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Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
9/11 Motorcycle Ride To Be Re-routed Around Downtown
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Loudoun News
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Date: July 19, 2011 09:48AM
9/11 Motorcycle Ride To Be Re-routed Around Downtown
Posted: Friday, July 15, 2011 9:00 am | Updated: 9:16 am, Fri Jul 15, 2011.
Posted on July 15, 2011
by Kara Clark
http://www.leesburg2day.com/news/article_14488b5c-ae62-11e0-84e4-001cc4c03286.html
Waving American flags and cheering on hundreds of motorcyclists passing through downtown Leesburg has become a popular end-of-summer event for town residents and business owners. That is about to change, at least for this year.
Ted Sjurseth, co-founder and president of the Leesburg-based America’s 911 Foundation, Inc., said the Virginia State Police plan to re-route the annual motorcycle ride to bypass the downtown area. Instead of traveling down King Street which is typically lined with spectators, riders will instead be re-routed onto the Leesburg Bypass to access the Dulles Greenway to take them to Arlington.
The annual memorial ride takes participants through the three sites most affected by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks: the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stonycreek Township, PA; the Pentagon in Arlington; and the World Trade Center Memorial in New York City. This year, the route is scheduled to pass through Leesburg around 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19, en route to the Pentagon.
The event typically draws hundreds of riders throughout the U.S. This year, however, participation is even higher, estimated by Sjurset to be around 1,700 bikes because it marks the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
And that, Virginia State Police say, is why re-routing the motorcyclists is necessary. First Sgt. Alvin Blankenship said the recommendation to keep the motorcyclists on the bypass was done in the name of safety, both for the general driving public and the bikers themselves.
According to Blankenship, if the 9/11 Ride were to take the traditional route through downtown this year, it would require road closures lasting over an hour on both Rt. 7 and Rt. 15. After working with crews last year on temporary road closures during the installation of new power lines across the Leesburg Bypass and Rt. 7 west of Leesburg, Blankenship noted that even short closures can cause major headaches.
“We learned during the Dominion Virginia Power [power line] project that a 20-minute road closure on Rt. 7 is a major safety issue,” he said. “When you start talking about an hour…we’re talking about a 10-mile stretch of motorcycles. It’s much easier for us to bring them around the bypass. It takes nine officers to close that off versus more going the other way.”
Blankenship pointed to an even more recent incident to highlight his concerns. The state police were recently asked to assist with a 15-minute road closure on Rt. 15. That alone caused a three-mile back up, he said.
The new route instead will bring bikers along the right lane of the bypass entering the town, so when the group exists onto the Dulles Greenway they will be on the toll road’s left lane, so no merging of traffic will be necessary.
Blankenship said he understands that many in town will be disappointed that the ride will not be passing through the downtown area, but stressed there may actually be even better viewing points alongside the bypass than along King Street. He stressed, however, that if the event participation comes closer to its average annual participation of around 600 next year, the route could be re-evaluated.
Lt. Jeff Dube, of the Leesburg Police Department, said the town department would abide by the recommendations of the state police.
“We’re going by their guidance,” he said.
Sjurseth said that it would be extremely disappointing to lose “the downtown feeling” with the new route. He said bikers frequently comment about the feeling of driving through the historic district and the passion and spirit exhibited by onlookers.
“For us not to come through the town would be a crucifixion of this ride especially when it’s the 10-year anniversary,” Sjurseth said.
The ride almost endured the same fate in Cumberland, MD, when the state police there at first said the ride would have to be re-routed around the town. Thursday, however, that stance was reconsidered and the ride will proceed through Cumberland as planned.
Sjurseth is hopeful that a similar change of heart could be found in Leesburg, particularly since that is where the foundation is headquartered.
“I want to find a win-win so everybody’s happy,” he said.
Attachments:
Posted: Friday, July 15, 2011 9:00 am | Updated: 9:16 am, Fri Jul 15, 2011.
Posted on July 15, 2011
by Kara Clark
http://www.leesburg2day.com/news/article_14488b5c-ae62-11e0-84e4-001cc4c03286.html
Waving American flags and cheering on hundreds of motorcyclists passing through downtown Leesburg has become a popular end-of-summer event for town residents and business owners. That is about to change, at least for this year.
Ted Sjurseth, co-founder and president of the Leesburg-based America’s 911 Foundation, Inc., said the Virginia State Police plan to re-route the annual motorcycle ride to bypass the downtown area. Instead of traveling down King Street which is typically lined with spectators, riders will instead be re-routed onto the Leesburg Bypass to access the Dulles Greenway to take them to Arlington.
The annual memorial ride takes participants through the three sites most affected by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks: the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stonycreek Township, PA; the Pentagon in Arlington; and the World Trade Center Memorial in New York City. This year, the route is scheduled to pass through Leesburg around 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19, en route to the Pentagon.
The event typically draws hundreds of riders throughout the U.S. This year, however, participation is even higher, estimated by Sjurset to be around 1,700 bikes because it marks the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
And that, Virginia State Police say, is why re-routing the motorcyclists is necessary. First Sgt. Alvin Blankenship said the recommendation to keep the motorcyclists on the bypass was done in the name of safety, both for the general driving public and the bikers themselves.
According to Blankenship, if the 9/11 Ride were to take the traditional route through downtown this year, it would require road closures lasting over an hour on both Rt. 7 and Rt. 15. After working with crews last year on temporary road closures during the installation of new power lines across the Leesburg Bypass and Rt. 7 west of Leesburg, Blankenship noted that even short closures can cause major headaches.
“We learned during the Dominion Virginia Power [power line] project that a 20-minute road closure on Rt. 7 is a major safety issue,” he said. “When you start talking about an hour…we’re talking about a 10-mile stretch of motorcycles. It’s much easier for us to bring them around the bypass. It takes nine officers to close that off versus more going the other way.”
Blankenship pointed to an even more recent incident to highlight his concerns. The state police were recently asked to assist with a 15-minute road closure on Rt. 15. That alone caused a three-mile back up, he said.
The new route instead will bring bikers along the right lane of the bypass entering the town, so when the group exists onto the Dulles Greenway they will be on the toll road’s left lane, so no merging of traffic will be necessary.
Blankenship said he understands that many in town will be disappointed that the ride will not be passing through the downtown area, but stressed there may actually be even better viewing points alongside the bypass than along King Street. He stressed, however, that if the event participation comes closer to its average annual participation of around 600 next year, the route could be re-evaluated.
Lt. Jeff Dube, of the Leesburg Police Department, said the town department would abide by the recommendations of the state police.
“We’re going by their guidance,” he said.
Sjurseth said that it would be extremely disappointing to lose “the downtown feeling” with the new route. He said bikers frequently comment about the feeling of driving through the historic district and the passion and spirit exhibited by onlookers.
“For us not to come through the town would be a crucifixion of this ride especially when it’s the 10-year anniversary,” Sjurseth said.
The ride almost endured the same fate in Cumberland, MD, when the state police there at first said the ride would have to be re-routed around the town. Thursday, however, that stance was reconsidered and the ride will proceed through Cumberland as planned.
Sjurseth is hopeful that a similar change of heart could be found in Leesburg, particularly since that is where the foundation is headquartered.
“I want to find a win-win so everybody’s happy,” he said.
Attachments: