommend a cycletrack, or separated bikeway, along Herndon Parkway to link an important north-south corridor (Van Buren St) with the Metro station.  

So based on the above you’d expect some discussion on how people use bicycles in the town, or perhaps how sharrows might impact safety.  The discussion was in two parts:  1) discussion by the Town Council and 2) comments from the public.

The discussion from the Town Council largely centered around:

• Postponing the vote until the next meeting
• Possibility of grants to cover any costs
• How much any of these improvements will cost
• The right of a bicyclist to ride in the road
• Cycling on the sidewalks instead of the roads
• Negative reaction of drivers and homeowners if bike lanes or sharrows are used
• Discussion of how bicycles must pull over if cars approach and will be ticketed for riding in the middle of the road
• Potential delay to drivers by having bicyclists in the road
• Effectiveness and legitimacy of these on-road bicycle treatments

Comments from the Public:

• New bicycle facilities will be good for those who are older and can’t drive
• There is no possibility of bike lanes and sharrows making the road less safe
• Sharrows will decrease harassment of cyclists by drivers
• Better bicycle facilities will help more residents enjoy events like Herndon Festival since the entire town is 10 minutes or less away from downtown
• Accommodating bicycles in town will be less expensive than building parking garages
• Being more bicycle friendly may attract more of the people who ride the W&OD to the downtown area, helping businesses
• Bicycle facilities will increase the safety of Herndon Residents who cannot afford cars (of which there are many)

Do you see any common themes between what the Public thought was important compared to the Town Council?   I really didn’t either.  The Council voted to defer the vote until the August 14 meeting so the town engineers can review the plan.  

We cannot expect the Town Council to be experts in bicycle and pedestrian safety; however, the Council received conflicting and incorrect information at the Town Council meeting.  It was stated by town staff that bicycles must move over when a car comes up behind them on a narrow road and may not ride in the middle of the lane, which is allowed by Virginia State Law.  FABB hopes to meet with members of the PBAC, Herndon Police Department, and the County Bicycle Coordinator to clear up any confusion on bicycle infrastructure and bicycle laws. I hope the Town Council gets the information they need to realize the benefits of a more bicycle-friendly Herndon.  See the video replay of the Council meeting. Click on Video from the July 10 meeting.

By Tom Wyland


Update: The Town of Herndon published this FAQ on the bike plan:

BICYCLE FACILITY PLANNING – FAIRFAX COUNTY AND TOWN OF HERNDON

What is the Fairfax County Bicycle Transportation Plan, and how does it impact the Town of Herndon?

The Fairfax County Bicycle Transportation Plan is a comprehensive planning effort, currently under way, to make the county’s roads bicycle-friendly. The plan will consist of a map identifying locations of future bicycle facilities as well as a policy document that outlines implementation of the plan. After getting community input at a series of public meetings, Fairfax County has developed a recommendation for a bicycle facility network that includes facilities in the Town of Herndon. The county plan is expected to be considered for adoption by the Board of Supervisors in winter 2012-13.

Does the Town of Herndon have an opportunity to weigh in on the plan and make its own recommendations?

Yes. A resolution currently before the Herndon Town Council outlines specific bicycle facilities, located within the town that, if adopted by the council, will be formally endorsed for inclusion in the county plan. The Town Council will hear public comment at its public hearing on August 14, 2012, and is expected to vote on the resolution at that meeting.

Who crafted the town’s recommendations, as outlined in the resolution the council will be considering on August 14?

Upon receipt of the county draft plan, town staff worked with the town’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee (PBAC), a committee formed by the Town Council to study and advise on issues related to bicycle and pedestrian access and safety throughout the town. PBAC worked to refine the county plan to specifically address issues within the Town of Herndon. The PBAC recommendation was then presented to, and subsequently recommended by the town’s Planning Commission for Town Council approval.

What types of recommended bicycle facilities are included in the town’s resolution?

The PBAC recommendations call for inclusion within the county plan of bike lanes on Dranesville Road between Herndon Parkway and Park Avenue, and on Elden Street between Monroe Street and Fairfax County Parkway. The recommendations also call for cycle tracks, trails and sharrows in specific locations within the town to facilitate safe bicycle traffic. A full outline of the resolution draft is available at www.herndon-va.gov, see “What’s New.”

I see references to “sharrows” in the PBAC recommendations. What is a sharrow?

