Greenways

Report: Central Va. has long way to go on bike/ped infrastructure

By Andy Thompson | May 9, 2013

Interesting piece by Mike Martz on the front of the T-D today about bike/pedestrian infrastructure in Central Virginia. Among the eye-opening statistics in the article: the city of Richmond, Chesterfield and Hanover counties have a grand total of 18.5 miles of dedicated bike lanes. That is rather pitiful.

“The streets that have bike lanes are few and far between,” states the report by Richmond Sports Backers, which documented 18.25 miles of bike lanes in the city and counties of Chesterfield and Hanover. “This random use of bike lanes has had little impact on bike usage due to the lack of a network connecting bike lanes and trails to allow for continuous safe riding conditions.”

Sports Backers says what is missing is a master plan for the city and surrounding counties to build the infrastructure of bike lanes, paved and unpaved off-road trails, neighborhood byways, and marked “sharrow” lanes to make cycling a reliable and safe transportation alternative.

“It has to be a coordinated effort,” said Max Hepp-Buchanan, who was hired last month as director of Sports Backers’ Bike Walk RVA advocacy program. “You don’t want a bike lane that just drops off when it hits the county limits.”

 

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Posted In: Greenways, Mountain Biking, Road Biking

What Richmond can do to create “don’t-know-it-yet cyclists”

By Andy Thompson | March 23, 2013

Beth Weisbrod, Executive Director of the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation, always seems to find insightful things to say in her e-newsletter entries. Here’s what she had to say a couple of days ago.

A protected bike lane in Raleigh.

A protected bike lane in Raleigh.

“Very few people self-identify as a cyclist.”
I heard this at the National Bike Summit a few weeks ago.  Doing what I do, I tend to move in circles where people are certain of their cycling identity.  Whether they are professionals who bike-commute, college students who bike to class, bike clubbers, avid road riders or mountain bikers, those are the people most excited about the Virginia Capital Trail.  While I am aware that a burgeoning cycling culture, by definition, means more people are becoming comfortable calling themselves cyclists, it’s those who have already undergone that evolution who (generally) support us.  

For a region to really embrace the bike/pedestrian “movement”, they need to consider the non-cyclist.  Or, what I like to call the don’t-know-it-yet-cyclist.  Cities can do this by designing infrastructure that beckons them.  Two things; safety and connectivity have proven to be big draws.  Protected bike lanes and separated paths, like the Virginia Capital Trail, give new riders that critical sense of security.  And if they can actually get somewhere, all the better.  Having schools, businesses, neighborhoods and offices connected in a way that encourages all kinds of people to ride does great things for a community.

Cities all over the world report that areas served by protected bike lanes — those separated from cars by a buffer or physical barrier – -generate more bike traffic than those areas where only a paint stripe exists between riders and cars.  Why is this a good thing? Economic impact.  In Indianapolis and New York City, for example, businesses along protected bike path corridors report higher retail sales, and neighborhoods along these routes enjoy higher property values.  So really, the don’t-know-it-yet-cyclists are a powerful group of people that can bring big returns to a city making good infrastructure investments. 

As our region designs new roads and improves existing ones, urge our planners to make similar investments.  Allowing room for bikes does not mean giving the brave their own lane beside traffic.  It means creating an environment where people of all ages and abilities decide they’d rather try pedaling to school, work, or the grocery store because they feel safe doing so.  Once that happens, the definition of cyclist becomes more in line with the definition of success.
 

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Posted In: Greenways, Road Biking

2012 a big year for the Virginia Capital Trail

By Andy Thompson | December 31, 2012

Here’s the most recent e-newsletter from Virginia Capital Trail Foundation Executive Director Beth Weisbrod. I’ll be writing about the Richmond trailhead she mentions in the coming weeks.

 

Credit: VDOT

December is coming to an end, so I’m doing my usual backward glance at the year that was.  I’m very proud to say 2012 was our most successful year ever at the VCTF, and you had a lot to do with this.  Besides achieving fundraising goals through your generous contributions, we won approval to build an eye-popping trailhead facility in downtown Richmond, we were able to rally grassroots support and overcome challenges to a separate alignment of the trail, and our record-setting Cap2Cap bike event was listed in Richmond.com Outdoors:  Best of 2012. So, to those who emailed V-DOT or your local officials in support of the trail, or who have made a donation, or volunteered your time or professional services, ridden in the Cap2Cap, or shared something on our Facebook page–you all are a part of our great year.

