Alexandria Updates

[KLizotte]

@lordofthemark 141721 wrote:

Commonwealth>Dangerfield>Prince

BTW, from what I can gather, lots of cyclists hate, hate, hate the 15th street cycle track, with dangers from head on collisions with other cyclists, and dangers from turning cars . I don’t think there is any infra that all cyclists with all speeds and abilities will like.

I routinely take Commonwealth-Daingerfield-Prince but would prefer to take Cameron since Dangerfield is a PITA with the intersections and traffic. Also Prince requires crossing Washington at a busy intersection and eventually turns into an unrideable cobble stone street necessitating taking a right or left turn on to a side street.

[scoot]

@lordofthemark 141721 wrote:

I don’t think there is any infra that all cyclists with all speeds and abilities will like.

Hmmm… you may be onto something. So now I’m trying to think of a counter-example.

Are there any cyclists who dislike riding on a bike boulevard like Key (between Veitch and Highland) or N Irving (between 50 and Pershing)?

[S. Arlington Observer]

@scoot 141735 wrote:

Hmmm… you may be onto something. So now I’m trying to think of a counter-example.

Are there any cyclists who dislike riding on a bike boulevard like Key (between Veitch and Highland) or N Irving (between 50 and Pershing)?

I use Key Boulevard all the time. Even with no special infrastructure I feel safe because trucks and buses don’t use it, there are lots of traffic calming features and vehicle traffic is not heavy. It is a good example of a street that doesn’t (at this point) need any special bike infrastructure.

[creadinger]

@KLizotte 141728 wrote:

…..and hit Mt Ida if I feel like a hill workout) and do loops.

If you’re going to do Mt. Ida then you have to do Mansion too.

[runbike]

@S. Arlington Observer 141770 wrote:

I use Key Boulevard all the time. Even with no special infrastructure I feel safe because trucks and buses don’t use it, there are lots of traffic calming features and vehicle traffic is not heavy. It is a good example of a street that doesn’t (at this point) need any special bike infrastructure.

Agree totally. I use Key daily during the summer months when the Custis becomes too crowded for comfort. Thanks to the aforementioned traffic calming measures, Key is one of the few streets where a cyclist can go as fast or faster than auto traffic since you can take a better line through the circles. My only gripe with this bike boulevard is that cars entering from the side streets tend to treat the stop signs as yields and rarely seem to actually look for approaching bicyclists. Also the do not enter during certain hours signs at either end of Key are rarely heeded by drivers

[creadinger]

@lordofthemark 141725 wrote:

Why exactly? If anything, they make me a tad more nervous than many others, because the median prevents cars from moving to the left. I probably ride further to the right in them than I normally do in a door zone BL as a result (and were I faster I would probably take the lane there) and count on the low parking turnover to keep the odds in my favor.

I live 2 blocks from Commonwealth and use parts of it to get virtually everywhere by bike. I’ve never not felt safe on Commonwealth. The speed limit is only 25 and drivers know to expect anything and everything along the road so people are really cautious. When a bike lane is along parallel parked cars I tend to ride on the left most white line of the bike lane giving me space in case of a door, but it also gives sufficient space for people passing. Since they’re passing at such a low speed it’s quite safe.

There’s one reason lately where I’m tempted to call Alexandria PD to see if they can do some enforcement – DRIVERS tend to ignore the stop signs along Commonwealth and either slow and go, or stop with the car in front of them, then just go when they do… frustrating. On the other hand, I’m worried that APD will penalize cyclists more so, as most of us tend to do Idaho stops through the area.

[lordofthemark]

@scoot 141735 wrote:

Hmmm… you may be onto something. So now I’m trying to think of a counter-example.

Are there any cyclists who dislike riding on a bike boulevard like Key (between Veitch and Highland) or N Irving (between 50 and Pershing)?

I suppose when I said “infra” I was not thinking “bike blvd on quiet residential street that is part of a grid of streets”. While Cameron is part of a grid, it is also one way for much of its length, and I do not see the City converting it to two way (though again, I am late to the whole Prince/Cameron debate, I do not know if that was mentioned) . Maybe they would add roundabouts to the two way portion – though I think the two way portion is wider than Key (that is just from looking at StreetView, I am really not sure) so I think removing the center yellow strip would not leave as “traffic calmed” a street as on Key.

Certainly we should be on the look out for places where bike boulevards can be implemented – that is the City plan for Royal, though I do not have engineering plans handy.

Arlington meanwhile might try to improve their bike boulevards parallel to Columbia Pike.

[dasgeh]

@S. Arlington Observer 141770 wrote:

I use Key Boulevard all the time. Even with no special infrastructure I feel safe because trucks and buses don’t use it, there are lots of traffic calming features and vehicle traffic is not heavy. It is a good example of a street that doesn’t (at this point) need any special bike infrastructure.

