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CyclingFool
Alexandria
(former display name: BlindPilot)
Recent Activity
In other news, representatives of motorists on I-95 asked VDOT if donations could be made to pay for needed exit signs. Oh, wait, that doesn't happen, because... car.
Virginia may not have money for US Bike Route 1 Signage
From Howard Albers notes on the Virginia BPAC meeting Considerable discussion was held about the US Bicycle Route 1 in Northern Virginia. The new route location and sign plans have been submitted to the approving authorities. As many as 80 new signs will be needed to keep riders from getting lo...
Congrats on nine years! Thanks for all the great posts!
Metro responds to high bike parking demand along Silver Line
From planitmetro: By August, nearly all of the bike racks were full at McLean station. Recognizing this need, Metro added space for 20 more bicycles (10 racks) at the station. The new racks bring the total capacity for bikes to 72 on racks. Bike lockers are still available at McLean, too. Is...
At one point last week, I remember seeing a Strava segment creatively titled Alpe d'Crystal for this piece of "infrastructure", but it sadly appears to have already been taken down.
In any case, it looks more like a course to test one's bike handling skills more than an accommodation for cyclists.
Fortunately, it's only temporary FWIU, if that's solace to anyone.
Switchback Four Mile Run Access Trail under construction
Photos by George
Well written piece, Jim. Thanks for following up with the police about their statements to media about these types cases. Hopefully your outreach and contact with Lt. Alexander will be fruitful.
Should police tell reporters who is to blame for fatalities before the investigation?
Media accounts of the two bike fatalities last month raised a few eyebrows among the commentariat here and at GGW. The news accounts left the reader with the impression that each cyclist inexplicably placed himself in the path of an oncoming dump truck or SUV. The average person reading those...
The second one is a little less inspiring if you add the word car. :(
"Bike" overtakes "Bicycle"
This is the Google Ngram for the two words. Is the explanation motorcycles, or somehow Bill Clinton? And what's with the recent decline? Also check out this one.
"The temporary mulch trail is a little tricky to ride."
Walk bikes? ;-) LOL
MVT Detour 2
Detour 2 by Rootchopper "The second, slightly longer, detour was in play today on the Mount Vernon Trail. This one bypasses 2 short wooden bridges that are being replaced. It is located just south of Tulane Drive and another, shorter detour. The temporary mulch trail is a little tricky to ride."
I think it's superfluous and redundant of the National Bike Registry to have a separate registry in Alexandria.
Personally, I'd be more impressed if they did more on stolen bikes than simply taking a report. My Surly LHT was stolen from my building's basement in March. The value of my bike with dynamo lighting system, racks fenders, etc. was pushing $2,000, but other than taking my report over the phone, I don't think officers ever did anything on the case. I imagine the response to a report of a stolen car of similar value would have been more serious, but maybe I'm wrong on that.
When I lived in NE DC several years ago and a bike was stolen from the garage of the house I was sharing with a couple folks, MPD came to my house and talked to me and took additional information. If nothing else, it made me feel like my case mattered on some level. I've never once heard of a bike thief being caught or charged in Alexandria, while I have heard of it happening in DC and Arlington, for instance, and I have heard of sting operations with bait/dummy bikes in those jurisdictions, too. I, for one, would appreciate a more vigorous and more public effort on the part of Alexandria PD to do something about bike theft, or at least publicize and communicate their efforts better to the community, something that goes beyond shuffling more paper, which is what it sounds like the sales registry amounts to.
So, if the PD's desire to have bike sales registered is part of some new grand strategy actually to crack down on and do something about bike theft, then so be it, but I honestly can't see how it will be any more helpful to them than the NBR. It will also miss all the sales that happen outside of bike shops, like the used MTB frame I purchased off Craigslist to build up a new bike.
Alexandria Police want to keep requirement that bike shops register bike sales
Alexandria's Police Department is asking the city to retain an ordinance that requires businesses that buy or sell bikes to “report to the police chief every bicycle purchased or sold … as well as the name and address of the person from whom it is purchased or to whom it is sold.” Police offici...
Quick! Make a left on M! ;-)
Street sign on the Met Branch Trail
@contrarian:
*How many people read that opening sentence and thought, "How is he going to finish this one?"
