To use the bikes, riders join Capital Bikeshare for a day ($5), month ($25), or year ($75, with an introductory offer of $50). The first 30 minutes of use are free; the second, $1.50; the third, $3.00. Each additional 30 minutes is $6. So pricing encourages short trip use, which is what the system is intended for. Riders can take a bike from any of the 114 stations, and return it to any station.
Capital Bikeshare is the successor to SmartBike DC, a much smaller system operated by ClearChannel.
The Virginia Bicycling Federation will be holding our annual membership meeting during the Heart of Virginia Bike Festival on Saturday, Sept. 18. All VBF members, would-be members, and concerned cyclists from throughout Virginia are encouraged to attend. Please drop by after the Heart of Virginia rides on Saturday — 4pm at the Ashland YMCA, with a BYO dinner afterward at Randolph Macon College.
We’ll hear reports on Virginia legislative accomplishments, Rails With Trails progress, careless driving legislation, the Governor’s Bike Month Proclamation, the 2010 Cross State Ride, signage for Interstate Bike Routes, US Bike Route 1 routing challenges in Virginia, updates to the State Bike Plan and DCR Trail Plan, status of the VDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator position, the 75th Anniversary Blue Ridge Parkway celebration, ProWalk/ProBike, and reports about local initiatives.
Our annual meeting is also where we elect or re-elect our board and officers. Any VBF member can vote, or run for a board position themselves. Yes, you can join at the meeting!
If there’s an issue that you’d like to see pushed forward, this is a great opportunity to connect with us, and bring it to our attention. If you’d like to get something on the agenda, contact Champe Burnley at champe_burnley@hotmail.com If you or anyone you know might be interested in serving on our board, please contact Bud Vye at bdvye@comcast.net or 804-262-9544.
So come ride and enjoy RABA’s Heart of Virginia rides on Saturday and Sunday. Network with fellow bike advocates on Saturday evening. Together we can make a difference!
BikeWalk is collecting some data on the state of biking and walking
awareness across the state, and will be using that data for talking
points on the topic:
Please take this poll, and pass this link along to as many contacts as you can. Use the Share This button below to send it via email, or share it in social media.
Ride in the footsteps of Patrick Henry, Robert E. Lee, and Ulysses S. Grant! The Heart of Virginia Bike Festival has something for everyone: a 30 mile Family Ride, a 37 mile Short Ride; a 35 mile Historic Ride; a Metric Century; a Metric Century Plus; and a challenging, 100 mile English Century course with enough hills to give you a real workout! As always, there will be fully-stocked rest stops, and an outstanding barbecue with hand-dipped ice cream at the finish. Sept. 18-19 at the Patrick Henry Family YMCA in Ashland.
The Virginia Department of Transportation is seeking a new statewide bike and pedestrian planner, to replace Jake Helmboldt who left in Dec. 2009. This is a full time position in Richmond. Here’s the job description, from the state jobs website:
VDOT’s Transportation and Mobility Planning Division is seeking a successful candidate to lead, coordinate, administer, implement and monitor the Commonwealth’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program. The position will be responsible for championing the integration of bicycling and walking into the local, regional and statewide transportation planning processes, coordinating and managing program communications, policy implementation and design criteria and bicycle and pedestrian studies; assisting with the development of the Surface Transportation Plan, Statewide Multimodal Long-Range Transportation Plan (VTRANS 2025), and other statewide planning initiatives as necessary. This position will coordinate with VDOT transportation planners, other VDOT divisions, stakeholder groups, local governments, and MPO and PDC staff.
Here are the minimum qualifications:
The successful candidate must have demonstrated knowledge of: transportation planning; traffic, bicycle, and pedestrian engineering principles and analysis techniques; statewide/metropolitan/federal transportation planning policies, guidelines and procedures; bicycle and pedestrian facility design; project development and management; and relational databases. Experience using ESRI GIS software and spatial analysis techniques; and Microsoft Office applications including Access, PowerPoint, Excel and Word. Ability to assist in evaluation, development, and maintenance of innovative solutions for planning and mobility initiatives; ability to complete tasks with minimal supervision; provide exceptional customer service; and communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. Strong computer skills is a must.
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-ffAr_0M34f91E.gif\")