Tomorrow the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation’s Cap2Cap ride will go off for the 11th straight year. For the previous 10 the event had two start/finish lines: one in Williamsburg and one in Richmond at Rocketts Landing.

This year VCTF Executive Director Beth Weisbrod told me, they decided to consolidate the event at a single location at the Charles City County Courthouse– “which was a bit of a risk,” she said. “But we hope it will up the party factor, to have one big party as opposed to two smaller ones.”

The Virginia Capital Trail where it crosses Parrish Hill Creek: Credit: VDOT

Weisbrod said they should hit their goal of 2,000 or so participants riding one of four distances: 100, 60, 25 and 15 miles. Not quite the 2015 record of 2,400 riders but not bad at all considering the trail itself has been open since October 2015.

Now that the Jamestown-to-Richmond trail is complete, Weisbrod said that the mission of the VCTF has morphed from one of overseeing promotion of the trail to “promotion, enhancement and continued development…and let’s throw some maintenance in there, cause we’re doing some of that, too.”

No longer just a cheerleader for the trail’s completion, the VCTF now works to provide amenities like  bike racks, bike fix-it stations, benches, and rain shelters, Weisbrod said. All of those — 35 “non-sign amenities” — are currently in the works for different sections of the 55-mile trail and should in by late summer.

The group also has installed 9 trail counters in different locations along the path, which will help with resource allocation once they have a long period of reliable data.

“These numbers are absolute gold. The more trends we can discern, the more valuable they’ll become,” she said.

If you live in Richmond and you haven’t checked out the Virginia Capital Trail yet, head down to the Richmond trailhead at Great Shiplock Park (at the intersection of Pear and Dock Streets) with a bike and head west. Jamestown is just about 55 miles away…

Bike Walk RVA (a program of Sports Backers) today released the 2016 Richmond Region Bicycle Infrastructure Report, an update to the 2013 Richmond Region Baseline Bicycle Infrastructure Report.

The new report details the many new types of bikeways on the ground in greater Richmond, as well as documents the number of miles and location of those bikeways. A major finding is that the region’s bikeway mileage has more than doubled in three years – many thanks to elected officials and other decision makers, dedicated planning and transportation staff, and the advocacy community.

The now complete Virginia Capital Trail crosses Gillies Creek in Richmond. The silos in the background have been demolished.

“Our region’s bikeway mileage has gone from 37 to 79 miles – and counting – in about three years,” said Max Hepp-Buchanan, Director of Bike Walk RVA for Sports Backers. “That’s great progress. However, not all bikeways are considered equal in terms of safety and comfort for the average resident. Bike lanes that don’t offer physical protection from high-speed traffic are not likely to get more people to ride. Separated multi-use trails, like the Virginia Capital Trail, will attract new riders by the thousands. We need more protected bikeways in the region.”

In addition to maps documenting the Richmond region’s progress and graphs that show exactly where bikeway growth is occurring, readers can expect some commentary from Bike Walk RVA on the region’s overall progress and next steps for the future.

“The biggest steps moving forward for the region are to adopt plans, identify funding sources for projects in those plans, design projects for the safety and comfort of all ages and abilities, and build connections to places people want to go,” said Hepp-Buchanan.

The 2016 Richmond Region Bicycle Infrastructure Report follows the published brochure, RVA Bikeways: A user guide for people on bikes and in cars, as well as the web-based RVA Bikeways Map. All three publications are available on the Sports Backers’ website, and the new report can be directly downloaded here: http://bitly.com/2016RVABikeReport

Will Chesterfield Co. be building more bike infrastructure like this?

Markus Schmidt reported in today’s Times-Dispatch that “the Chesterfield County Planning Commission signed off on a draft plan that calls for 360 miles of new bicycle pathways and trails throughout the county.”

The final hurdle for the ambitious plan is a vote by the County Board of Supervisors. But the interesting thing about yesterday’s approval is that despite the plan receiving broad support, there was a vocal group in opposition.

Wrote Schmidt: John Pettengill with the Chesterfield Patriot Caucus, a group of local conservative activists, called the plan a “progressive entitlement” that only a minority of county residents will use. 

