Interview with Tom Vanderbilt, author of Traffic

Tom Vanderbilt, author of the excellent book Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us), was interviewed recently by Andrew Gardner of Embrocation Cycling Journal. It's well worth reading. Here are some excerpts:

AG - What's your take on the state of cycling advocacy today? What are the largest challenges to improving life for cyclists in the US?

TV - I was just down in D.C., looking at their bike share system, and what struck me was that the people who were first thinking about this, a number of years back, were planning students and bike advocates, noble voices dwelling largely in the wilderness. Now they’re the people administering the programs, doing the consulting, getting the money, making it happen. It’s becoming rather expected that a city will have a bicycle projects coordinator, just as it will soon be expected that any city worth its salt will have something like a bike share system. And hence the answer to the second question: Infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure. People’s choices are shaped largely by their environment; put an escalator next to stairs, 99% of people will not take the stairs. Build things that are good for a person on a bike — whether they are eight or eighty — and you’ll get more people on bikes. Get more people on bikes, and the other issues, like behavior and safety, virtually take care of themselves.

AG - Being keen on racing and interested in advocacy, any thoughts on strategies to bring those communities closer together?

TV - Cycling is incredibly divisive, almost like some mutant dividing cellular organism — the racers snicker at the “Freds” in hi-viz spandex, even as they terrorize people riding Dutch bikes on multi-user paths. There’s division everywhere — steel versus carbon, disc brakes versus cantilever. 29ers versus 26ers. There’s probably some huge clash over wheel skewers I’m not even aware of. It’s so far beyond anything in the world of cars — e.g., I drive a wagon, but it’s not like I harbor some huge suspicion of sedans.

Having ridden with Tim Johnson in the Ride of Washington, I’m of course enthused by his whole approach, which is basically to say that all of us on two wheels are basically on the same road, that the pro racer of today was the kid on the Schwinn a few decades ago, and to enlist those in the racing community to help promote that. There are many noble rides for charity causes, why not rides to make things better for cyclists in general? How many pro riders, after all, have been killed or seriously injured by drivers on training rides?

AG - In addition to cycling, you write about technology for a number of publications. To you, what's the most important technological improvement to hit the cycling world? (Ebikes? Strava? Compression socks?)

TV - I’d have to go with the simple, yet utterly indispensable, smart phone. With one device you can track your ride on Strava, Instagram that epic ascent, conduct your business even as you’re playing hooky, find the nearest bike share station in cities around the world, locate the closest bike shop when that mechanical strands you — the list goes on. It goes in my jersey pocket even before that spare tube.

We had planned a series of notes about the book Traffic but only managed to get to the first installment, Traffic notes, Part 1. Maybe we'll try to dig up the notes and try for Part 2 this year.

Thanks to BikePortland's The Monday Roundup for this reference and several other tidbits.

Case against motorist who struck cyclist in Vienna

The saga of the motorist who was alleged to have intentionally struck a cyclist with his vehicle continues. The cyclist was riding on Maple Ave. in Vienna. We attended the court hearing once again this morning. This is the third scheduled hearing for this case. It was delayed in October and November and there was supposed to be "one more postponement" that was scheduled for today.

After sitting through around 75 cases, the case against the motorist, John Thorpe of Bristow, was the last one called. Once again the bicyclist did not appear although there were two witnesses present. After discussing the case with the Town Attorney, the aggressive driving charge was amended to reckless driving. The Town Attorney will move to null process the assault charge. Null process means that the prosecutor will take no further action on the charge.

There is a hearing scheduled for April 1 on the aggressive driving charge. The presence of witnesses was waived. Without any witnesses for the prosecution, there won't be much of a case. The lesson here is that if you're going to seek charges against a motorist, you've got to follow through and be willing to appear in court. Otherwise it's a waste of everyone's time.

Regarding the other cases heard this morning, most were for speeding that resulted in fines. Three DWI cases were heard. According to Judge Michael Cassidy, the maximum penalties were $1,500 fine, 180 days in jail, and 12 month license suspension. These were the penalties in the three cases: $500, $750, and $250 fines, 0 days, 4 days, and 5 days (min. sentence given the high blood alcohol level) prison sentence, and no license suspension if an Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP) class was completed. It doesn't matter if Virginia has the "toughest DUI laws in the country" if only the minimum sentences are given.

Pohick Stream Valley - Liberty Bell Trail

Fairfax County is seeking comments on the plans for the Liberty Bell Trail in the Burke area. FABB's Alan Young recently wrote an article about the proposal in the Burke Patch: Public Review Requested by Jan 14 - Pohick Stream Valley - Liberty Bell Trail:

The Park Authority has published a preliminary set of plans for the builiding of the new Pohick Stream Valley - Liberty Bell Trail, projected for completion in 2014-15. This trail is designed to connect to the new Burke VRE trail that runs from Burke VRE station along Pohick Stream to Coffer Woods at Burke Lake Road. Here is a link to an approximation of the routing.