(Except signage)

@lordofthemark 141783 wrote:

I suppose when I said “infra” I was not thinking “bike blvd on quiet residential street that is part of a grid of streets”. While Cameron is part of a grid, it is also one way for much of its length, and I do not see the City converting it to two way (though again, I am late to the whole Prince/Cameron debate, I do not know if that was mentioned) . Maybe they would add roundabouts to the two way portion – though I think the two way portion is wider than Key (that is just from looking at StreetView, I am really not sure) so I think removing the center yellow strip would not leave as “traffic calmed” a street as on Key.

Certainly we should be on the look out for places where bike boulevards can be implemented – that is the City plan for Royal, though I do not have engineering plans handy.

Arlington meanwhile might try to improve their bike boulevards parallel to Columbia Pike.

I think bike boulevards can be great, but they have to connect through, have safe (signalized) crossings of major roads and have adequate signage. I don’t know Cameron well, but for one-way roads, countra-flow bike lanes are a possibility. For roads that start and stop, trails or signed safe routes that punch through the sections where the road doesn’t are essential. For example, the defact Key Blvd bike blvd could be extended along 13th St N to Quincy, if the County would sign the jog along Jackson to 13th, and improve the downhill portion of 13th between Jackson and Kirkwood. Also, Key would be much better connected to Clarendon/FFX Drive if Irving by Liberty Tavern had a countraflow bike lane, and there were a place for bikes to wait for the light on the corner by the Irish place.

And signs, signs, signs, signs. It is difficult to navigate the network of neighborhood streets if you don’t know it. Signs, like SF’s “Wiggle” could make it much easier.

[Steve O]

@dasgeh 141809 wrote:

For example, the defact Key Blvd bike blvd could be extended along 13th St N to Quincy, if the County would sign the jog along Jackson to 13th, and improve the downhill portion of 13th between Jackson and Kirkwood.

Best would be a trestle from Jackson to the top of the hill on the other side of Kirkwood.

[lordofthemark]

Forgot to mention, Alexandria already has a “neighborhood bikeway” (we use that term instead of bike boulevard) on Wilkes Street in Old Town.

“I don’t know Cameron well, but for one-way roads, countra-flow bike lanes are a possibility.” The reason two way streets have special opportunities as bikeways, is not because of reverse bike traffic so much (in the case of Cameron and Prince, they form a pair, though some folks do not appreciate the access to Prince to get eastbound) but because a two way street tends to be a traffic calming measure, especially when the center line is removed.

At least in Alexandria, these projects are often advanced not for the benefit of the bike community alone, but as traffic calming/complete streets projects.

[Fairlington124]

The City has removed the slip lane at Menokin Drive and North Van Dorn Street, and improved the sidewalks and crosswalks at that intersection. While it is not explicitly bike-related, it will improve pedestrian safety, and it precedes the other work to be done on the Van Dorn bike lanes between Braddock and Menokin.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12009[/ATTACH]

Old view:

https://goo.gl/maps/t2AzvgJiCYQ2

[Fairlington124]

North Van Dorn between Braddock and Menokin now has striped bike lanes, and has one through lane for automobiles in each directions. At certain areas, as needed, there is a center turn lane. The road has been officially dieted.

[bobco85]

@Fairlington124 142149 wrote:

North Van Dorn between Braddock and Menokin now has striped bike lanes, and has one through lane for automobiles in each directions. At certain areas, as needed, there is a center turn lane. The road has been officially dieted.

Just rode it today. They are not finished with the lines yet. There are sections without any lines (only the dashed guide lines) on them spaced between areas with lines, but the general lane layout is there. I had a promising observation: drivers respected the painted and unpainted bike lane sections (i.e., stayed out of them).

I imagine the lines will be fully complete in a day or two. I’ll post some pics the next time I ride through that section.

[Fairlington124]

I came across this tweet indicating that there are now bike lanes on Kenmore Avenue in front of the Aldi near Seminary Road on the West End:

https://twitter.com/DataScientista/status/747912254927081472

“Oh hey – new bike lanes?! Kenmore Ave in front of Aldi @AlexandriaBiker @redbricktown @WABADC #bikedc”

I’ll have to investigate. Looks like we have another cyclist on the West End as well.

[Sunyata]

@Fairlington124 142235 wrote:

I came across this tweet indicating that there are now bike lanes on Kenmore Avenue in front of the Aldi near Seminary Road on the West End:

https://twitter.com/DataScientista/status/747912254927081472

“Oh hey – new bike lanes?! Kenmore Ave in front of Aldi @AlexandriaBiker @redbricktown @WABADC #bikedc”

I’ll have to investigate. Looks like we have another cyclist on the West End as well.

Wait… How is it that I did not know that there was an Aldi over there?! 😮 Is there decent bike parking there? (sorry for the slightly off topic post!)

[Author]

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