A new analysis calls for a more concentrated approach to upgrading Arlington’s bicycling facilities.
Reid Unison, a transportation service planner at Amtrak, analyzed bike usage data in Arlington as part of a master’s degree project. His findings supported improvements to a limited number of key bicycle corridors, rather than a more scattershot approach.
Concentrating improvement efforts “would produce the biggest return on investment,” Unison told the county’s Bicycle Advisory Committee on Aug. 3. He identified nine corridors of the county where he believed efforts should be focused.
Topping his list were stretches of Fairfax Drive and Clarendon Blvd in the center of the county. Those areas provide opportunities to connect to existing bike trails and engage more people who might consider biking as a commuting option, he said.
Unison, who has previous experience at the Federal Transit Administration, conducted the research during studies for a master’s degree in sustainable transportation at the University of Washington. His discussion focused primarily on serving more people, but did not include an analysis of the cost of any particular projects.
Unison’s efforts were supported in part by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. Data analysis was conducted between November 2025 and June 2026.
Bicycling currently accounts for only 3% of trips in the county, based on recent data, but that is triple the national average.
Though “still a small percentage,” Arlington is “already well ahead of the curve,” Unison said.
Unison also recommended increasing the number of county government bicycle counters, particularly in those focus areas, to see if future improvements lead to more bicycle use.
His efforts were not coordinated with the county government, but Bicycle Advisory Committee member Eric Goodman said the report might provide useful information for county staff.
“There may be an opportunity there,” he said.
At the meeting, committee members received a staff update on the county’s draft Multimodal Transportation Plan, issued in June.
The two-year effort getting the plan ready for public review “has been an ultra-marathon [for staff],” committee chair Cynthia Palmer said.
County advisory bodies have until Sept. 17 to provide input on the draft proposal. A portal for public feedback is open through Aug. 23.
