Tag: Bike Racks

Town of Herndon’s Dennis Husch proposes conficating locked bikes

Faab, set out an email alert on a story in the Fairfax Times which talks about Dennis Husch’s proposal to confiscate all bicycles that are chained or tied to trees or sign posts in public rights-of-way. I sent an email to the Mr. Husch and the Town of Herndon Mayor and Council.

Dear Mr. Husch

I am a home owner in the town of Herndon and I bike over 100 miles a week.

I was alerted to an article in fairfaxtimes.com by Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling which talks about your short sighted comments on confiscating bikes locked up in the Town of Herndon.

Bicycling is a critical component to making a livable community. With gas prices hovering around $4, bikes are a truly viable alternative to cars for short trips under two miles for almost everyone. We need to be putting in more bike racks, improving Bike facilities on roads, and encouraging more biking not making a Herndon a biking no go Black Zone that confiscates bikes.

Bikes are not just used by illegals, they are used by low income families, through high incoming families as a vital transportation link. Many people use bikes for commuting to there jobs and are forced to lock their bikes to a tree or sign post because there are no secure alternatives. I challenge you to walk on the W&OD trail and you will see huge diversity of people using bikes, not just illegals.

I regularly bike in Herndon and lock my bike to a bike rack or to any solid secure object if a bike rack is not available. In fact parking meters and parking signs are my favorite if a bike rack is not available.

By proposing

“establishing a town policy to confiscate all bicycles that are chained or tied to trees or sign posts in public rights-of-way; and removing pay phones along a section of Elden Street and other areas.”

You are directly targeting my bike, a legal, tax paying town of Herndon Resident.

The Town of Herndon should be doing everything in it’s power to encourage biking within the town limits. We need to be introducing legislation that mandates good quality reverse U style bike racks at ever business. If they are mandated to put in a certain number of car parking spaces then they should be mandated to put in a certain number of bike racks. Arlington County which is highly rated as a livable community has a website at https://www.bikearlington.com/ and have published some excellent guidelines on which bikes parking that I suggest you review at https://www.bikearlington.com/parking.cfm

If you have any questions about bike related issues in the Town of Herndon area please feel free to contact me. I regularly attend the Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling meetings and I am a Washington Area Bicycle Association member, and I have been biking and commuting by bike for over 25 years.

We will see what kind of response I get.

Update:

Here is a link to the FAAB blog post, it has an interesting comment from the user CouncilmanHusch. I think we have a challenge, document every location in Herndon that needs a bike rack and see if he lives up to his promise. My wife’s response is that the Walgreens at 603 Elden St. Herndon, VA 20170 needs a bike rack. She had to lock her bike to the no parking sign at that location.

Bike Rack at Wolf Trap

I posted a couple days ago about my journey to Wolf Trap and the response I got when I asked about bike racks. Turns out that they do have a bike rack.

I got the following response from Wolf

Good afternoon,

Your message was shared with Foundation staff and Wolf Trap National
Park Service representatives and sub-sequentially it has been brought to
our attention that a bike rack has been made available this entire
summer season for events at The Filene Center. The location is just to
the right (south) of the Main Gate before entering the venue.

We sincerely apologize for the oversight regarding this matter. Wolf
Trap is committed to delivering our programs with the best possible
service. We realize that one bad experience is enough to keep you from
returning. We appreciate your patronage and will continue to do all we
can to create the best possible Wolf Trap experience for our patrons.
Thank you again and we hope you will be back for a more enjoyable
evening under the stars at Wolf Trap!

Best regards.

So it looks like they do have a bike rack, so as promised I have changed the title on the original posting. Please let me know if you use it, I didn’t spot it when went to my last concert.

UPDATED: Cycling not recommended to Wolf Trap

UPDATED

I am attending a concert tonight at the Wolf Trap Center in Virginia, and sent the following to the contact email on their website

Hi,

I am attending a concert tonight at the Filene Center center, Do you haveany bike racks or safe place to lock a bike during a performance. I looked on the website and didn’t see any mention

thanks

I got the following prompt response, which unfortunately is not good news

Thanks for writing. Unfortunately without direct access to and from bike trails or light volume traffic routes into the park it would not generally be considered safe or easy for bicycle riders. No dedicated bike racks are available in the park, although if you choose to arrive by bicycle you could certainly lock it to a fence or other permanent fixture. You may need to consult with Park Police or a Ranger on site to be sure you are not in a restricted area. The good news is Metro service via shuttle bus is available for all Filene Center performances (except the International Children’s Festival).

Filene Center Performances

The Wolf Trap Metro Shuttle Bus Express provides service to all Filene
Center shows (except the International Children’s Festival).

1. Take Metrorail’s Orange line, any of the convenient Metrobus Routes (3B, 28A and 28B), or drive to the West Falls Church Metrorail Station.

2. Hop on the Wolf Trap Metro Shuttle Bus Express, which leaves the West Falls Church Metrorail Station every 20 minutes starting two hours before each performance. The last Shuttle leaves the station at
showtime. Round trip fare is just $3.00 per person (exact change required). The Shuttle Bus is wheelchair accessible.

3. Returning, the Shuttle departs Wolf Trap 20 minutes after the performance ends (no later than 11:00 p.m., Sunday through Thursday). The last train for Downtown and New Carrollton leaves the West Falls
Church Station at 11:32 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and at 1:32 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

For more information on Metro’s hours of operation, the Wolf Trap Shuttle Bus, or Metro’s One-Day Pass, please call (202) 637-7000 (TDD: (202) 638-3780). Or, visit Metro’s Web site at www.metroopensdoors.com.

We hope this helps,
best wishes.

On looking at google maps I could bike from Wolf Trap to the W&OD Trail. Taking Trap Rd south then turn right onto Clarks Crossing and follow it to the trail. Am I crazy for even thinking about this?

The Alternative is I leave my bike at West Falls Church and then take the shuttle back after the concert then take the 980 home.

UPDATE: July 29th 2008
I got the following response from Wolf

Good afternoon,

Your message was shared with Foundation staff and Wolf Trap National Park Service representatives and sub-sequentially it has been brought to our attention that a bike rack has been made available this entire summer season for events at The Filene Center. The location is just to the right (south) of the Main Gate before entering the venue.

We sincerely apologize for the oversight regarding this matter. Wolf Trap is committed to delivering our programs with the best possible service. We realize that one bad experience is enough to keep you from
returning. We appreciate your patronage and will continue to do all we can to create the best possible Wolf Trap experience for our patrons. Thank you again and we hope you will be back for a more enjoyable evening under the stars at Wolf Trap!

Best regards.

So it looks like they do have a bike rack, so as promised I have changed the title of this post.

No Space on the Bus for bikes

It had to happen sooner or later, but last night I came into the West Falls Church to find that two bikes were already on the 980 Bus. Turns out one of the bikes belonged to my wife who had biked independently from Ballston. So instead of taking the 980 to Herndon, I took the 505 to Reston Town Center and followed the W&OD to Herndon, this isn’t my preferred route since I have to travel on a couple narrow lane roads to get to our house. I also need to work out where the connector from the Reston Town Center bus Terminal to the W&OD trail is. It’s probably obvious but in my defense it was dark.