Commonwealth Transportation Board
Fall 2014 Hearing for Northern Virginia, October 16,
2014
Statement by Allen Muchnick, board member
Virginia Bicycling Federation (VBF)
Over the past two decades, VDOT--with the CTB’s support and
guidance--has made commendable progress in advancing bicycling and walking
across Virginia as “fundamental travel modes and integral components of an efficient transportation network” The ongoing implementation of VDOT’s 2004 “Policy for Integrating Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations” has begun to improve our Commonwealth’s
livability, prosperity, equity, and sustainability, but--after the neglect of
bicycling and walking for many decades--the needs are vast.
Non-motorists have directly supplied
Virginia’s highway funds via the state sales tax since 1987, but last year’s
substantial increase in sales and other non-motorist taxes for statewide and
regional transportation projects now warrants a far greater allocation of
transportation revenues and resources to bicycling, walking, and public
transportation.
The expansion of highway capacity while neglecting and, in
fact, impeding walking, bicycling, and public transportation for many decades
has created some of the nation’s worst traffic congestion. To cost effectively reduce traffic congestion,
the CTB must implement projects that increase walking, bicycling, and transit
trips, whereas highway capacity expansions, which induce more driving and
auto-dependent sprawl, are usually counterproductive. A Northern Virginia Bicycle Advisory
Committee should be established immediately to prioritize bicycling
improvements for funding. Rail services
should provide roll-on bicycle access, and public rail-corridor investments,
such as the Southeast High Speed Rail project, should incorporate shared-use paths
(known as rails with trails), especially on river crossings.
In 1982, VDOT distinguished itself by establishing two
AASHTO-designated cross-state bicycle routes—US Bike Routes 1 and 76. Unfortunately, due to Prince William
County’s urbanization and access restrictions at Fort Belvoir since 2001, US
Bike Route 1 has been severed and elsewhere rendered hostile for bicycling for
well over a decade. We commend VDOT staff for recently obtaining
the resources to complete a detailed route evaluation for realigning US Bike
Route 1 through the NoVA District and for submitting route realignment
applications for AASHTO’s approval. With
the completion of those tasks and the installation of vital route signage, the
VDOT NoVA District should expeditiously improve bicycling conditions along the
realigned route with cost-effective roadway retrofits. In particular:
Retrofit
4-foot or wider paved shoulders along all of Fleetwood and Aden Rds in southern
Prince William County. These two-lane roadways, with AADTs
around 5,000 each, are currently inhospitable-- and potentially treacherous—for
bicycling, especially during peak travel times.
Restripe Hoadly Rd in central Prince
William County with continuous and properly designed bike lanes. In general, this should be inexpensive
and readily feasible since ample roadway right-of-way exists, although some
existing soft shoulders may need reconstruction.
Retrofit Old Bridge Rd to better accommodate on-road bicycling, especially
between Tanyard Hill Rd and Minnieville Rd.
In closing, I’ll add that rehabilitating the 20-year-old shared-use
path along much of the Prince William Parkway is another pressing bicycle
transportation need in Prince William County. While this path is overdue for repaving, the
many jarring transverse pavement cracks should be fixed first.
Thank you for your consideration.
