Planners from across the region will soon gather to share innovative bicycle and pedestrian planning ideas and experiences learned through technical assistance projects funded by the TPB’s Transportation/Land Use Connections (TLC) program.
The TLC program was created by the TPB in 2006 to help local jurisdictions integrate transportation and land-use planning. It also incorporates federal support through the Transportation Alternatives Program and works on special projects with other local and regional partners. An essential part of the program is the Regional Peer Exchange Network, designed to promote and share key information, best practices, and innovative ideas from completed TLC projects.
The next Peer Exchange event will be held December 8 at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Main Library in the District of Columbia. The event will focus on projects and approaches aimed at filling gaps in the region’s bicycle network.
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About the projects
In the District of Columbia, the Georgetown Business Improvement District saw a need to connect bike trails like the Capital Crescent and the Rock Creek and Potomac trails so that cyclists visiting the area could more easily make connections into and out of Georgetown.
Planners in Fairfax County wanted to study how to bring Capital Bikeshare to the county. They focused on Reston in anticipation of the Silver Line’s arrival and an opportunity to make new connections within the town and with Metro. The project ultimately brought the first bikeshare stations to Fairfax County.
Arlington County wanted to map out areas that are easier and less stressful to bike. The idea of so-called “low traffic stress bike maps” is to help cyclists find routes that help them feel safe but that also connect and take them where they need to go. The maps also help planners fill gaps in the bike network by seeing where lower-stress routes send cyclists into higher-stress areas. By identifying those areas, planners can add infrastructure to make the route easier for cyclists to travel through.
In Maryland, the Life Science Loop trail in Gaithersburg connects office buildings in a suburban setting. The trail connects the office buildings together and also provides a recreation trail for the area and added a much needed connector between a job center and transit.
Metro wanted to expand upon another TLC project that is going a long way to fill in gaps in the transportation system and to improve bicycle and pedestrian connections to rail stations. The idea was to encourage more people who live within walking or biking distance to use stations that weren’t used as much. Not only can improving access to these stations by people who may live closeby encourage more people to use Metro but it can also encourage more existing passengers to walk or bike to the station instead of driving.
About the event
Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Main Library, Room A5 901 G Street NW Washington, DC
When: Thursday, December 8 10:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
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Follow the conversation on Twitter using #TLCPeerX
About the presenters
Will Handsfield, AICP is the transportation director at the Georgetown BID. He works to create and enhance transportation access to Georgetown whether on foot, traveling by bike or car, and even by gondola. Over the past year, Will co-led the K Street / Water Street planning effort with DDOT—a project funded by the TPB’s TLC project to improve transportation connections to regional activity centers—and is looking forward to implementing the plan in 2017. Prior to working for the GBID, Will distinguished himself at city planning and policymaking as a consultant, as staff for DC Council and two mayors, and worked on federal transportation policy for Transportation for America.
David Goodman oversees Arlington’s bicycle and pedestrian planning efforts as well as public and private construction projects that affect the pedestrian and cycling environments. His work includes overseeing sidewalk, pedestrian ramps, and crosswalk design including ADA accessibility and planning new on and off-street biking facilities. He has more than 20 years’ experience as a private and public sector urban designer, which includes 10 years as a pedestrian and bicycle planner. Goodman is a Certified Planner as well as a Licensed Architect.
Adam Lind is the bicycle program manager for the Fairfax County Department of Transportation. He is focused on improving public health, mobility, accessibility, and creating livable places through active transportation. He holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Virginia Tech.
Jamie Carrington is a Senior Planner with WMATA’s Office of Planning where he works on a variety of initiatives to improve pedestrian and bicycle connections to Metro. He previously spent five years with the New York City Department of Transportation and was responsible for planning and implementing a range of multimodal street projects with a particular focus on strengthening non-motorized access to transit.
Lucy Neher started the Safe Routes to Schools program in Takoma Park, Maryland, which now works with five local schools, supports a culture of walking and biking, and engages all in a community of health and inclusion. She uses a multi-pronged approach: education that makes learning about safety fun; infrastructural changes that ensure a safe environment; and community-building that engages volunteers and supports the long-term goals of creating a livable, walkable, bikeable area.
Steve Findley has worked for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) since 1990, first as a Natural Resources Specialist with the Montgomery County Department of Parks, and later as a Nature Center Director. In the Montgomery County Planning Department he has worked as an Environmental Planner, and is currently employed as a Planner Coordinator. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Forestry and Wildlife and a master’s degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, both from Virginia Tech.
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