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THE GOOD NEW DAYS: RIDING BICYCLES AND WALKING SOLVE TRAFFIC, POLLUTION, AND HEALTH PROBLEMS

March 2, 2008 12:16 am

WILLIAMSBURG--

Planners and concerned citizens know that getting people to walk or ride a bike, especially for short trips of two miles or less, can reduce the number of vehicles clogging the roads, decrease pollution of air and waterways, and address the population's need for exercise to combat weight-related health conditions. It would seem that walking or biking is an easy solution that addresses some of the most difficult problems facing Virginians and the world.

But it is a challenge in an area that has rapidly changed from rural to urban to get people to change their way of thinking. In Fredericksburg's surrounding counties, many older citizens still remember walking long distances to school and to stores. When the automobile came on the scene, they welcomed the opportunity to get back and forth quickly. The distances didn't seem as long when traveled at 25, 55, and even 75 miles per hour.

Roads now link people in subdivisions to their jobs and shopping, cutting across former footpaths and fields. A generation has grown up without knowing the pleasure and freedom of walking to a friend's house or to the corner store.

NO TURNING BACK

We can't go back to the good ol' days, but we must think about how we go forward. At BikeWalk Virginia, we look forward to addressing the concerns of non-motorized transportation users--primarily bicyclists and pedestrians--by promoting safety and access to roads and trails for recreation and transportation. Although the BikeWalk's founders started as organizers of a fun, multi-day cross-state biking event, the staff has evolved to meet today's more urgent needs to educate and advocate for bike lanes, sidewalks, and alternatives to car-centric planning.

Lately, interest in the BikeWalk Virginia organization has mushroomed because of concerns about matters in addition to traffic congestion and safety. BikeWalk Virginia's expertise is being tapped by the healthcare community. The Centers for Disease Control ranks a "shift in auto trips to walking and biking" as the No. 1 strategy to reduce diseases related to inactivity and weight gain, such as heart disease and diabetes.

Communities are looking for ways to implement the biking and walking strategy. The federal government is funding Safe Routes to Schools activities in the states to encourage children to walk and ride their bikes to school, and BikeWalk Virginia is the commonwealth's Safe Routes to School organizer.

It is hoped that a healthier population will mean lower health care costs and increased access to limited resources. Fewer vehicles on the road also mean less emission of particulates and carbon dioxide adversely impacting the quality of air, soil, and water. Fewer worn tires and less dirty oil will mean reduced pollution.

east coast crossroads

"We are proud that the local transit system has equipped the FRED buses with bike racks that will carry two bikes," said Dave Jones, president of the Rappahannock, Fredericksburg, and Potomac chapter of BikeWalk Virginia. "Fredericksburg has made a good start toward bicycle and pedestrian accommodation." Jones is concerned that the localities aren't addressing alternative transportation as quickly as they should, however.

"Fredericksburg is the crossroads for the East Coast Greenway, the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, and the Virginia Central Trail that will connect us to Bike Route 76." Jones understands that lanes and sidewalks that allow safe alternative transportation are important for the future of our health.

Alternative transportation makes sense because our country is witnessing the end of cheap oil and new fuel technologies may be decades away from everyday implementation. For the Fredericksburg region, alternative transportation can be a boost to the local economy. "Because of our location, the potential for bicycle tourism is too great for any savvy regional governing board to ignore."

Jones and other area BikeWalk Virginia members will continue to advocate for wider shoulders on roadways. They welcome opportunities to educate the regional population who want to get back on their bikes and might need a lesson in today's bicycle-riding safety rules. Like seatbelts in cars, helmets are a must. Bike riders are required to drive their bikes with traffic, and staying to the right of the lane that proceeds in the direction they are traveling.

"Motor vehicles and bicyclists have to share the road," says Jones, "but we also have to push localities to make the shoulders wider so that we can safely share the road." He points out that Route 301 has no shoulders and State Route 3 has inconsistent shoulders. "Route 218, the alternative to Route 3 to the Northern Neck, is a scenic byway but it's totally unacceptable! The pavement ends at the fog line and falls immediately into a ditch. It's not safe to drive in a car, much less a bicycle, and it's suicidal on foot."

Citizens of Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Orange, King George, and Caroline: Look at roads, shoulders, waterways, waistlines and listen up! You, like those who are current bicyclists and pedestrians by choice or who lack transportation alternatives due to need, must face the future. Alternatives can be chosen in order to improve quality of life, and are urgently needed for many reasons, including economic vitality and environmental health.