Saturday Morning Ride - CMAQ

Heading to the National Archives today to watch Oscar nominees

• There will be several items of interest to cyclists at Alexandria's Transportation Committee meeting on March 2nd.
  
  • They'll be discussing changes to the proposed Complete Streets policy "Revisions include modifications to the resolution language to add clarity and to strengthen the document by replacing “should” with “shall.” Other key revisions include the addition of annual reporting requirements to the Transportation Commission on instances where discretion was exercised in applying the Complete Streets policy for capital improvement projects, maintenance projects, Small Area Plans, and development cases with supporting data that indicates the basis for the decision. It was also specified that Small Area Plan and development case staff reports contain a section discussing the Complete Streets review;"
  • the bicycle sharing initiative "A Bicycle Sharing Pilot Initiative would seek to identify an appropriate bike sharing technology and up to 10 locations in Old Town, Carlyle, and Del Ray for bike sharing stations. While the pilot initiative would primarily provide feasibility information and make key recommendations about future development, it should provide the option of implementing a pilot project in Old Town, Carlyle and Del Ray;"
  • bike parking at Metro "To address high demand and current use levels that meet or exceed capacity, the City is seeking funds for modular, enclosed, unattended bicycle parking “stations” at Metro stops.  These shelters range in size from 10’x20’ to 10’x40’ and are designed to provide a low-cost, high-capacity solution that will also encourage short bicycle trips to complement public transit usage;"
  • rebuilding part of the Mt. Vernon Trail "Currently, the Mt. Vernon multi-use trail is badly constricted in the section parallel to East Abingdon Drive, south of Slater’s Lane. Methods for widening this portion of the trail will be studied, a method chosen, and the path widened;"
  • and a pedestrian-bike connection between the Braddock Road metro and the northern gateway

The last four items are part of their CMAQ/RSTP funding requests. VDOT has asked that these requests be projected for the next 6 years. The MVT project would be funded ($500k) in 2013, the Metro parking ($250k) in 2016 and the Braddock Road project (part of a $1.25M project) in 2014-2015. Bike sharing was to get $400k in 2013 and 2014, $250k in 2015 and $300k in 2017. The council cut the funding in later years to buy more buses, but will find more funding for bike sharing if the pilot is successful. Of course all of this assumes that CMAQ doesn't die in the next transportation bill.

• Details on the South Capitol Street Trail from WABA "In meetings with GSA and the project team, WABA has been told that the only potential impact to the trail is a single pinch point.  And that pinch point will not be narrower than 7.5 feet."
• I don't want to be knee-jerk, but I have to admit that when I first read the WaPo Editorial "The Roads are for Driving" in the print edition I was dismayed. I was glad to see they chose a different title online.

Comments

[Froggie]

There will also be a Complete Streets "Study Session" prior to the Transportation Commission meeting, at 6:30pm.