LCBPMMP: Entry No. 001

This blog entry includes the first paragraph from the Executive Summary of the Loudoun County Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility Master Plan (LCBPMMP). And the first entry for blogging the Plan.

You'll notice the reference to the Revised Countywide Transportation Plan (CTP) -- this is the old one that they're updating now. The draft currently under revision does give more attention to bike and pedestrian facilities and references the LCBPMMP, but there could be much more.

The LCBPMMP itself needs to be revised if it is to be used as a companion document to the CTP. Some of the updates include fixing references to the CTP and the map.

We are currently working to: 1) Identify parts of the LCBMMP that need updating, 2) Provide specific language for the CTP; and, 3) Revise the map. Please let us know if you'd like to get involved with this project. We need your help.

In the meantime, happy reading:

Executive Summary

Bicycling and walking are popular activities in Loudoun County both for transportation and recreation. Walking and bicycling are pleasant and enjoyable activities in neighborhoods that were built with sidewalks, street trees, and paved trails. The Washington and Old Dominion Trail (W&OD Trail) is a well used and cherished resource that traverses the County from east to west. In many places, however, travel by foot and bicycle is difficult. Pedestrians face many physical barriers in the public right-of-way, including discontinuous sidewalks, dangerous road crossings, high speed traffic, and sidewalks that are blocked by poles, fire hydrants and other obstacles. There are no bike lanes in the County, and neighborhood bike paths are often narrow and winding and do not connect to destinations. While growth of the road network has accompanied Loudoun’s dramatic population growth in recent years, expansion of the bicycle and pedestrian network has not. Bicycling or walking is often not a safe or convenient option. This situation has the greatest impact on County residents who are unable to drive or cannot afford to own and operate an automobile. In July 2001, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors adopted the Revised General Plan and Revised Countywide Transportation Plan (CTP) providing a development framework based on smart growth principles. The Revised General Plan calls for completion of a Countywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility Master Plan to help implement Loudoun’s vision of a transportation system that:
-- Recognizes the intrinsic value of bicycling and walking, and
-- Advances bicycle and pedestrian mobility as a transportation goal.