I-66 Multimodal Study Final Report - Virginia Department of ...

Multimodal Packages3.10 Bicycle and Pedestrian System EnhancementsBicycle and pedestrian improvements are incorporated as a common component to all multimodalpackages and are intended to provide increased accommodation for longer distancecommute trips along the I-66 corridor, as well as shorter trips to access Metrorail stations andtransit (bus) stops throughout the study area. Projects include a combination of on-road bicyclefacilities (e.g., bicycle lanes and shared lane markings), signed bicycle routes, new or improvedoff-road trails and sidepaths, and intersection improvements to enhance crossing safety andcomfort.Additional bicycle parking in commercial areas and at transit stations, as well as expandedbikeshare facilities also are included to increase the utility and attractiveness of bicycling fortransportation, for both routine as well as spontaneous trips.Bicycle and Pedestrian Project IdentificationThe projects included in this study represent a subset of the larger bicycle and pedestrianimprovement needs for the study area. Many projects are sourced from existing or ongoingplanning activities in Fairfax County, the City of Falls Church, Arlington County, NorthernVirginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA), WMATA, and VDOT. Other projects were recommendedeither explicitly by stakeholders and the community, or were included based ongeneral needs (e.g., need better transit access) articulated by stakeholders at communitymeetings, during stakeholder interviews, or through the project survey. Lastly, a few projectsnecessary for overall network connectivity and system functionality were included based onthe professional judgment of the project team, which may result in variations from local plans.The selected projects were deemed to be of regional significance due to their function in theoverall transportation system. For instance, a bicycle lane project on a road leading to a transitstation is included in this analysis, but the ‘tributary’ facility improvements on side streetsleading to this bicycle lane project may not be included. Table 3.20 and the corresponding mapshown in Figure 3.43 present all bicycle and pedestrian system enhancements evaluated as partof this study. Some of the projects have moved past the project identification stage and are inplanning or design phase by local jurisdictions. These projects are identified in Table 3.20 by anasterisk next to the project name.It should be noted that given the relatively high-level nature of this study, a planning-levelanalysis has been applied to the included bicycle and pedestrian projects. In addition, projectswere reviewed with planning staff in local jurisdictions and many of their comments have beenincorporated. It is recognized that further analysis may be required to investigate the actualfeasibility and design considerations (e.g., right-of-way impacts) for each project.I-66 Multimodal Study 3-75