BikeWalk Virginia recently added two new chapters to our growing list to a total of five active chapters across the Commonwealth.

The first chapter is the New River Valley Trails chapter. It encompasses Pulaski County, Montgomery County, Giles County, Blacksburg, Radford, and Pulaski. Bruce Mahin is the president of the New River Valley Trails Chapter.

The second new chapter is the Rappahannock, Fredericksburg & Potomac BikeWalk Virginia (RF&P). The RF&P chapter encompasses Fredericksburg, and the counties of King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford. Dave Jones is the president of the RF&P chapter.

These chapters strengthen our ability to impact bike, pedestrian and trail facilities in specific regions throughout Virginia as well as strengthen our statewide voice.

As an organization working to make walking and biking safer activities, BikeWalk Virginia knows the value of understanding the current environment. One step is understanding the trend of biking and pedestrian injuries and fatalities.

BikeWalk Virginia is in the process of updating bike and pedestrian statistics and is pleased to make these available on our new website.

Virginia's Board of Transportation Safety announced the winners of this year's Governor's Transportation Safety Awards at the Annual Conference on Transportation Safety in May. The 12-member board advises the Governor, Secretary of Transportation and Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles on transportation safety matters. It also identifies elements of a comprehensive safety program for all modes of transportation in Virginia

Cindy Ferek, a coach at Turner Ashby High School in Bridgewater, has combined healthy lifestyles with transportation safety instruction for her students at Turner Ashby. Ferek received a state grant to purchase a dozen mountain bikes and helmets for her physical education class. Her lesson plans include discussion of bike and helmet safety. This innovative program has been credited with motivating significant numbers of hard-to-reach students.

Photo Credit: Erin Schrad, Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police

Heavy traffic on the street where you live severely limits your ability to know your neighbors and to enjoy the outdoors.

That's the conclusion of a new study, released Thursday, that shows heavy vehicular traffic has profoundly negative impact on the lives of New Yorkers. Compared to neighborhoods with low traffic volume — 1,000 or fewer cars per day — residents living on streets with more than 5,000 vehicles per day:
-Have more negative feelings about their block;
-Have fewer friends in the neighborhood;
-Are more often interrupted during sleep, meals and conversation;
-Spend less time walking, shopping and playing with their children.

According to the 14-month study, "Traffic's Human Toll," by Transportation Alternatives, a nonprofit group that advocates biking, walking and better mass transit, 49 percent of the residents interviewed said reducing traffic would "totally improve" their quality of life. On heavier traffic streets, the percentage was even greater — 62 percent.

The study found that residents living on the heaviest-traveled streets tended to keep their windows shut and their curtains drawn; live more in the rear of the house; forbid children to play on the street; and avoid certain streets when shopping.

Do you need a little warm up in preparation for the first Tuesday in November? If so, the City of Alexandria needs you!

A couple of issues back, we reported that Alexandria was in the process of developing a new logo to reflect their emphasis on becoming more bicycle-friendly. Due to the extraordinary interest in the "Spin City" logo selection, the City of Alexandria is conducting a run-off competition between the two logos that received the highest amount of votes.

To ensure that it is, indeed, a fair election, the Alexandria officials are requesting names and valid emails.

International Walk to School Day took place on Wednesday, October 4. More than three million children from all 50 states and 37 countries participated. Here in Virginia, 28 schools from more than a dozen localities officially participated.

In Alexandria, students from three elementary schools – James K. Polk, Charles Barrett and George Mason – and George Washington Middle School all participated.

The Mayor, several City Council representatives and city staff joined walkers for the event and staff from Alexandria City Public Schools and Alexandria’s Police, Fire and Health Departments all donated time and giveaway items.

In addition, volunteers from BikeWalk Alexandria assisted staff from the Washington Area Bicyclist Association in conducting a bicycle safety rodeo at Polk Elementary.

Pictured is BikeWalk Virginia Board Member Bruce Dwyer assisting with the Bike Rodeo. Photo Credit: City of Alexandria

More than 300 cyclists participated in the inaugural Northern Neck RiverRide on September 30. All routes started from Kilmarnock and traveled along the scenic roads throughout the Northern Neck.

BikeWalk Virginia, working in conjunction with its chapter, Northern Neck BikeWalk-Trails, organized the ride to highlight the beauty of the region and increase awareness of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.

Pictured is Donald Mitchell who conceptualized the Northern Neck RiverRide.

Make plans to join us for the 2nd Annual Northern Neck RiverRide scheduled for September 28- 30, 2007.

Just in time for the holidays! BikeWalk Virginia is offering a special membership benefit. Join or renew your membership at the Family Level ($40) or higher and receive a FREE pair of "Virginia is for Bike Lovers" socks manufactered by DeFeet.

This is in addition to all the other great benefits you receive for being a BikeWalk Virginia member! Take just a minute to join us now! Join online or download an application and mention the recipient's shoe size in the "Biggest Concern" section.