And: Howard Nester Jr., president of the Chesterfield Farm Bureau, asked the commission to postpone a decision on the proposal. “Some of us look at this plan and see parts that are good but think that it’s incomplete,” Nester said. “This is a 50-year plan, there is no inflation in the cost of building or maintaining this. I don’t understand why we are in a hurry to do this process; we need to get this right.”

Those of us who are active cyclists, both recreationally and for commuting, could tell Nester why Chesterfield should “be in a hurry” to produce more amenities. Because there aren’t many of them currently, and the benefits of making a region more bicycle and pedestrian friendly are legion. Luckily, as Schmidt reported, many at the meeting explained that to Nester and Pettengill.

The county is home to Pocahontas SP, which features dozens of miles of trail open to bikes.

Jo Gehlbach with the Richmond Association of Realtors said that property values increase when they are adjacent to bike trails and paths, and Ashley Mann of Midlothian said that “building out these trails will improve the quality for all of us.”

Project Manager Heather Barrar said it all when she said that “the interest (in bike trails) is more than we have ever seen in the county.”

The Board of Supervisors has set its public hearing on the bike plan for Nov. 18, and a few board members have set up community meetings in their districts. If you live in Chesterfield County and you support a more bike/pedestrian-friendly approach to transportation in the county, now’s the time to make your voice heard.

I spent a good part of yesterday morning on an old school bus, chugging down Route 5 next to the brand spanking new Virginia Capital Trail. I was part of a media contingent brought together by Beth Weisbrod, head of the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation, to see the finished product and ask questions of those along the way who have a vested interest in its success.

We started at Great Shiplock Park in Richmond, stopped at Rocketts Landing, then went out to Ronnie’s Barbecue in Varina and on to Henrico County’s new trailhead just past I-295 at Four Mile Creek Park. Weisbrod and VCTF board chair Charlie Donato led the way, giving us the history of the trail and telling us about the series of parties that will take place this coming Saturday up and down the trail’s length to commemorate its completion. We met Rocketts residents who are already seeing the quality of life benefits and a Stone Brewing spokesperson who told us how excited Stone is to have the trail so close to its East Coast operations. We met Ronnie and Darrell Logan, of Ronnie’s BBQ, who have seen an uptick in traffic since moving to their location right on the trail in Varina in May (“It’s a place to exhale,” said Ronnie). And we met Henrico Co. officials who spoke about the linkages the trail provides between communities and the future plans they have for the path.

It’s was an interesting morning, but what I really wanted was to get on the trail with my own two wheels. So later yesterday afternoon, despite the impending rain, I hopped on the mountain bike with a friend, Dave Salley, and we pointed our wheels in the direction of the trail. It started raining around Brown’s Island and by the time we reached the trail’s beginning at the Floodwall across from Bottom’s Up Pizza, we were soaked.

But it was also nice. We had this gorgeous ribbon of freshly paved asphalt all to ourselves. We rode to Ronnie’s before turning around, a round trip of about 12 miles. (Then we rode up Libby Hill, 23rd St. and Governor’s St. because…you know.) There’s just something about looking down a path like that and thinking, “If I felt like it, I could ride all the way to Jamestown.”

After 10 years and $74 million, the Virginia Capital Trail is finally here, Richmond, and let me say, it is awesome. I know the weather looks horrendous, but there’s an official ribbon cutting at Great Shiplock Park on Friday (the governor will keynote) and a big old party the following day. Click here for those details. If riding in the rain isn’t your thing, I get it. But whenever this rain breaks, get out there and check out the trail. Like those bike races that just left town, it’ll make you excited to see what we can accomplish when we really want to.

The now complete Virginia Capital Trail crosses Gillies Creek in Richmond. The silos in the background have been demolished.

Earlier this summer I wondered openly in a post if the Virginia Capital Trail would be ready in time for the hundreds of thousands of visitors who are supposed to accompany the UCI World Cycling Championships in late September (19th-27th). It still seemed like a long shot in early July, but since then the Richmond portion of the trail has exploded with paving and lighting and the demolition of the Lehigh Cement Silos.

