Attn commuters coming down the Crescent Trail into Georgetown

[Pedestrian]

I am a former cyclist who now walks for age and health reasons. I walk along the Georgetown Waterfront Park pedestrian path right by the Potomac, but I don’t like cyclists swooping past at 25 mph wearing headphones and endangering me, my dog, other walkers, toddlers and disabled people with wheelchairs, canes and walkers. The path along the river is posted “Walk Bike” very clearly at both main entrances.

And there’s a perfectly nice bike path right off K Street that will get you to where you are going just as quickly without endangering pedestrians. As bike riders, you are pretty aggressive in claiming your rights against drivers, so please show the same courtesy and respect to pedestrians.

Topic

[TwoWheelsDC]

I expect I’m answering a one-off post, but whatever…

Fortunately, I think the members of this forum all would agree with you and I doubt any here are the type of cyclist you are concerned about. Unfortunately, however, people on bikes are not a monolithic group and, as with pedestrians and drivers, some are jerks and don’t care about others. FWIW, I have never ridden on that part of the path and never would, for the reasons you list. Also, in addition to being a rider of bikes, I also walk, take transit, and drive. I feel just as strongly about making spaces safe and convenient for walkers and transit users as I do people on bikes.

[baiskeli]

We get these posts every once in a while. Sometimes they are obnoxious jerks, and even threaten violence against cyclists. Thanks, pedestrian, for not being one of those.

That said, it’s not likely that you’ll reach your intended audience here. We spend as much time complaining about cyclists like that as you do. Those types don’t tend to read these boards. Perhaps you can join our efforts to keep cycling safe for everyone. Maybe we need to pal up with pedestrian and running groups more.

[Subby]

25 mph is pretty fast! I need to create a Strava segment to verify this, however. Will be in touch.

[83b]

An aside, what is this “perfectly nice bike path off of K Street”? I’ve always just ridden on K Street, which is usually a terrible mess when I’m passing through on weekends. Is there a better connection from the CCT up to Penn Ave and parts headed east? I particularly dislike the highway style intersection where K St, Whitehurst, and Rock Creek all come together. It’s usually a bit of a mad sprint to get up and over to Washington Circle without getting tailgated or passed aggressively. I hate bringing less experienced riders through there.

[Crickey7]

That’s not K Street, I believe, but Water Street. I know this path. It’s pretty wide. Some riders do veer off the Street onto this path to avoid the 3-way stop at Wisconsin. I do not. These cyclists go at a pretty fast clip.

I agree that those cyclists likely do not haunt this site. I’ve told riders on the CCT on a few occasions that their riding is unsafe, but it’s (a) hard to get to them before they head off, (b) often greeted with hostility and (c) not really my place to act as cop. I do it only in situations of dangerous riding, not for garden variety a-holes.

[dasgeh]

@Crickey7 126682 wrote:

That’s not K Street, I believe, but Water Street. I know this path. It’s pretty wide. Some riders do veer off the Street onto this path to avoid the 3-way stop at Wisconsin. I do not. These cyclists go at a pretty fast clip.

This is a place that BEGS for segregated infrastructure. The path I know of is basically a sidewalk, so yes, it’s wide, but it’s full of pedestrians. It’s one of those places where people on bikes are stuck choosing the lesser of two evils: riding with cars, that are mostly predictable, but inflict a lot of damage when they’re not, or riding with pedestrians, who are not at all predictable, but don’t inflict a lot of damage.

[Subby]

@Pedestrian 126667 wrote:

[COLOR=rgb(51, 51, 51)]The path along the river is posted “Walk Bike” very clearly at both main entrances. [/COLOR]

Fwiw, I’m probably less of a danger to pets and toddlers if I don’t walk my bike.

[Lt. Dan]

[Steve O]

@Subby 126743 wrote:

Fwiw, I’m probably less of a danger to pets and toddlers if I don’t walk my bike.

OTOH, I’m dangerous to both whether I have a bike or not.

[Vicegrip]

@Steve O 126791 wrote:

OTOH, I’m dangerous to both whether I have a bike or not.

^Yet another of the many unsubstantiated reasons we all like you.

[ShawnoftheDread]

^^Don’t put words in our mouths.

[mstone]

@Steve O 126791 wrote:

OTOH, I’m dangerous to both whether I have a bike or not.

toddlers are really hard to see

[baiskeli]

@Vicegrip 126796 wrote:

^Yet another of the many unsubstantiated reasons we all like you.

Post disliked because that’s what SteveO would do. Dangerously.

[Terpfan]

@Steve O 126791 wrote:

OTOH, I’m dangerous to both whether I have a bike or not.

One of these days I’m going to try your Whitehurst Freeway Route. I really don’t mind road-riding, but I think this would be the most interesting variation.

Only reason I haven’t really is that it’s not along my way to work and takes me out of the way. One day, soon. It would probably make me like #3 of 3 on the KOH list.

[Subby]

@Terpfan 127208 wrote:

One of these days I’m going to try your Whitehurst Freeway Route. I really don’t mind road-riding, but I think this would be the most interesting variation.

Only reason I haven’t really is that it’s not along my way to work and takes me out of the way. One day, soon. It would probably make me like #3 of 3 on the KOH list.

It’s terrifying AND fun! And it’s at least 100% faster than M Street. But terrifying. AND FUN!

https://www.strava.com/activities/423012903/segments/10177335633

[Author]

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