First Phase Of County's Bicycle Master Plan Should Be Approved By February, Officials Say

The phase of Fairfax County's Bicycle Master Plan that will outline a strategy for creating and connecting bike paths through and around Tysons Corner will be completed by mid-February, its authors said at a Tysons Corner Open House on Monday.

The county-wide plan is a two-phase project officials hope will be adopted within the next two years, according to county and bike representatives who attended

The first phase, which focuses on Tysons Corner, is already underway, with a public comment meeting planned for sometime in January. After the plan is completed in February, it will go to the Board of Supervisors for approval, said Fairfax County Department of Transportation representative Jeffrey Hermann.

After the Tysons phase is adopted, Hermann said phase two, which encompasses bicycle plans for the rest of the county, would be ready for adoption in about 18 months.

The plan for Tysons includes on- and off-road paths that will connect new Tysons streets and developments to McLean, the Town of Vienna, the City of Falls Church, the neighborhoods of Dunn Loring and Pimmit Hills and the W&OD Trail.

The Tysons phase will serve as a model for other projects throughout the county -- good news for cyclists who currently battle motorists during commutes or recreational rides throughout the county's traffic-choked roads.

As it stands, there are few bicycle paths in the county that currently accomplish that. The Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling (FABB) has been advocating for a bicycle master plan since their formation in 2005, FABB Chairman Bruce Wright said.

"Now that the first phase, the Greater Tysons area, is underway, we are working with the county in an advisory capacity. Three of our members are on the Tysons Bicycle Master Plan advisory committee," Wright said.

FAAB and Fairfax County are also working on bike parking guidelines that will be implemented into both phases of the plan.

Wright said the rezoning applicants at Monday's open house seemed supportive of including better bike accommodations into their plans.

"I think they understand that to be competitive these days, especially in an urban area like the future Tysons, many different transportation options are needed, and bicycling is growing as a smart way to get around in these areas," he said.

The Fairfax County DOT will hold an open public meeting in mid January to allow more public commentary on the Tysons phase of the plan.  The date and location has not been determined, but residents can track the meeting schedule on the county's website.