Table of Contents:
Introduction
Potential Virginia Bicycle City Locations
Alternative Energy Organizations & Companies in Virginia
Virginia Animal & Wildlife Groups
Virginia Business Organizations & Resources
Virginia Education Organizations & Resources
Virginia Environmental Groups
Virginia International Groups
Virginia State Government
Other Useful Virginia Links
In Conclusion
Virginia’s rich diversity is reflected in its 7.6 million people as well as its scenic and eclectic terrain", making the state an excellent candidate for Bicycle City, Virginia development. From the Atlantic Ocean shoreline to the mighty Appalachian Mountains, Virginia is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts and a likely place to develop Bicycle City, Va.
Tourists and locals alike find it easy to get with public transportation, as Virginia, is home to 75 of the country’s largest public transportation services," according to the Virginia Department of Transportation http://www.drpt.state.va.us/activities/pt.aspx. Commuters and travelers have access to a state ferry system as well as Amtrak and the Virginia Railway Express. There are also thousands of miles of scenic byways"," according to the Official Virginia Tourism Corporation http://www.virginia.org/site/features.asp?FeatureID=32.
Major places of interest for potential residents and visitors to prospective Bicycle City", VA, development in Virginia include three National Parks: Shenandoah National Park in northern Virginia, the two-million-acre Washington & Jefferson National Forest in the southwest, and Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area, which includes the state’s highest point – 5,729 ft. above sea level. Parks offer outdoor recreation options such as cycling, hiking, mountain climbing, rafting & canoeing, camping, fishing, boating, swimming and horseback riding," as reported by the National Parks Service http://www.nps.gov/state/va/.
The state’s three national parks are complimented by 34 state parks with more than 100 biking trails covering about 360 miles", and 18 miles dedicated to mountain biking," according to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation http://dcr.state.va.us/. The parks are administered and maintained by the commonwealth’s DCR", an agency committed to stewardship of the parks in the interest of the people who use them, and for future generations to enjoy. The end result is an ideal environment throughout the state for prospective Bicycle City, Va.," development.
Alexandria", VA / Arlington, VA (Suburban District of Columbia)
Population: 4,66,382
Average Annual Rainfall: 41.8 inches
Average Monthly High Temperatures: January – 41; February – 45; March – 55; April – 66; May – 75; June – 83; July – 87; August – 86; September – 79; October – 68; November – 57; December - 46
Water: Potomac River, Bull Run River, Burke Lake, Pohick Creek
Adjacent Public Lands: Huntley Meadows, Burke Lake Park, Eakin Community Park, Turkey Run Park, Scotts Run Nature Preserve, Arlington National Cemetery.
Zip Codes: 22201,22202,22203,22204,22205,22206,22207,22208,22209,22213, 22214
Other Highlights: Adjacent to Washington, DC, the nation’s capital, and close to many famous national monuments. The White House, U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court are all a short bicycle ride from Alexandria and Arlington, as are the Memorials honoring Lincoln, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and the veterans of past wars. World-class museums, libraries and other institutions include those dedicated to American achievements and archives, such as the Smithsonian Institute, National Air & Space Museum, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, National Museum of American History, National Gallery of Art, Library of Congress, Museum of Natural History, and countless others.
Charlottesville, VA
Population: 40,437
Average Annual Rainfall: 43.3 inches
Average Monthly High Temperatures: January – 45; February – 49;
March – 58; April – 69; May – 76; June – 84; July – 88; August – 86; September – 80; October – 70; November – 59; December - 48
Water: Rivanna River, Lake Anna
Adjacent Public Lands: Shenandoah National Park Pen Park, Greenleaf Park, Meadow Creek Park, Azalea Park, Tonsler Park, Riverview Park
Zip Codes: 22901,22902,22903,22904, 22911
Other Highlights: Monticello, University of Virginia, Virginia Discovery Museum, Bayly Art Museum
Lynchburg, VA
Population: 236,910
Average Annual Rainfall: 43.3 inches
Average Monthly High Temperatures: January – 44; February – 49; March – 58; April – 68; May – 75; June – 82; July – 86; August – 85; September – 78; October – 68; November – 58; December – 48
Water: James River, Roanoke River, Big Otter River, Leesville Lake, Smith Mountain Lake
Adjacent Public Lands: Peaks View Park, Holliday Lake State Park, Smith Mountain Lake State Park, Washington & Jefferson National Forest
Zip Codes: 24501,24502,24503, 24504
Other Highlights: Poplar Forest, the Lynchburg Museum, Liberty University, Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, Lynchburg College, Fort Early, Anne Spencer House
Newport News, VA / Norfolk, VA / Virginia Beach, VA
Population: 1,647,346
Average Annual Rainfall: 45.7 inches
Average Monthly High Temperatures: January – 48; February – 50;
March – 58; April – 67; May – 75; June – 83; July – 87; August – 85; September – 79; October – 69; November – 61; December – 52
Water: Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, Broad Bay, Lynnhaven Bay, James River, Stumpy Lake, Redwing Lake
Adjacent Public Lands: Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Nansemond National Wildlife Refuge, Seashore State Park, Grandview Nature Preserve, Newport News Park, Mariners Museum Park
Zip Codes: 23601,23602,23603,23604,23605,23606,23607,23608,23502,23503,23504,23505,23507,23508,23509,23510,23511,23513,23517,23518,23519,23520,23521, 23523
Other Highlights: The Hermitage Foundation Museum, Virginia Air & Space Museum, Hampton Roads Naval Museum, Hampton University, Virginia Wesleyan College, Grand View Fishing Pier, Cape Henry Memorial, Waterman’s Wharf, Historic Hilton Village and the Royal London Wax Museum. This area is also home to many vital U.S. military installations, including Oceana Naval Air Station, Langley Air Force Base, a naval fleet training center and amphibious base, plus Ft. Monroe, Ft. Story and Ft. Eustis.
