VA side of 14th Street bridge on MVT

@Arlingtonrider 67494 wrote:

Going on right now – Dirt and other forum friends will be at the MVT/14th st. Bridge split this afternoon and evening (10/24/13) to spread WABA membership love and facilitate signing up or renewing memberships on the spot. Come by and visit if you can!

Riding home from DC, the most hazardous part of my ride is coming off the 14th Street bridge and making the left turn on MVT. The last thing anyone needs on the down-ramp or at the turn onto the MVT is more distractions, either for themselves or for other riders who might therefore ride more unpredictably.

Last night, there were a bunch of people making that hazard even worse by standing halfway down the downramp with signs and then another group standing right at the turn onto the MVT. I noticed on the way in this morning that the on-ramp sidewalk is chalked with “STOP” and “WABA”.

Was that you guys?

Can I suggest _not_ creating hazards for cyclists? Several of you could have stood on the MVT a few feet to the south of the corner, on the right, and several at to the north of the corner at the little turnout that is 20 feet north. Everyone who is coming off the 14th St bridge would have gone by one of those groups, and everyone going either direction on the trail would also go by one of the groups. So you’d still see the same riders but without creating a hazard for them. Plus, since riders no longer have to divide their attention between staying alive and reading your signs, they might actually have more of a chance to read your signs.

Nick

@TwoWheelsDC 67564 wrote:

While I didn’t feel strongly enough about it to mention it, I agree with your assessment. As happy as I was to see the folks out there representing last night, I did make a mental note as I was riding past that it probably wasn’t the most prudent spot to have people holding signs and yelling…

It could be worse. Just sayin’…

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P.S.-I joined online today at lunchtime, so if you’re out again today and I ride past, don’t despair. I’m already a member.

When I was there from 3:45 to 4:30 we were waiting on the river side of the T-junction in order to be able to talk to cyclists as they came to a stop, coming off the bridge. We tried to get riders to dismount and talk to us in the grass, but some folks tended to stay on their bikes, on the trail. I imagine you’ll see more of that today near the turnoff for Crystal City, as the BID does their light giveaway in that small triangle of grass.

I think most cyclists don’t anticipate stopping for long, but it can be long enough to impose on others. There are a number of challenges to that area.
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@TwoWheelsDC 67575 wrote:

Mandatory follow-up:

So mean, but so funny.

Love you guys, but I think these comments are on the nose.

To answer Gillian, it was a bit of a gauntlet situation as you came off the bridge, with people on both sides of the trail yelling at you to join WABA. As well as people at the T. There was a lot of visual to sort out, at dusk, with bad lighting, in an area of limited sight lines.

I ride that spot every day – I have never seen anyone come off the bridge too fast. But coming off the bridge, while still on the bridge, there is no sight line on the curve. Then there is the down hill, with troubled sight lines to the right. Then there is a sharp left or right turn (or the ad hoc trail). And this part of the MVT is popular with joggers and tourists. It is a location where the cyclists needs to be able to accurately observe what is going on, and then make quick decisions.

Did WABA ask NPS if they could do this? I thought it was illegal to sell things (sell memberships) in a national park.

Can I sell anything on park land?

Only the following may be sold on Park Service property:
• Books
• Newspapers
• Leaflets
• Pamphlets
• Buttons
• Bumper Stickers
No exceptions are made for T-shirts, posters, patches, jewelry, hats, license plates, coffee and drink mugs, flags, records, compact disks and tapes, photographs, decals, etc.

What is the difference between a Public Gathering and a Special Use Permit?

Public Gathering Permits include Special Events and Demonstrations

Special Event: Any presentation, program, or display which is not a demonstration, but
which is recreational, entertaining, or celebratory in nature, etc.
Demonstration: Speeches, picketing, vigils, etc., and all similar activity designed to
communicate a message of some kind.

Special Use: Any sport activities (except tournaments and organized runs/walks), wedding
ceremonies and picnics at Hains Point.

@dasgeh 67581 wrote:

Fair enough.

Last time I went through there, I was headed to Shirlington, so turned right at the T. A minute later I realized that I needed to go through Pentagon City, and it would be better to go through LBJ grove. So I turned around (safely) and started biking in the other direction, this time going straight through the T. It was a very good thing I hadn’t gotten up to speed yet, as a guy came FLYING down from the bridge to turn right, and came inches from my front tire as I SLAMMED on my brake. It was insane. And not so much as an apology. He very much had the look of someone who did this every day. (This was not this week – the weather was perfect, so no reason to expect an empty trail).

I’ve had similar experiences there. That wasn’t the first, but it was the worst.

I’ve also had numerous encounters with people riding dangerously there — sometimes because they’re stopped where you don’t expect them, sometimes barreling down the dirt path and merging heedlessly, etc. All of which is one more reason not to have anything on the ramp or at that corner that might distract people &/or cause them to stop in the middle of the path.

Nick