Currently, e-bikes are not allowed on Fairfax trails, but that could be changing soon.

NOVA Parks regulations currently group motor-assisted bicycles in with motor vehicles, and they are only permitted where motor vehicles are allowed. The regulation was originally intended to regulate the use of mopeds and does not fully address e-bikes.

As a result, NOVA Parks is recommending a change in Fairfax County’s regulation to allow legal use of e-bikes where other pedal-powered bicycles are permitted.

The new regulations add a specific section — fittingly section “E”– governing e-bikes:

Electric power-assisted bicycles (e-bikes) equipped with pedals that allow propulsion by human power are considered bicycles and non-motorized vehicles for the purpose of these regulations, and are allowed in the same places that traditional, pedal-powered only bicycles are allowed.

Under federal law, e-bikes are broken up into distinct classes, but in Virginia, e-bikes are regulated by power with a maximum allowed speed of 25 miles per hour. In Fairfax, the new regulations would limit e-bikes to those with 750 watts of power or less and limit speed to under 20 miles per hour. E-bikes would be allowed anywhere pedal bikes are.

Like pedal bikes, guidelines say e-bikers should yield to pedestrians and equestrians.

A study by NOVA Parks found that e-bike users exhibit nearly identical behavior as regular bike users, with lower than standard bike speeds and a similar crash rate.

Allowing e-bikes in Fairfax can be a contentious topic, with safety concerns about the size and speed of the vehicles. Large vehicles fitting under the nebulous “e-bike” categorization have been spotted speeding along the trail.

But Alexis Glenn, a board member of the Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling (FABB) and an e-bike rider, said it’s practically impossible for most bikes to go more than 10 or 15 mph and are often passed by other pedal-powered bikes on the trail.

“Safety on trails will always, always be an education and culture issue, not an equipment issue,” said Glenn. “The weight of e-bikes actually makes it take longer for a rider to get them up to or maintain high speeds. And, if an e-bike user is somehow able to buzz down a trail at 20 mph without encountering a curve, bump, or other users to slow her down, then the battery will drain fast, rendering the e-bike to just a bike.

“My inclinations aside, yes, speeds are a valid concern and NOVA Parks are working on regulations regarding this,” Glenn continued. “I’ll say it again, speed is a user education issue, not an equipment issue. When a driver speeds recklessly we don’t cite the make and model of his vehicle as the culprit, it’s his bad behavior.”

Glenn said FABB supports the proposed policy change as part of promoting greater use of bicycles for recreation and transportation.

Judy Pedersen, public information officer for Fairfax County Park Authority, said the Park Boards are likely to make a decision on the regulation in the spring.

But in the meantime, Pedersen asked e-bikers to obey current park rules and keep off the trails.

“Until the new regulation is approved by both Boards riding e-bikes on trails would be a violation of park regulations,” said Pedersen. “Current park regulations define any vehicle with a motor (gas or electric) as a motor vehicle, therefore excluding their use on park trails.”

For a while, Dead Run Stream lived up to its gloomy name. But after six years of stream restoration work, the creek running through the heart of McLean should be healthy again this March.

In total, 2,300 linear feet of the stream will be re-greened. Project staff said the restoration could mean better conditions for wildlife in the area, birds in particular.

“Stream restoration is one of our best tools for managing stormwater to restore the local health of our streams,” Matt Meyers, branch chief for Watershed Projects Implementation, said in a video put together by Fairfax County. “Ultimately, our goal is to improve water quality of stream and biological health to make a better habitat for critters, bugs and fish that live in the stream.”

Six years ago, the stream was facing significant erosion. Meyers said the banks of the stream were vertical, over eight feet deep in some locations. The erosion was ultimately beginning to have a negative impact on the habitat of the stream and the quality of life.

The aim of the restoration is to create a vegetation canopy to close in around the stream and establish new roots to hold the banks in place and stall further erosion.

“Stream restoration stabilizes the land, makes the stream valley more accessible, and over time [we] should see more birds and different species with different plants and food sources,” said Meyers. “For us, it’s all about water quality and stream health, not just local streams, but the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay.”

The project to restore the stream was broken into three phases. Phase III is located in McLean Central Park and started in 2016.

The total project cost is $2.3 funded through the county Stormwater Service District.

“Early on, there was a lot of concern expressed,” said Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust. “[There were concerns] about tree loss, people were afraid the project would impact their homes, loss of access to trails. It became obvious that there were enough issues and concerns that we needed to focus on it as a community.”

Developer Buys NADA HQ — “The Meridian Group has acquired the NADA headquarters building and an adjacent development site, adding to its growing Boro District near the Greensboro Metro station in Tysons.” [Washington Business Journal]

Police Expanding Dressing Room Filming Case — Fairfax County Police have added Fair Lakes Promenade and Springfield Town Center to the list of shopping centers where they think 39-year-old Mumtaz Rauf secretly filmed women in the dressing room of stores like Forever 21, Gap, H&M, and Old Navy. Rauf was already suspected of filming at Fair Oaks Mall and Tysons Corner Center. [FCPD]

Park Fees May Increase — “Fees for using the Fairfax County Park Authority’s RECenters, gardens, historic sites, rental facilities and trails would increase under a slate of fee changes proposed by agency officials. The fee package would bring in an estimated $656,000 more revenue, officials said.” [InsideNova]

