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Yes, I would say that a speeding highway and a sheer marble cliff just might "discourage pedestrian traffic."
I vote to close RCPP and reroute the cars over to the empty stretch of I-66 on the other side of the Ken Cen. Then, a simple fireman pole would provide adequate access from the River Terrace down to the trail!
Kennedy Center Access to the Rock Creek Park Trail
NPS, the FHWA, the Kennedy Center and DDOT are considering modifications to the Kennedy Center's River Terrace to create direct access to the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Trail along the river. The purpose of the project is to improve access between the Kennedy Center River Terrace to the Pot...
Oh, and closer to home, in Quebec, driver and car registration fees include an annual premium for universal, province-run auto injury insurance. Drivers of larger vehicles and drivers with demerit points pay more each year.
Thursday Evening Commute - Designated
Good evening We were discussing gun control recently and a friend of mine mentioned gun insurance. The idea is that gun owners would pay insurance and that would pay for any damage that guns did, there would even be a fund for people who were shot, but the gun used wasn't identified. That isn't...
Nearly 300 people are injured every day by hit and runs in the USA. It's not exactly uncommon...
Which is why other countries have socialized car insurance, as well as health insurance. In New Zealand, the Accident Compensation Corporation set up for workers' comp claims also handles auto insurance -- and is paid from fuel taxes and registration fees, which have the added benefit of raising the price of (and thus deterring) driving.
Thursday Evening Commute - Designated
Good evening We were discussing gun control recently and a friend of mine mentioned gun insurance. The idea is that gun owners would pay insurance and that would pay for any damage that guns did, there would even be a fund for people who were shot, but the gun used wasn't identified. That isn't...
That particular author might actually be more offended by saying that D.C. would be more like Paris or Copenhagen -- which brings with it the notion of a gentrified urban core and suburbanized, multiracial poverty. In a city and region that are majority non-white (but where a supermajority of cyclists are white), I wouldn't want to perpetuate the unfortunate stereotype that only white people bike.
I doubt that letter-writer can be persuaded of much, and obviously seems to prefer Manichean views on matters of both faith and state, but I'd respond with:
1. Churches should be good neighbors
2. Many people of faith don't drive to their places of worship
3. Nobody has ever proposed to ban all cars, much less emergency vehicles; "5% fewer" is very different from "none"
4. If you do want to talk about Asian cities, how about Tokyo? A global capital that's objectively more prosperous, safe, and clean than any U.S. city, headquarters to major automakers like Honda and Subaru, where countless trains run on time and yet 1/6 of trips are on bikes.
Wednesday Afternoon Commute - 4 More Years (for LaHood?)
Good afternoon The new head of the Georgetown BID wants to make Georgetown easier to get to, which means congestion parking and "more bike racks, cabbie stations, and Circulator service. I think of transportation the same way DDOT does: considering all options, including cars, buses, bikeshare,...
I've ridden Broad Branch a few times recently. The drivers are generally courteous, but it's pretty harrowing due to the incline, poor sight lines, and some confusing intersection geometries (particularly at Beach, Brandywine, and 27th).
If it's the second public meeting, you'd think that DDOT would have something more than an informational notice on the web.
Thursday Morning Commute - Tight Space
Good morning Tonight, DDOT will host the second Public Meeting for the Broad Branch Road Environmental Assessment. "It is a very tight space, but there are some alternatives that include bicycle and pedestrian accommodations." says Jim Sebastian. Bike and Roll's annual used bike sale is this S...
In other election news, "not anti-bike" Grace Daughtridge lost ANC 6D05, and along the way assaulted someone in an alleged hate crime.
Wednesday Afternoon Commute - 4 More Years (for LaHood?)
Good afternoon The new head of the Georgetown BID wants to make Georgetown easier to get to, which means congestion parking and "more bike racks, cabbie stations, and Circulator service. I think of transportation the same way DDOT does: considering all options, including cars, buses, bikeshare,...
