If you’re in Richmond this weekend for the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, let local cyclists show you around! Join VBF and RABA at 4pm Saturday for a Tour du Richmond fun ride — a 12mi loop to see some of Richmond’s historic sites, and enjoy the city’s atmosphere. We’ll visit Belle Isle, Rockett’s Landing, the Virginia Capital Trail, the state Capitol building, and more. 

Meet downtown at the convention center, at the corner of 5th and Marshall for a 4 p.m. departure.  All are welcome. Just show up, or contact Champe Burnley for more information:   champe_burnley@vabike.org,  (540) 358-5801.

Richmond MORE will also be hosting tours of James River Park singletrack trails, leaving from the Tredegar Parking Lot at 10am and 1pm. See www.richmond-more.org for details.

Afterward, don’t miss the Trailicious benefit party at the Capital Ale House.

Coming down the homestretch now, and one victory to report as SB546/”Railroads to be Mentioned Specifically in the Landlord Liability Law” sailed right through the House, after Sen. John Edwards of Roanoke did a masterful job of patroning it before the House Agriculture Committee. Bill Tanger, President of the Friends of the Rivers of Virginia (FORVA) was the point man behind this bill, as the paddlers and fisherman are vitally interested in getting access across RR tracks at a number of locations to get to put ins, take outs, and fishing spots along a number of rivers. The cyclists have also been supporting it since there are situations where trails cross RR tracks. The RR’s have generally been resistant to these requests, citing liability, and now with the limited immunity granted by this bill it is expected that they will be more receptive to requests for crossings.

…and one bill still alive that we have been supporting, which is SB517, Sen Norment’s (from Williamsburg) bill which would ban the use of cell phones by the drivers of moving vehicles, unless they are operated in hands free mode. This bill is a classic example of the partisan climate that currently pervades the legislature, and those interested in seeing how a majority party can obstruct the progress of a bill in their house if they choose to do so, should go into the legislative website — http://legl.state.va.us and plug in SB517 to follow the path Sen. Norment has been subjected to. [continue reading…]

Senate Bill 546, calling for the expansion of Virginia’s landowner liability and recreational use statute, was passed by the House of Delegates 95 – 0. This means the bill has passed both chambers, and now awaits Governor Bob McDonnell’s signature to become law July 1. 

This legislation evolved out of another bill (HB 2088) passed in the 2009 General Assembly, calling for a study of how recreational users can safely access natural resources across railroads, as well as the feasibility of rails-with-trails. 

The new law will explicitly extend protection to railroads from nuisance lawsuits when recreational users cross railroad property at designated places, to access rivers, boat takeouts, or trails.

Railroads’ perceived liability has been a major barrier to allowing crossings, and has created headaches for recreational users for years. 

The Virginia Bicycling Federation feels this is a strategic victory when it comes to implementing rails-with-trails. [continue reading…]

Projects funded by TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) are getting lots of press lately. But with transit and high-speed rail getting most of the attention, the bike-ped projects are being overlooked.

America Bikes to the rescue, with a list of TIGER-funded bicycle and pedestrian projects (PDF). Also read their press release (PDF).