Press conference on funding for bike facilities

America Bikes is a national coalition of bicycle organizations that advocates for a federal transportation law that provides adequate funding for bike facilities. They are holding a press event next Wednesday morning, May 9, on the Hill to announce new survey data about Americans' attitudes towards federal funding for sidewalks and bike lanes. A House-Senate conference committee is scheduled to begin formal negotiations on the latest Transportation Bill on May 8.

Senator Cardin (MD) and Representative Blumenauer (OR) will be at the press conference, as will Andy Clarke of the League of American Bicyclists and others, to mark the release and discuss the importance of biking and walking for transportation.

The press conference will be on Wednesday, May 9 from 9:15 - 10:30 AM. At the House Triangle, located directly in front of the Capitol Building on the House side. The press event follows a National Bike to School Day celebration in Lincoln Park. From 7:30 - 8:30 a.m., school children will gather in Lincoln Park and ride in “bike trains” to nearby Capitol Hill public schools.

If you are not involved in Bike to School Day consider attending the press conference to ensure there is a good showing of folks with bikes. Biking and walking funds are on the line-funds that benefit bike projects in Maryland, DC, and Virginia.  Read the America Bikes press release about the event.

Fairfax County news release on National Bike Month

It's encouraging to see this news release from Fairfax County on National Bike Month:

May is National Bike Month 2012

May 4, 2012

Highlights

• Students are encouraged to bike or walk to school on Wednesday, May 9, the first national Bike to School Day.
• Join others in biking to work on Bike to Work Day, Friday, May 18.
• Bikes are allowed on Fairfax Connector buses, and bike lockers are available at three park and ride lots, along with . 

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This month Fairfax County is encouraging residents and students to get around on two wheels instead of four.

May is Bike Month 2012, and biking to work, school or anyplace else is good for the environment, helps reduces traffic congestion, and benefits public health.

On Wednesday, May 9, students are encouraged to participate in the first national Bike to School Day by biking or walking. Marshall Road Elementary School, among others, will be joining in. Find out more about how to register or participate on the schools’ Bike to School Day page.

County residents also should consider commuting to work by bicycle on Friday, May 18 — Bike to Work Day 2012. There will be nine pit stops in Fairfax County where bike commuters can get free snacks, drinks, bicycle tune-ups. Find the pit stops locations and learn more on the county’s Bike to Work web page.

In Fairfax, .2 percent of residents commute to work by bicycle and 1.8 percent walk, according to 2010 Census estimates.

To encourage more two-wheeled commuting, Fairfax offers financial assistance to employers to create a bike benefit program for workers who commute by bike 80 percent of the time.

Bikes are allowed on Metro trains with some restrictions, and similarly, VRE allows bicycles on trains if they meet certain requirements. For those who want to ride to a train station, bike parking is available at most Metro stations, many VRE stations and the county’s Herndon-Monroe, Reston South and Sunset Hills park and ride lots.

Every Fairfax Connector bus is equipped with a bicycle rack, and there is no cost to bring a bike on board. Metrobuses also offer bike racks on every vehicle.

To plan out your ride, Fairfax created a comprehensive bike map that shows trails and routes countywide.

The county also is developing a bicycle master plan. This plan will guide the county in making improvements both on- and off-road for a more bike friendly community.

For more information about Bike to Work Day, county bike facilities, and maps, call the Fairfax County Department of Transportation at 703-324-BIKE (2453), TTY 711.

Congress urges Amtrak to provide roll-on/roll-off service to Pittsburgh

The Great Allegheny Passage has become a very popular destination for many touring cyclists. Several touring companies sponsor sagged tours, but I would guess the majority of riders are self-supported.

One of the challenges of self-supported touring is transporting your bike for one leg of the journey. Amtrak’s Capitol Limited Route between DC and Pittsburgh is one option. Currently your bike must be boxed for travel on the train. Roll-on/roll-off service would be much more convenient for cyclists and would likely attract many more passengers traveling the Passage.

We were encouraged to see that 18 members of Congress, including Representatives Connolly, Moran, and Norton, recently signed a letter to Joseph Boardman, President and CEO of Amtrak, asking that roll-on/roll-off service be provided:

May 2, 2012

Joseph H. Boardman
President and Chief Executive Officer
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
60 Massachusetts Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002

Dear Mr. Boardman,

Thank you for your interest in providing enhanced bicycle service to your riders. We are encouraged by the prospects of Amtrak being able to offer roll-on / roll-off accommodations to travelers with bicycles on the Capitol Limited route and strongly urge you to move foreword with implementing these improvements as soon as possible.