I spoke with Beth Weisbrod this past Friday and she confirmed that the trail is nearly complete. As of this writing, you only had to hop off the trail in the New Market Heights sections briefly. And by the time you read this, you might be able to ride from Richmond to Jamestown and on a paved ribbon of asphalt separate from the road. The Times-Dispatch’s Brandon Shulleeta wrote about the trail’s soon-to-be completion in today’s Metro section.

Back in May, Weisbrod said the landscaping along the trail and at certain trailheads likely wouldn’t be finished until the end of the year, but now it looks like most of that will be done before the race as well. Pretty cool. If you get the chance, head out to Great Shiplock Park at Dock and Pear streets and walk east toward Rocketts Landing. It’s a gorgeous stroll that will only get nicer as the Lehigh Cement silos come fully down and the landscaping is complete.

This pic, courtesy of WTVR.com, shows the wrecking ball hammering the silos yesterday.

The Richmond Riverfront Plan was adopted by City Council in 2012. Fast-forward nearly three years later and BOOM! The Lehigh Cement silos are coming down, creating a blank canvass for a new 1.5-acre public riverfront space that accommodates the Virginia Capital Trail, improves access to the James River, and eliminates a visual obstruction from Libby Hill.

Progress is not always tangible or visible, especially when implementing an ambitious plan like the one for Richmond’s riverfront. For those who have worked largely behind the scenes to support implementation of the Riverfront Plan, yesterday was a symbolic milestone to celebrate. It marked the beginning of physical implementation. Representatives from the James River Association, Virginia Capital Trail Foundation, Venture Richmond, and Scenic Virginia, supporters of plan implementation, were present to hear Mayor Jones comment on the occasion and witness a wrecking ball begin demolishing the silos. The demolition of the silos is expected to be complete by the end of August.

This satellite image shows the silos in the bottom right corner near where Ash and Dock streets come together. The Virginia Capital Trail runs between the silos and the river.

Our riverfront is changing for the better. It is becoming more accessible and accommodating. Numerous transformational riverfront projects are underway or will be underway in the near future including the Low Line and highly anticipated T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge. With Stone Brewing Co. scheduled to open a bistro in the Intermediate Terminal building in the coming years, the riverfront will be much different than it is today. Needless to say, it is an exciting time to be a Richmonder.

The Virginia Capital Trail now traverses this handsome bridge over Gillies Creek in Richmond.

I went for a bike ride with a friend on Sunday that took me all over the city. We were on our mountain bikes, so we hit a few trails, but they were pretty muddy. Eventually we hopped on the road and tooled around downtown, ending up on Dock Street and then the Virginia Capital Trail near Great Shiplock Park. I hadn’t been out that way in a while and when we reached the Intermediate Terminal building and the Lehigh Cement silos, I was in for quite a surprise: The Capital Trail has been paved! Not only that, but the bridge over the Gillies Creek outflow is finished as well; and work has begun on the trail between Great Shiplock Park and Ash Street, where the silos are.

We rode the trail past the Boathouse and Conch Republic restaurants and Rocketts Landing, where the pavement ends. There, however, the crushed gravel has been tamped down and you got the sense the pavement will go down at any moment.

The last time I wrote about the trail, I wondered openly if it would be done in time for the UCI World Cycling Championships in mid-September. From what I saw Sunday, that seems much more likely now than it did two months ago.

This image shows Dock Street between Great Shiplock Park and the Lehigh Cement silos. The newly paved trailed begins just west of the silos between them and the river.

This year’s Cap2Cap, the annual ride/fundraiser for the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation, was a roaring success, according to foundation Executive Director Beth Weisbrod.

The 100-mile, 50-mile and 25-mile ride options brought in a record 2,400 (or so) participants. Only the century-ride option didn’t set a new attendance record.

The bridge over I-895 in Varina is one of the few in that section that is complete.

“I’m trying to figure out which conclusions to draw,” Weisbrod said. “We sold a ton of beer. Everything was a Hardywood brew. The jerseys flew off the shelf, too.”

Surveys sent after the race showed a 93-percent satisfaction rate, Weisbrod added. “So, I’m happy about that.”

