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Bikeways
Bicycling
is both a recreational activity and a mode of transportation. Benefits
of bicycle use include energy
conservation, reduced noise and air
pollution, traffic reduction, and health and fitness
improvement. York
County's mild weather, relatively flat terrain, and many tourist
attractions offer ideal opportunities for bicycling.
In 1993
York County joined with Williamsburg and James City County in developing
and adopting a
Regional
Bikeway Plan for the three localities. The Plan was updated in 1997 to
include recreational-oriented facilities. The three governing bodies also
formed the Historic Triangle Bicycle Advisory Committee (HTBAC)
comprised of citizen appointees and staff from each locality as well as
the National Park Service, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and the
College of William and Mary. The HTBAC is responsible for recommending
bikeway projects for implementation; recommending amendments to the
bikeway plan; and developing and implementing promotional,
informational, and safety initiatives related to bicycling. Since the
adoption of the 1997 plan, shoulder bike lanes have been built along Amory
Lane, East Rochambeau Drive, Goodwin Neck Road, Mooretown Road, and Old
York-Hampton Highway, and the Waller Mill Rail Trail was constructed as
a multi-use trail running through the City of Williamsburg’s Waller Mill
Park from Mooretown Road to East Rochambeau Drive.
Funding
for bikeways comes from a number of sources, including the federal
Transportation Enhancements and CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air
Quality) programs, which allow 50% to 100% of the project costs to be
paid with federal and/or state funds. In cases where a local match is
required, Capital Improvement Program (CIP) funds may be used. There are
also other avenues by which bikeways can be provided without significant
County investment. For example, bikeways are less costly to construct
when built as part of a road construction or widening project. In
addition, requiring developers to install bike facilities along
designated bike routes as a condition of development approval requires
no County expenditures and lessens the ultimate cost of a continuous
bikeway network.
Recent
Bikeway Projects
|
Name |
From |
To |
Type of Facility |
Length (miles) |
|
Goodwin Neck Rd |
Freedom Blvd |
Seaford Rd |
Shoulder Bike Lanes |
0.92 |
|
Old York-Hampton Hwy |
Cook Rd |
Freedom Blvd |
Shoulder Bike Lanes |
2.51 |
|
East Rochambeau Dr |
Capitol Landing Rd |
Barlow Rd |
Shoulder Bike Lanes |
2.19 |
|
Mooretown Rd |
Old Mooretown Rd |
East Rochambeau Dr |
Shoulder Bike Lanes |
0.95 |
|
Waller Mill Trail |
Mooretown Rd |
East Rochambeau Dr |
Multi-Use Trail |
1.96 |
|
East Rochambeau Dr |
Mooretown Rd |
Great Wolf Lodge |
Shoulder Bike Lanes |
0.73 |
Planned
Bikeway Projects
|
Name |
From |
To |
Type of Facility |
Length (miles) |
|
Cook Rd |
Ballard St |
Surrender Road |
Multi-Use Trail |
0.47 |
|
Capitol Landing Rd |
East Rochambeau Dr |
Queens Creek Bridge |
Shoulder Bike Lanes |
0.60 |
|
Lightfoot Rd |
Mooretown Rd |
Richmond Rd |
Shoulder Bike Lanes |
0.63 |
CODE OF THE COUNTY OF YORK, Chapter 16, OFFENSES—MISCELLANEOUS
Sec.
16-39. Bicycle Helmets.
Every person fourteen
years of age or younger shall wear a protective helmet that meets the
standards promulgated by the American National Standards Institute or
the Snell Memorial Foundation whenever riding or being carried on a
bicycle on any highway as defined in §
46.2-100, Code of Virginia,
sidewalk or public bicycle path.
Violation of this
ordinance shall be punishable by a fine of twenty-five dollars ($25.00).
However, such fine shall be suspended (i) for first-time violators and
(ii) for violators who, subsequent to the violation but prior to
imposition of the fine, purchase helmets of the type required by this
section. |
