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Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plan August 3 BAC Meeting Minutes

Meeting Notes – Tysons Corner Bicycle Master Plan

Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) Kick-Off Meeting

August 3, 2010, 10:00AM-12:00PM

 

Meeting Attendees

Client and BAC Team: Charlie Strunk (FCDOT), Jeff Hermann (FCDOT), Seyed Nabavi (FCDOT), Kris Morley-Nikfar (FCDOT), Jared Russell (DPZ), Suzanne Lin (DPZ-ZED), Bruce Wright (FABB), Fatemeh Allahdoust (VDOT), Anne Mader (The Bike Lane/More), Fionnuala Quinn (FABB), Dennis Frew (FABB/FC Trails and Sidewalks), Michael Davis (FCDOT), Liz Cronauer (FCPA), Martha Elena Coello (FCDOT), Stephen Still (TAC/resident). Consultant Team: Dan Goodman (TDG), RJ Eldridge (TDG), Bob Patten (TDG), David Jackson (CS).

 

Schedule of Future Meetings

• September 8, 2010 (1-3pm)
• October 13, 2010 (1-3pm)
• November 17, 2010 (1-3pm)
• January 12, 2011 (1-3pm)
• Potential additional focus group meeting and bike ride in Tysons Corner (late September/early October)

 

Goals for the Planning Process (comments on the white board)

• Interconnected Network
  • Connectivity
  • Multimodal
• Plan for Evolving Context
  • Next Year
  • Five years
  • 20 years out
• Integrate Tysons Corner Bike Plan into County’s Transportation Master Plan
  • Current plan does not address off road elements
  • New plan must look at on- and off-road elements
• Who are we planning for?
  • Plan for 7-70 age group
  • Think of all users: age, gender, race, income (e.g. service workers need bike parking)
• Coordinate with Silver Line project
  • County/BAC need to champion bike/ped elements in the Silver Line planning process
  • Project moving forward quickly- need to get on the radar screen soon
• Coordinate with VDOT traffic group
• Ensure plan implementation and regular review/updating

 

Goals for Biking in Tysons (comments on the white board)

 

• Address needed support infrastructure:
  • Showers
  • Bike Parking
  • Bicycle Services (long and short term)
  • Bike Sharing
• Accommodate and encourage all riders
  • Facilities accommodating riders from 7-70
  • Goal of having as many women as men riders
• Safe Routes to Schools
  • Provide safe, comfortable and convenient connections to schools.
  • Schools outside of Tysons being improved to handle additional students
  • Appears that there are no schools within Tysons Corner
• Connect and integrate parks, open spaces and civic spaces.
• Connect to regional trails (W&OD, CCT)
• Enhance (and don’t lose any) crossings of 123 and 7.  Enhance crossings and connections to transit.
• Connect to public facilities- libraries, county buildings, schools, etc.

 

