Transit Network Study meetings in July

Fairfax County is conducting a major transit study. See an earlier FABB blog post about the study. Bicyclists are encouraged to learn more about how bicycling is being integrated with transit to allow more options for getting around the county. From Fairfax County:

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation will hold the first public meetings on the Countywide Transit Network Study.  Two meetings, covering the same materials, will be held in two different locations:

Monday, July 16, 2012 in Conference Rooms 9/10 of the Fairfax County Government Center at 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA, and

Thursday, July 19, 2012 in the Middle School Cafeteria of Hayfield Secondary School at 7630 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, VA.

Both meetings will be in an open house format from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with a brief presentation at 7:00 p.m. and attendees are invited to join in two workshop discussions following the presentation.

This study will determine the most effective way to serve the County’s long term mobility needs and accommodate planned growth by establishing a network of high quality transit corridors.  The purpose of the public meeting  is to discuss the study purpose, scope and schedule and help refine proposed study goals and objectives, as well as to identify possible modifications to the Comprehensive Plan designation of Enhanced Public Transportation Corridors.

A project website has also been developed to keep residents up to date on project related news and provide feedback in the form of an online survey, which will remain open for comment until August 10, 2012 at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/2050transitstudy.

Please consider taking the Transit Survey.

SuperNoVa transportation study comment period ends June 8

According to the SuperNoVa website, "the Commonwealth of Virginia has embarked on an ambitious effort to develop a Transit and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) vision for the Super NoVa region. This vision will lay out the strategy for improving mobility for the region in the short-, mid-, and long-term through a combination of transit and TDM enhancements.

"The Super NoVa region for this study is defined as Northern Virginia as well as an area extending to Caroline County on the south, Culpeper County on the west, and Frederick County to the northwest."

Integration of bicycling and transit allows many trips to transit centers to be taken by bike. Secure, covered bike parking at transit centers is needed. Bike racks on buses and bike storage on light rail facilitate combining bikes and transit.

Given the large size of the region, and the long commuting distances of many residents, bicycling may not be a realistic option for long trips where transit is not available. However, most trips taken in the region are relatively short: trips to school, to the local park&ride lot or transit center, running errands on the weekend, shuttling kids to ball games. Many of these trips could be taken by bike.

The comment period for this phase of the SuperNoVa study ends on June 8. The best way to comment is to fill out the SuperNoVa survey. Please consider taking a few minutes to answer the brief survey and let the study team know about the needs of bicyclists.

Among the options listed for improving transit service is "Improve sidewalks/bikeways." We added under Other: "Provide incentives for bicyclists."

For question 7. What are your top 3 priorities for transit service and facility and/or TDM program improvements in the region in the future? we listed the following:

1. Improved integration of bicycling and transit
2. Covered, secure bicycle parking at transit centers
3. Incentives for bicyclists who commute/travel by bike

Finally, for question 9. Is there any other information you think is important for the study team to have as they develop the Super NoVa Transit/TDM Vision Plan? our response was:

"Bicycling is a realistic option for many short trips, including trips to transit centers. It requires safe bicycle access to stations/centers and secure, covered bike parking. Promotions and incentives help raise awareness of these options and encourages more people to consider bicycling."

See a presentation from an earlier meeting.

Fairfax County 2050 Transit Study

Fairfax County is conducting a transit study that includes a survey of residents "to determine how public transit system expansion plans can best serve the county's long-term economic growth objectives. Transit systems can be designed to serve many different objectives. This survey will help us understand your needs and preferences for traveling within or through Fairfax County and how your travel needs are connected to other elements affecting your quality of life."

It's a wide-ranging survey that asks about quality of life issues such as living in walkable, mixed use communities, the importance of access to transit, and the importance of providing better biking facilities. Is it more important to be able to walk to local destinations or would you rather have a short drive?

While a few of the questions mention biking, it isn't really treated on the same terms as walking, driving and transit. An example is the questions that asks "How far would you be willing to walk on a regular basis from home" but no mention of biking from home to cover much greater distances. There are also no questions about the importance of bike parking at transit centers or about the integration of bicycling and transit.

We suggest you take the survey and weigh in on these topics.