Oh no, socialism! “I’ve been giving that a lot of thought, and I kind of believe that maybe there is a place for government to build streets.” -- Ayn Rand
Saturday Morning Ride - Grants for everyone!
Good morning US DOT announced several discretionary grants for the DC area (Including roadway work to make room for the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial and a program to implement dynamic pricing and a reservation system for commercial vehicle parking. It will encourage freight trav...
Re: Bixi daily use. There probably isn't any technical challenge to allowing out-of-town Bixi keys (e.g., ours) to function that way.
Thursday Afternoon Commute - Walk-Friendly
Good afternoon The FHWA released data comparing some of the country's bike sharing systems. While DC was #1 in annual members, CaBi came in just behind Minneapolis in the number of stations and bikes (though I think it's #1 again now) and way behind Miami in casual members. And of course, more ...
The NoMa BID has invested in a few of these. However, the other night the two I visited (NWC 1st & M and SEC 1st & K) were both broken.
Bike Rack with Pump
I spotted this cool setup at 3rd and L NE. That could come in handy. Not as handy as this bike repair stand that Tales From the Sharrows has at his work, but still good. Bicycle Space has one of those stands too, and I think you can use it for free if you want. One of those repair stands - und...
Sorry. I need to close the tag. Whew, much better.
Gravelly Point - Mount Vernon Trail Redesign
The NPS has started public scoping of the Gravelly Point and Roaches Run EA. The Park Service wants to redesign the areas to make Roaches Run more accessible and to make the Mt Vernon Trail safer with fewer conflicts. The process has been going on since 2008 and the alternatives have been narrow...
The pedestrian cluelessness at this location knows no boundaries. I once had to yell at a crowd of people who had set up huge cameras on tripods in the middle of the trail -- at night! I've taken hundreds of photos while momentarily standing in the middle of the street, but I cannot fathom anyone being so stupid as to just plop down $1000s of camera gear in the middle of a busy road.
The people parking on the grass last weekend were using the bike path as a drive aisle to reach said "informal parking lot." The last thing I was expecting to nearly run into while rounding the corner was a car driving up the path, but sure enough...
Whenever I've needed facilities in this stretch (including Mayorga coffee and wi-fi), I just duck into the airport. For those on bikes, it's an ever so slight detour, and there are bike racks to lock up to.
Gravelly Point - Mount Vernon Trail Redesign
The NPS has started public scoping of the Gravelly Point and Roaches Run EA. The Park Service wants to redesign the areas to make Roaches Run more accessible and to make the Mt Vernon Trail safer with fewer conflicts. The process has been going on since 2008 and the alternatives have been narrow...
Private bike usage in Paris doubled in the year after Velib' was introduced, with a corresponding increase in shops' sales. The effect of CaBi would be difficult to tease out from any number of other factors that have led to growing bike sales for the past few years, but I am certain that CaBi has not hurt bike shops.
Helmet provision is the natural next step from the initial response of "you can buy a helmet at these locations," and given the limited audience I don't see that it would make a big difference. I actually renewed early to buy a CaBi helmet as a backup to have for houseguests, etc. It's about as universal fit as any you'll find on the market, with a nice cam adjuster. Besides, most <$50 helmets are one-size anyways.
Then again, I'm the kind of person who usually wears a >$100 helmet, so I wouldn't really be the target market for a $16 helmet in the first place.
CaBi bike helmet sales probably won't hurt local bike shops
Neil Sandler, editor and publisher of Spokes magazine is concerned that Capital Bikeshare's decision to sell helmets for $16 will be taking business away from legitimate bike shops, according to TBD. While it's true that having the government subsidize a product can hurt the commercial business...
Not sure if it's a brand standard, but the Park Hyatt Chicago had similar bikes available even in the dead of winter.
Park Hyatt bike plates
Saw these two bikes at the Whole Foods near GW. Their plates read "Park Hyatt Washington DC." The Park Hyatt offers guests a "Free bicycle valet program includes four-hour rental, helmet, lock, bottled water, and bike map; available from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m." which is what I guess these are.
