Arlington County Drive Trucks on Trails Day

[rcannon100]

This is a huge issue. Arlington promotes cycling as transportation – but then does not act like cycling is transportation – blocking bike trails at will during rush hour. I encourage you to contact Arlington County directly and voice your concern. You will be joining a chorus of folk with a very similar message.

trails@arlingtonva.us;

Arlington Parks and Recreation email form http://www.arlingtonva.us/Scripts/FeedbackForm.aspx?to=dpr&dom=arlingtonva.us

David J Goodman, RA/AICP
Bicycle & Pedestrian Programs Manager
Arlington County
( Work: 703.228.3339| 7 Fax: 703.228.7548| email: dgoodman@arlingtonva.us

The Department of Environmental Services is not in charge or parks or trails — but they have been cyclists great friends and have done a lot with bike lanes and sharrows. Copy them:

DES@arlingtonva.us;

Finally copy the Arlington BAC

arlingtonbacchair@gmail.com

[consularrider]

I fairly regularly run into these trucks on the 4MRT between Bluemont and Walter Reed. Then in the evenings it’s not been unusual to have a park ranger SUV behind me coming up from Columbia Pike on the W&OD. This morning there was a different truck about 7:25 driving south on the Bluemont trail between N Emerson St and the W&OD. I had to wait behind it at the Kensington St crossing. Of course the runners kept going around it. After Kensington it pulled over enough to let me by.

I always wonder what they are doing out there so early in the morning during what I always thought of as the busy time for the trail (a commuter’s self interest view), and why they couldn’t wait until after 8:30 or 9:00 am. Then I’ve been on the trails a little later and see plenty of parents out with younger kids, so there probably isn’t a “good” time to get out and to the grounds maintenance that they have to do.

[Mark Blacknell]

@sjclaeys 44754 wrote:

It is apparently drive your truck on a trail day for Arlington County. The fellow pictured here was parked on the W&OD at the Carlin Springs underpass at 7:40 this morning with no cones or other warning. It was just an inconvenience going east, but someone going west could have easily found themselves riding into the front of a truck. Later this morning I saw a full-sized trash truck tooling along 4MRT between Carlin Springs and Columbia Pike and an Arlington County truck pulling on to 4MRT near Shirlington.

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Woah. Yeah, that’s one that needs to go to trails@arlingtonva.us (as Bob notes). I’m not that aggravated about maintenance trucks on the trails, and they usually do a good job of sharing it when they are. But this was super dangerous if there wasn’t anyone flagging around the corner.

[Tim Kelley]

FYI–here’s the reply I got from trails manager:

Of course we are on trails every day with maintenance vehicles managing issues and keeping them clear of debris. From the photo, this crew member is obviously collecting large limbs along the trail. There does not appear to be anywhere for him to pull over at this location, but perhaps he could have maneuvered better. The crew member may have followed other protocol by signaling and sounding his horn. It is always difficult to perform maintenance near corners and underpasses. Fortunately I know of no injuries attributed to maintenance vehicles on the trail. Let us keep in mind that a cyclist could impact a pedestrian under the same circumstances. Overall crews are following safe procedures. I will investigate further, to find more ways to keep our trails safe.

Just a reminder for everyone to be PAL on the trails, and slow down around corners. You never know if you’ll come face to face with pedestrian, rollerblader walking their dog, or a service vehicle!

[rcannon100]

Let us keep in mind that a cyclist could impact a pedestrian under the same circumstances.

This callous comment is exactly why you should contact Arlco directly. In fact, in light of this callous – we clearly dont get it – comment – I recommend contacting the Board.

ParksAndRec offers no reason why the trucks are on the trails during rush hour. Instead, ParksandRec dares to suggest that YOU are as great a danger on the trail as their trucks. What a load of crap.

This is why many (Mark, the BAC) have asked that the trails be removed from ParksandRec’s jurisdiction and given to Arlington DES – which clearly does get it.

[baiskeli]

From my junction tollbooth, I have noticed more than the usual number of trucks in this area lately, including at night.

[dasgeh]

Of course we are on trails every day with maintenance vehicles managing issues and keeping them clear of debris. From the photo, this crew member is obviously collecting large limbs along the trail. There does not appear to be anywhere for him to pull over at this location, but perhaps he could have maneuvered better. The crew member may have followed other protocol by signaling and sounding his horn. It is always difficult to perform maintenance near corners and underpasses. Fortunately I know of no injuries attributed to maintenance vehicles on the trail. Let us keep in mind that a cyclist could impact a pedestrian under the same circumstances. Overall crews are following safe procedures. I will investigate further, to find more ways to keep our trails safe.

Perhaps it could be pointed out that (1) the truck is on the trail during rush hour; and (2) the truck is parked in a lane directly after users of that lane will have come around a corner (do they come downhill around that point too? I don’t know it very well). A trail user coming around that corner would not expect a LARGE, completely immobile object to be taking up the entire lane. Regular obstacles (e.g. a runner stopped to tie her shoe) would be small enough to swerve around. A truck on the trail is a different animal. They need to put up warnings in cases like this. I wouldn’t even think it would need to be elaborate – just a sign.

I’m very disappointed that the response is “no injuries yet, so we must be ok”.

[bobco85]

@Tim Kelley 44785 wrote:

FYI–here’s the reply I got from trails manager:

…(trails manager’s reply)…

Just a reminder for everyone to be PAL on the trails, and slow down around corners. You never know if you’ll come face to face with pedestrian, rollerblader walking their dog, or a service vehicle!

I’m curious, what did you write in your e-mail to them? Was it focused on this situation alone or on the perceived increase in maintenance vehicles on the trail? I think it would help in determining what kind of response (helpful, rude, vague, etc.) the trails manager gave you.

It seems to be a good idea in this situation to request that the maintenance workers keep a safe distance from areas with low visibility and/or poor sightlines just as a reminder, but I think the maintenance crews tend to exercise good judgement when using/parking on the trails.

P.S. – Thank you for contacting them.

[Tim Kelley]

@bobco85 44800 wrote:

I’m curious, what did you write in your e-mail to them? Was it focused on this situation alone or on the perceived increase in maintenance vehicles on the trail? I think it would help in determining what kind of response (helpful, rude, vague, etc.) the trails manager gave you.

It seems to be a good idea in this situation to request that the maintenance workers keep a safe distance from areas with low visibility and/or poor sightlines just as a reminder, but I think the maintenance crews tend to exercise good judgement when using/parking on the trails.

P.S. – Thank you for contacting them.

I pointed out the thread and asked if the entire team knows correct procedures for driving on trails and that this particular situation could be dangerous.

[CPTJohnC]

I happened upon an ArlCo maintenance truck on the W&OD this morning during the rush. In my opinion he was behaving very courteously, including making it easy for me to pass him before he got close to a pedestrian. I think I’d rather have maintenance being done than the alternative, though I’m sure they could do better esp. near blind corners. Better than the DC trucks and MPD vehicles I run into on the MBT all the time.

[consularrider]

I couldn’t figure out why the NPS pickup was on the MVT between milepost 13 and the deadend GWParkway exit, especially when the roadway was only ten feet to the right?

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