As we all know, construction of this 52-mile, 10 ft. wide ribbon of asphalt is taking longer than anyone anticipated when this project began back in 2005.  We’ve learned a lot about patience, persistence and staying positive when frustrations mount.  As community support continues to grow, it sends a clear message that this project is an important one.

So, now we’re in the home stretch.  V-DOT says we have two more years before we’ll have our Trail.  We’re going to get there.  In the meantime, thank you to everyone who contributed to the Foundation’s success this year:  sponsors, donors, vendors, supporters, volunteers, board members, staff, and partners.  Hundreds of you made it happen, and it’s why I love my job.  Trail supporters are an energetic and dedicated group, and you prove it year after year.

 

 

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Posted In: Greenways, Mountain Biking, Road Biking

East Coast Greenway holds conference in Richmond

By Andy Thompson | November 22, 2012

Over at Richmond.com, Phil Riggan updates us on the semi-annual conference the East Coast Greenway Alliance held in Richmond last weekend.

A delegation of cycling advocates from all over the East Coast visited Richmond this past weekend all said they were very impressed with the area’s trails and outdoor opportunities and they planned to come back again. 

The Fall Trail Council meeting for the East Coast Greenway met in Richmond this weekend at the Virginia War Memorial and three Richmond area trails (Belle Isle, Cannon Creek Greenway and Ashland Trolley Line) were designated as sections of the trail of networks that runs from Maine to Miami.

I wrote a column about the ECG a couple of weeks ago in the T-D and here at RichmondOutside.com. The ECG’s website has some great resources for bikers and hikers who might want to explore the ECG in Richmond or anywhere along the Canada-to-Key West pathway.

Check out Phil’s piece here.

 

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Progress along the Virginia Capital Trail

By Andy Thompson | November 17, 2012

Pedestrian bridge east of Gunn’s Run on the Virginia Capital Trail

There always seems to be news on the Virginia Capital Trail front, and last week’s newsletter from Executive Director Beth Weisbrod is no exception.

Check out our new website...This one will make it much easier to plan a trip to the Virginia Capital Trail and follow construction progress as it nears completion.  Soon, the map will offer historical highlights along the trail, and trail users a way to upload pictures and stories of their experiences.  As we develop podcasts, geocaching and other downloadable features, you’ll have access to it all with just a couple clicks.
Weisbrod also offers a couple of trail-construction updates: The 13-mile Sherwood Forest section continues to take shape east of the Charles City Courthouse. And soon, we will announce a date for the groundbreaking for the ten mile New Market Heights phase. By this time next year, we should have over 37 miles of paved, dedicated multi-use trail to enjoy between Eastern Henrico County and James City County. That will be something to celebrate. The remaining phases–Varina and Richmond Riverfront–are still on schedule for a 2014 completion.

Great Shiplock Park in Richmond

For Richmonders starving for trail progress, there is good news: The VCTF also is very proud of the Richmond trailhead project nearing final approval from the City. If you haven’t been down to Great Shiplock Park along Richmond’s riverfront, then you don’t know what a tremendous impact this project will have. Great Shiplock Park is located just east of Shockoe Bottom, in a densely historic part of Richmond along the Kanahwa Canal. The park had lost its shine over the years, becoming little more than a parking lot in a picturesque location. The Virginia Capital Trail currently heads west from there, but will soon connect to all points east.  Thanks to generous grants from MWV, Dominion, CSX, Mr. Brenton S. Halsey, 3North and the Cabell and Mary Morton Parsons Foundations, we’re going to be able to turn the park into an eye-popping destination drawing visitors to downtown Richmond, to its historic riverfront and the Virginia Capital Trail. We anticipate a spring grand opening, and will keep you all posted as this project progresses.  (For those who have purchased personalized bricks for the Richmond end, this is where they will be!)
 

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