Another thing about performance parking: by guaranteeing available spaces, it will reduce the number of drivers who are circling around looking for parking (and who drive very erratically as a result).
Wednesday Afternoon Commute - Hearings
Hopefully my morning link dump is still on my computer at home. Maryland Senator Ben Cardin is working to ensure that funding for bike programs is included in a federal transportation bill. The other thing I didn't mention about citywide performance parking is that by properly pricing parking ...
The French say "modes doux" (doux = sweet, light) to describe not driving. I've never liked the patronizing "alternative transportation" label, despite generally being a fan of alt-this and alt-that.
I used the new ART bridge yesterday as an alternative to Capitol Hill streets for a ride between H St and the Capitol Riverfront. Added about 50% in terms of mileage, but twas a great day to go the extra distance.
Monday Morning Commute - turn the sewer grates 90 degrees
I rode across the new Wetlands Bridge this weekend for the first time since it opened. Saw quite a few people there as well as downstream of it (whereas I used to never see anyone along that part of Water Street). So it seems to be pulling people down to the river. Whether it will last, or it wa...
Aw, thanks, Will. Can't take much credit for much, though; the camera was hoisted above my head, and since I'm colorblind I let the computer/camera take care of the colors.
Anacostia Riverwalk Trail Bridge Ribbon Cutting
Riverwalk trail bridge + Sustainable DC Vision presser by Payton Chung
re: bicyclebug's CaBiChallenge. S/he could have used two credit cards. Arrive at a full station with bike, use CC#2 to check out a bike, return bike paid for with CC#1 into newly empty dock.
Or, if you just want to verify that you've visited all the stations, you could just ride your own bike around and print off an unlock code from each station. (I guess that wouldn't work if the printer's down, though.)
Sounds like a fun little summer game.
Saturday Morning Ride - Biking the Promenade
Good morning One reader writes "DC authorities and development agencies are presenting this Riverwalk as great for biking, but today when I tried to use it I was told by two uniformed policemen from the Navy Yard that it was prohibited to bike along the Navy Yard stretch of the path. I can't se...
As I understand it, the northbound green signal on 15th would also get a flashing yellow left-turn signal. That would indicate that those turning left on the green phase (as opposed to the green-arrow phase) should cautiously turn.
Actuating the left turns would also help. I've often stopped at red lights only to see that a green arrow was directing no one to turn left.
Recommendations for improving DC bike Facilities
Yesterday, I highlighted the results of the study of three new bike facilities in DC. Today I'm going to highlight some of the recommendations from the study. In General On 15th Street, results show that the use of signs indicating that bicyclists should use the pedestrian signals is not effect...
I also just noticed signs in the Yards Park which also say "no bikes." So yes, them's the rules: you must walk your bike between 2nd and 11th St SE.
Saturday Morning Ride - Biking the Promenade
Good morning One reader writes "DC authorities and development agencies are presenting this Riverwalk as great for biking, but today when I tried to use it I was told by two uniformed policemen from the Navy Yard that it was prohibited to bike along the Navy Yard stretch of the path. I can't se...
VERY glad to see signal timing called out on the east half of Pennsylvania. As for 15th, I have gotten 90% red lights before while riding down; the stretch south of Mass with lots of left-turn signals is particularly bad. Given that so much of DC has traffic lights every 500' or so (including many lightly trafficked residential areas like Capitol Hill), and given that we're getting into I'm-dripping-sweat weather, I'm beginning to really pay attention to signal timing.
Likewise, I'll echo RLL that the 16/U/NH bike box doesn't function very well. IME, it's always been faster to just cross with the crosswalks.
60% red light compliance is also much better than the 0% red light compliance that many people insist they see from cyclists! I very rarely see cyclists completely blow through lights; it's rare enough that I typically call them out ("not cool") when I do.
Public Meeting on Innovative Bicycle Facility Research and Protected Bike Lane on L Street, NW
Below is DDOT's press release, but let me highlight some of the conclusions from the study first: 16th Street/U Street New Hampshire Motor vehicle intersection LOS remained the same before and after the bicycle facilities were installed. Fewer than 20% of cyclists are using the bike box and bik...
