Roanoke, VA – At its March 17 meeting, Roanoke City Council adopted the Regional Greenways and Bikeways Plans, a Complete Streets Policy, and agreed to apply for a Bicycle Friendly Community award.

The Regional Greenways and Bikeways Plans show off- and on- street routes for non-motorized transportation and recreation opportunities. Complete Streets will improve travel conditions for all street users while providing local connections between regional greenway and bikeway corridors. If granted, the Bicycle Friendly Community designation will recognize the city’s efforts to expand the network of greenways, bikeways, and complete streets. [continue reading…]

After a crash in 2001 that derailed his racing career, Italian ex-pro Fred Morini has found a new career as a global ambassador for cycling.   While visiting a friend in Wytheville, he is touring area schools to get kids turned on to cycling, and helping to start programs to get kids (and adults) on bikes.  Along with Andy Kegley of HOPE (Helping Overcome Poverty’s Existence) Morini has applied for a grant from the Wythe-Bland Community Foundation to purchase bikes, helmets, jerseys, and other equipment for after-school cycling programs.  To generate interest among adult cyclists in the area, he will be leading a series of training rides leading up to the Big Walker Century, which he will also participate in.

Read the full story at SWVAToday.com.

The Virginia LTAP (Local Technical Assistance Program) will conduct a one-day workshop on Designing for Bicycles in Charlottesville on Monday, April 28, 2008. Though geared toward transportation engineers and planning professionals, all are welcome. VBF encourages all bike advocates to attend, and to urge local governments and engineering and planning entities to send their staff. Receiving technical training together is a great way for everyone to get to know each other! [continue reading…]

Champe Burnley and I made the trip up to Capitol Hill on 3/6 to join the other 500 bike advocacy types who were there for the LAB Summit and take part in Lobby Day. After marching from building to building as we visited the offices of most of Virginia’s senators and representatives, we had a productive lunch with Ginny Sullivan of Adventure Cycling, where we gave her some suggestions for improving their East Coast Route, and requested that they produce a new map that follows US Bike Rt. 1 through Richmond and on south to the NC border. Following that, it was more walking and more visits, until it was time for the Reception.

Here we soon felt like we were at a pep rally as Congressman Jim Oberstar was introduced by LAB executive director Andy Clarke. [continue reading…]