A sharrow, or shared lane marking, which is identified with a distinctive bicycle marking: 1) identifies where bicyclists should ride in a lane where on-street parking is present to reduce the chance of being impacted by the open door of a parked vehicle; 2) identifies where bicyclists should ride in lanes that are too narrow for a motor vehicle and bicycle to travel side by side in the same lane; 3) alerts road users of where bicyclists are likely to ride within the roadway; 4) encourages safe passing of bicyclists by motorists; and 5) reduces the incidence of wrong-way bicycling.

If the Town Council does not adopt the resolution making specific recommendations to the county plan, what happens then?

Fairfax County may include facilities proposed in the Town of Herndon in its comprehensive planning effort, but the plan will not be considered as part of the town’s comprehensive plan. Comprehensive plans are long-range planning documents that set policy and do not usually indicate short-term construction projects. Inclusion in the county’s plan does not place any obligation on the town to finance or construct bicycle facilities, nor does it give permission to Fairfax County to build facilities in the town.

If the Town Council does adopt the resolution, what happens then?

Should the Town Council, after hearing public comment, adopt the resolution on August 14, the town’s recommendations will be formally submitted to Fairfax County for inclusion in their plan. This action will not, however, automatically revise the town’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan. The town may opt to include its bicycle recommendations in future updates of its comprehensive plan; this would not happen without advertised public hearings before both the Planning Commission and the Town Council, so that public input may be provided.

How much will it cost to implement the county’s plan?

The costs to implement the county’s plan are unknown at this time. Should the Town Council adopt the resolution endorsing specific recommendations to the plan, the cost of implementation of bicycle facilities in the town would then be considered when bicycle facilities are added to the town’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan and Capital Improvements Plan. It is important to note that inclusion of the PBAC recommendations in the county’s plan will likely provide additional leverage should the town then apply for grants to fund the construction of bicycle facilities.

How can I get more information?

Visit the town’s Web site at www.herndon-va.gov; see “What’s New” to link to a page with information on the Fairfax County Bicycle Transportation Plan and the town’s proposed recommendations.

Herndon Town Council public hearing on county bike plan tonight

We just learned that the Herndon Town Council is holding a public hearing tonight on the Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plan recommendations for the Town. The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Herndon Council Chambers Building located at 765 Lynn Street, Herndon.

Cyclists are encouraged to attend the meeting and speak out for on-road bike routes in the Town. Herndon has great potential for being a very bicycle-friendly community but there are currently no designated on-road bike facilities. Bike lanes on Dranesville Road end just north of the Town boundary.

TOWN OF HERNDON, VIRGINIA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given that the Town Council of the Town of Herndon, Virginia will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, July 10, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. in the Herndon Council Chambers Building located at 765 Lynn Street, Herndon, Virginia on the following measures intended to be proposed for passage:

Resolution - Summary of the proposed action: consideration of a resolution recommending to the Town Council that the recommendations of the Planning Commission regarding proposed bicycle facilities within the town be endorsed and forwarded to Fairfax County for inclusion into the Fairfax County Bicycle Transportation Plan. The proposed bike facilities for Herndon have been identified by the town’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee and sent to the Planning Commission for their review and recommendation to the Town Council. The general goal of Fairfax County’s Bicycle Transportation Plan is to identify specific improvements that are needed to accommodate and encourage bicycling within and between activity and population centers throughout Fairfax County, adjacent jurisdictions as well as to/from rail stations along the Dulles Metrorail Silver Line.

Herndon Festival bike valet

The Herndon Bike and Pedestrian Committee is organizing the bike valet again this year at the Herndon Festival which is held on May 31-June 3. Why not go by bike and avoid parking hassles. Ian MacDonald, organizer of the valet parking, is looking for volunteers to help staff the valet. He needs help during the following periods:

Friday June 1st 5pm to 11pm
Saturday June 2nd 10am to 11pm
Sunday June 3rd 11am to 6pm

Volunteers get a Herndon Volunteer Tee shirt and access to the Volunteer food at government center. Contact Ian MacDonald to let him know what hours that you are available to work.

New Herndon Police Chief is a cyclist

Herndon Police Chief DeBoard riding
in the Police Unity Tour

Herndon recently named Maggie DeBoard as their new Chief of Police. Officer DeBoard is a 25-year veteran of the Fairfax County Police Department:

DeBoard comes to the town from the Fairfax County department. She currently is a deputy chief for Investigations and Operations Support.

Prior positions in which DeBoard served include commander of the county’s helicopter division, commander of the special operations division, captain of the Franconia district station and major of the division II patrol bureau.

