Biking in the Suburbs

In general I try to focus these posts on areas within the metro area (Prince Georges, Montgomery, Arlington and Fairfax Counties, Fairfax, Falls Church, Alexandria and DC) covered by WMATA, but this article (Manassas Gears Up To Extend Bike Trails) from Prince William County reminded me that the new push in cycling transportation goes beyond the urban core.

The county has some 75 miles of bike trails and, as mandated by the Virginia Department of Transportation, all future highway construction requires separate bike lanes along roadways.

But traffic-choked city thoroughfares such as Manassas's Sudley Road offer little protection to cyclists. The issue has vexed the city for years, and Manassas's plan for a safer urban cyclescape has been implemented, albeit in low gear. The Manassas Bike Trail Committee first published its master plan in 1993, but to date, the city has only about six or seven miles of bike trails.

An update to the master plan probably will be released this fall, and central to it is a $350,000 extension of the Winter Branch Bike Trail to Runaldue Road.

"We're trying to connect the different trails so that people can ride throughout the city to the train depot, parks and all the landmarks," said Higgs, who said she's hopeful that with increased energy costs, there will be a greater interest in pedal power.

"With prices of gas going higher, people are looking for alternatives to get around, and bicycles are a good way," she said.

Since the Bike Trail Master Plan was created, Manassas has completed two major projects: the Winter Branch Trail and the Fairview/Richmond Trail, a bike path that parallels Fairview and Richmond avenues and passes by Metz Junior High School. More than 10 other proposed bike lane projects exist merely as dotted lines on planning maps.

The city's strategy involves a variety of configurations designed to improve cyclists' safety and riding experience. In addition to building standalone bike paths, the pavement along the shoulders of roadways can be extended to allow for bicycle traffic. Better signage and roadway markings are also key to reducing accidents, planners say.

Williams's father, Ben Williams Sr., agrees. He said that the signs are a reminder to drivers that they're legally obligated to share the road with bicycles and that bike trails aren't a fix-all because cyclists still need to use roadways. The key, he said, is greater respect from drivers.

"People will scream at me and tell me to ride on the sidewalk," said Ben Williams Jr., 63. "But the sidewalks are for pedestrians and for kids. We're vehicles, and we have the right to be on the road."

Williams, who has been riding in the area for 30 years -- "before there were any shoulders on [Route] 234" -- said he had learned to simply ignore abusive drivers.

"Even Lance Armstrong gets yelled at," he said.

It sounds like the city is taking cycling seriously. They're treating it like a transportation option, not just a recreational opportunity. Still, if you go to PW County's website, there is little to no mention of bicycle planning - even on their Transportation page (which does have a whole section on commuter parking). I couldn't find anything online about the Winter Branch Trail. I couldn't find a bike map for the town or the county. So building facilities is nice, but alone it's not enough. Unless you're Ben Williams Jr., you might have trouble figuring out how to use your bike as your second car in Manassas.

VA Congressmember Weds on Bike Trail

U.S. Representative Rich Boucher from Southwestern Virginia and his long time girlfriend Amy Hauslohner, an editor of the Galax Gazette in Galax, Virginia tied the knot on an old railroad bridge that now makes up part of the Virginia Creeper Trail.

"We have decided since I will be 60 in August and she just turned 50 last week, we probably are mature enough to handle marriage."

Before the ceremony, the couple bicycled from Abingdon to Damascus on the trail. While biking the 10 miles back to Abingdon, they stopped at the Alvarado Train Station restaurant and shared a slice from a coconut cake at the counter.

Another advantage of rail trails, the money you save on renting a wedding chapel.

National Trails Day

I mentioned this before, but Saturday is National Trails Day. There are several events in the area, including riding with Maryland Secretary of Transportation Robert Flanagan on the Anacostia Tributary Trail system. Make sure you ask him why the largest transportation project in Maryland has no bike trail. Some other events in and around DC include:

A bike ride on the Black History National Recreation Trail
Northwest Branch Trail maintenance
An archaeological ride of Alexandria

And there are even more events on the American Hiking site; rides, hikes, walks, opportunities to volunteer and for general fun.

I'll be getting out on a trail, but not as an official event.

Ten for Tuesday - Your obsession with cycling borders on the interesting.

1. I just recently watched this from May 5th because my tivo is a little backed up. Well known bicycle enthusiast Rep. Earl Blumenauer was on the Colbert Report and he placed his bike in the background of the shot. In the photo at the left, Colbert sports a bicycle lapel pin.

2. I can tell from the comments posted here that some of you know your way around Lexus and Westlaw better than me. So when can DC count on a site like this?

3. Mainstream media coverage of the planning board's recommendation on the Met Branch Trail.

‘If it’s only about the money, then you’ve got to fight for the money,” [Commissioner Meredith K. Wellington] said.

4. Bicycling magazine gave out bikes in Baltimore as part of bike town. As a Bike Town alumnus myself (I got a free bike last year in DC) I think it's a great program. I saw two people at BTWD on their bikes from last year.

Courtney Matthews, a Bicycling spokeswoman, said the magazine has kept in touch with past recipients of free two-wheelers and 86 percent respond they are happier three months after they started riding again.

5. The Post had a good run down of Montgomery County bicycling.

Other projects include the Matthew Henson Trail, which would run through Aspen Hill, past Connecticut Avenue and Georgia Avenue, all the way past Layhill Road. The North Bethesda Trolley Trail, which runs along the old trolley tracks between Old Georgetown Road and Rockville Pike, is to be extended north to the Twinbrook Metro stop and south to the National Institutes of Health campus.

6. Another "Gas gets people out of their cars" story.

"People are starting to look for fundamentally different ways to travel," said Bill Wilkinson, executive director of the National Center for Bicycling and Walking in Bethesda, Md. The soaring price of fuel "prompts people to really think about where they live and how they get around."

7. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors endorsed Transaction 2030.

On the top of the list are transit projects and pedestrian and bike travel. An estimated $16.6 billion would be needed over the next 25 years to fund the projects.

The plan features more Metrorail stations and light rail or rapid bus service in some high-traffic corridors, including Route 7, Route 28 and Columbia Pike. It also includes about 600 miles of new trails and an 8-percent increase in highway capacity.

8. Bike to Work Day was a success in Baltimore and Washington.

Chapman brought along Terri Broemm, a nursing teacher at Harford Tech who was riding to work for the first time and was nervous about the limited space for cyclists on the shoulders of some commuter routes.

Although some noted that the crowd lacked diversity.

9. For those looking for a bike vacation, a new rail trail opens in West Virginia.

It's called the Cranberry Tri-Rivers Rail-Trail, and Richwood city officials believe the 16.5-mile path will cement their town's growing reputation as a recreation destination.

10. Registration is open for the Indian Head 100 on Saturday, September 10, 2006.

Cycle through scenic and historic Southern Maryland. Relax at a rest stop at the Mattawoman Creek Art Center. See bald eagles and blue herons as you pedal through hundreds of acres of gently rolling forested hills and tidal bottomlands to the panoramic vista of the Potomac River at Riverside. Enjoy a rest stop high above the Port Tobacco River with a spectacular view of the Potomac and Port Tobacco rivers.