The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) is developing the Parks, Recreation, Open Space, and Access (PROSA) Strategy to provide a roadmap for improved park access and a stronger balance of recreational experiences to meet the diverse needs of Fairfax County communities. FABB strongly supports these goals, but the strategy fails to consider the role of bicycles in achieving them.
FCPA wants the final PROSA Strategy to be a framework for equitable access to the park system and to improve 10-minute walk access to FCPA parks, enhance access to complete park experiences, and enrich habitat connectivity between environmental corridors. It also seeks to analyze and prioritize recreation needs and projects with an equity lens.
The draft strategy, however, does not address the specific needs of Fairfax County bicyclists!
Over the years, FCPA has been unresponsive to FABB member requests for more consideration of riders’ access to and use of county parks. Clearly, local riders need to raise their voices to ensure bicyclist concerns receive the attention they deserve.
FABB is asking all Fairfax County riders to complete the online PROSA survey and Speak Up! by the August 6 deadline in support of the following points:
- Riders need safer bicycle access to all FCPA parks;
- FCPA parks need better trail and directional signage;
- Fair weather crossings in all FCPA parks should be eliminated;
- Planned FCPA trail networks should be completed; and
- Trail Development Strategy Plan should be implemented ASAP.
Here are some suggested responses to the open answer questions:
Question 1. If it includes improvements to bicycle infrastructure, PROSA will increase my ability to ride a bike to a park and use park trails.
Question 3. A complete park provides recreation opportunities for bicyclists with safer bicycle access to all FCPA parks, better trail and directional signage for trails available to bicyclists, and replacement of fair-weather crossings with all-weather crossings in all FCPA parks. Also, a complete park applies an equity lens more effectively when it considers those who bike and roll along with walkers.
Question 4. I am very supportive of the PROSA strategy goals but believe they are incomplete because the strategy doesn’t address the needs of bicyclists who would want to ride rather than drive to the parks and, where available, make full use of trails and other amenities.
The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete and survey responses are anonymous. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Korean, and Vietnamese and additional languages. So, please share this information widely and let’s show the FCPA that riders want access to the park system.
Again, to have your comments included in the draft revision process, your survey comments need to be returned not later than August 6, 2023. Do it today!
