A number of Virginia’s bike and pedestrian paths will now be completed thanks to the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 -  the “Stimulus” package.

The Virginia Department of Transportation’s Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) acted swiftly to approve and submit a number of these planned bikeway projects to the federal government for approval.

Without this assistance from the ARRA, a number of these projects might not have otherwise been funded.

Completing these projects will provide jobs and promote economic development in communites along the trails.

Among the bike and pedestrian projects approved by the CTB are:

Virginia Capital Trail  - ARRA Funds = $8,183,835

The Virginia Capital Trail (VCT) will provide a pedestrian/bicycle facility along Route 5 (a designated Virginia Byway) from Virginia’s colonial capital at Williamsburg to the present capital in Richmond. The trail will be 54 miles long and connect the Jamestown to Richmond.

The VCT is a designated National Recreational Trail and part of both the TransAmerica Bike Route (76) and the East Coast Greenway. The   is the last of the 8 segments to be funded which will complete the trail.

For more details: Virginia Capital Trail Foundation

Tobacco Heritage Trail – ARRA Funds = $6,000,000

The Tobacco Heritage trail is a 160 mile system of long distance multi-use typically following abandoned rail corridors through the five Southside Virginia counties of Mecklenburg, Brunswick, Halifax, Lunenburg, and Charlotte.

For more details: http://www.tobaccoheritagetrail.org/

Roanoke River Greenway – ARRA Funds = $2,000,000

The Roanoke River Greenway is a 31 mile bicycle/pedestrian trail connecting the entire

Roanoke Valley, linking the Cities of Roanoke and Salem, Roanoke County, and the Town of Vinton, Montgomery and Franklin  Counties. The greenway will provide linkage to neighborhoods, industrial facilities, business complexes, fifteen parks, three schools, and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

For more details: http://www.greenways.org/docs/RoanokeRiverGreenwayStatusMap.pdf

High Bridge Trail ARRA Funds = $2,000,000

This  34.3 mile multi-use trail being constructed on abandoned Norfolk-Southern railway from The Town of  Pamplin to the Town of Burkeville.

The last train to use the line was in October, 2004 and in December, 2006, Norfolk Southern donated this rail line  to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

The park’s centerpiece is the impressive High Bridge, which is more than 2,400 feet long and 160 feet above the Appomattox River. The bridge was built in 1853 as part of the South Side Railroad.   The bridge played a strategic role in the Route of Robert E. Lee’s retreat in 1865. High Bridge Reconstruction

For more details: High Bridge Trail State Park

Dismal Swamp Canal Trail ARRA Funds = $1,300,000

The   existing 8.5 mile Dismal Swamp Canal Trail is an adaptive reuse of the former U.S. 17 alignment.  A proposed northern extension will connect this popular bicycle, walking and equestrian path with residential areas in Chesapeake.    Chesapeake plans to extend the trail south to connect with North Carolina’s existing 4.5 mile section of the Dismal Swamp Canal Trail, which connects to the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center and the village of South Mills, NC.  The Dismal Swamp Canal Trail is also part of the East Coast Greenway network.

For more details:  http://www.chesapeake.va.us/services/depart/park-rec/dismal_swamp_trail.shtml

The Valley Pike (Old Route 11) Project – ARRA Funds = $850,000

This trail will connect the Fisher’s Hill battlefield with the Town of Strasburg and the Cedar Creek-Belle Grove National Park.  The completed trail will establish a non-motorized greenway for pedestrians, cyclists, and equestrians, interpreting the historic Valley Pike and surrounding battlefields.  The total length of the proposed trail system is approximately 10 – 12 miles.

In addition to the historic significance of the battlefields, the Valley Pike was a major migration corridor for German, Scotch and Scots-Irish immigrants to America in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

For more details:  : http://www.shenandoahatwar.org/

Last Saturday’s Share Shore Drive Day in Virginia Beach drew over 200 riders, according to VBF Board member Bill Hart. Local cyclists are really fired up about improving cycling conditions in Virginia Beach, so more events are planned.

Pictures, video, and ongoing information about bike advocacy and future events in Virginia Beach can be found at the Share Shore Drive Day blog; also at Flickr, and on Twitter.

Bruce Rosar

There will be 2 memorial rides this weekend: Saturday July 18 in Roanoke VA, at 9 AM, from Cyclo-Ward/Sharebike in the City Market building downtown; and Sunday July 19 in Apex NC — the North Carolina Bicycle Club’s Summer Rally will be held in Bruce’s honor — see the NCBC website for more information and to register.

