Mason District needs better pedestrian and bicycle connections
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| Old Columbia Pike could use a walkway. |
Mason District doesn’t have enough safe, connected bicycling
routes or pedestrian pathways, which makes it hard to get around without
driving.
That’s the key message local residents brought to a meeting on
the ActiveFairfax transportation initiative April 8 hosted by the Fairfax County
Department of Transportation (FCDOT).
The goal of ActiveFairfax is to develop “a connected and
comfortable network of sidewalks, bikeways, and trails that serve people of all
ages and abilities,” said Nicole Wynands, an active transportation planner at
FCDOT.
each county magisterial district on their priorities for improvements in active
transportation. People can also take a survey and pinpoint barriers and needs
on two interactive maps.
Active transportation
refers to walking, biking, and running and the use of wheelchairs, scooters,
strollers, electric scooters, electric bikes, and electric skateboards.
The ActiveFairfax plan is expected to come up with
recommendations next year for improving bicycle and pedestrian access,
including bike lanes, hiking trails, crosswalks with safety enhancements, and “complete streets” with wide
sidewalks, benches, street trees, and lighting.
More connections needed
Here are some of the concerns brought up by Mason District
residents:
- There are some sidewalks on Little River Turnpike and
Columbia Pike, but they are not connected. - Crossing Columbia Pike to get to Mason District Park is difficult
and dangerous. - Bailey’s Crossroads is one of the most densely populated
areas in the county and has a large low-income population, yet it is not walkable.
And that is an equity issue that should be considered in the context of One
Fairfax. - There is no way for pedestrians to navigate the
Leesburg Pike/Columbia Pike intersection. - There have been several pedestrian accidents on Leesburg
Pike, Columbia Pike, Little River Turnpike, and Hummer Road, which indicate the need for safety improvements. - More crosswalks are needed on Little River Turnpike, as
people accessing bus stops don’t want to walk a half-mile out of their way to
safely cross the road. - Fairfax County should formally recognize the proposed
Annandale Greenway, which would connect trails in several parks and streets
between Annandale Community Park and Green Spring Gardens. The trails already
exist, but wayfinding signs are needed. - Areas with vulnerable, low-income populations and no transit,
such as Annandale, Lincolnia, and Bailey’s Crossroads, should have a priority
for active transportation funding. - There should be bridges on the path in Holmes Run Stream
Valley, which would make it easier to bike from Columbia Pike to Alexandria. - It’s difficult to walk or bike from a neighborhood to retail
centers in Annandale, Barcroft Plaza, Bailey’s Crossroads, and Seven Corners. - Bicycle paths should connect to Falls Church, Arlington,
and Alexandria. - Mason District needs Capital Bikeshare stations.
- To encourage more walking and biking, close a street to cars
once a month. - Connect neighborhoods, so “people don’t feel like there’s a
moat around their neighborhood.” - FCDOT needs to be more aggressive in creating “cycle tracks”
– paths just for biking that are separated from pedestrian paths – especially
on Little River Turnpike and Columbia Pike.
Safer bicycling
While some wide roads in Mason District have “sharrows” (a lane
shared by vehicles and bicycles), Wynands said, cycle tracks and paths shared
by bicycles and pedestrians are better options.
Only 4 to 7 percent of bicyclists feel highly confident
riding in the street and only 5 to 9 percent are somewhat confident, Wynands said.
Related story: The (proposed) Annandale Greenway: a path from Annandale Community Park to Green Spring Gardens
The ActiveFairfax plan would consolidate and update the
countywide trails plan approved in 2018, the 2014 bicycle master plan, and the transportation elements in the special area plans for about 20
activity centers.
Phase 1 of the ActiveFairfax planning process started in
July 2020 and is expected to be completed in July 2021. This phase focuses on community
input, reviews of existing conditions and current policies, and an analysis of
where vulnerable populations are most in need of transportation improvements.
During Phase 2, FCDOT will develop a toolkit of active transportation
options, make recommendations for specific improvements, set priorities for
funding, and develop a proposal for a Comprehensive Plan amendment.
100% Agree with this, more bike paths, connecting points/bridges, and capital bikeshare need to be implemented. I have been a longtime resident of Annandale and it was nearly impossible biking or walking around even with the new lanes (for example Ravensworth / Annandale high school connects to the main road – huge blindspot!). I have recently moved to Herndon/Reston area and they have a ton of paths, bridges, EV stations, bike lanes to support walkability and ease of transportation options. At the end of the day, Annandale needs to just do it..and stop finding excuses. I am still waiting for the Chickfila to open up 2 years later.
