FABB - 2011 Year in Review

Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling

2011 in Review

“When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race.”  H.G. Wells

FABB entered its seventh year of volunteer advocacy in Fairfax and continues to play a major role in ensuring that the needs of bicyclists are being incorporated into the county’s future. FABB is a strong local voice for those wishing to ride comfortably and safely to work, their child’s school or for recreation.  

Planning in Fairfax:  Early in the year, FABB assisted in finalizing the Tysons Bike Master Plan. Fairfax County is now working on the county-wide bicycle master plan which will determine how bicycle-friendly design should be incorporated into roadway and transit projects as well as what program and policy changes are needed to support bicycling. FABB members serve on the county bicycle plan advisory committee and play a very active role in the project. Several local public meetings will be held in 2012 that will give cyclists opportunities to give input on the plan. The Burke-Springfield area meeting is planned for January 24.

Safe Routes to School for Fairfax Kids: FABB is part of a successful ongoing coalition that has worked behind the scenes to bring about policy changes to increase walking and biking to schools all over Fairfax County.

New Infrastructure:  Bike facilities were installed along Gallows Road, as part of the Soapstone Drive road diet and on the rebuilt bridges over the Beltway.  WMATA plans to improve bike access to several Metro stations. WMATA is also planning a bike and ride facility at the Franconia-Springfield station.

Volunteers Out and About:  FABB representatives continue to speak at many public meetings, appear in media articles, and provide input to various committees. FABB spoke to many groups including the Vienna Bicycle Advisory Committee, Transition Centreville, Burke Walks, Transportation Advisory Commission, Reston Bike Club, and the YMCA. Volunteers worked in all weather at bike light giveaways, bike rodeos, Bike to Work Day events, and more.  Thank you as always to all our volunteers.

Modes of Communication:  While continuing to post more than 250 articles this year alone on the FABB blog, FABB has almost 500 friends on Facebook and 1000 followers on Twitter.  We send out our bi-monthly newsletter to more than 1250 cyclists. We have several regular FABB columnists and many articles appearing on the Patch sites.

Meetings and Visitors:  All are welcome to attend FABB's monthly meetings on the third Wednesday of every month at Patrick Henry Library in Vienna.  Usually around 15 people including the county bike coordinator attend. While we conduct a lot of business at the meetings, we also socialize and network.  This year, meeting presenters included Randy Dittberner of VDOT, Police Officer Alice Eggers, Allen Muchnick of Virginia Bicycling Federation, as well as speakers on Complete Streets and Open Street Maps. We hope to hold some of the monthly meetings in different parts of the county in 2012.  Next meeting: Wednesday January 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Patrick Henry Library in Vienna.

Awards and Honors: In March, FABB received national recognition from the Alliance for Biking & Walking for the Virginia advocates guide that we published in 2010. At the WABA Annual Meeting, FABB member Fionnuala Quinn received the Bicycle Advocacy Award.  We appreciate the support and recognition for our work.

Fun Times on Bikes:  FABB participated in many rides including Bike to Work Day in May. FABB members Bruce Wright and Kerie Hitt organized and participated in a bike/car/bus challenge, which demonstrated bicycling can take less time than driving or riding the bus for short trips in Reston. In August, FABB greeted and provided refreshments for 30 velomobile riders along the W&OD Trail in Vienna.  We joined some of the monthly bike trains at Wolf Trap Elementary School, organized by parent Jeff Anderson.  The bike trains continue to be an inspiration to the community and we hope to see many more children riding through the Safe Routes to School program in 2012.

Conferences and Other Events: FABB representatives attended the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC, Bike to Mason Day at George Mason University, Cyclefest, Paul’s Ride for Life, Earth Day, Herndon Festival bike valet, county health events, Graham Road Elementary School Bike Rodeo, and congressional visits on the Hill.  We learned lots and met a wide range of folks working hard on bicycling issues.

Disappointment:  The three-foot passing law, championed by the Virginia Bicycle Federation, failed to be adopted into law. Another attempt to pass the law will be made in 2012.

Happily, No Bicycle Fatalities:  After four fatalities in 2010, we are unaware of any biking-related deaths in the county in 2011.  However, a number of serious injuries occurred and our work for safer design, education and driver awareness continues. See stats on 2011 bike crashes.

News from the Agencies:  Several key appointments were filled this year: VDOT Northern Virginia District Administrator, Fairfax County Transportation Director, VDOT State Bike Coordinator and Virginia Safe Routes to School Coordinator.  We have established good working relationships with the new officials.

Thank Yous: A sincere thank you for the help and support from our volunteers, well wishers, and donors.  Thank you also to the public officials who patiently listen and work with us on an ongoing basis.  We are all working for safety, access, and the health and well-being of our community.

We wish you good riding in 2012 and always remember to use bike lights after dark.
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For more details on FABB events, see the FABB Events page. See also theWABA events page.
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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, affiliated with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, aiming to make bicycling an integral part of Fairfax County's transportation network. Visit us on the web. If you would like to unsubscribe to the newsletter, send a message to news@fabb-bikes.org.

