Founder and long-time president Bruce Wright goes over FABB’s history at celebration.
On October 25, dozens of dedicated riders, volunteers, and longtime supporters gathered at Patsy’s American in Tysons to celebrate a major milestone: FABB’s 20th anniversary. What began in 2005 as a grassroots effort to make Fairfax County more bike-friendly has grown into a leading voice for safer streets, stronger community connections, and a more sustainable transportation future.
A Tribute to Our Volunteers
FABB President Joy Faunce opened the celebration by expressing deep gratitude for the passion and persistence of our volunteers. She did the math—just our board members alone have contributed over 75,000 volunteer hours over the past 20 years. That doesn’t even count the countless hours spent attending public meetings, tabling at Bike to Work Day, leading community rides, or preparing advocacy materials. Our momentum is powered by people, and that people-powered movement is what makes FABB so special.
How It All Started
Bruce Wright, one of FABB’s founding members, delivered a detailed and inspiring retrospective of the organization’s history. He took us back to 2005, when eight local advocates—including Bruce and his wife Kerie, along with Anne Mader (The Bike Lane), John Brunow (bikes@vienna), and Douglas Stewart—met at bikes@vienna to launch a new advocacy group.
Their initial goals were simple but ambitious:
- Hire a Fairfax County Bicycle Coordinator
- Implement the on-road bike routes in the Trails Plan
- Develop a County Bicycle Route Map
Thanks to persistent advocacy, the county hired its first bike coordinator, Charlie Strunk, in 2006. He then worked with a design group, local bike shops, and FABB to produce the first bike map. FABB volunteers helped identify routes, review designs, and distribute the finished product. The result: a comprehensive county bike map still in use and regularly updated.
Tysons, Trails, and Transformational Change
FABB’s fingerprints are all over some of Fairfax County’s most transformative bike projects. From early involvement in shaping the Tysons redevelopment plan and organizing a task force bike tour to educate planners, to advocating for bike crossings on the 495 HOT Lanes, FABB has consistently been at the table—often pulling up the chair ourselves.
Through persistence, partnerships, and planning, FABB helped launch the Bicycle Master Plan, beginning with Tysons as a pilot. We advocated, advised, and attended dozens of meetings between 2011 and 2014, until the plan was officially adopted and folded into the county’s Comprehensive Plan. That foundational document continues to shape Fairfax’s bicycle infrastructure development today.
Advocacy, Innovation, and the I‑66 Parallel Trail
Over the years, FABB expanded its influence with county Bike Summits, Safe Routes to School initiatives, and new education programs. In 2011, we began pushing for a parallel trail along the I-66 corridor—a campaign that culminated in the trail’s first sections opening in May 2023. The project took 12 years and countless hours of advocacy, but it now connects communities and creates safe, comfortable riding experiences across western Fairfax.
FABB also developed a Virginia bicycle design guide, advocated for improved bike parking, and supported FCPS’s school-based cycling education programs, which now reach thousands of students.
What’s Next?
The celebration wasn’t just about the past—it was a springboard for the future. From promoting the ActiveFairfax Plan and the NOVA Loop, to calling for better trail maintenance and pushing for safer crossings on Gallows Road and the I‑495 Southside project, our work continues.
Fairfax County is a very different place today thanks to 20 years of FABB’s advocacy. Roads are more bikeable. Trails are more connected. Children are riding safely to school. And yet, there’s so much more to do.
Be Part of the Next 20 Years
We need your help to continue this work. Whether you have time to volunteer, skills to share, or resources to donate, you can help shape the future of biking in Fairfax County.
Join us. Support us. Ride with us. Contact us at [email protected].
Stay tuned for more blog posts in this series highlighting those who made this progress possible—and those we’ve lost along the way. Together, we’ll continue to ride forward.
One last thing – many thanks to Great American Restaurants, Patsy’s American in Tysons, and their fantastic staff for being such wonderful hosts of our celebration.