DeBoard began her career with the county in 1986 as a patrol officer.

As president of the Fairfax-based Police Unity Tour, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, she actively is involved in fundraising for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund in Washington, D.C.

The four-day fundraising Tour starts in New Jersey on May 9 and ends in DC on May 12.

Bike Plan area meeting comments now online

Three area meetings have been held to gather input from cyclists for the Fairfax bicycle master plan. The Great Falls-McLean meeting, the fourth of eight, is on Monday Dec. 12.

During each meeting notes are compiled for use in developing the final plan recommendations. Toole Design folks have done a good job of summarizing comments from each meeting and those notes are now posted online on the Materials & Resources page of the bike plan website. Below are some selected comments from the meeting notes:

Clifton Area Meeting (Oct 6, 2011):

• For blind corners and steep grades, put signs with blinking lights that detect cyclists (when the sign detects a cyclist, the lights begin blinking to warn motorists that a cyclist is around the corner/going up the hill. They continue blinking until the cyclist is out of the way). 
• If the BIKES MAY USE FULL LANE is used, it may be helpful to add a plaque to the sign assembly that says “FOR SAFETY”, to remind motorists that cyclists who may be in the middle of the lane are not doing so just to annoy the motorist, but rather because it is the safest location for the cyclist to be in when there is no shoulder. 
• Where feasible, [in the uphill direction of narrow roads,] construct a segment of shoulder for bicyclists to use, which allows them to ride outside of the travel lane and then merge in again.

Reston-Herndon Area Meeting (Oct 20, 2011):

• Focus on making areas around schools safer to allow all children to bike to school. 
• Focus on education materials to share the road signs, sharrows. 
• Focus on making multi-use path crossings more visible throughout Reston. 
• Ensure that there is dedicated funding for the implementation of the plan. 
• Work with schools to create Safe Routes to School program. 
• Accommodate cyclists at intersections: time traffic lights for bicycle speeds, add loop detector markings, bike boxes, bike signal leads and video detection. 
• Make sure bike parking facilities meet/exceed standards. 
• Please make sure that all bike facilities meet NACTO standards. 

 Mt. Vernon-Eastern Lee Area Meeting (Nov 17, 2011):

• Ft Hunt Road is a preferred connection for bicycle commuters. 
• Bike Lanes, a adequate and consistent paved shoulder width, and/or shared roadway signs are desired to increase safety and visibility of cyclists 
• Residential streets parallel to the GW Memorial Parkway serve as an alternative route to the very busy Mt Vernon Trail, especially when it is crowded. 
• Short neighborhood connecting paths through parks and school grounds exist but need signage. 
• An off-road path along Ft Hunt from Westgrove Rd, past the Library towards Belle View Road needs to be resurfaced and widened and would improve safety for young people bicycling to/from the library and a school across the street. 
• Conflicts with high speed vehicular traffic, during AM/PM rush hours especially, make it difficult to connect to shopping destinations along the entire Route 1 corridor. 
• Two choke points make it difficult to travel on parallel side streets: one at Route 1 and Buckman Road and one at Beacon Hill Road and Route 1. 
• Crossing Route 1 is also challenging at these and most other intersections.

Herndon bike/ped committee looking for volunteers

If you live in the Town of Herndon and want to help make the Town a more bicycle-friendly place, this is your chance. The Town is looking for volunteers to serve on the bike/ped advisory committee:

Herndon's Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee needs volunteers to fill vacancies on the panel. The committee advises the Town Council on safety and transportation issues related to walking and bicycling in Herndon. It works to promote the health and recreational benefits of walking and cycling. It generally meets four times a year. "Talent Bank" applications are available at the clerk’s office. 703-435-6804, town.clerk@herndon-va.gov, www.herndon-va.gov.

Public hearing on Herndon Metro area plan

Last night the Town of Herndon held a public hearing on the Herndon Metrorail Station Area Plan. Several residents spoke about the need for good multimodal access to the future Herndon Metro Station. One speaker noted that Reston Town Center and Manhattan aren't clogged with traffic all of the time because of their design; the grid streets and mix of uses give people reasons to walk and bike there instead of driving.

A cycle track along Herndon Parkway is included in the plans. You can comment or send suggestions on the plans. Visit the project website for more information.

Public hearing on cycletrack on Herndon Parkway

The Town of Herndon Town Council will hold a Public Hearing on the draft Metrorail Area Plan. The plan includes cycle tracks on Herndon Parkway. The plan was approved by the Herndon Planning Commission on Oct. 3.