General Comments

• The overarching goal for transforming Tysons Corner is to retain its status as a regional center as its development and transportation system is changed
• This plan should integrate Tysons Corner with the greater community, it should not be done in isolation.
• There is a need for a phased implementation plan with short term improvements and a long term vision.
• A connected network should be identified, but supporting infrastructure and services such as short and long-term bike parking, commuter showers, and bike sharing should also be addressed.
• It will be important to think strategically about where the plan will “sit” and how it will interplay with related documents such as the transportation map, trail plan, open space plan, and parks and open space plan.
• Safe Routes to School should be identified.
• The type of bicyclists that are being targeted should be identified, for example bicycle commuters and/or those wishing to bike to destinations within Tysons Corner. The goal is to improve conditions so that bicycling is a viable and safe form of transportation for the full range of bicyclists (e.g. from ages 7-70).
• The plan should identify connections to larger networks such as the Cross County Trail and the WO&D trails.
• There is a need for more interaction and coordination with the Silver Line project. Amenities at the future stations should be discussed. The Silver Line stations will be providing above grade crossings, which will be closed when Metro is not in operation. There is a concern that there will be people, for example service workers, that will need to cross these roads during the hours that the bridge will be closed. Connections from home to Metro and Metro to home will be an important outcome of this effort.
• There is a need for enhanced coordination between VDOT, Fairfax County, and WMATA. There are ongoing meetings between the three stakeholders, discussions of this plan should be included as a part of these ongoing meetings. Coordinating early in this process (e.g. September 2010) will be critical.
• Access through the heart of Tysons on Routes 7 and 123 will need to be evaluated.
• The plan should identify strategies that help create a perception that biking is a safe transportation option in Tysons Corner.
• This plan should identify gaps, while identifying goals, performance measures, and a schedule for implementation. A process for monitoring and revisiting the recommendations on an ongoing basis should be identified.
• Connections between modes are an important element of this effort. WMATA has identified over 400 bike parking spaces at the Tysons METRO stations.
• The types of facilities on different roads will need to be identified, and whether they will be on-road or separated.
• Connections to and from all public facilities should be identified.
• School age kids will need to get into and out of Tysons Corner. Many of the kids that live within Tysons will be sent to schools outside of the immediate area. Future plans for schools should be researched.
• The 527 plan sets the stage for everything that the County does moving forward, for example what they ask for from developers.
• The Countywide Trails Plan should be evaluated and added to the list of important documents to review.
• FABB developed a preliminary plan for Tysons Corner that identified access issues, barriers, and possible improvements.
• The Mclean Neighborhood Association developed a pedestrian plan?  DF may be able to provide a copy.
• There is a need to contact the various committees, for example the Trails Committee, to get on their agenda in the fall.
• Potential maps include short term improvements, long term improvements, access points, regional connections, intersections, etc.
• There is a need for detail about how bikes will negotiate intersections.
• There will be a page for this project on the County’s website.
• Intersection design issues should be identified early so that Fairfax County and VDOT can coordinate early. Designers and engineers should be brought into discussions early in the process. For example, Fairfax DOT and VDOT are currently assessing potential locations for new ramps from the Dulles Toll Road to Tysons Corner. Can these new access points create opportunities for new links across the Toll Road.
• There are plans to improve pedestrian and bicycle connections at the Trap Road Bridge near Wolf Trap.
• There are bike facilities on the Route 7 bridge; however, there is a need to improve connections to and from the bridge.
• VDOT has enhancement funds for Route 123. HOT lanes will improve crossing conditions. VDOT will research and confirm the connections to be provided.
• HOT lanes will make connection to West Park Bridge and connections over Route 123 (via a widened bridge with bike lanes) will be provided.
• There are six applications for development at varying levels of review. Two are in the process and the others are in more preliminary phases. It will likely take 9-12 months to get through the review process. There are GIS files tracking the status of various development proposals.  
  • Georgelous (furthest along- demonstration project)
  • SAIC
  • Capital One
  • West Group/Mitre
  • Other
• Current and future development regulations should be reviewed. Some developments will have to create local streets. There are currently regulations for bike parking, visitor parking, commuter showers, etc. The ability to encourage/require bike facilities on adjacent roads should be researched. The County is putting together a document to help developers get through the review and approval process.
• Fairfax County is currently using the 2009 MUTCD
• The Tysons Metro Access Study developed an inventory of pedestrian facilities. There is no inventory of access improvements needed for Metro access. The Silver Line stations will include capacity for around 50-70 bikes. The type of facility should be researched. Bike access issues are not addressed in detail; however, it does discuss multimodal hubs, access to elevators, pedestrian conflicts, and other related issues.
• GIS layers that should be compiled include Silver Line site plans, HOT lanes and ramps, road plan, open space and trails plan, CIP and private development plans, road classifications, existing bike facilities, TMSAM data, etc.
• The Tysons 123 Station is the only one with a ramp that will enable bicyclists to ride up to the station (on the south side of the Route 123). Crossing will be an issue as bikes won’t/can’t use the overpass. The project team has recently eliminated all crosswalks.
• This plan should look for avenues for collaboration, for example with health-related businesses such as INOVA Hospital, Health Departments, etc. It should coordinate with supervisors, businesses, school systems, and committees such as the Vienna Bike Committee, McLean Bike and Pedestrian Task Force, and McLean Citizens Association. Coordination will be needed with local groups, especially when there is opposition to providing bike facilities, for example as occurred along Greensboro Road.
• The Fairfax County health department applied for a DCD grant for bike plans