Another accident at the GW Parkway crossing

[dbb]

@rcannon100 22759 wrote:

Another accident involving the bollards at the MVT Bridge over the GW Parkway at Roosevelt this morning. It appears that a young woman (who was wearing flip flops) failed to navigate the descent down from the Custis Trail to the bridge over the GW. There were about 5 cyclists stopped trying to help her. She looked okay – I did not see blood. But the conversation going on was whether she would walk (not ride) out of there.

That little hill is a beast – and the bollard dead square in the center of the trail doesnt help – there is absolutely no way a car is going to reach that point on the trail.

I rode that this morning and was thinking that the bollards might be moved to a straight stretch of the trail closer to the Lynn Street. If indeed the bollards exist to stop vehicles from crossing the bridge, maybe they can stop them earlier. There are some spots on the flat closer to Lynn that might work.

As much as I dislike bollards (even the bike friendlier Arlington ones), I like suprises less. Bollards should be used only when necessary and then at locations where bikes are traveling more slowly and where they can be seen.

[dasgeh]

I missed the accident, but I did encounter (1) a pedestrian walking and talking with a friend, looking at the ground, who almost walked into me just before the paper-clip-bend on the ramp (I saw them and they didn’t react to my saying hi, so I was practically stopped); and (2) two runners LAYING on the trail at the bottom of the hill doing crunches. They were on the WB side, but could easily have created a situation with someone having to go around them and someone speeding down the hill.

Serious, laying in the narrow part of a bike trail, at the bottom of a hill? When there are other paved or flat and hard spots, also in the shade, within 100 feet?

[americancyclo]

are we doing darwin awards?

[GuyContinental]

@dasgeh 22799 wrote:

Serious, laying in the narrow part of a bike trail, at the bottom of a hill? When there are other paved or flat and hard spots, also in the shade, within 100 feet?

I’m not really confrontational but this might have been one where I would have stopped for a chat… I haven’t really figured out the best segue for these situations beyond:
“Hi, you may not know this but ; ; is really dangerous because lots of people go really fast… yes, yes, you have the RIGHT to lie down or push your SUV stroller into traffic, and yes, cyclists should slow down, but not all will so it’s just not such a good idea to do X/Y/Z… have a good day…”

[pfunkallstar]

@GuyContinental 22810 wrote:

I’m not really confrontational but this might have been one where I would have stopped for a chat… I haven’t really figured out the best segue for these situations beyond:
“Hi, you may not know this but ; ; is really dangerous because lots of people go really fast… yes, yes, you have the RIGHT to lie down or push your SUV stroller into traffic, and yes, cyclists should slow down, but not all will so it’s just not such a good idea to do X/Y/Z… have a good day…”

Just yesterday I had a similarly awkward talk with two side-by-side stroller pushers on the Custis. One was rocking a normal stroller while the other was double-wide. Needless to say they were spilling over into the WB lane in a big way. They seemed to understand my cause for concern but the slightly older lady also went off on a tangent about how “I need to share the trail.” I took it in stride and used my deep knowledge of fractions to explain how my bike takes up a mere 1/4 of the space that they were taking up. Oh and they had a dog – crazy.

[GuyContinental]

@pfunkallstar 22825 wrote:

They seemed to understand my cause for concern but the slightly older lady also went off on a tangent about how “I need to share the trail.”

What they need to understand is that pfunk shares the trail, I share the trail, heck even if 95% of riders do share the trail, THEY and their kids are the ones that are in danger from the 5%- there aren’t a whole lot of philosophical points that I would make at the expense of my kids’ safety. Somehow peds never get that and me, the guy who first yielded and then expressed concern for their safety gets the brunt of it. Still, I think I’d feel worse if I found out that one of these fools got hit after I just passed them.

One I haven’t gotten up the courage to ask on the trail (that I see almost daily) is WTF is with helmets on backwards? Is there some reason that completely escapes me that makes sense for ladies with long hair or is it just complete cluelessness?

[dasgeh]

@GuyContinental 22810 wrote:

I’m not really confrontational but this might have been one where I would have stopped for a chat…

I should have stopped. I was late for work already (hence why I missed the accident. It was well after 9am). I did say “Really? In the trail?” as I passed, and as I was already rolling slowly, I’m pretty sure they heard me. But that was just snarky, and they could have sensed that I thought they were total idiots, I mean, taken it the wrong way. I was full of snark after almost having been walked into while I was rolling slowly down the hill, but I would like to do better at remembering that we’re all just out enjoying the day, and people deserve the benefit of the possibility that they don’t realize why their actions aren’t the best for the world. And that snark probably isn’t going to get anyone to change.

If anyone has any good segways/intro lines for such situations, I’d love to hear them. I find having those on hand can be helpful.

[pfunkallstar]

@GuyContinental 22832 wrote:

What they need to understand is that pfunk shares the trail, I share the trail, heck even if 95% of riders do share the trail, THEY and their kids are the ones that are in danger from the 5%- there aren’t a whole lot of philosophical points that I would make at the expense of my kids’ safety. Somehow peds never get that and me, the guy who first yielded and then expressed concern for their safety gets the brunt of it. Still, I think I’d feel worse if I found out that one of these fools got hit after I just passed them.

One I haven’t gotten up the courage to ask on the trail (that I see almost daily) is WTF is with helmets on backwards? Is there some reason that completely escapes me that makes sense for ladies with long hair or is it just complete cluelessness?

Having worked at a slew of bike shops, although mostly as a wrench, I would say that a solid 20% of people buying helmets put them on the wrong way. Some say that it is more comfortable. Some have no clue as to what a helmet is. But the most interesting explanation I ever heard was that “Don’t you want all the supporting stuff in FRONT of your head?” – which is a kind of logic, just not that sound.

