New Arlington Bike Plan is taking shape

The Arlington Master Transportation Plan Bicycle Element Working Group has updated their draft framework and made it available to the public. The primary changes from the last version are a fully written introduction, instead of a bullet list, different organization of the policies and the inclusion of updated facts (like they removed references to the streetcar) and ideas.

Policy additions and changes in this version include:

• County should complete and continuously improve the bikeway network.
• Rearranges the first two policies into three, with the new one being " Provide a network of context sensitive, low-stress bicycling routes that connects residential areas with commercial centers, transit stations, schools and County facilities"
• Expands a policy about on-street bike facilities to include "Enhance on-street bicycling facilities with painted buffers or physical separation where feasible and applicable."
• New bike facilities should now be built in accordance with both NACTO and AASHTO guidelines, not just AASHTO.  NACTO is much more oriented toward urban walking and biking.
• Use bicycle count data in project development and in future use estimations
• Consider a GPS-based, dockless bike share system, similar to what DC is doing (I think they should say "study" rather than "consider" but whatever)
• Increase enforcement of laws in relation to bicycle safety
• Maintain trails on private property where a public easement exists
• Establish guidelines for trail lighting
• A new Policy to "Design trail corridors to be “greener” reducing impervious surface area and enhancing planting
  opportunities."
• Increase the minimum bike lane width from 3' to 4' and set 2' as the minimum additional width for tunnels and underpasses, not the standard and adds that "Additional bicycle lane width, in the form of painted buffers and/or physical separations, should be considered whenever feasible."
• On heavily used trails, physical separations and lane markings should be considered as measures to reduce conflicts between pedestrians and bicyclists.
• Raises the standard from arterial street design from ones that accommodate experienced cyclists to those that accommodate all cyclists. 

They completed all of their scheduled engagement opportunities last weekend, but their 5th group meeting is at the end of this month and they're still taking comments at [email protected]

Comments

[ACyclistInThePortCIty]

There is a lot to like here