Richmond, VA
Population: 1,175,654
Average Annual Rainfall: 43.7 inches
Average Monthly High Temperatures: January – 45; February – 49;
March – 58; April – 69; May – 76; June – 84; July – 88; August – 86; September – 80; October – 69; November – 60; December – 50
Water: James River, Totopotomoy Creek, Swift Creek, Kingsland Creek, Cornelius Creek, Lake Chesdin
Adjacent Public Lands: Pocahontas State Park, Richmond National Battlefield Park, Vawter State Park, Dorey Park, Rockwood Park, Deep Run Park, Presquile National Wildlife Refuge
Zip Codes: 23219,23220,23221,23222,23223,23224,23225,23226,23227,23228,23229,23230,23231,23232,23233,23234,23235,23236,23237, 23238
Other Highlights: Virginia State Capitol, Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Richmond, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Meadow Farm Museum, Virginia Aviation Museum, Chesterfield Co. Museum, Department of Defense Supply Center.
Roanoke, VA
Population: 292,983
Average Annual Rainfall: 42.5 inches
Average Monthly High Temperatures: January – 45; February – 49; March – 58; April – 66; May – 76; June – 83; July – 88; August – 86; September – 79; October – 69; November – 58; December – 49
Water: Roanoke River, Goose Creek, Smith Mountain Lake, Carvin Cove Reservoir
Adjacent Public Lands: Roanoke Mountain Recreation Area, Mill Mountain Park & Zoo, Explore Park, Smith Mountain Lake State Park, Washington & Jefferson National Forest
Zip Codes: 24011,24012,24013,24014,24015,24016,24017,24018, 24019
Other Highlights: Bicycles are well represented in Virginia’s Museum of Transportation," located downtown. A few blocks away is the Historic Farmers Market. West suburban Salem is home to Salem Museum and Roanoke College. Hollins College is just north of the city.
Potential Location Source List
United States Census Bureau http://www.census.gov
National Weather Service http://www.nws.noaa.gov
National Park Service http://www.nps.gov
National Geographic Atlas copyright 2005"," Melcher Media
United States Postal Service http://www.usps.com
Your Bicycle City Virginia Trail to More Information
Arlington Coalition for Sensible Transportation", Arlington," VA http://www.acstnet.org
West suburban-based Washington area coalition that advocates sensible road planning for cars", development of bicycle paths and the full use and expansion of commuter rail lines.
Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation, Charlottesville," VA http://www.transportationchoice.org
Grass-roots organization dedicated to developing bicycle paths", mass transit options, and providing alternatives to automobiles as a means of transportation in central Virginia.
Chesapeake Renewable Energy, Richmond," VA http://www.chesrenewable.com
Company that sells and installs wind turbine towers to farms", businesses and homes to generate electricity without having to purchase electrical power from local utilities.
Hydropower Turbine Systems, Inc., Hayes," VA http://www.hts-inc.com
A wholesale supplier of hydroelectric energy systems", hydraulic turbines and generators.
Southern Geothermal Distribution Center, Leesburg," VA http://www.southern-dist.com
Wholesaler of energy-efficient geothermal HVAC systems for residences and businesses.
Utility Wind Integration Group", Reston," VA http://www.uwig.org
Non-profit organization that promotes understanding of wind-generated electrical energy and the technologies associated with generating electricity from renewable wind power.
Virginia Alliance for Solar Electricity", Richmond," VA http://www.mme.state.va.us/de/commercialframe.html
The Virginia Department of Energy created a partnership with Solarex", a division of BP Amoco, to develop photovoltaic modules in their James City, VA manufacturing plant.
XcelPlus International, Inc., Saluda," VA http://www.xcelplus.com
Local firm marketing products to increase automotive fuel efficiency is now developing a new refining process for biomass fuels"," to replace petroleum-based fuels for cars.