LOL
Thursday Morning Commute - reasonably successful
WABA has a recap of the Maryland General Assembly successes for cylists. A bill to make bicycling on sidewalks legal unless the locality prohibits it did not get out of committee Delegate Maggie McIntosh (D-Baltimore) decided not to push the helmet law she proposed once she heard from advocate...
A bill to make bicycling on sidewalks legal unless the locality prohibits it did not get out of committee
I don't have overly strong feelings on sidewalk riding. I hop on and off them in a couple spots at times if it's convenient or if I'm at my destination, but avoid them as a general rule.
I think laws on sidewalk cycling are kind of like the sodomy laws that were on the books in some states until recently (or perhaps still are on the books). The law is kind of pointless if it's never enforced. Has anyone ever gotten busted for sidewalk cycling? Are these laws ever enforced, with the possible exception of the DC CBD, but even then...
Thursday Morning Commute - reasonably successful
WABA has a recap of the Maryland General Assembly successes for cylists. A bill to make bicycling on sidewalks legal unless the locality prohibits it did not get out of committee Delegate Maggie McIntosh (D-Baltimore) decided not to push the helmet law she proposed once she heard from advocate...
Good one. Felt like a little salt in the wound since my Surly was just stolen a few weeks ago, but a good one nonetheless.
The End (of bike theft) is Nigh
DC-native Paul French knew that his first day of classes at MIT would be a memorable one and that it would change his life forever, he was just wrong about the event that he would remember. "When I walked out of my first class, the bike my grandmother bought me as a high shcool graduation gift...
$15 million out of a $10 billion budget?! That's a whopping 0.15% of the city budget! All this bike stuff is going to bankrupt us!
Since we all know the war on cars is going strong, I assume the District's outlays for automobile infrastructure will be well under $15 million this year.
;-)
$15 million for bike lanes and 10 New CaBi station
Mayor Gray presented his $10 billion fiscal 2014 budget proposal to the District Council today. About $15 million would go toward bicycle infrastructure in 2014, including bike lanes and 10 new Capital Bikeshare stations.
@unclejed I've seen it a lot, too. Or people just treating the far end of the crosswalk as the stop line, instead of using, oh I don't know, the STOP LINE as a stop line.
I just navigate around them as carefullyas I can and give them a stink eye if they're looking and occasionally a finger if it's well deserved.
Yesterday near on the Mall (Jefferson and 15th) on the evening commute, I saw a cyclist do what I've so often wanted to do, give a good open hand smack to a the trunk lid of a guy's fancy Beamer that had stopped smack dab blocking the crosspark, er, crosswalk. Driver rolled window down, "pleasantries" were exchanged, and everyone moved along. Ballsy move on the part of the cyclist... something I've only ever dreamed of doing. DB in the BMW got what he deserved, though.
Thursday Morning Commute - Roy Scheider is the only Seaquester I care about
I hope you're all enjoying the last day of large, bloated government. ANC2b to take up a resolution supporting the “Bicycle Safety Amendment Act of 2013” Sadie Dingfelder of the City Paper was hit by a car while on (walking?) her bike. "A few days ago, an off-duty police officer ran a red light...
Yet another reminder of why I only pick up the Examiner for the free NYT crossword in the back on those rare days I take metro. Hardly ever even glance at the headlines of stories within.
Thank you for taking on his mindless drivel with reasoned thought.
Examiner declares War on Solutions
New Washington Examiner DC Government reporter Eric P. Newcomer hits the ground driving with a story about DC's "war on cars." Driving in the District is a high-price hassle: burning gasoline while stuck in traffic, feeding hungry parking meters and now tracking the ever-watchful traffic camera...
Speaking of infrastructure, might I also point out the ridiculousness of the road design there? I took a look at the crash scene on Google Maps, and there is a shoulder on the road, but it's only ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD! Can any genius transportation engineer explain to me why a road would be designed like this?
Driver in Cooper fatality found guilty, fined $140
17 months after the death of Danielle Marie Cooper, who was hit from behind as she rode her bike home from work, the driver has pleaded guilty to negligent driving and received a probation before judgement and a $140 fine. The media first reported that Cooper drifted into traffic, but state poli...
CyclingFool added a favorite at TheWashCycle
Feb 13, 2013
There's plenty of logical arguments against mandatory helmet laws. Washcycle and other posters here have made the case quite clearly IMO. Too bad people would rather demonize and patronize those with legitimate concerns about a helmet law (like its likely impact on ridership levels) and oversimplify the position of those against the law as being against helmets altogether.
