The prospect of adding bicycle facilities sometimes seems so simple, but even the most simple things can be difficult to do and often take many, many years to complete.
Ten years ago this week FABB visited the still relatively new City of Fairfax Regional Library, which opened in 2008. The library, unlike many government and private buildings at the time, featured several bike racks conveniently located near the entrance. One of the first things we noticed, however, was that the racks were installed incorrectly. It wasn’t the first time FABB had noticed bike racks in Fairfax County that were oriented the wrong way or were installed too close to a wall to hold as many bikes as intended.
In 2009, secure, conveniently located bike parking was a rarity in Fairfax. This unfortunate situation was the result of the fact that Fairfax County then lacked a bike parking regulation. Whenever a new development was proposed, there were requirements for vehicle parking, for sidewalks, for open space, and many other facilities but none for bike parking.
FABB had started advocating for parking guidelines two years earlier in 2007 and stressed to county officials the importance of having guidelines for developers and others to implement safe, convenient bike parking.In February 2017 the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors officially endorsed the county’s Bicycle Parking Guidelines that had been in development for almost 10 years. The guidelines apply to all new developments in the county and existing developments can use the guidelines to provide bike parking as their residents and customers want them.
Interested in bike parking or perhaps in sharing information with your employer or the businesses you frequent? Visit our Resources page and check under References for more information on bicycle parking.
Want to help make bicycling better in Fairfax County? Please send us a note or join us at our next monthly meeting to find out the numerous ways volunteers can help advocate for improvement in bicycle infrastructure and facilities.