National Biological Information Infrastructure", Washington," DC http://www.nbii.gov
The Wildlife Society", Virginia Chapter, Richmond," VA www.vawts.org
Teaming With Wildlife National Coalition", Washington," DC http://www.teaming.com
The Wildlife Society", Bethesda," MD http://www.wildlife.org
U.S. Department of Agriculture", Washington," DC
Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service http://www.aphis.usda.gov
Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries http://www.dgif.state.va.us
Virginia Fish & Wildlife Information Service", Richmond," VA http://www.vafwis.org
Virginia Chapter", National Wild Turkey Federation, Brightwood," VA http://www.vanwtf.com
Virginia Chamber of Commerce http://www.vachamber.com/
Virginia Department of Business Assistance http://www.dba.state.va.us/
Virginia Official Tourism Site http://www.virginia.org/
Medical Society of Virginia http://www.msv.org/
Virginia Farm Bureau http://www.vafb.com/
Virginia Department of Education http://www.pen.k12.va.us/
Virginia State University", University Richmond, Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University, University Of Virginia," Norfolk State University. Click here for a full list of Virginia Colleges/universities. http://www.colleges.virginia.cc/
Chesapeake Bay Foundation", Richmond," VA http://www.cbf.org
A foundation with offices in Virginia and several adjacent states", that funds and supports legislative initiatives on water quality and conservation issues for Chesapeake Bay.
James River Association, Mechanicsville," VA http://www.jamesriverassociation.org
The group maintains a vigil over the entire James River watershed and has programs for erosion prevention", identifying pollution threats and overseeing government actions.
Land Trust of Virginia, Marshall," VA http://www.landtrustva.org
The trust works throughout the state with private landowners", government agencies and others to preserve the state’s countryside in the wake of encroachment from developers.
Piedmont Environmental Council, Warrenton," VA http://www.pecva.org
This council is focused on controlling growth towards the Piedmont Mountains area and preserving the unique rural character of the region. It opposes new highways and sprawl.
Sierra Club Virginia Chapter", Richmond," VA http://www.virginia.sierraclub.org
A state chapter of the successful national organization focused on environmental issues", pollution and local activism to oppose development near state and national parks.
Valley Conservation Council, Staunton," VA http://www.valleyconservation.org
This private land trust encourages less development", limited sprawl & controlled growth.
Virginia League of Conservation Voters, Richmond," VA http://www.valcv.org
“Preserving Virginia’s natural landscape by changing Virginia’s political landscape.”
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality", Richmond," VA http://www.deq.state.va.us
State government department in charge of programs for promoting and enhancing the environment for benefit of the public.
Virginia Department of Forestry - Charlottesville"," VA http://www.dof.virginia.gov
Manages and protects 15.8 million acres of forestland in Virginia.
Wildlife Center of Virginia", Waynesboro," VA http://www.wildlifecenter.org
Animal hospital dedicated to veterinary care for wounded or sick wildlife"," protecting endangered species and public awareness of how to protect animals and their habitats.
German Social Club", Woodbridge," VA http://www.geocities.com/agas_dc/NOVA.html
National Association of Korean Americans", Fairfax," VA http://www.naka.org/
Order Sons of Italy Grand Lodge of Virginia http://www.osiava.org/
Organization of Chinese Americans"," Eastern Virginia Chapter http://members.aol.com/ocaorg/oca.html
Scottish Foundation of the Virginia Highlands", Roanoke," VA http://www.scottishfoundation.org/
Official Commonwealth of Virginia Home Page http://www.state.va.us/cmsportal2/
Virginia Employment Commission http://www.vec.virginia.gov/vecportal/index.cfm
Virginia General Assembly http://legis.state.va.us/
Virginia Joint Commission on Technology and Science http://jcots.state.va.us/
Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth http://www.commonwealth.virginia.gov/
Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation", Richmond," VA http://www.dcr.virginia.gov
Virginia Conservation Network", Richmond," VA http://www.vcnva.org
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services", Richmond," VA http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov
Virginia Environmental Endowment", Richmond," VA http://www.vee.org
U.S. Geological Survey", Biological Resources Division, Washington," DC http://www.biology.usgs.gov
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service", Washington," DC http://www.fws.gov
Virginia Museum of Natural History", Martinsville," VA http://www.vmnhonline.net
Virginia’s dedication to providing citizens of the commonwealth and tourists with quality outdoor recreational opportunities is overwhelmingly evident and could only be bolstered by a possible Bicycle City", Virgina, development. The Virginia Chamber of Commerce reports the state ranks 10th out of 50 in attracting tourism dollars," with $15 billion in spent in 2006 www.vachamber.com/. Roughly $2 billion of that was state and local taxes that fund the parks and recreational programs. This successful formula benefits the Old Dominion’s beautiful natural landscape", as well as the people who take advantage of the many hiking, swimming and other outdoor activities available to them. In the long term, it also helps firms developing alternative energy solutions and of course, the environment itself. These factors are all conducive to creating a thriving location for a potential Bicycle City, Virginia.