I heard that Navy Annex was going to become cemetery land from Arlington staff at a Columbia Pike meeting last summer, but the deal was signed in 2008.
Southgate's a nice, if unnecessarily steep, bike route alternative to the Pike along there.
MWCOG Tries for bicycle-related TIGER grant again
Last mont the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments annouced that they would be applying for a $19.9 million TIGER grant and once again it would be for bicycle and pedestrian access to transit. In fact the grant for the 2012 cycle is very similar to the one from TIGER III. The applicati...
Yeah, I realized that when I thudded someone's hood for turning right without yielding to a crowd of pedestrians. Even with dozens of witnesses (and one traffic cop), the guy still got out of the car and started yelling.
Nowadays I just yell if I'm on foot, or ding my bell -- which unfortunately doesn't always get heard, or somehow sounds "un-manly" to others (like a bystander who thought my bell-ringing was hilarious, which was just even more maddening while I was being cut off by an oblivious bike lane swerving driver). However, I just can't bring myself to go the air-horn route.
Cyclist looking for driver who attacked him
A cyclist-driver confrontation turned nasty and the driver ended up getting out of the car, punching the cyclist and leaving him with a broken jaw. Now he and his wife are looking for the driver. While I believe, based on the story as told, that the driver is 100% at fault for the attack, it is ...
Montreal also bans bikes during rush hour, even though it was the first target of a street theater campaign à la WashCycle. (Toronto also bans bikes at rush hour.)
I currently sometimes take a bike on board at around 3:45PM, and always I feel like a total tool whenever I do. I also have a "station bike" near work and bikeshare near home. I recently had a rear rack stolen from my bike while it was locked outside a Metro station one evening (since I couldn't bring it aboard). I fought a 40MPH headwind for an hour once because I was denied entry to empty trains on the desolate south side of Chicago.* I even own a folding bike. Despite all this, I support the rush hour restriction. It's mass transit, intended to move masses of people. Strollers are supposed to be folded, luggage is not something people typically travel with daily, but bikes are.
In my estimation, major Metrorail stations have fewer entrances and fewer vertical circulation points than other systems, both to the surface and to the platform. In addition, the X-shaped transfer stations bottleneck at the crossing point.
* Before anyone says this is racist, I lived on the south side and was trying to board the Green Line, which is epically underutilized.
WMATA pre-responds to rush-hour restriction petition
From the TBD article Dan Stessel, chief spokesperson for WMATA, defended the policy's "balancing act' but notes that Metro will consider a petition if brought before the agency. "Bikes are a great way for people to complete the last mile [in conjunction with transit in their commutes ... But] fu...
Last I checked, there were still some no-bikes signs on the closed streets south of Independence, between the LOC and House office buildings. Sidewalk riding is a-okay, but not in the street -- a pain for anyone headed to NW from the Navy Yard area. (Never noticed any such signs on the Senate side.)
@Will: I like the idea of the "security woonerf." This approach could reconcile the feds' security obsession with better, more pedestrian-friendly urban design and with a less congested urban core. Coincidentally, NCPC is accepting public comments on federal urban design -- and it really does take just a moment to suggest that Lafayette Square is a great, pedestrian-friendly, secure urban space.
Wish Comes True
I don't know when this happened, and I don't know if it is permanent, but last weekend, I noticed that the "No Tour-de-Francing" sign at the bottom of Capitol Hill was removed. With a Republican Senate and Democratic House, perhaps we can assume it was bi-partisan. Removal of the sign, of cour...
I first spotted the fat-bike on the ride near the White House. He wasn't at Brookland, where I joined.
Wednesday Morning Commute - Pope
Good morning The Daily Rider opens next week. Wonders never cease. And CaBi partners with NPO to give memberships to the homeless. The Ride on Washington arrives. The new alignment of the Capital Crescent Trail in the Lytonsville area has the advantage of being more closely connected with the ...
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