Arlington Input wanted: Bikes May Use Full Lane Signs?

[DismalScientist]

How about all the way down Clarendon from Clarendon to Rosslyn? There are generally enough movable obstructions that I am in and out of the bike lane all down the hill.

[donkeybike]

2nd St S, which currently has sharrows

[brianmcentee]

– Henderson between Glebe and George Mason.
– Pershing from George Mason to Washington Boulevard.

[Just161]

Key Boulevard, west of N. Veitch?

I think it does depend on what the purpose of the signs are…

[dcvelobrew]

The lanes along Wilson between Glebe and George Mason are very narrow and cyclists would definitely benefit from having sharrows along that stretch.

[almondwine]

I mean, duh…

[Brendan von Buckingham]

I second Clarendon Blvd eastbound, from Highland all the way thru Lynn.

+ it’s mostly downhill, especially starting at Courthouse Road allowing most cyclists to ride over 20 mph and close to the speed limit at Rhodes Street (30 mph)

+ bike lane is too close to parked cars and bikes need the full lane to avoid the door zone.

+ high concentration of driveways and parking lot curb cuts (esp. Starbucks b/t Edgewood and Danville) result in too many right-hook encounters

+ entering traffic from south (Quinn, Queen, Pierce, etc.) pokes into bike lane to see past parked cars. And they poorly judge speed of cyclists coming out of the Courthouse downhill

+ with two traffic lanes, cars can use left lane to pass bikes using center of right lane

[Mark Blacknell]

Concur w/ Clarendon eastbound suggestions, as well as 2nd St. S (tho’ aren’t there a couple there already?). And Columbia Pike, but man, that’s just like putting a bandaid on a gusher.

Also suggest Lynn St. (NB) on the signpost on the NE corner of the 66 onramp. Most cyclists coming from Rosslyn and heading toward Key Bridge or MVT will not be getting on the bridge sidewalk at that intersection, but continue in the lane until they can mount the curb on the far side of the 66 offramp. Given that the bike lane quits back before the onramp, it would be a nice reminder for motorists that bikes belong in this busy intersection.

[ChrisR]

Rosslyn – the whole length of Ft Myer drive from Key Bridge to the tie in with the trails by Iwo Jima and Fairfax Drive.
Clarendon – the part of Fairfax drive that goes right by the coffee shop. Thats one of the only ways to get through this area without getting mowed down on Wilson or Washington. Could you make the right turn onto Fairfax there headed west bound bike only??

[StopMeansStop]

What’s the point? Every licensed driver already knows bikes are allowed to use the streets. Seems like a waste of money.

[OX4]

Considering the fact that bikes may always use the full lane by law, these signs are a really, really bad idea. Drivers will assume that wherever there’s no sign, a bike is not allowed to be in the lane.

[RESTONTODC]

@StopMeansStop 3024 wrote:

What’s the point? Every licensed driver already knows bikes are allowed to use the streets. Seems like a waste of money.

I would disagree with this. In this DC area, most drivers believe the bikes should belong to the trails, not on the roads. It makes the drivers aware of possible bikers on the road. The paint and signs don’t cost much.

I applaud the Arlington county for this effort.

[brendan]

@Brendan von Buckingham 2997 wrote:

I second Clarendon Blvd eastbound, from Highland all the way thru Lynn…

+ high concentration of driveways and parking lot curb cuts (esp. Starbucks b/t Edgewood and Danville) result in too many right-hook encounters…

The Clarendon Blvd. Starbucks/Whole Foods Interchange is a nightmare no matter what type of traffic you are (foot, bike or car). Talk about Mixing Bowl! Maybe a bypass could be put in? More seriously…I do whatever I can to avoid being there whenever possible…which can be difficult since I live on Wilson one block north of there.

