August 2019 – Road and Trail Conditions

[bentbike33]

The Park Service has closed Ohio Dr. under the 14th Street Bridge complex and the railroad bridges. The barriers they put up are a bit more bike-tight than yesterday, and they were digging a hole this morning. Anyway, avoid looping around between Case Bridge and 14th Street Bridge.

[ursus]

@bentbike33 192489 wrote:

The Park Service has closed Ohio Dr. under the 14th Street Bridge complex and the railroad bridges. The barriers they put up are a bit more bike-tight than yesterday, and they were digging a hole this morning. Anyway, avoid looping around between Case Bridge and 14th Street Bridge.

I wonder if they are trying to fix whatever caused flooding last summer in that area on several occasions. I haven’t seen that problem this year, but I might not have been there when it happened,

[bentbike33]

@ursus 192493 wrote:

I wonder if they are trying to fix whatever caused flooding last summer in that area on several occasions. I haven’t seen that problem this year, but I might not have been there when it happened,

It’s possible. The hole they were digging in the road this morning was along the curb where a problem storm drain might have been.

[consularrider]

The Walter Reed – Arlington Mill crosswalks/curb cuts were closed this morning (7 am). Hopefully they are correcting the issues raised on this forum when they redesign was originally done.

[Tania]

When did they put in the flashing pedestrian light at the turn for Whitehurst on Key Bridge?

[DCAKen]

Yesterday evening, Beach Drive near the zoo entrance was blocked by a tree that fell across the road, hitting a car that was driving on the road. The trail was mostly blocked, but there was a narrow space between the tree and the zoo fence to walk my bike through.

This morning, the road was cleared, but the trail was still blocked. Thanks, NPS.

[secstate]

They were in the process of clearing it when I went by around 9:30am. Both the road and trail were closed for the removal. Should be done by now.

[ursus]

@Tania 192520 wrote:

When did they put in the flashing pedestrian light at the turn for Whitehurst on Key Bridge?

It wasn’t there whenever I was there last, but that was probably at least a month ago.

Is the light just continuously flashing, or is it controlled with a beg button?

[bentbike33]

@bentbike33 192489 wrote:

The Park Service has closed Ohio Dr. under the 14th Street Bridge complex and the railroad bridges. The barriers they put up are a bit more bike-tight than yesterday, and they were digging a hole this morning. Anyway, avoid looping around between Case Bridge and 14th Street Bridge.

Looked all clear this morning. I did not go through, but the downstream barricade was gone.

[arlrider]

@ursus 192526 wrote:

It wasn’t there whenever I was there last, but that was probably at least a month ago.

Is the light just continuously flashing, or is it controlled with a beg button?

Saw it for the first time this morning; caught my attention while riding – can only hope it does the same for drivers. Seemed to perhaps be motion activated? It was on and then off and then on again, and I didn’t see anyone stop to activate anything.

Now if we can only get them to remove the stupid crash barrels at that on-ramp because, you know, priorities – more important for a 2-ton death machine operator to be safely cushioned in a negligent impact than for hundreds of pedestrians and cyclists to have more than a three-foot gap through which to pass. Sigh.

Relatedly, I’m sure this has been beaten to death, but I can’t find the right thread – has anyone made any attempt at pursuing sanity with respect to the monster electronic sign parked on the south-side M St sidewalk between the NE corner of the Key Bridge and 34th? I get that it must be sooo important for drivers to know that 31st is closed, but do they really need to take what is essentially a bike/ped on/off ramp down to 2 feet wide for a full year?

[Steve O]

@arlrider 192639 wrote:

Saw it for the first time this morning; caught my attention while riding – can only hope it does the same for drivers. Seemed to perhaps be motion activated? It was on and then off and then on again, and I didn’t see anyone stop to activate anything.

Yes, it seems to come on and off for no apparent reason. It was not blinking for me northbound on Wednesday morning as I turned onto the Whitehurst.

[notinthe18]

@arlrider 192639 wrote:

Saw it for the first time this morning; caught my attention while riding – can only hope it does the same for drivers. Seemed to perhaps be motion activated? It was on and then off and then on again, and I didn’t see anyone stop to activate anything.

Now if we can only get them to remove the stupid crash barrels at that on-ramp because, you know, priorities – more important for a 2-ton death machine operator to be safely cushioned in a negligent impact than for hundreds of pedestrians and cyclists to have more than a three-foot gap through which to pass. Sigh.

Relatedly, I’m sure this has been beaten to death, but I can’t find the right thread – has anyone made any attempt at pursuing sanity with respect to the monster electronic sign parked on the south-side M St sidewalk between the NE corner of the Key Bridge and 34th? I get that it must be sooo important for drivers to know that 31st is closed, but do they really need to take what is essentially a bike/ped on/off ramp down to 2 feet wide for a full year?

It’s really only a matter of time before someone gets seriously-but-not-deathly injured at that little 34th/M/Key corner, and there’s about 120120120121 ways it could happen (to a ped, a cyclist, a scooter user, a motorist, a wheelchair user, someone pushing a stroller, etc.). That placement makes no sense.

[huskerdont]

@Steve O 192640 wrote:

Yes, it seems to come on and off for no apparent reason. It was not blinking for me northbound on Wednesday morning as I turned onto the Whitehurst.

I noticed today that it started flashing right when a pedestrian started crossing–not before, but right as he stepped into the intersection. It really should start a few second prior to crossing.

[Tania]

@notinthe18 192653 wrote:

It’s really only a matter of time before someone gets seriously-but-not-deathly injured at that little 34th/M/Key corner, and there’s about 120120120121 ways it could happen (to a ped, a cyclist, a scooter user, a motorist, a wheelchair user, someone pushing a stroller, etc.). That placement makes no sense.

I start looking over my left shoulder as I’m rounding the corner coming off the bridge and then hop off the curb onto the street before the monster electric sign at the end (provided there’s a safe break in traffic).

[huskerdont]

PA Ave. at the WH to be closed for seven months, starting Wednesday. They say you can still cycle through on the sidewalk, but it’s not really worth it with the pedestrian traffic. I’ve never found a westbound alternative I especially like, although the Ellipse is passable when it’s open. Eye Street is a cluster, and Constitution is okay-ish on a once-and-a-while basis. H Street is good eastbound.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pennsylvania-avenue-in-front-of-the-white-house-to-close-for-fence-construction/2019/08/20/77105e82-c357-11e9-b72f-b31dfaa77212_story.html

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