Governor Tim Kaine announced the release of Virginia's first map dedicated to bicycling route in the Commonwealth.

Whether you are a seasoned rider or a new fan of cycling, let this map be your gateway to a world of new experiences. There is something here for everyone: 838 miles of United States Bicycle Routes 1 and 76; the Virginia Capital Trail, connecting the colonial capital of Williamsburg with the state's modern capital of Richmond; numerous locations for off-road mountain bike rides; and a range of facilities suitable for beginners and families with young children. The urban trails network of northern Virginia is here, and the wild and challenging Heart of Appalachia Bike Route - 128 miles of paved and unpaved roads through remote, mountainous southwest Virginia.

The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has recently announced the request for proposals for their Recreational Trails Fund. Applications are due on Friday, February 16, 2007.

The Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) has released its 2007 Virginia Conservation Briefing Book in preparation for the next General Assembly Session.

Included in the briefing book are white papers on Smart Growth, Transportation Funding, and Context Sensitive Solutions--all of which directly impact efforts to make bike and pedestrian friendly communities.

Take a look at the briefing book, and get ready to reach out to your State Senators and Delegates during the upcoming General Assembly.

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has requested nominations for the 2007 Transportation Safety Awards. Nominations must be postmarked by February 9, 2007, and winners will be notified by March 31.

The Governor's Transportation Safety Awards recognize individuals and organizations who have made contributions to transportation safety in Virginia. The awards recognize accomplishments in the public and private sector by individuals, state and local governments, federal agencies, the military, businesses, and organizations that promote transportation safety.

The awards selection will be made by the VA Board of Transportation Safety. Entries will be judged on impact on the community; use of volunteers and private sector resources; creativity; and uniqueness.

One of the missing links in the city's piecemeal network of bike trails is the juncture of Norfolk and Pacific avenues.

All that's needed to fill the gap is a quarter-mile-long path through Lake Holly. That and $1.3 million. The city has asked the state for $423,000 to help pay for the proposed path, whose estimated cost has spiked 57 percent in the past two years. The increase is blamed on rising construction costs and the need to build the path in the lake because there's no room along Pacific Avenue.

City officials say the project is well worth the cost because it is the final piece of what w ould be a scenic eight-mile loop for bikers, walkers and joggers. "Water, woods, neighborhoods," said Barry Frankenfield, a parks and recreation administrator. "It benefits so many other things as far as the quality of life."

Source: The Virginia Pilot, Dec. 4, 2006.

A group of high school students in the Williamsburg area have recently begun riding their bikes to school, choosing Wednesdays as their day to cycle.

Lafayette High School has integrated the Bike Smart Virginia curriculum into it’s Health and PE courses. Williamsburg-James City County Schools were the first in the state to certify all of its Health and PE teachers as bicycling instructors.

On November 4, the East Coast Greenway Alliance Annual Meeting was held in Baltimore, Maryland. One of the most important decisions made was to proceed forward with deciding upon the East Coast Greenway route for all to use. This means that we will decide upon interim routes while we are still working toward our goal of a final non-motorized greenway for the future. We all want to get out and enjoy the East Coast Greenway and this will be a big step toward doing so.

On November 21, the first section of the Virginia Capital Trail (VCT) was dedicated by Governor Tim Kaine in Williamsburg. While the VCT is a jewel in and of itself, it will also be a spur of the ECG.

The goal in Virginia is to have a delineated route from Washington, D.C., to North Carolina in 2007.

Pictured from left to right are ECG Virginia Director David Brickley, Governor Kaine, and BikeWalk Virginia Executive Director Allen Turnbull.

The New River Journal reported that Richard Caywood, the Salem District engineer for VDOT, recently briefed Christiansburg citizens on VDOT's Bike/Ped Accommodations Policy. "From now on," Caywood told the crowd, "providing for walkers and bicyclists will be our default condition."

We all know that the change will not be overnight. But as more and more communities across Virginia begin to implement the policy, the culture will shift and facilities will improve.

The December 2006 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine includes an article on the top ten ways to turn sedentary residents of cities and suburbs into active ones as a tool to fight obesity.

One of the main goals is to give people reasons to get out of their cars. This includes building more sidewalks and intermingling residential and commercial buildings so that more people will walk to the store or the movie theater instead of driving.