The Cap2Cap is the foundation’s largest fundraiser in support of the Virginia Capital Trail. But the money raised by the group doesn’t pay for the construction of the trail itself. State and federal dollars do that, and VDOT is in charge of overseeing its construction. I got a chance to see the progress up close a couple of weeks ago when I rode my bike from Deep Bottom Boat Landing to Richmond along Route 5.

My first thought was: Wow, they’ve done a lot since I was last out here. But that was quickly followed by: Man, they still have a lot to do to hit their projected completion date of the end of August. At the very least, officials have said it will be done by the time the UCI World Cycling Championships come to town in mid-September.

“VDOT continues to assure me that [the trail] will be substantially complete,” Weisbrod said. “What that means is that all the asphalt will be done.”

Progress continues in fits and starts on the Varina section of the Virginia Capital Trail.

I passed a number of bridges in that Varina section in various stages of completion, and with less than 100 days to go, I wondered if those might not be more iffy than the asphalt.

“The bridges worry me a little bit, but I still think they’ll be done,” Weisbrod said. “What is not included in [substantially complete] is the landscaping. They’ll be doing that until the end of the year.”

So, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that when however many thousands of visitors descend on Richmond in September, they’ll be able, should they choose, to pedal a bike east of Great Shiplock Park. (That’s where the trail stops now.)

Should those visitors choose to stay a couple of weeks after the races, Weisbrod added, they could join us locals for a big ribbon-cutting on October 2nd and trail party on the 3rd.

In RVA, near Rocketts Landing, asphalt is going down. Credit: Justin Doyle

“We’re gonna have a formal ribbon cutting somewhere along the downtown Richmond section,” she said. “probably Shiplock park. We’re hopeful Senators Warner and Kaine will be there. Their offices have said it’s too early to commit but they really want to be there. Then we’re going to do a big party up Pear Street by the Lucky Strike building.

“Then on Saturday, all the localities along the trail are scheduling celebrations, so that if someone wants to ride from the Richmond to the Williamsburg end they can hit each celebration.”

Big news for Bike Walk RVA: The local advocacy arm of the Sports Backers beat out eight competitors to win Bicycling Magazine’s People’s Choice Award at Tuesday night’s Advocacy Awards ceremony, presented by the Alliance for Biking & Walking. The Alliance is a national coalition of more than 200 state and local organizations that promote healthy and sustainable transportation and recreation options. This is the seventh year the Alliance has hosted the Advocacy Awards, held each year during the National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C.

“Bike Walk RVA is an organization that’s been ramping up the last several years, and 2015 is shaping up to be a pivotal year in Richmond to bring bicycling to the forefront with everything from trail development to hosting the World Road Cycling Championships,” said Jeff Miller, president and CEO of the Alliance for Biking & Walking. “Bike Walk RVA’s work at bringing together different interests for the common good can be a model for the country.”

Bicycling Magazine’s webpage devoted to Bike Walk RVA’s accomplishments of 2014 clearly impressed voters.

BikeWalk RVA’s efforts have led to more bike lanes in the city. Credit: Sports Backers

Bike Walk RVA started 2014 the year by successfully campaigning to increase the Richmond city budget’s allocation for new bikeway and trail projects to $4.5 million (a 90-fold increase from the $50,000 in the mayor’s proposed budget). They worked closely with City Council and the Richmond community to build support for the funding increase. By the end of the year, the money was already beginning to be spent, paying for the city’s first buffered bike lanes.

Throughout 2014, Bike Walk RVA also helped drive the vision behind the city’s first Bicycle Master Plan. In October, the city adopted its first Complete Streets policy and is now moving toward implementing a bike-share system.

In Chesterfield County, Bike Walk RVA has been working on a project team with county staff to draft the Chesterfield County Bikeways and Trails Plan, which lays the groundwork for a network of 350 miles of paved shared-use paths and on-road bikeways. The plan is up for adoption later this year.

Finally, the organization launched and completed its first Bike Walk RVA Academy in the fall of 2014, a program designed to develop passionate residents into effective, empowered advocates for comfortable and connected walking and biking infrastructure in their communities. The second session is underway.