Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - DC area velodrome meeting

I posted this in the Track forum
(in the thread about velodrome in DC) but
thought it might get more exposure here.

picked this up on CR list concerning
a meeting on Sat 29 Oct to support Velodrome
in Arlington.



Hello Squadra Coppi, below is information regarding an effort
to place a Velodrome in Arlington, Virginia in the north tract
area across the Potomac River from Haines Point. I'm letting
the local bike clubs and teams know what they can do to support
this effort. This would be huge for cycling in our area.
Thanks

I first want to thank all of you for your interests and pledges
to support our efforts to build a velodrome in our region.
This show of a strong, critical mass of support will be key to
our success, whether here in Arlington, or any other possible
location.

To update everyone, on October 20, we met with County Board
Chairman Jay Fisette and Erik Beach of Arlington County Parks
and Recreation to discuss the process regarding development of
the North Tract. We also provided them with our thoughts on
options for a velodrome in the facility in either Phase I or
Phase II.

The next step is at the upcoming Open House, as we have
previously indicated. It is our goal that we can achieve one
of the following:

1. Keep space available in Phase I layout to incorporate a
velodrome during Phase II build

2. Include a velodrome in Phase II space

Here is how you can help at the Open House, Saturday 29:

8:30am Velodrome Rally - assemble prior to the Open House at
2100 Clarendon Boulevard near the steps of the AMC Theater to
meet other supporters, refine strategy for the day's meetings.
We will split up into Groups (Ride, Site and Building) to cover
all the bases. - ALL

9:00am Open House Introduction – Overview presentation by
County - ALL

9:30am Focus Groups - Provide feedback and interaction with key
groups - Site Group/Building Group

12:30 pm - 4:00pm Interactive Stations – Opportunity to provide
individual input/feedback on ideas and options. This is ideal
for those that can't make it in the morning. - ALL

12:30pm - Design Overview - Hear results from the work done in
the Focus Groups - ALL

2:30pm - Design Overview (repeat of 12:30pm) – ALL

By showing up and showing our numbers we are demonstrating our
need. By showing up and participating we are demonstrating our
commitment. Please tell all of your cycling friends, including
those who know they want a velodrome as well as those who don't
yet know they want one.


marty

I can't begin to imagine how great this would be for the bicycling community and the DC Area as a whole.

COUNT ME IN!!!!!!!

should we bring our bikes and act surly during the morning rally, or respectable?

rock on, DC/VA, rock on!!

This is not a CM type event.
Please, if you want to act surly stay at home.
This is a meeting with the Arlington county board,
The push is to get a velodrome built, not piss
off the board and get them thinking that some
fringe group is running the show (apologies to fringe groups)
so why bother.

attempts at humor not withstanding
this really is important to the community.

marty

No, it's NOT a critical mass meeting. The last thing anyone needs to do is upset the County board members.

Ron said the most important times for people to be there (if you can't make it for the day) is the 8:30am pre-meeting, the 9am open house, the 9:30am focus groups, and the 12:30- 4 booths open for imput from the community.

Try to make at least one of those sessions.

Koffee

so don't show up in costume?

Would be interested to know how long this has been in planning and what is the projected time table for the construction and completion. Besides providing support for building a velodrome, what is the gap on services from the DC VA bike and park community? just a few questions so that we know what to expect when we all show up.

ok, from the beginning...

there is no track.
we want a track.
arlington county has available park land and $.
the meeting this weekend is a show of support for using that land/$ for a track.
we need #'s.
we need to make friends.
we need to be people that arlington's elected officials wouldn't feel odd sitting near.
(that means, SHOWER!)

we're still trying to get the track on the map.
please help.
or, at least, don't f'k this up for us.
(i'll be at work all day, hoping for the above...)

i do not fully understand what the focus groups are for; are we supposed to show up with a set of velodrome specs and convince them this is exactly what they need to build, or are we still just trying to convince them that a velodrome is needed for the community.

I plan to show up and pay attention.

Its not my job to know specs.
Its not my job to talk to anyone.
Its my job to fill a seat and show that this matters to me.



or, at least, don't f'k this up for us.
*sheesh*
take it easy eh?
:)

so don't show up in costume?

Would be interested to know how long this has been in planning and what is the projected time table for the construction and completion. Besides providing support for building a velodrome, what is the gap on services from the DC VA bike and park community? just a few questions so that we know what to expect when we all show up.

