The center turn lane configuration on Lawyers in more commonly known as a "suicide lane. So named for the number of fatal collisions arising from the use of the lane by some to pass slower traffic in the only remaning travel lane. Many states are eliminating "suicide lanes" for obvious reasons.

How is it equitable to take a lane away from other travelers on a busy road to dedicate 25% of the pavement to the >1% of travelers who ride bicycles?

That's a terrible misappropriation of a public resource.

No one would advocate giving 25% of the classrooms to 1% of the students.

I've heard that term before and I tend to agree with it in certain situations. We have a "suicide lane" along Fairfax Boulevard between 123 and Kamp Washington. But on Lawyers Road, the previous configuration had two lanes in each direction with no room for turn lanes. There were a high number of rear end collisions because people were driving too fast when suddenly someone stopped in front of them trying to make a left turn. I agree the center turn lane isn't the best configuration, left turn lanes would be more appropriate, but it is better than the previous configuration.
As on many other projects, the bike lanes were then added simply to make use of the extra paving. With the center turn lane added, there wasn't room for the two additional travel lanes. So rather than waste that space, why not make it usable for somebody, even if they are <1%?

In Fairfax City a lot of trips are 5 miles or less -- especially non-commute trips. Just converting 5-10 percent of those trips from car to bicycling would improve traffic. There is a lot of potential to draw more GMU students to downtown businesses, and bike lanes on University Drive would facilitate this. (By the way, Fairfax City did recently stripe shared-use bike lanes on George Mason Boulevard near GMU.) So for these reasons and others I agree that bike lanes would be beneficial -- not just for bicyclists but for everyone -- and particularly in those very bottlenecked business corridors of Old Town and Fairfax Boulevard that you mention.

The benefits of road diets for motorist safety have been amply demonstrated in FHWA and other studies. They lead to fewer auto collisions. They also improve traffic flow.

John brings up the subject of lane utilization in relation to the discussion of road diets in his comment. Given that Paul does not suggest the use of a road diet on Old Lee Highway, its really a moot point. Despite this fact, it is important to note that Paul should have used the phrase "excess capacity" instead of "increased capacity." The Reston road diet was the perfect opportunity to prove just how valuable of a tool road diets really are in a county that has previously over-built roads and not accommodated all users on the roadway. This fundamental change in policy was initiated in 2006 with the creation of the County's bicycle program. Let's hope the County residents will come around to this beneficial project and can see the wisdom in this decision and that the City of Fairfax will follow suit in the encouragement of alternative modes of transportation with the construction of bike lanes in smart, logical locatioins such as Old Lee Highway.

Bike lanes are certainly not a trend. They've been in use around the U.S. for many years and surveys have shown that cyclists feel much more comfortable riding when they are present. If we ever expect to have more than a small number of people using bicycles for transportation we need to provide better facilities for them. As pointed out above, most of our trips are short and could easily be taken by bike. Most people own bikes. We have built our communities around cars; let's change that trend and build a few critical facilities for cyclists and maybe we'll see more of them on the road. Even without dedicated facilities I've seen many more people riding in the road in the past year or so. More people are discovering the advantages of getting around by bike and not being stuck behind the wheel of a car.

The road diet on Lawyers Road has been huge success. VDOT recently reported that "In the four years prior to the road diet, Lawyers averaged 15 crashes per year. In the first year after the road diet, we observed only 3 crashes in the same segment of Lawyers, for an 80 percent drop. It is too early to make any firm conclusions about the safety results, but the initial trend is very encouraging." The road has changed from a racetrack where motorists turning left were getting rear-ended to a much calmer, safer road for everyone. It's so successful that a similar treatment is planned for Soapstone Drive when it gets repaved later this summer.

Re: Mr. Farrell's comments, there will always be people who choose to be stuck behind the wheel, sealed in their cars to get around. They do pay a heavy price for that privilege; about $8,000 a year to own and maintain a car vs. $100-$200 to do the same with a bicycle. For those who ride in the summer, it's usually relatively cool in the morning during the ride to work. In the evening it's not as hot as mid-day and riding in the heat is bearable if not going to work. We're lucky to have mild winters and can ride nearly year round. Some of us prefer riding in the winter.

Most bike commuters have powerful lights for riding at night. Some of us have trailers or cargo bikes to carry groceries or other larger loads. If you think about it, it's rare that most of us need to haul stuff in our cars, and when we do, the loads are often small. We travel to the farmer's market every week and can carry the small loads on our bikes with no problem.

Even so we also own cars and when necessary will drive them. Bicycling is not a 100% solution for all our transportation needs. No one claims it is; it's a reasonable option for short trips that many, many people want to use. We just need better facilities to use it. Fairfax Co has embarked on a bicycle master plan which will provide a guide for the future, and it's about time.

I bike to work in Fairfax City whenever possible. I ride in traffic along both Braddock and 123 in addition to side roads. Surpisingly (at least to me), most drivers share the road without visible grief, though there are the ones that hate the thought of anything without a gas engine being allowed on the road.

I would enjoy a bike lane or two, but it wouldn't affect my own commute too much. The John Farrells of the world will honk and hog the road when there is no lane, and they'll curse the lanes when they are.

@John: No one is telling parents that they have to bike their kids to daycare. But if roads weren't overengineered to be mini-highways and if they were actually designed to be safe and convenient for their host communities (rather than widened and maximized for cut-through traffic from sprawled development looking to have its transportation provided by someone else), biking a kid to school wouldn't be extraordinary.

Cars are important, but they are an expensive form of transportation for residents and for the city, and Fairfax especially would benefit with adequate facilities for bicyclists to get to town, GMU, or the Metro station. Just because you don't want to bike anywhere because it's hot or cold or uphill or you don't have a gym membership or shower at work doesn't mean there aren't many multiple-car households around town who would really appreciate the savings if they could get by with one less car.

I was born and grew up in the area, and until age 16 or so, you're pretty much stranded transportation-wise or reliant on other crazy 16-year-old drivers to get around the area. I want my kids and local high school and college students especially to have a safe and cheaper alternative to getting in a car every time they leave the house.

It's days like today, after the earthquake, that most cyclists are glad they chose to bike to work. They know how long it will take to get home, which is the same every day. Motorists almost never know how long it will take to get somewhere, especially during rush hour, so they have to plan accordingly.

Carey Campbell, Independent (I) for Braddock Supervisor supports bike lanes.