FCPA is taking public comments until Jan. 14. Send them to Thomas McFarland, project manager, 12055 Government Center Pkwy., Suite 406, Fairfax, VA 22035, parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Read the rest of the article for details about the trail.

Read: Urban Land Institute’s “Shifting Suburbs” and What It Means for Fairfax County

Fairfax's Mosaic District is a dense,
walkable development, but is most easily
accessed by highways.

The Urban Land Institute recently published a new report, Shifting Suburbs: Reinventing Infrastructure for Compact Development, that examines the challenges of transforming low-density suburban areas into more compact, transit-oriented, mixed-use developments.

The ULI report looks at rebuilding existing suburban infrastructure (primarily transportation infrastructure) in order to support more compact development. Over the next 30 years, the U.S. is expected to grow by 90 million people. The majority of that growth is expected to occur outside urban cores. Many young workers are choosing to live in more urban places with multiple transportation options, like walking, biking, and transit. In order to become competitive, some suburban communities want to be less car-dominated and more walkable and bikeable.

Different types of suburban development lend themselves to different redevelopment strategies. Included in the ULI report are models of suburban mall retrofits, suburban transit-oriented development, suburban arterials or commercial corridors, wholesale or large-scale suburban transformation, and suburban town centers. All are present in Fairfax County---respectively, Springfield Mall; Merrifield; Routes 1, 7, and 50; Tysons; and Reston Town Center.

Retrofitting suburban arterials such as Routes 1, 7, 50, and 123 is a major challenge. Such roads are often traffic-clogged and serviced only by infrequent and slow-moving bus service. Because of outdated zoning regulations, the only development that can occur is located low-density retail and commercial businesses immediately adjacent to the road. High-capacity highways like the Beltway, I-66, I-95, and the Dulles Toll Road also create barriers to dense development.

Redevelopment needs to occur while being sensitive to the concerns of residents in nearby residential neighborhoods, or it won't happen. The Ballston corridor is an example of high-density development existing near low-density residential development. Fortunately, there are considerable transit connections to these neighborhoods.

But there are no easy solutions to reorganizing inner-ring suburbs for an expanding population. Changing a culture and landscape dependant on cars for mobility is a tremendous challenge. There is also a risk of creating islands of mixed-use communities in a sea of sprawl, which can only be accessed by wide, dangerous roads.

Eight examples of suburban redevelopment are documented in the ULI report, including White Flint/Rockville Pike in Montgomery County. Here are some takeaways from reading about it and other case studies:

• There is a significant last mile problem in trying to connect low-density suburban sprawl with mixed-use development centers. Unless walkable and bikeable transit-oriented suburban developments are connected to surrounding low-density areas by transit and safe, convenient, non-motor options, people will continue to drive for most local trips.
• The importance of bicycling as a way to overcome the last mile problem is not discussed in the report. Bicycles can be a viable solution for accessing new developments from areas within 2-3 miles. ULI's report treats cycling as an afterthought, such as when it describes a development as bike-friendly there are 35 bike racks. In sum, bicycling is briefly mentioned as a way to connect to transit but not as a viable mode in and of itself.
• One advantage to wide, suburban arterials is that there is room to add options other than moving cars, like dedicated bus and bike lanes, physically separated cycletracks, bus rapid transit lanes, and streetcars.

Fairfax has focused new development around Metrorail stations, which have become active nodes. The massive redevelopment of Tysons along the new Silver Line is unprecedented, and the long-term vision for Tysons includes changes that will make walking, biking, and transit much more attractive options for itsmany future residents.

Reading ULI's case studies is encouraging---and depressing. Islands of smart growth are almost always surrounded by vast areas of suburban sprawl and bordered by wide multi-lane roads, forcing most people to drive for most trips. Even when transit (mostly bus) is available, it can be slow and infrequent, and there is a stigma amongst many suburbanites against using it; transit is for those who can't afford a car.

One of the biggest challenges to suburban transformation is opposition from existing residents who fear or otherwise resist change. Residents may want to be able to walk or bike to nearby destinations, but oppose nearby mixed use developments, fearing more car traffic. But our population is and will continue to grow regardless of how we feel. We need to figure out smart ways to accommodate more people, even in established, low-density suburban areas and especially in established, low-density suburban areas near transit. Bicycling can be a crucial way for people to get around these retrofitted suburbs.

