Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plan October 2014 Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plan prepared for Fairfax County Department of Transportation with support from Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 4800 Hampden Lane, Suite 800 Bethesda, MD 20814 and Toole Design Group 8484 Georgia Avenue, Suite 800 Silver Spring, MD 20910 date October 2014 Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plan Acknowledgments The Fairfax Bicycle Master Plan was prepared by the Fairfax County Department of Transportation. Guidance and support for the development of this Plan was also provided by a Bicycle Advisory Committee and several stakeholder groups. This Bicycle Advisory Committee provided guidance for both phases of this project: Phase 1: Greater Tysons Corner Area Bicycle Master Plan and Phase II: Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plan. Bicycle Advisory Committee Sharon Baum, Town of Vienna Peter Christenson, Fairfax County Trails and Sidewalks Committee Joan Clark, Lee District Brett Coffee, Springfield District Michael Coyle, Sully District Elizabeth Cronauer, Fairfax County Park Authority Paul Davis, Jr, Hunter Mill District Randy Dittberner, P.E., PTOE, Virginia Department of Transportation Brandice Elliott and Mark Duceman, Town of Herndon Cindy Engelhart, Virginia Department of Transportation Aaron Frank, Mason District Latrice Hall, Mount Vernon District Jeffrey Hermann, Fairfax County Department of Transportation Micha Himmel and Alison Antonowics, Providence District Julie Ide, Dranesville District Anne Mader, The Bike Lane Clara Pizana, Mason District Fionnuala Quinn, Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling (FABB) Ann Sharp, Braddock District Steve Still, Fairfax County Transportation Advisory Commission Charlie Strunk, Fairfax County Department of Transportation Mark Thomas, County Chairman Sharon Bulova Bruce Wright, FABB Fairfax County Department of Transportation i Acknowledgements, continued Jeff Palmer, Spokes Etc. Erik Backus, George Mason University Dennis Frew, Citizen Representative Focus Groups Five focus groups were conducted to gather input and provide guidance on policy matters. Representation of the agencies and organizations involved in the focus group is listed below. Bicycling and Economic Development American Diabetes Association, ADA Tour de Cure Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce Paul’s Ride for Life Virginia Department of Transportation School Transportation Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling Fairfax County Public Schools George Mason University Kilmer Middle School Vienna Elementary School Wolf Trap Elementary School Public Health and Biking Department of Neighborhood and Community Services Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling Fairfax County Executive Office Northern Virginia Health Kids Coalition, Inova Health System Northern Virginia Regional Commission Trails for Youth ii Fairfax County Department of Transportation Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plan Bicycling Safety Education Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling Fairfax County Public Schools Fairfax Police Department, Operational Support Bureau Traffic Division/Traffic Safety George Mason University Graham Road School Inova Health System Spokes Etc. Wolf Trap Elementary School Law Enforcement Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling Fairfax Police Department, Operational Support Bureau Traffic Division/Traffic Safety George Mason University Police Department Northern Virginia Regional Commission Virginia Department of Transportation Virginia State Police Stakeholder Interviews Two technical stakeholder interviews were conducted to gain insights and inform the development of the recommendations included in this Plan. The participants in these interviews are listed below. Fairfax Park Authority Elizabeth Cronauer Sandra Stallman Virginia Department of Transportation Randy Dittberner, P.E., PTOE Fatemeh Allahdoust Rob Wilson Khalil Askaryar Dic Burke Tom Folse Mary Lou Pagano Fairfax County Department of Transportation iii Acknowledgements, continued Municipalities Within the County there are cities and towns with councils, administrations, and in some cases independent planning authorities. Implementing the Bicycle Master Plan will involve coordination with these entities to improve connectivity and expand the bicycle network. To discuss challenges and opportunities, meetings were held with city and town administrators and staff. Participating agencies and departments are listed below. Town of Clifton Town Planning Commission Town of Herndon Community Development Public Works Town of Vienna Planning and Zoning Public Works City of Fairfax Community Development and Planning Public Works, Transportation Division City of Falls Church Development Services iv Fairfax County Department of Transportation Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plan Table of Contents Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................ i Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1 Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plan Vision and Goals ................................................... 2 Bicycling Conditions ........................................................................................................... 3 The Bikeway Network......................................................................................................... 3 Bicycle Policy Recommendations ...................................................................................... 3 Bicycle Program Recommendations.................................................................................. 5 Implementation .................................................................................................................... 5 1.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Overview of the Plan .................................................................................................. 7 1.2 Project Background and Context .............................................................................. 7 Framework for the Plan ............................................................................................. 8 Phase I: Tysons ........................................................................................................... 9 Phase II: Countywide .............................................................................................. 10 1.3 Benefits of Bicycling ................................................................................................. 11 1.4 Vision, Goals, and Objectives .................................................................................. 13 The Vision .................................................................................................................. 13 The Goals ................................................................................................................... 13 The Objectives ........................................................................................................... 14 1.5 The Planning Process ............................................................................................... 14 Plan Review ............................................................................................................... 14 Field Data Collection and Data Analysis .............................................................. 15 Public Outreach ......................................................................................................... 15 Stakeholder Involvement ......................................................................................... 15 Outreach for Phase I: Tysons ................................................................................. 16 2.0 Bicycling Conditions ........................................................................................................ 17 2.1 The Bicycling Experience ......................................................................................... 17 2.2 Who is Involved in Bicycling .................................................................................. 17 2.3 Physical Conditions .................................................................................................. 18 Landscape and Development Patterns .................................................................. 18 General Roadway Characteristics and On-Road Facilities ................................. 19 Trail Characteristics and Facilities.......................................................................... 20 Barriers to Bicycle Travel ......................................................................................... 21 Fairfax County Department of Transportation v Table of Contents, continued 3.0 The Recommended Bikeway Network ......................................................................... 23 3.1 Planning the Bikeway Network .............................................................................. 23 Planning at Bicycle Trip Scale ................................................................................. 23 Criteria for Creating a Network ............................................................................. 24 3.2 Classifications for Bicycle Facility Recommendations .......................................