Long time cycling advocate Bruce Rosar was killed on July 11 in a tragic cycling accident in Apex, North Carolina. Bruce was a director of the North Carolina Active Transportation Alliance, a founding member of the NC Coalition for Bicycle Driving, the Education Officer for the NC Bicycle Club, the elected representative for Region 3 on the board of the League of American Bicyclists and a member of the CAMPO Bicycle/Pedestrian Stakeholders Group.

The accident is currently under investigation

Bruce’s brother, James Rosar of Roanoke, is a VBF board member.

Our condolences go out to our colleague James, Bruce’s wife Margaret, and all of Bruce’s family and friends.

In this video taken at last week’s Governor’s Ride on the Roanoke River Greenway, Barbara Duerk explains how rails with trails are a no-brainer. It can be done in Virginia! See the accompanying story in the Roanoke Free Press, with pictures from the Governor’s ride.

Sigh our rails with trails petition, and get your organization to support our resolution.

Virginia’s  Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment is in the process of developing the state’s long-range, twenty-five year transportation plan — VTrans2035.  VDOT wants citizen input in shaping what the future of Virginia’s transportation will look like.

Implementation of the Plan is both a federal and state legislative requirement.

Visit www.vtrans.org and click on the bottom left : ”Virtual Public Workshop” to submit your ideas and recommendations for Virginia’s long-range transportation plan.

Final Public Input Meeting

This Thursday, July 9, is the final public input meeting for VTrans2035, at Hidden Valley High School, 5000 Titan Trail, Roanoke, 4:30-7:30pm. Come face to face with Virginia’s statewide transportation planners and tell them personally what you would like to see for our state, such as:

• Regional bike advisory committees
• A statewide Complete Streets policy
• Funding formula for alternative transportation projects
• Connect the Commonwealth — rails with trails
• Shared lane markings — “sharrows”
• Complete signage of AASHTO-approved bike routes, and state and local bike routes
• Bike access on passenger trains, and at train stations
• Bike access at airports
• Bike access at ferry terminals, and on ferries
• 3′ passing law
• Vulnerable road user legislation

Download a copy of the meeting schedule & information (PDF).

Gov. Tim Kaine rides the Roanoke Greenway from Car Less Brit on Vimeo.

River Laker (CarLessBrit) and friends at the Star City Harbinger have been doing a lot to promote cycling in Roanoke. So be sure to check out the article that accompanies this video.

Versus will be covering the 2009 Tour de France for the US. Their Tour de France home page has a nice stage map, with links for each stage. The TV schedule page has complete listings for the actual race coverage, but there’s also plenty of additional Tour-related programming that you might not want to miss.

Note the ads for Road ID reflective safety bracelets, anklets, and labels. For more information about these, click the link above or below, on this page. Then your purchase will help support VBF.

Join River Laker, aka “CarLessBrit,” for three wonder-filled bike culture events this Wednesday evening, July 1, 6-8 PM, in downtown Roanoke. Come by bike, or bring your bike, and ride from one to the next!

The first is the wonder-filled opening of the CarLessBrit Museum, at 310 2nd St. SW, featuring:

• bike culture art
• a virtual roanoke bike gang ride
• interactive bike activities for all types/ages
• bike lane for kiddies to ride on
• live bike music from dj DickiE & Joey T
• pedal-powered blender smoothies — u gotta pedal for it
• flat tire repair competition — old school style
• bike culture exhibits — tonnes of stuff touched on. ‘except 4 lycra shorts, no, they’re mentioned too just not shown, hehe!
• more fun stuff than this!

Next up are two wonder-filled exhibits at the Virginia Museum of Transportation:

• A Bicycle Obsession: David Saville’s bike collection
  • chronicling a century of cycling
  • Tour de France memorabilia
  • unique items signed by cycling celebrities
  • & more!
• Remembering Artie Levin
  • bike and artifacts belonging to Roanoke’s own “Mr.
    Fitness” & founder of Blue Ridge Bicycle Club (BRBC)
  • visit the automobiles & historic locomotives at the
    Virginia Museum of Transportation while here
  • & more!

For more information, and background on the CarLessBrit Museum, see the CarLessBrit blog, CarLessBrit videos at Vimeo, and the CarLessBrit Experiment Facebook page.

Join Virginia Governor Tim Kaine for a bike ride on the Roanoke River Greenway this Thursday, July 2, 10:00am. The Governor will be joined by children, parents, and staff from local summer camps. The ride will be 5 miles one-way from the start at Wasena Park, 10 miles out-and-back. Helmets are required. For more information, including the rest of Governor Kaine’s visit to southwest Virginia, see the Governor’s website.

Washcycle (aka WABA) has a great analysis of the upcoming climate and transportation bills, and how they affect cyclists. Lots of background, with plenty of links for further reading. Definitely check it out.

While Washcycle’s tone is encouraging, The Infrastructurist believes that the transportation bill will be stalled for quite awhile.