snow removal from bike paths

This year I think the county has done a better job at plowing the Custis Trail. It was actually passable a few days after the big storm; that is better than prior years.

The Custis trail is just about all clear and the Capital Crescent is looking much better but still has stretches of ice patches. Hopefully the weather in the upper 40s the next couple days will finally get all the trails in the region clear!

How is the W&OD from Columbia Pike to Lee Hwy? I haven’t ridden outdoors in too long and miss it. Must say that spending all these hours on the trainer with Coach Troy is paying off and by the time I hit the pavement again, I’ll reap the rewards of the suffering!

I wrote to the NPS, regarding the Mt. Vernon Trail (they own it, not Arlington Co). They do not plow, saying that they want to accomodate cross country skiers, and that the wooden bridges can’t be plowed.

The cross country skier thing is bunk, since the trail is pockmarked with holes from where users are attempting to walk, ruining the tracks and rendering it pretty crappy for XCskiing. If they plowed a three-foot channel, walkers/bikers could use the cleared portion, and skiers would have the remainder untouched. Everybody wins. Not to mention the fact that a multi-use trail shouldn’t try to accomodate every possible use if doing so excludes others, as they are doing now.

The bridge sections (of which there are none between my house in Pentagon City and the 14th Street Bridge, and there is also NO other bikable connection between those two points) could at least be snowblown with snowblower deck height set higher to prevent bridge damage. Had they done this, snowmelt would have made the trail passable by now.

But of course, they don’t. The Parkway gets full treatment, because it is for transportation. But the MtV Trail gets neglected until the snow melts someday, and I am stuck riding the stupid train to work.

If you also think they are shirking their responsibilities to accomodate all users (including people with mobility disabilities) on their transportation facility, write to them.
http://www.nps.gov/NCR/sendmail.htm?o=%3B3%29%2B6JZ%2B%20NJR1J1JA%5B1%2AEJ4%2E34J%5D2II%5F16%21%22X&r=/gwmp/contacts.htm

For the Arlington trails (Custis & W&OB), I would be willing to shovel.

Maybe volunteer shovel brigades could get the job done? Of course, the snow might be frozen solid now and impossible to remove w/standard snow shovels.

@Darren B 160 wrote:

” The Parkway gets full treatment, because it is for transportation. But the MtV Trail gets neglected until the snow melts someday, and I am stuck riding the stupid train to work.”

The trail is ALSO for transportation: bike, walk, or whatever. The fact that it doesnt get cleared reflects a mindset that bikes are toys, and walking is only for exercise.

Bridges: Sidewalks on Key bridge are now open.
Connector path from Rosslyn to Roosevelt Island is still snow-covered. Parts of the path are starting to melt out, so this should open soon.

Getting through Arlington:
Key Blvd and Wilson Blvd are good, though cars are parking in the bike lane on Wilson, since the spaces are snowed in.
Big snow piles on Lee Highway in Rosslyn are gone now. Thanks Arlington Co!

Is it walkable?