@Mark Blacknell 3011 wrote:

Also suggest Lynn St. (NB) on the signpost on the NE corner of the 66 onramp. Most cyclists coming from Rosslyn and heading toward Key Bridge or MVT will not be getting on the bridge sidewalk at that intersection, but continue in the lane until they can mount the curb on the far side of the 66 offramp. Given that the bike lane quits back before the onramp, it would be a nice reminder for motorists that bikes belong in this busy intersection.

Speaking of Lynn St. (NB), and perhaps off-topic: about half the cyclists I know have crashed their bike on the grates making that left turn from Wilson Blvd. usually in the rain. Has Arlington thought about making that turn safer for cyclists?

@ChrisR 3023 wrote:

Clarendon – the part of Fairfax drive that goes right by the coffee shop. Thats one of the only ways to get through this area without getting mowed down on Wilson or Washington. Could you make the right turn onto Fairfax there headed west bound bike only??

Perhaps another off-topic issue: on my return trips from the Bluemont/Ballston area, I usually take a left at 10th Street from Fairfax Blvd. (eastbound) onto…huh…Fairfax Blvd. eastbound: http://goo.gl/maps/rJWP

Anyway, that intersection is also somewhat of a nightmare for cyclists, as it can be very hard to make that “left” to continue on Fairfax legally. Most cars navigate half to 2/3 of the way into the intersection to wait out west/north-bound traffic on 10th St. crossing their path, but that’s super risky for a bike. I suppose the alternate is to take continue forward (aka a “right” onto 10th St. N going east) and take a left on Wilson Blvd. and then a left across traffic if you’re stopping for some Northside coffee…

Brendan

[Allen Muchnick]

In response to Tim’s initial suggestions, I don’t think it’s a good idea to install BMUFL signs for short (e.g., one block or shorter) pinch points between two segments of bike lane or where the bike lane on Fairfax Dr ends at N.Wakefield St at the I-66 entrance ramp. Installing sharrows in the center of the travel lane should be adequate for such segments, whereas the BMUFL signs would confuse both bicyclists and motorists.

The BMUFL signs should be reserved for longer road segments with sharrows and perhaps where a bike lane has been (inappropriately) installed along a long and relatively steep downhill segment (e.g., Clarendon Blvd between Courthouse Rd and Rhodes St). It would be better to first replace such bike lanes with sharrows.

I’d love to see sharrows installed in the center of the curb lanes of Columbia Pike, although frequent BMUFL signs on this street would contribute to, and be lost in, sign clutter. Within Arlington, the Columbia Pike roadway is eminently bikeable by experienced vehicular cyclists, and sharrows there might provide useful guidance and assurance to gutter bunnies and sidewalk riders.

[invisiblehand]

@Allen Muchnick 3035 wrote:

In response to Tim’s initial suggestions, I don’t think it’s a good idea to install BMUFL signs for short (e.g., one block or shorter) pinch points between two segments of bike lane or where the bike lane on Fairfax Dr ends at N.Wakefield St at the I-66 entrance ramp. Installing sharrows in the center of the travel lane should be adequate for such segments, whereas the BMUFL signs would confuse both bicyclists and motorists.

The BMUFL signs should be reserved for longer road segments with sharrows and perhaps where a bike lane has been (inappropriately) installed along a long and relatively steep downhill segment (e.g., Clarendon Blvd between Courthouse Rd and Rhodes St). It would be better to first replace such bike lanes with sharrows.

I’d love to see sharrows installed in the center of the curb lanes of Columbia Pike, although frequent BMUFL signs on this street would contribute to, and be lost in, sign clutter. Within Arlington, the Columbia Pike roadway is eminently bikeable by experienced vehicular cyclists, and sharrows there might provide useful guidance and assurance to gutter bunnies and sidewalk riders.

I concur with Allen.

I would like something done with the narrow bike lane on Quincy connecting Military Road to 15th ST N just north of W & L which — note I have not run out there with a ruler nor measuring tape — is often filled with debris and or in the door zone. My bike with kiddie trailer can’t ride in the bike lane without either …

(1) me riding smack in the door zone or
(2) having my kids partially in the through lane.

-G

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