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As of today, July 1, you can be pulled over for texting while driving in Virginia — formerly a secondary offense.  As Alexandria PD’s Lt. Mark Bergin told ABC 7 News:

“We don’t want to have to follow somebody for three blocks while they’re doing something we know is dangerous before we can stop them, we can stop them right there,”

Dangerous indeed: “…the risk of a vehicle crash can be up to 23 times higher when the driver is texting,” according to the seminal Virginia Tech study.

Driving at the legal limit for alcohol presents only 11 times risk. How long will it take before texting, or using a phone at all while driving, is seen in the same light?

House Majority Leader Eric Cantpr addresses Richmond VA bike advocates.

This article was also posted to the Bikeleague website.

Yesterday marked a major advance for the bicycle advocacy community in Richmond, Va., the Commonwealth of Virginia, and, I would argue, for the nation as a whole.

Along with representatives of numerous pro-bike advocacy groups, and more importantly, transportation planners and administrators from the City of Richmond, and the surrounding counties of Henrico, Hanover and Chesterfield, I was invited by Richmond Sports Backers to tour the growing bicycle infrastructure in our nation’s capital and neighboring Arlington.

It was a long day, and we saw many impressive sights, but not the usual ones you associate with a field trip to Washington D.C. Every year, millions of tourists travel to Washington to stare upward at the gleaming monuments and across long vistas, but for the most part our eyes were firmly planted on the streets below our feet and our wheels, and the many wondrous new lines, symbols and devices that proclaim Washington and Arlington as emerging world class bike-friendly cities.

Space does not permit me to describe them all, but it was encouraging and educational to see what can be accomplished with the existing streets in a major U.S. metropolis. Too often, we advocates hear “That’s fine for Amsterdam or Copenhagen, but it’s totally different here.” After yesterday’s trip, that kind of glib dismissal just won’t stand up anymore. I think many eyes and minds were opened to the possibilities for Richmond and for Virginia. The only thing standing between where we are and the kind of infrastructure in Arlington and DC  is the will to act.

Had that been all we saw and learned yesterday, it would have been a huge success, but there was more to see and perhaps more profoundly, to hear. [continue reading…]

Alexandria Times photo.

Jonathan Krall writes:

“The new bicycle ordinance for Alexandria was approved 7-0! As Mayor Euille said, this was a non-controversial issue that somehow became controversial. As in the rest of Virginia, bicycle riding is now legal on sidewalks in Alexandria except where prohibited. Sidewalk riding is prohibited on King east of West St and on Union between Cameron and Prince.

Our thanks go out to all who wrote in, to all who advocated for it, especially Bruce Dwyer (who put in some years work on this) and Randy Cole (who told a good story about getting a ticket for sidewalk riding with his children), to City Staff for crafting the new ordinance and getting it through the process and to City Council for voting for it.”

While it makes sense to not allow riding on narrow and crowded downtown sidewalks — such as on King Street — all cyclists, ages 8 to 80, should feel comfortable riding to these areas to enjoy them.

Isn’t this village lifestyle why we choose to live in places like Alexandria?

Join hundreds of regional cyclists on Sunday, September 15 as they take off from Old Trail Village in Crozet, Va. During the Challenge, you’ll course through the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There are 25, 50, 75 and 100-mile routes, and an 8-mile family fun ride. Riders and their families are treated to a finish line pool party including lunch, local wine and beer, and live music. Over the past eight years, the Cycling Challenge has grown into Virginia’s premier fall cycling event. Register today at http://www.bgcchallenge.org.

Kids train throughout the summer to ride on the Challenge team. Proceeds from the ride go to support the Boys & Girls Clubs.

This is an awesome ride, but it’s an even better cause. Funds raised from registrations and donations directly support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Virginia, which serve over 1,800 youth annually. About a dozen of these young club members are training throughout the summer to ride on the Challenge Team. This ride is often their first step into the sport of cycling and the important life lessons that come with it. For them, the finish line is just the beginning.