The velodrome isn't planned. The object of the meeting is to get them to include it in the plans, which have been in the works for several years. Other groups have gotten to them first...they got the jump on us, so we're playing catch-up.

I'll be out of town this weekend so I can't make the meeting. But I definitely want to do what I can to support a velodrome in Arlington.

Please post a follow-up about what happened. And if there is an address/es for board members or steering committee or somesuch -- that folks can write to voice their support, pls post and I'll definitely write something, as well as try to get others to do the same.

The north tract is a big deal and lots of interests are lining up to get a piece. Soccer and swimming seem to have had an early start and soccer in particular has a huge base and is really well organized about pressing for north tract space. (My daughter plays on several teams and they have been talking about north tract for at least three or four years.) But Arlington is trying to be bike-friendly, and there are a ton of cyclists here, so this might really have a shot.

Good luck. I certainly hope this gets somewhere this time. I remember a few years ago when a Baltimore guy (i cant remember his name) from Lateral Stress Velo tried his best to get one built in Baltimore. This was before the Washington was off the short list for 2012 summer games.

alright...
its early but im up

im gonna shower and make my way over there

come on people!!!!!!!!

Well the news was that we are shut out of the North Tract Project.

But it is possible that there are going to be other opportunites in Arlington.

Well damn... I was going to head out now. But it looks like it's not worth it. I guess we start focusing on the other land along the Anacostia. :(

Are we still out there rallying, or now that they've said we're shut out, there's no need to go? If all is lost, I'm going to do a bike ride instead.

Koffee

I heard that they (as in the WABA) were told yesterday that it was a no-go. The concern was that if they cater to the cyclists then they will have to cater to every group which wants some facilities there.

Plus there was concern if placed around a soccer field, what would happen if a ball was kicked onto the track.

I was actually wondering the same thing about having balls kicked all over the track. My thought was that they'd just have specific track times, and then the other times, the track would be closed and it would be open for soccer folks. It could have co-existed.

*sigh* All right, we move on to the next phase... Anacostia, here we come!

Thanks for the update. I don't feel like we should have to share. We should have our own facilities where we can run our events. We can show self sufficiency.

Koffee

A chainlink fence can provide a barrier between the soccer field and velodrome. (Just a few weeks back stickyfoot almost bought it 25 mph when a soccer ball came over the fence at the MIT track and nearly hit him in the head!)

edit: oh, I git it...the infield would be the soccer field. I still believe some creative thinking could make this a non-issue.

A humble suggestion, if I may: don't present this as a bone for cyclists. This is a sporting venue as well as a cultural and entertainment opportunity for the entire DC metro area. I would encourage supporters of an Arlington velodrome to use the Lehigh Valley Velodrome as a model. For most people there, it's first and foremost a race that just happens to involve bicycles. This is a family friendly NASCAR. Include concessions, prizes, weekly events, etc. in there. It's more of a draw than merely a park amenity and it will have positive economic impacts for Arlington.

Do you have a link to it?

Koffee

I was going to attend the 1230, but I called Tink and he said that the idea was shot down at the beginning of the meeting :(

btw: WAKA is not soccer, WAKA is not a sport!

www.lvvelo.org is the main site, but it doesn't really have a lot on the "fun" parts of it. Maybe if you ask around in the track forum.

Occassionally there are articles about it, some Googling around may help you out.

Thanks, BT.

Koffee

The idea of a velodrome in Arlington is not dead. It just isn't going to happen at the North Tract. Don't give up hope. It may be better this way, it may happen at another Arlington location, at a dedicated facility. Something like T-Town would be awesome.

Furthermore, something may happen in Baltimore, on the waterfront, near Camden Yards and all that. There is a developer with private land, and money, and now he has gotten some plans from a velodrome designer, so that project is striding apace as well. Think abundance, people, we could find ourselves with two tracks in this area in a few years.

Furthermore, something may happen in Baltimore, on the waterfront, near Camden Yards and all that. There is a developer with private land, and money, and now he has gotten some plans from a velodrome designer, so that project is striding apace as well. Think abundance, people, we could find ourselves with two tracks in this area in a few years.
If I understood it correctly that very same developer would be interested to build one in the DC area and would even bring some funds for that. Did I get that right flythebike?

Is that the guy who posted on bikeforums?

Koffee