[consularrider]

Along the same vein, I had a polite and constructive chat with a gentleman who had parked his car at a W&OD access point in such a way that he obscured the sight line. His was the only car and he had plenty of room to move back a few feet so that those both coming off as well as those entering the trail could see any potential conflicts. He smiled and thanked me and moved the car. I had seen the car parked there a couple mornings in a row and it looks like he comes down to take a walk.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Had a chance to drive the GWMP the last couple of mornings…the new speed bumpish things are a nice addition. I find that they make me more confident that I won’t get rear-ended if I stop for a ped and I think more cars are stopping now that they are there, as both yesterday and today I’ve seen cars stop, which before was incredibly rare. However, this morning I was driving in the right lane and there was only one car in front of me, which also was in the right lane. I noticed a group of folks waiting to cross, and the car in front of me did as well, as we both slowed at roughly the same time as we came over the speed bumps. There were a few cars behind me who also slowed, but for whatever reason, like 4(!!) cars decided they couldn’t wait and quickly jumped into the left lane to pass the cars stopped in the right lane, completely blowing through the crosswalk as people were starting to walk in front of the lead car….un-freaking-believable. I bet an analysis of pedestrian hits at this intersection would reveal this to be the primary cause for the incidents. So remember, don’t cross until both lanes of traffic have stopped for you!

[KLizotte]

@TwoWheelsDC 25492 wrote:

Had a chance to drive the GWMP the last couple of mornings…the new speed bumpish things are a nice addition. I find that they make me more confident that I won’t get rear-ended if I stop for a ped and I think more cars are stopping now that they are there, as both yesterday and today I’ve seen cars stop, which before was incredibly rare. However, this morning I was driving in the right lane and there was only one car in front of me, which also was in the right lane. I noticed a group of folks waiting to cross, and the car in front of me did as well, as we both slowed at roughly the same time as we came over the speed bumps. There were a few cars behind me who also slowed, but for whatever reason, like 4(!!) cars decided they couldn’t wait and quickly jumped into the left lane to pass the cars stopped in the right lane, completely blowing through the crosswalk as people were starting to walk in front of the lead car….un-freaking-believable. I bet an analysis of pedestrian hits at this intersection would reveal this to be the primary cause for the incidents. So remember, don’t cross until both lanes of traffic have stopped for you!

Is this where they are planning on reducing the two lanes down to one?

[Rootchopper]

@TwoWheelsDC 25492 wrote:

Had a chance to drive the GWMP the last couple of mornings…the new speed bumpish things are a nice addition. I find that they make me more confident that I won’t get rear-ended if I stop for a ped and I think more cars are stopping now that they are there, as both yesterday and today I’ve seen cars stop, which before was incredibly rare. However, this morning I was driving in the right lane and there was only one car in front of me, which also was in the right lane. I noticed a group of folks waiting to cross, and the car in front of me did as well, as we both slowed at roughly the same time as we came over the speed bumps. There were a few cars behind me who also slowed, but for whatever reason, like 4(!!) cars decided they couldn’t wait and quickly jumped into the left lane to pass the cars stopped in the right lane, completely blowing through the crosswalk as people were starting to walk in front of the lead car….un-freaking-believable. I bet an analysis of pedestrian hits at this intersection would reveal this to be the primary cause for the incidents. So remember, don’t cross until both lanes of traffic have stopped for you!

Twice this year I have almost been picked off by a car that failed to properly stop in the next lane over situation you describe. My near misses were crossing the I66 ramp to Lynn Street in Rosslyn. Don’t assume that just because you have a green light or a walk signal that the drivers of cars will stop for their red light.

[dasgeh]

@KLizotte 25496 wrote:

Is this where they are planning on reducing the two lanes down to one?

If TwoWheels is talking about the actual Parkway, the answer is no.

I admit, when I’m driving and in this situation (in the right lane, see peds waiting to cross, car ahead of me in right lane is slowing), I’ll pull into the left lane just to stop, knowing that’s the safest for the peds. Of course, I only do this when it’s safe to do so, which isn’t always the case.

In a similar note, I recently was driving West on Lee Hwy by the Cherrydale Safeway. A pedestrian in a wheel chair was crossing in the crosswalk. He got through the two westbound lanes no problem. A car headed Eastbound in the right lane stopped as well. No fewer than 4 cars sped through in the left lane. I’m pretty sure this is ACPD’s jurisdiction. If only they would enforce the law of crosswalks EVER.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Saw another this morning at the GWMP NB crossing on Columbia Island. I was probably 1/10th of a mile back from the large group of cars that appeared to have stopped for a pedestrian, but then I could see one car quickly pull over and stop on the opposite side of the crosswalk and I knew someone got hit. There were tons of people on the scene by the time I got up to it (there were probably 5 other cyclists also at the crosswalk) and from what I could tell, the victim was conscious and looked hurt, but not seriously so, which I really hope turns out to be the case. Based on my limited view of the situation, I’d say the lead car in the right lane stopped, but a car in the left lane blew through and caught the cyclist…but it’s also possible (but I think not quite as likely) that, in order to avoid a rear-end collision, the car swerved and then hit the pedestrian. This is now the second accident I’ve witnessed in less than a year, at the same intersection, and under the same circumstances….but hey, at least they put some rumble strips in, right??

[consularrider]

I passed by the site at 8:05. An ambulance and fire engine were there and the injured individual was on a stretcher with a white road bike alongside it. A few minutes later I heard the siren as they were heading to the hospital.

[Author]

Posts