4MR intersection woes

[Dickie]

Ever since I moved to Shirlington and my commute slightly changed I have encountered the same problem nearly every day when I head home. Granted, I am heading east when most everyone else is going west, but I have narrowly escaped an accident more than a handful of times and I am just waiting for the inevitable. It concerns that stretch of 4MR that dips under Mt. Vernon Ave, runs behind the Berkeley Apartments, then T’s into the next stretch of 4MR that parallels S. Glebe. Nearly every rider heading west in the afternoon assumes no east bound rider will travel straight ahead at that T-junction (which is fair as most do not), but I do. Every day I slow down as I approach that intersection and some jackhole comes flying up that section and nearly t-bones me… no looking, no slowing, just barreling on through. I have slowed to avoid these accidents only to be nearly hit from behind by someone following me…. it’s getting nuts. Please… if you ride that way home, please don’t assume oncoming riders will make that right, some go straight… like I do. Slow down and look for signs from the rider indicating their intentions. I generally point straight and yell now.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12180[/ATTACH]

Topic

[Dickie]

@DrP 143374 wrote:

I have always been cautious there and the location just passed the treatment plant (north/west bound) where there is a similar T, especially after the evening where that underpass was full of water and I took the sidewalk on Glebe instead. I nearly got T-boned as no one turning was expecting anyone to come along the sidewalk – but I saw them and yelled. Anyway, I promise to continue to be cautious there.

However, how do we get folks to signal their eastern turn so that when Dickie isn’t signally that, the western riders realize that something might be different? Changing that location will be hard because it is a sidewalk and the trail is anomaly, as per most non-trail users thinking, but not for the trail users.

Dickie, any way that you could turn there (especially if cyclists are coming) and then exit the trail between the sets of apartments before going under the road? It looks like it might not be a significant detour, even if you were planning to turn and cross Glebe by the supermarket. Just trying to think of ways to avoid a collision, if the sightlines and people are not being cooperative. I know that you shouldn’t have to, but sometimes it is necessary (I know I do this type of thing on bike and in a car – meaning taking a slightly longer route to avoid death or never being able to make a left turn (like on to Wash Blvd in the morning)).

Thanks DrP, good observations…. and yes I have diverted and made the right turn instead to avoid a collision. It isn’t a massive deal and isn’t really out of my way so it works out if I see a possible problem in advance… sometimes however It’s just unavoidable and frustrating. It’s just annoying that the best way for me to avoid an incident is to change my route rather than have other cyclists simply be more aware and courteous.

[consularrider]

Some priority road type signs might help (something else to run into?) [ATTACH=CONFIG]12199[/ATTACH]

[Steve O]

The “trail” along there is substandard to start with, IMHO. I don’t think it’s even 8 feet wide.

Longer term it would be nice to route the trail away from the road, instead of like a glorified sidewalk, with a nice median between Glebe and 4MR trail. Then the intersection would become a left turn while the main-line trail continues straight.

Another option would be to switch your working hours to night shift. Then your commute times would align better with everyone else’s and you will be going the same direction.

[DrP]

@consularrider 143570 wrote:

Some priority road type signs might help (something else to run into?) [ATTACH=CONFIG]12199[/ATTACH]

These are needed in a lot of places on the trails. And some roads.

(Aside from street signs typically being on the sides of buildings rather than on the corners or above the roads (“Damn, that is where I was supposed to turn. Good thing there is a roundabout coming up.”), the roads in Europe are typically much better signed than here)

[Author]

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