Wish there was a safe biking path on Columbia Pike from Bailey’s Crossroads to downtown Annandale. Will definitely be including that in my response. Thanks for publishing!
The new Capital Trails Network,a sprt of regional map/plan of interconnected bike ways, will very likely (Fairfax's response hasn't been formalized, but will soon) include that segment as a key piece. That would also connect with the new Sleepy Hollow sidewalk and the Holmes Run Trail that accesses Alexandria. We just need to advocate with our elected officials to provide funding equivalent to our fair share!
I agree, we need bike lanes on connecting roadways and not the disjointed patch work of bike lanes that can't take you anywhere. I have to bike on Columbia Pike to get to either the Sleepy hollow bike lane or Gallows. The problem is that the BoS octogenarians don't understand bike travel, commuting or recreational needs for they probably have not been on a bike in 50 years.
Holmes Run Trail is a mess. The tunnels in Alexandria are still closed and Trail III has become impassable for bikes and pedestrians. Stepping stones were a stupid idea and those are deteriorating terribly and are dangerous to use.
Everybody sick in”Karan” Fairfax !!! First they cry because of parking problems
And now barley anybody bikes in the area and they take so many parking spots for bike lanes! Karen’s on both sides !! Complain and complain cry and cry that’s all everybody does and blame others!! To many Mr and Mrs Karan in this fairfax hood! They call NOVA Beverly Hills without the pretty people ��
They've got it wrong that bikes and pedestrians should share a path – needs to be separated. Bicyclists will mow you down.
You are absolutely correct Anon 9:04 AM. I am an active cyclists and this past year has proven that the existing combined bike/pedestrian trails are woefully inadequate. These pathways are not sufficiently wide for bikes, pedestrians, strollers, dog walkers, joggers and put everyone at risk. Cycling needs to be separated for bikers travel at different speeds and for the most part are careful. Walkers, particularly in groups or those listening to their ear pods are oblivious to their surrounds.
The municipal/county staff implementing these trails are clueless and for the most part are not bikers that understand the dynamics of cycling. When roadway bike lanes I use these for I can travel at higher speed and have little to no pedestrian congestion. However, this puts me at another level of risk. America unfortunately has it all wrong when it comes to urban commuting and travel.
Crosswalks without lights are at best useless, at worst life-threatening. The ones on Little River Turnpike, because of speeding vehicles, are high risk. I drive rather than walk across the LRT.
The best part about Annandale is it's cheap and close to major DC area attractions. Bike/pedestrian projects should focus on that concept. Four Mile Run trail can be a bikeable destination if Columbia Pike is pedestrian friendly (what happened to that Columbia Pike bike project???). The WO&D trail can be a destination if Gallows Road is bike friendly. The Pentagon and National Landing are also about 10 miles away from Annandale which is a reasonable commuting distance via bike. Biking to those destinations should be attainable for a low cost.
Make Columbia Pike bikeable to the Four Mile Run trail and create a bike-able path from Annandale to the Wo&D trail via Gallows Road. The Pentagon and National Landing are about 10 miles away from Annandale, that is a reasonable biking distance. What happened to the Columbia Pike Bicycle and Pedestrian project? Is that gone too just like Chick Fil'a?
Agree 100% with these proposals of making Mason District more bike-friendly. We need what are described as "bike tracks" here; bike lanes that are physically removed from automobile traffic and are separate from the sidewalk.
In executing these proposals it is vital that the county, both officials and residents, change its way of thinking on transportation. The current pattern of thinking is "how does everything relate to automobiles?", which prioritizes automobile usage over all other modes of transportation whether it is being done consciously or not. We should be asking the reverse: "how does everything relate to bikes and pedestrians?". This prioritizes the alternative modes of transportation and will end up making them more effective. In brief, bikes/pedestrians should not be a function of how automobiles operate in the space. Automobiles should be a function of how bikes/pedestrians operate in the space.
It is this auto-centric mindset that has doomed NOVA from the start in any sort of sensible transportation configuration. This mindset is why less than 10% of cyclists feel even somewhat comfortable biking in the street. People around here drive like total maniacs, and it is because driving has been catered to and subsidized to an extreme degree. We have to seriously change the way we approach our design, which means completely changing our thinking, if we want to make biking and walking a legitimate form of transportation here.