Safe Routes to School in Fairfax

As we've mentioned in the past, FABB has been working closely with school officials to encourage more kids to walk and bike to school. See a summary of this work written by Gina Arlotto of WABA.

We were encouraged to read about Safe Routes to Schools in the Fairfax County School System publication State of the Schools - December 2011 and we especially liked Superintendent Dale's comments:

Fairfax County Public Schools is proud to participate in Safe Routes to Schools, an international effort to encourage more families to get out of their cars and onto their feet to enjoy the many benefits of safely walking and bicycling to school. Parents are encouraged to accompany their children to school and to work with their PTA or PTO to organize walking events.

"Walking is a simple way to incorporate exercise into your day," said FCPS Superintendent Jack D. Dale. "We encourage all FCPS students and families to participate in this program and walk or bike to school whenever possible."

The program promotes physical activity, pedestrian safety, and concern for the environment. Several Fairfax County public schools have established a Safe Routes to School program and participate in bike and walk to school challenges.

Thanks to FCPS for embracing Safe Routes to School and we look forward to seeing more kids walking and biking to school in the future. For more info see the Fairfax SRTS Facebook page and the Fairfax schools Walk to School site.

50 Keys to Transforming Communities

Mia Birk, author of Joyride! Pedaling Toward A Healthier Planet, has been touring the country discussing how Portland, Oregon, once a typically car-centric place, was transformed into a bicycling mecca. While the book tour recently ended, a second edition and e-book are planned:

My publisher promised a second edition and e-version a couple months ago, but it got delayed. The second edition had updates and more photos and the addition of keys to summarize the key take-aways in inspiring people and transforming communities, one pedal stroke at a time. And so, I give you these keys now.

Here are the first 10 keys:

1. Look beyond the bike: bicycle transportation succeeds best when combined with investments in compact development, transit, and walking. Engage in and support various efforts to help shape your sustainable community.

2. Key human elements: strong local political leaders, effective community advocates and well trained and supported City staff. With one or two, you can make some progress, but it is the combination of all three that is the recipe for success.

3. Develop and adopt a robust, visionary, comprehensive bicycle transportation plan. Use the planning process to engage your community in a deep conversation about the future of transportation.

4. Develop a network of bikeways that is connected, comprehensive, and gets people from where they are to where they want to go. It should be a combination of off-street paths, on-road separated bikeways, and low-stress neighborhood greenways and must appeal to a wide variety of ages, cycling skill levels, and trip purposes.

5. It’s not just the bikeway infrastructure, it’s the attitude. Embrace the role of encouraging people to bicycle as part and parcel of the way you do business.

6. Get your traffic engineers on bikes as a regular part of their job.

7. Start with the low-hanging fruit: easy-to-implement projects.

8. Court the media and don’t freak out if you get negative press. It’s important to get ‘bike’ in the public consciousness.

9. Set aside at least one percent of your transportation budget to get the ball rolling.

10. Adopt “Complete Streets” policies and/or legislation, then execute! Unenforced policies and plans that sit on shelves gathering dust are worthless.

Bike commuting article at GGW

Mitch Wander started bike commuting to a new job this year. He writes about his experiences in a good article on GreaterGreaterWashington, It takes a village to become a bicycle commuter. With links to several good sources of information he describes how he went from driving to work to being a regular bike commuter.

After four months in my new, inside-the-beltway job, I'm firmly entrenched within the ranks of DC-area bicycle commuters. The local bicycling and transportation community deserves much of the credit for giving me the information, support and confidence to bike to work every day.

With nearly 500 miles of riding to and from work under my belt to date, I've saved money, benefited from a great new workout routine and developed an appreciation for some additional daily outdoor time. And, keeping my car off the road means that I've also made a drop more room on crowded transportation routes for traditional car users.

Looking back, I know that none of this would have been possible without an extensive and multifaceted network of resources available to bicyclists, and bicycle commuters, in particular, throughout the Washington region.

Not only is he a new bike commuter, he is also helping the next generation become safer bicyclists and pedestrians:

This transition into the world of bicycle commuters was a combination of luck, research, inspiration and encouragement. My small payback so far has been to coordinate a bike and pedestrian safety program at our local elementary school.

Help us make bicycling better in Fairfax

As you make your end of year charitable donations, I hope you will consider donating to FABB. FABB is a volunteer organization that advocates for bicyclist safety, rights, and facilities. We need funds to print materials like our award-winning bicycle accommodations guide, host our website with up-to-date information on bicycling in Fairfax, and participate in key meetings. Can you help us with a year-end tax deductible donation today?