The first-ring suburbs in Fairfax present a great opportunity. In the D.C. area, such suburbs are largely located inside the Beltway. Their population density is higher the outer suburbs', and there are more transit options available. There is also often an existing grid of streets that fosters biking and walking. Aging developments can be replaced with more compact, mixed-use projects. Examples in Fairfax include Seven Corners, Bailey's Crossroad, and Annandale.

With a growing population and limited resources, we need to find smarter ways to grow in the future. Dense, transit-oriented development that provides places to live, work, and play are one solution, and it requires us to transform our existing, mostly residential suburban areas into more livable, walkable, and bikeable places. This transformation won't be easy, but it has already begun---and bicycling should play a key role in it.

Bruce Wright is chairman of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling (FABB). This post is cross-posted on the FABB blog.

This article was cross-posted on the WABA blog.

Photo by Flicker user Payton Chung

Bicycling magazine cover

I receive Bicycling magazine in the mail. I think it's because I'm a member of the League of American Bicyclists and the magazine is sent to members. I just know I don't pay for it and if I had to I wouldn't subscribe. I prefer magazines like Momentum and Bicycle Times that cover the full range of bicycle transportation, not just recreational and sport cycling.

I will say that Bicycling magazine has improved over the years, giving more emphasis to transportation cycling, biking to school, and other non-racing topics. However, the cover of the magazine invariably contains a sleek, lycra-clad cyclist on an expensive road bike. I've often thought that I'll know when the magazine has changed when they feature something other than a road bike on the cover.

As you can see from the image on the right, the Jan-Feb 2013 cover that I scanned, since I couldn't find the image online (I was able to obtain a copy from Bicycling), contains a cyclist, actor Patrick Dempsey, with a hybrid bicycle that has a rack on the front and toe clips on the pedals. I think this is a first. 

I later discovered, after reading on p. 3 in the blurb about the cover, that Bicycling hedged their bets and featured two covers for this issue. The other cover contains the same Patrick Dempsey in lycra with an expensive road bike. And looking more closely at the hybrid bike you'll see that it's not just any hybrid but a $1,759 nickel-plated limited edition bike by Globe. The bike featured on the cover also has carbon cranks and deep-rimmed carbon wheels, so the real price is probably closer to $3,000. I guess change comes slowly for Bicycling.

Update: See a review of the bike featured on the cover (once you've skipped the ad that appears).

Delegate Tom Rust to hold Town Hall meetings

Delegate Rust will be holding three town hall meetings over the next couple of weeks. Del. Rust has opposed the three foot passing bill in the past. As we noted in an earlier post, this year Del. Lopez will be introducing two other bicycle-related bills, "following too close" "exercise due care" Virginia is one of only a few other states without these provisions. Why not attend one of these town hall meetings and ask Delegate Rust to support these bills?

• Monday January 7th: Joint Town Hall with VDOT who will review snow removal plans.
• Time: 7:00 pm
• Where: Rachel Carson Middle School, 13618 McLearen Road, Herndon

• Saturday, January 12th:
• Time: 9:00 am
• Where: Town of Herndon, Mary Ingram Council Chambers, 765 Lynn Street

• Saturday, January 12th:
• Time: 11:00 am
• Where: Sterling Community Center, 120 Enterprise Street

For more information on these bills, see the talking points developed by Allen Muchnick of Virginia Bicycling Federation:

• Following too close — banning motorists from tailgating/intimidating cyclists. See Talking points on Following Bicyclists Too Closelyfrom 2012
• Vulnerable road user protection, and/or due care. See Talking points on Exercise Due Care bill (HB 784)

McLean Town Hall with VA legislators

On Wednesday, January 2 the McLean Citizens Association will host a Town Hall meeting with several local legislators, including Delegate Barbara Comstock. Delegate Comstock cast the deciding votes last year to kill two bills that would help protect bicyclists: 1. A bill that would prevent motorists from following a bicyclist more closely than is reasonable. Virginia appears to be the only state where bicyclists are excluded from "following too close" provisions; 2. A bill that "Requires drivers to exercise due care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian or the operator of a human-powered vehicle." Virginia is one of only four states without this provision.

Both bills will be introduced again this year by Delegate Alfonso Lopez. Support from Delegate Comstock is key to their passage. Why not attend this meeting and ask Delegate Comstock to support these bills? The meeting is 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. at the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave, McLean.

For more information on these bills, see the talking points developed by Allen Muchnick of Virginia Bicycling Federation:

• Following too close — banning motorists from tailgating/intimidating cyclists. See Talking points on Following Bicyclists Too Closely from 2012
• Vulnerable road user protection, and/or due care. See Talking points on Exercise Due Care bill (HB 784)