As you know, the Capital Limited line parallels the Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal towpath, which together make a 335-mile bike trail that connects Pittsburgh, PA to Washington, DC. These trails were recently featured in the Washington Post travel section and are increasingly recognized as an international tourist destination. There are over 3.5 million visits to the Great Allegheny Passage trail system every year, many of them long distance riders who need transportation for themselves and their bicycles.

Roll-on / roll-off bicycle service is an important transportation improvement and will serve as a model for expunging this type of service nationwide. Providing these accommodations will help Amtrak attract new customers and will enhance tourism and economic development. These improvements are truly a winning proposition for everyone involved and we look forward to their successful implementation.

Thank you in advance of your attention tot his important issue. We look forward to continuing to work with you on solutions to allow this serve to begin as soon as possible, as well as long term options for dedicated rail equipment to handle bicycles efficiently and safely that help contribute to increased ridership for Amtrak, enhanced tourism, and economic development.

Sincerely,

Bill Shuster, Earl Blumenauer, Corrine Brown, Mark S. Critz, Gerald E. Connolly, Peter DeFazio, Jeff Dunham, Mike Doyle, Bob Filner, Jesse L. Jackson Jr., Dennis J. Kucinich, Patrick Meehan, Jim Moran, Jerrold Nadler, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Laura Richardson, Tim Ryan, and Edolphus Towns, Members of Congress.

May-June FABB Newsletter now available

MAY-JUNE 2012 FABB News

A bi-monthly publication of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling

www.fabb-bikes.org

County Bicycle Master Plan

The final stage of the Bicycle Master Plan process is underway. FABB representatives went to all eight of the bike plan area meetings, which were very well attended. To see the area meeting presentations and read a summary of comments made at the meetings visit the Bicycle Plan Materials & Resources page. See also FABB blog entries about the bicycle plan.

Based on the existing Bicycle Route Map and cyclist input, a draft bicycle route network is being developed. However, there is more to becoming a bicycle-friendly community than bicycle route network recommendations. Our culture needs to change through bicyclist and motorist education, adequate enforcement of existing traffic laws, and fun, social bicycle events. We also need to know how many people are bicycling and how bicycle mode share is changing over time through a bicyclist counting program. Policy and program recommendations to address these needs will also be part of the final plan.

A countywide public meeting to present the draft plan is slated for June. Cyclists will then have an opportunity to comment on the plan. Once the meeting date is determined it will be announced on the project events page and on the FABB Events page. The bicycle plan will set the stage for bicycling in the County for the next 30 years. Having a comprehensive list of projects, programs, and policies in the plan is extremely important.

Fairfax County Budget
Thanks to all of you who wrote to the Board of Supervisors asking them to fund the Bicycle Program. Each Board member received more than 300 letters . FABB also testified before the Board at the budget hearings. After the hearings we met with Lee District Supervisor McKay to make our case for funding the Bicycle Program once again.

Despite the letters and testimony, the Board decided against any funding for the Bicycle Program, which means the program has no operating funds. Some money is available for projects from the Commercial & Industrial tax funds, but little money is available for such activities as bicycle education and encouragement, a bicycle counting program, and other non-infrastructure activities.

While we didn't succeed in getting funds for the program, we know that the Board heard from cyclists loud and clear that more needs to be done to make Fairfax a safer, more convenient place to bike. In our meeting with Supervisor McKay we suggested that Fairfax could benefit from a program similar to BikeArlington. At the May 1 Board of Supervisors meeting he presented a Board Matter asking staff to determine how Fairfax could implement such a program.

FABB Rides
This year we are planning several special rides and we're inviting all FABB supporters who are WABA members to join us (our insurance is through WABA). The first ride will be a social, no drop ride to the Udvar-Hazy Center the see the Space Shuttle Discovery on Saturday May 5. We plan to hold several similar rides (e.g. history of the W&OD Trail, cargo bike ride, Tysons tour, etc.) throughout the year that we'll announce on the FABB Events page.

Tour de Fat
Is DC ready for the Tour de Fat? For the first time the cycle-themed "carnival" will be held in DC this year at Yards Park on Saturday, June 16. The festival starts in the morning with a costumed bicycle parade. The day is filled with fun, bicycle-oriented activities. Tour de Fat is sponsored by New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire Ale. They donate proceeds of Tour de Fat to local bike advocacy groups and FABB is one of the beneficiaries.

We need your help. FABB has agreed to provide volunteers to issue wristbands. We need several more volunteers in the morning (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.) and afternoon (1 p.m. - 5 p.m.). If you want to join the fun and help raise some money for FABB, please consider volunteering for Tour de Fat. To volunteer send an email to chairman@fabb-bikes.org.