Tysons Startup Moving to California — “Tysons personal data startup Kork… recently got a $5 million term sheet from a New York-based private equity firm for its Series A round that values the company at $15 million… But the growth has also led to another big moment — Kork plans to move to California in the coming months, according to CEO and co-founder Robert Wensley. ‘We tried really hard to raise money here in D.C. but it’s impossible unless you are cybersecurity of some sort,’ Wensley said.” [Washington Business Journal]

Tysons Startup Raises $10 Million — “McLean-based Verato Inc., which provides cloud technology to consolidate medical records, has raised $10 million in Series C financing… Verato has already outgrown its 6,000-square-foot headquarters, so it plans to move in July to another Tysons space totaling 12,000 to 14,000 square feet.” [Washington Business Journal]

‘Fish Taco’ Coming to Boro in Tysons — “Fish Taco, a fast-casual Mexican restaurant with three locations in Maryland, plans to open its first Virginia store at the Boro development in Tysons… by June next year. A rep for Fish Taco tells Eater the new location in the mixed-use development will have space for 60 customers to consume taco platters, salads, rice bowls, burritos, and quesadillas — all utilizing local and seasonal ingredients.” [Eater]

Mall Hours for Black Friday — “Tysons Corner Center… will be open for 28 hours straight. This year, the mall opens at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 22 and will remain open Friday, Nov. 23 from midnight-10 p.m. Across Chain Bridge Road, Tysons Galleria will be closed on Thanksgiving. On Black Friday, hours will be 8 a.m.-9 p.m.” [Patch]

Dulles Toll Road Rates Going Up — “The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority board of directors voted Nov. 14 to increase rates on the toll road again, starting this coming January. Drivers of two-axle vehicles, who now pay $2.50 at the main toll plaza, will see that rate jump to $3.25, and those entering or exiting tolled ramps will pay $1.50, up  from the current $1.” [InsideNova]

Herndon Site Still in the Running for Apple — Though Apple is “seriously” looking at a site in Tysons for a large new East Coast office, the company is also eyeing some other locations, like the 26-acre, state-owned Center for Innovative Technology in Herndon and sites in Raleigh, N.C. and Atlanta, Georgia. [Washington Business Journal]

McLean Blood Drive Was a Success — “With the holiday season quickly approaching, hospitals are continuously using blood products faster than donations are replacing them. With an urgent blood drive, sponsored by McLean Dermatology and Skin Care Center, volunteers and staff aimed to reach a goal of getting 40 donors during this Sunday’s drive — in which the goal was met.” [WJLA]

Parks Dept. Riffs on Facebook Outage — A tweet this morning from Fairfax County Parks: “Facebook and Instagram are down. Seems like a great excuse to take a walk and enjoy some face-to-face conversation in a park.” [Twitter]

New Alcohol Policy for Fairfax Parks — “The Fairfax County Park Authority has updated its policy on the use of alcoholic beverages in county parks, allowing for expanded alcohol consumption under specific conditions… [this] comes in response to an increasing number of requests for alcohol use at park facilities for gatherings and events of all types.” [Fairfax County]

GOP Going Extinct in Fairfax — “The loss of two-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock (D-10) means Republicans are down to one lone elected official in Northern Virginia, Del. Tim Hugo (R-40). The blue wave that started last year unseating Republicans like Del. Jim LeMunyon (R-67) and Del. Bob Marshall (R-13) continued this year, when state Sen. Jennifer Wexton (D-10) was able to flip a seat that had been in Republican hands since… 1980.” [Connection Newspapers, NPR]

Nov. is Adoption Awareness Month — Fairfax County is marking Adoption Awareness Month this month. There are currently 196 children in foster care in the county. [Fairfax County]

Mike Tyson Still Dominates ‘Tysons’ Headlines — Although he’s been retired from professional boxing since 2006, Mike Tyson still pops up almost daily for anyone who has set a Google Alert for news about “Tysons.” [Twitter]

County: Be Careful During Dark Commutes — “As night falls earlier now, please take it easy on the roads. Pedestrians: watch for drivers. Drivers: watch for pedestrians.” [Twitter, Fairfax County]

If you want to help make your community a better place, VolunteerFest 2018 is the place to get started.

VolunteerFest is an annual week of community service throughout Fairfax County and the Washington, D.C. area on Saturday, Oct. 27. Hundreds of volunteers are mobilized to help nonprofits on projects they would not have the time or resources to handle on their own.

In McLean, volunteers are requested to help plant hundreds of native plants at the Marie Butler Leven Preserve.

Over the last year, Buddhist-environmentalist group Earth Sangha has worked to remove invasive plants from the forest’s edge. Now, Earth Sangha is requesting help from volunteers to restore native plants that local wildlife relies on to survive.

The event runs from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. The maximum number of volunteers for the effort is 25, with ten spaces remaining. Parking is available at the site but it is not Metro or wheelchair accessible.

Volunteers are asked to wear sturdy shoes and long pants. Work gloves and a bottle of drinking water are also encouraged. Earth Sangha will provide tools, gloves for those that don’t have them, a water cooler for refills and snacks.

In Tysons, volunteers are requested to beautify the Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library. The event will run from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday.

Outside, volunteers will improve the outdoor landscape by trimming plants around the parking lot and doing general litter pick-up. Inside, volunteers will clean the meeting room tables and chairs. 

Volunteers are requested to wear comfortable clothes that can get dirty and closed toe shoes.

Photo via Earth Sangha