Bikeshare, Bike Master Plan Topics at Upcoming Meeting in Reston

Two big glimpses into the future of the area’s two-wheeled transportation will happen in Reston on Wednesday.

Fairfax County officials, who are eying Reston as a possible location for the county’s first bikeshare program, will present the results of a feasibility study at Dogwood Elementary at 6:30 p.m.

Fairfax County recently contracted with Alta Planning + Design to determine if bikesharing would work as Reston prepares to become a transit oriented community with the opening of Metro’s Silver Line next month.

“I get calls from Westfield, Chantilly, asking when can we get a bikeshare,” Fairfax County bicycle coordinator Charlie Strunk told participants in a community bikeshare meeting at Lake Anne Elementary in January. “The easy answer, probably not. Those places don’t have the density. We picked Reston because we think Reston is the best choice. Tysons is a way off. Reston has fairly good density, mixed use, a mix of shopping, office and residential.”

The feasibility study was paid for with a grant from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Main questions asked were who would use the bikeshare, where should stations be located, and would suburban residents use bicycles as a transportation alternative and not recreation.

Immediately after the bikeshare meeting the county will present the final draft of the Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plan from 7:30-9 p.m.

Fairfax County is developing a countywide bicycle master plan. The plan will determine what steps should be taken to improve the existing transportation system and make Fairfax County bicycle friendly.

Coming in the plan: recommendations for a network of both on-road and off-road facilities that will serve as a bicycle transportation network as well as ideas on how bicycle friendly design can be incorporated into future roadway projects and transit projects.

Photo: Capital Bikeshare station at Pentagon City/File photo