Among our main goals for 2012:

• Begin implementing the Tysons Bicycle Master Plan
• Help complete the Countywide Bicycle Master Plan
• Encourage more kids to bike to school (Safe Routes to School)
• Form a bicycle advisory committee for the Northern Virginia VDOT District office

We had a very productive 2011. Some of what we accomplished in Fairfax this year:

• Planning for the future with the Tysons and Countywide Bicycle Master Plans
• Launch of International Bike and Walk to School Day in twenty six local schools
• Bike commuting and safety education including our bike light giveaway program
• Community outreach including bike rodeos and Bike to Work Day
• Speaking to many boards, local commissions, and elected officials
• Working with transportation staff on the safe design of our roads

Our work was recognized this year with a national award for innovative advocacy from the Alliance for Biking & Walking. We have achieved all of this on a tiny budget. With our dedicated team of passionate volunteers, every dollar that FABB receives goes a very long way. We could be even more effective if we had a few more dollars to help us do this critical on-going work. Please donate to FABB either online or send a check for WABA/FABB” to FABB, P.O. Box 3752, Reston, VA 20195.

Thanks.

WMATA's planned bike and ped projects

WMATA recently released the report Metro: Pedestrian and Bicycle Element of the 2012-2017 Capital Improvement Program. The report outlines needed bicycle and pedestrian improvements around Metro stations. See the PlanItMetro blog entry Identifying & Funding Pedestrian and Bicycle Project Needs

WMATA has been very proactive recently in addressing the need for better bike access and parking at Metro stations. They added several new racks at the Vienna Metro station in November, installed a Bike & Ride facility at College Park and are planning a Bike & Ride facility at Franconia-Springfield. 

From the report:

In 2008, Congress passed legislation authorizing up to $1.5 billion in federal funds for Metro’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) over ten years. These funds are equally matched by Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia for a total of $3 billion over 10 years, or $300 million per year. One key provision is that 1% of these capital dollars must go to transit enhancements, which include pedestrian and bicycle improvements as well as bus shelters, landscaping/ beautification, public art, signage and improved access for persons with disabilities. This requirement provides a vehicle for funding bicycle and pedestrian access to Metro.

This document summarizes the bicycle and pedestrian element of Metro’s 2012-2017 CIP, detailing funding availability and project descriptions. Currently, $6.6 million is available in funding for bike and pedestrian access over the next five years of the CIP. This allocation is based on current available funding and priorities.

December FABB meeting

Over 20 cyclists attended our December meeting on Wednesday. It was good to see some new faces. Some folks brought holiday treats that we shared before the meeting. We usually have a full agenda for most meetings and we don't often get a chance to just chat with fellow cyclists. We're thinking about having some social time before or after our meetings in the future. We may not go as far as Dublin cyclists who say it isn't a meeting unless you've been to the pub, but we like the general idea.

Charlie Strunk, the county bike coordinator, told us about the list of bike projects he is compiling in anticipation of a future Transportation Bond. In the past bike and pedestrian projects have been lumped together. As a result, trail or sidewalk projects predominate. Charlie is preparing a list of on-road projects by Supervisor District.

Charlie also noted that the Springfield-Burke Bicycle Master Plan area meeting is planned for January 24 from 5:30-8:00  p.m. at the Springfield District Office.

The county bike map is being revised and should be completed by the end of February. It's the most popular map produced by the county and needs to be reprinted so it's a good time to make appropriate changes, like adding the new bike lanes on Lawyers Rd and Soapstone Dr.

Jeff Anderson, Hunter Mill rep on the Trails and Sidewalks Committee, mentioned that the committee is preparing a list of mostly off-road projects for the anticipated Transportation Bond. If there are important bike projects, both on- and off-road, that you think should be included in the list, contact your Trails and Sidewalk committee rep. Jeff also reported on the biking and walking to school policy changes being considered by the School Board which we hope will result in more kids being able to bike to school. We are strongly opposing the removal of the Safety Education section.

Adam Froehlig of the Mt. Vernon Council of Civic Associations Transportation Committee asked if FABB could attend the January 9 meeting to discuss thoughts about allowing cyclists on the GW Parkway on weekend mornings. See his blog article about this issue. Another issue of concern to cyclists in this area that we'd like to see discussed is the ability of cyclists to safely cross the Parkway to reach the Mt Vernon Trail.

Jenifer Madden, vice chair of the county Transportation Advisory Commission, discussed the importance of including cycling and active transportation in the Community Transformation Grant awarded to Fairfax County in September. The county received "a grant of $499,559 per year for at least the next three years to build capacity to implement policy, system, programmatic and infrastructure changes to promote health and prevent chronic disease." Bicycling for transportation, getting people out of their cars for short trips, is one obvious way to promote health. You'll be hearing more about this effort in the near future.

The next FABB meeting is planned for Wed. January 18. We hope to have Nicole Wynands of the League of American Bicyclists to discuss the Bicycle Friendly Community program.

Because we ran out of time we didn't get a chance to schedule our annual retreat, which we hope to hold on Sunday, January 8. If you'd like more info contact me.