Safe Routes to School - Bike to School Day May 9
The first ever National Bike to School Day is being celebrated around the U.S. on Wednesday, May 9. At least a dozen Fairfax County schools are participating, including Wolftrap and Marshall Road Elementary Schools, which will run bike trains that day. Is your local school participating?

FABB and other organizations participated in the Safe Routes to School National Training Course held at Herndon Middle School on April 26. The group learned strategies for developing SRTS programs in Fairfax and FABB members had a chance to network with staff from Fairfax County Public Schools, Police, VDOT, and parents and to discuss next steps for SRTS in Fairfax.

FABB reps also attended meetings on the Fairfax Co Public Schools Strategic Facilities Plan to discuss the importance of properly planning non-motorized access to our schools. We also pointed out the hidden costs and negative impact of building kiss & ride facilities. Why not take a minute to comment on the plan goals.

Fairfax County Parkway Trail
Several sections of the Fairfax Co Parkway are being repaved. VDOT held public meetings on the repaving and many cyclists turned out to argue that the adjacent trail should also be repaved. VDOT told us that the trail is not part of the repaving project, but they understand that the trail is in bad shape and needs to be repaved.

FABB members did an assessment of the trail that VDOT will use to help prioritize sections of the trail needing repaving if funds become available.

REI Donates Gear to FABB
REI donated bike panniers that will help us haul outreach literature and other materials that we use at community events where we discuss our work, answer questions, provide routing advice, and encourage cyclists to support FABB. This is our second donation from REI. Thanks to REI and especially to Rhonda Krafchin, Outreach Coordinator at REI Fairfax.

Bike Month
May is Bike Month and as you can see below, the month is packed with a long list of events. WABA is holding their major event of the year, BikeFest on Friday, May 11. This year the event will be held at Eastern Market in DC. Come on out and support the work of WABA, which is the sponsor of FABB. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and live music, and check out entries in this year's Bikebuild contest.  Register online.

Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 18. Register at biketoworkdaymetrodc.org and sign up for one of the 60 pit stop locations in the Metro DC area. If you're attending a Fairfax pit stop, why not invite your county Supervisor to join you?

FABB Fact: 47% of Americans say they would like more bike facilities in their communities. Source: National Survey of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Attitudes and Behavior by Dawn Royal and Darby Miller-Steiger, NHTSA.

Events - For full details see the FABB Events Page

Thursday, May 3, 6:00pm - VDOT Six-Year Plan Meeting
Saturday, May 5, 9:00am - FABB ride to Udvar-Hazy Center
Sunday, May 6, 9:00am - Bike Rodeo at Wolftrap Elementary School
Wednesday, May 9 - National Bike to School Day
Thursday, May 10 - I-66 Multimodal Study Comment Period Ends
Friday, May 11, 8:00pm - WABA's BikeFest
Saturday, May 12, 3:00pm - Bike Rodeo at Oak View Elementary School
Monday, May 14- Friday, May 18 - Vienna Schools Bike/Walk Challenge Week
Wednesday, May 16, 7:30pm - FABB monthly meeting
Friday, May 18 - Bike to Work Day
Tuesday, May 22, 7:00pm - School Facility Planning Meeting
Saturday, June 16 - Tour de Fat
Wednesday, June 20, 7:30pm - FABB monthly meeting
Tuesday, June 26-29, Velo-city Global 2012

FABB BLOG - For other news and articles of interest, visit the FABB blog.

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Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling is a grassroots initiative, sponsored by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, aiming to make bicycling an integral part of Fairfax County's transportation network. Visit us on the web.

NPR feature on biking to school

Eric, 7, Laurel 9, and Carina Anderson, 9, of Vienna, VA

David Darlington recently wrote an article in Bicycling magazine, The Fight to Let Kids Ride to School. Darlington was the featured guest on the show Talk of the Nation, What's Lost When Kids Don't Ride Bikes to School.

Several commenters on the program lament the fact that they live close to school but it's not safe to bike there. That's what happens when we plan schools without properly planning non-motorized access to surrounding areas.

Other comments related to the cool factor; how to make bicycling socially acceptable:

But when I was a kid, like you just said, I rode to school. And there's a difference today, it seems, between recreation and transportation. A lot of kids still ride bikes, but they kind of do it with their parents on the weekend for fun. But the idea of actually using a bicycle to get somewhere is alien to them. Oliver Robinson, who is the superintendent of schools in Clifton Park, just south of Saratoga Springs, who has done a lot of great things there for kids and bikes, he admitted to me that even his own sons, they ride up and down the street for an hour for fun. And then they come inside and say, Dad, drive me to the store to get a Gatorade.
...
LUDDEN: So in other words, we need some campaign to make bike riding cool?

