Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Editorial: Thinking outside the car
Virginia finally recognizes trails and bike lanes as necessary for comprehensive transportation planning.
From the RoundTable blog
Read the latest entries
Virginians who like to get out on their bikes and feet have a friend in Richmond: the Department of Transportation.
A couple of years ago, VDOT committed to improving facilities for biking and walking. No longer would the commonwealth treat those who eschew automobiles for healthier, cleaner modes of transportation as second-class citizens. The program is finally getting off the ground.
VDOT's "Policy for Integrating Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations" spells out the benefits, rightly calling biking and walking "fundamental travel modes and integral components of an efficient transportation network."
Trails and bike lanes improve quality of life, providing recreation and transportation alternatives for residents and visitors alike, as well as safe travel corridors for kids. People who take advantage of them receive health benefits and keep pollution-spewing vehicles off congested roads.
Virginia has hardly led the nation in promoting alternative transportation modes. Even cities in the north that are snowbound much of the year have better bike lanes and trails.
VDOT wants to make up lost ground. Under its policy, the department presumes that facilities for bicyclists and walkers should be part of any road construction or updates. Planners will forgo them only if there are demonstrable, overwhelming difficulties such as safety, low population or costs excessively disproportionate to gains.
Community support plays a role too. Fortunately, Southwest Virginia has been waking up to alternative transportation.
Roanokers have reason to cheer this week with the official opening of the three-mile Lick Run Greenway that connects downtown to the Valley View Boulevard commercial area.
Christiansburg and Blacksburg have for years enjoyed the Huckleberry Trail that connects the two towns.
And Radford is working with the group Pathways for Radford on improving its trail system.
Those are welcome beginnings, but communities still have a long way to go. They cannot afford to ignore bikers and walkers, particularly in Southwest Virginia, where attracting jobs is an ongoing struggle. The amenities that a town offers can be more important than tax incentives.
Residents of Southwest Virginia can get the full scoop and share their thoughts with officials at a series of public meetings on alternative transportation. The first took place in Salem last night. Upcoming meetings will occur in Forest, Rocky Mount and Christiansburg.
Bikes and walking shoes will not replace cars any time soon, but they are an essential element of a comprehensive transportation system.