The whole law presupposes that cycling is inherently dangerous, which it is not. Again, a point well made over the years by Washcycle.
If this passes, it screams out for acts of mass civil disobedience. I am picturing a massive group ride with no helmets on going from police station to police station, or perhaps around the state capitol in Annapolis while wearing snarky tee shirts.
Nancy Floreen Supports Helmet Law
The Baltimore Sun covered the hearing at the House of Delegates on the mandatory helmet law. A bill in the General Assembly would make Maryland the first state in the country to extend helmet requirements to any person on any bike. On the bill's sponsor For the bill's sponsor, Del. Maggie McInt...
Ray Lahood was on Diane Rehm for a full hour this morning. I missed almost all of it because I was in a meeting, but I hope to download the podcast. Just a heads up to those who might be interested. I assume he talked a fair amount about bikes...
Wednesday Morning Commute - Occupy
Good morning Bike to Work Day is May 17th this year. No Occupy DC this year. What if a driver doesn't hit a cyclist, but causes them to crash anyway?
Totally agree w/ 7. Love the last paragraph. It captures perfectly what started running through my head when I saw that this letter complaining about DC was from a woman in Crownsville.
Tip to anyone living thirty miles away from their job and complaining about the time it takes to commute: Want a shorter commute? Don't live thirty miles from your job! Simple enough.
You're Welcome?
One letter writer to the Post - a Laura Gore of Crownsville - would like to thank DDOT for making her commute miserable. Thank you, District of Columbia, for all the new bike lanes! My commute down L Street NW is now 15 minutes longer, and many cyclists still refuse to obey traffic laws such a...
Congratulations!!!
and
Congratulations!!!
Tandem
Blogging will be light.
I meant seven years. (I'm a walking incarnation of the holy hand grenade scene in Monty Python this morning...)
Monday Morning Commute - Anniversary
Just found out that a friend of mine was hit by a bus while riding her bike here in DC. She's OK, but shaken up. Scary stuff. It's the blog's 7 year anniversary (or it was yesterday). Back then there was talk of some sort of computerized bicycle rental program. On the repairs to Memorial Bridg...
Happy belated Blogiversary! Five years of amazing stuff. I've been full-time bike commuting about three and a half of those five years and reading this blog religiously as well.
It's hard for me to imagine a world without TheWashCycle! Thanks!
Monday Morning Commute - Anniversary
Just found out that a friend of mine was hit by a bus while riding her bike here in DC. She's OK, but shaken up. Scary stuff. It's the blog's 7 year anniversary (or it was yesterday). Back then there was talk of some sort of computerized bicycle rental program. On the repairs to Memorial Bridg...
This actually looks to me like the signs you see as you approach this park in Alexandria along the MVT from the north.
http://goo.gl/maps/yCD1L
The MVT is a better alternative to continue through to Old Town anyway. I usually ride past here a couple times a week on my way from work to class.
I can understand if someone took issue with the ban on bikes here, but I don't personally. There are these switchbacks and some choke points along the path along the river (IIRC), including a couple spots with stairs (again IIRC).
No bikes on trail
Photo by M.V. Jantzen
Bicycling improvements to Oxon Hill Road would be a godsend. Currently, the shoulder comes and goes, it's a bumpy, potholed mess. A decent bike lane would make the ride to Fort Washington an enjoyable experience.
Agreed.
As for the G'town attempted bike theft, I have a feeling I know what will happen in that case... or more accurately, what WON'T happen.
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/09/why-bike-theft-so-hard-stop/3274/
Friday morning commute - Boring
Weird hours again. Last night I was out for a run and just as I went past the Eastern Market Metro somebody started yelling out from inside the station and I realized they were yelling "That guy just robbed me!" and I looked over and on the other side of the bus stop was a guy running in the sam...
Fixing it for you...
49-year-old Patrick McCusker of Cockeysville was riding a bicyclist [sic] and collided with a bus.
I'm guessing that McCusker was riding a bicycle and not a bicyclist. Why am I not surprised that the fine editorial staff over at WaPo managed to miss that, too.
Monday Morning Commute - Strollers
Good morning. The police have arrested the Dupont Circle Groper "a man who authorities say struck fear in the Dupont Circle area by grabbing and groping female pedestrians as he rode by them on his mountain bike." He was charged Friday with four misdemeanor counts of sexual abuse. He admitted ...
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