The meeting is on Tuesday, October 25th at 7:00 p.m., Ingram Council Chambers, 765 Lynn Street. Cyclists are encouraged to support the cycletrack plan. You can also submit comments online.

Reston-Herndon bike plan meeting well-attended

An enthusiastic group of around 35 people showed up for the Reston-Herndon area bike plan meeting last night. It was the second of eight planned meetings to gather input for the countywide bicycle master plan. The meeting started with a half hour open house that gave people a chance to connect with other cyclists and to talk to the planning team.

Consultants from Toole Design Group gave a brief presentation on the plan and the purpose of the meeting. Participants split into several groups: Reston bike facilities, Herndon bike facilities, Educate/Encouragement/Enforcement, and Trails.

Each group marked up maps and listed their ideas for making the area more bicycle-friendly. The Reston group marked dangerous intersections such as Wiehle Ave/Sunset Hills Rd, W&OD/Wiehle Ave, and several FFX Co Pkwy trail intersections. Bike lanes were suggested on Sunrise Valley Drive, South Lakes Dr, and on Lawyers Rd, extending the existing bike lanes, and signed bike routes were indicated on Village Rd, North Shore Dr, and Glade Dr. The information was collected by Toole and will used as input for developing the final county bicycle master plan.

The next area meeting will cover the Mt. Vernon, Rose Hill, Ft. Belvoir, Mason Neck, and Huntington areas, on Thursday, Nov 17, 2011, from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the South County Government Center, 8350 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA in Conference Room 221 A-B, 2nd floor. Visit the project website for more information.

A few FABB members took a brief tour of the Reston-Herndon area on Saturday in preparation for two meetings this week, the WABA Fairfax meeting tonight and the Reston-Herndon bike plan area meeting on Thursday.

Bike l ockers and racks at Sunset Hills P&R lot

We started the tour at the Sunset Hills Park and Ride lot. Thanks to the efforts of the county bike coordinator, the bike parking at this new lot is the best example of good bike parking in Fairfax. There are 20 inverted U racks, spaced properly and conveniently located near the bus bays. Next to the racks are a row of 20 weatherproof bike lockers.

During the tour we reviewed current bike access to the three area Silver Line stations, Reston-Wiehle Ave, Reston-Town Center, and Herndon-Reston West. The Reston Metro Access Group report contains many recommended bike improvements for the two Reston stations, including bike lanes on Sunset Hills Rd, Sunrise Valley Dr, and Town Center Parkway leading to the station.

We looked at possible locations for future trails on both sides of the Dulles Toll Rd that would allow easy access to the new stations and to the many businesses that will be located in the area. Parking lots occupy much of the space today, and as the area redevelops, a small amount of that space could be reserved for these trails. On the south side of the Toll Rd there are private service roads that would make good bike connections if the county could obtain easements.

It will be imperative that good bike facilities be provided to link the most popular paved trail in Northern Virginia, the W&OD Trail, to the future stations. The connections should reduce conflicts with people walking to and from the stations. The W&OD Trail will also likely need to be widened in the near future. It is currently being used to capacity on most fair weather weekends and there are already many conflicts between cyclists traveling at different speeds, pedestrians, runners, and others. The road crossings on the Trail could be made safer by having raised crosswalks that force motorists to slow down.

Where the W&OD Trail crosses Wiehle Ave near the Sunset Hills Rd intersection, not far from the future Reston-Wiehle Ave station, is one of the most dangerous locations in Fairfax for bicyclists and pedestrians. A bridge over, or tunnel under Wiehle Ave would be a major improvement. Prohibiting right on red at the Wiehle/Sunset Hills intersection would also help cyclists and pedestrians trying to reach the station. A bike box, which would allow bicyclists to cue up in front of traffic, would also help; it’s a short ride to the station entrance from Sunset Hills Rd.

The last stop of the tour was the Herndon-Reston West station, current site of the Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride lot. This is another example of good bike parking, with several inverted U racks and bike lockers. Bikes on the roads approaching the station in the south, on Sunrise Valley Dr, and on the north, on Herndon Parkway, will provide good bicycle access to these stations. The Town of Herndon is even considering creating cycletracks on Herndon Parkway.

The ride was a good chance to enjoy a beautiful Fall day seeing firsthand what bike access is like today, and envisioning a bike-friendly future.