L to R -- Jeff Ciabotti (Rails to Trails), Chris Scott (VBF), Senator Mark Warner, Barbara Duerk (VBF), Champe Burnley (VBF), Marianne Fowler (Rails to Trails)
Cyclists from across Virginia convened in Washington to meet with Virginia’s eleven congressmen as well as Senators Warner and Webb. Meetings covered issues such as the upcoming transportation bill, Complete Streets, Safe Routes to School (extending this to include high school students), support for Congressman Bluemenaur’s Active Community Transportation Act, and of course, Rails-With-Trails.
A number of citizens from across Virginia teamed up with VBF for these meetings — bike retailers and manufacturers’ reps, mountain bikers and bike commuters, as well as cycling advocates. The team offered a broad perspective on what is needed to improve cycling in Virgina.
Joining VBF for their meeting with Senator Mark Warner were the Rails to Trails Conservancy’s Senior VP of Federal Relations Marianne Fowler, and VP of Trail Development Jeff Ciabotti.
“The Summit was a real success,” said VBF president Champe Burnley. “We found most of the congressional offices very supportive of our requests to support active transportation in the Commonwealth. I really feel optimistic that conditions in Virginia will continue to improve.”
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