3/11 WAMU 88.5 FM Kojo Nnamdi Show: Our Region’s Growing Bike Culture 12- 2 pm

Thanks acc.
We will be trying to avoid conflict with the call ins. Can’t we all be PALs?

I did notice a significant jump in the amount of commuters I saw out this morning. There was even a ‘traffic jam’ on the custis trail – awesome.

I think I saw a record number of cyclists out yesterday, including a ton of CaBi users. It was completely insane around Gravelly Pt with all of the bikers, walkers, runners, picnickers, etc. I was wishing I had a GoPro camera to record it all so I could send video to all of the conservative wonks out there that say MUTs are a waste of money.

I do hope NPS gets to building the Gravelly pt detour soon though.

Yeah I stopped in at Bikenetic yesterday. I thought it was nutty with so many people in there, but then I got on the W&OD briefly to head home… it was a zoo!

@creadinger 45873 wrote:

Yesterday on the trails was insane! It made me realize why people savor the dark and cold days of winter when you have the trails to yourself.

There was every manner of cyclist, walker, jogger out yesterday. It got annoying passing people every 5 seconds but I can’t begrudge people getting out on a nice day. Instead of going straight home from work, I did the ArLoop which took me right into the zoo. I do really wish one group of people would stay off the trails thought – parents actively teaching their 5 year old kids to ride a bike. It is not the time or place.

What parent in their right mind would say, “Son, you’ve never driven before, but it’s time to learn. It’s Friday afternoon, so let’s head out to the beltway.” It’s basically the same thing, and who would say, that’s a good idea?

PS – Riding past the fish market yesterday was pretty hilarious too. The traffic trying to get into it on Water St. was backed up to 7th St.

I have a lot of internal conflict about this…I have the “please keep your child from walking all over the trail” side fighting against the “it’s a public trail for everyone to use” side. Unfortunately, most people who come out when it’s warm have absolutely no idea of how much and what kinds of traffic is on the trail, and they don’t think of it as a place where they need to watch their kids or walk on the proper side of the path. The Gravelly Point bypass will solve many of the problems, since it makes sense that people who drive to the trail and only use a small portion of it will be the least proficient at using it…but the easiest solution is to just avoid it on weekends. I did the same as many others and forgot that people actually use the trail, since we cyclists get it to ourselves in winter, for the most part. But for future warm weekends, I’ll either head out to the mountains or do loops on the quieter streets of Arlington.

I’m happy to see so many out on the trails. Doesn’t mean I want to ride on them then though.

@consularrider 45862 wrote:

Hmmm … I was there at 3 pm and I was the only customer in the place.

I was there closer to lunch, and they were quite understaffed for that hour or so.

@acc 45830 wrote:

If you have a chance, listen to WAMU today between 12- 2 for a discussion about our region’s growing bike culture.

Names you recognize will be Kojo’s guests:

Shane Farthing, Executive Director of WABA

Chris Eatough, Program Manager from Bike Arlington

Carolyn Szczepanski, Director of Communications, Women Bike, American League of Bicyclists

Is/Will this be available as a podcast? WAMU’s site does not appear to offer it as a recording (either that or they offer it in Windows Media Player format only, and my Mac’s browser won’t play it – I’m not sure which).