DARLINGTON: Yeah, and that's what Safe Routes to School tries to do. Robert Ping, the Portland organizer for them, said that's exactly - that is his number one priority when they come into a community, is to try and - they try to stress the cool factor. They figure out what it is, what's going to make bicycling seem cool in this town.

Regarding the cool factor, isn't it ironic that one of the first thing that high school kids purchase when getting to college is a bicycle, something they wouldn't be caught dead with in high school?

The Bicycling article discusses the challenges of riding to school in a suburban New York community (although the photo from the article, above, features the children of FABB's Jeff Anderson):

"Kids on bikes are still made to feel like second-class citizens here," Olson observed. "Look at the size of the space in front of the school—it should have a sheltered bike-parking area. Instead the kids have to park by the road and walk back through three crossings of this busy entrance. They're made to feel as if they're in some suburban parking lot—which is exactly where they are. At really good schools, they would be welcomed—the principal would be out here, and there would be a system for counting how many days a kid has ridden, and a prize for the person who walks or bikes the most. But this school isn't doing that."

Update 3 May 2012: See a followup article from Robert Ping of the SRTS National Partnership, A National Conversation About Bicycling to School.

Patch article on bicycle program funding

Eric Hendry of Vienna Patch wrote a comprehensive article on funding for the bicycle program: Budget Adds More Funding, But Not For Biking. As we noted in an earlier post, there is money for bicycle projects but none for the other activities that are needed for a successful bike program such as encouraging more people to travel by bike, educating bicyclists and motorists, and outreach to employers and others.

We were very encouraged by Supervisor McKay's motion yesterday to look into using the BikeArlington model in Fairfax:

Fairfax County Supervisor Jeff McKay (Lee), who chairs the board's transportation committee, said he was looking for ways to achieve some of the goals of the Fairfax County bicycle plan, and that includes funding.

At Tuesday's meeting, he said Arlington County has done more to encourage biking and its approaches could become a model for Fairfax "now that the state is shedding its transportation responsibilities faster than you can say pothole."

He asked staff to examine how BikeArlington, part of Arlington County Commuter Services, encourages businesses to coax more people to ride bicycles.

The analysis will be presented at a future transportation committee meeting.

Thanks to everyone who contacted the Board. They know there is a great deal of support for better and safer conditions for cyclists in the county. We're optimistic that with the completion of the bicycle plan, and a commitment from the new Transportation Department director to doing more to help cyclists, we will make significant progress in the future.

While we're disappointed by the lack of program funding, it appears there is a renewed effort to accomplish the goals of the program through other means. It's critical that both the Tysons and the Countywide bicycle master plans be approved this year. We think county DOT is committed to that goal. Stay tuned.

Supervisor McKay's Board Matter on BikeArlington

Supervisor McKay

At today's Board meeting Lee District Supervisor McKay asked staff to "prepare an analysis of the BikeArlington program and that the analysis be added to a future Transportation Committee's agenda." When we met with Supervisor McKay we discussed the success of BikeArlington and that it is an excellent model for a similar effort in Fairfax County.

Supervisor McKay's earlier Board Matter on the Bicycle Master Plan kickstarted that effort.

As many of you know, BikeArlington is a very successful program that encourages more people to travel by bike. They also fund several bicyclist education classes, hold bicycle events, and conduct outreach to local employers. They produced the excellent infographic on bicycle and pedestrian safety as part of their PAL program: Predictable, Alert, and Legal.

This is an exciting development. As the Bicycle Master Plan nears completion, it will be important that Fairfax becomes more proactive in not only building an extensive bicycle network, but also changing our car culture to be more accepting of bicycling as a viable means of transportation. Having a BikeFairfax similar to BikeArlington would be a major step in the right direction.

Here is the text of Supervisor McKay's Board Matter from today's meeting:

Madam Chairman—Bicycle use as a mode of transportation in Fairfax County has grown in recent years. The reasons are many: high gas prices, environmental and health concerns, and the desire for transportation choices. When you consider that nearly 40 percent of all vehicle trips are fewer than two miles and could be made by bicycle, you can see the possibilities.

Our neighboring county has done much to encourage this simple and efficient mode of transportation. BikeArlington, a program of Arlington County Commuter Services, builds on existing partnerships between Arlington citizens and businesses to encourage more people to bike more often and to obtain private sector buy-in.

Now that the state is shedding its transportation responsibilities faster than you can say ‘pothole’, it makes sense to look at the Arlington approach and investigate if this model would work for Fairfax County and help us achieve some of the goals of our Fairfax County Bicycle Plan.

Madam Chairman, without exception I ask that staff prepare an analysis of the BikeArlington program and that the analysis be added to a future Transportation Committee’s agenda.