CABI on Columbia Pike

[jrenaut]

I don’t know, but just wanted to mention that CaBi is definitely a help to people who have their own bike. I use it especially for date nights with the wife – we bike down and cab home. It’s also great for dropping the bike off at the shop and picking it up after work. The flexibility of the one-way trip is fantastic.

[PotomacCyclist]

CaBi is definitely coming to Columbia Pike and Shirlington, probably by this spring or summer.

This map shows the potential new station locations for 2013 in Arlington, Alexandria, Bethesda and Silver Spring:

http://goo.gl/maps/s7YLE

Not every proposed site will get a station, but almost all of them will. So this means plenty of stations on Columbia Pike and in Shirlington. There will still be some areas that are more than a few blocks from the nearest station, but hopefully the roll-out will be useful for most CaBi users in those areas.

[PotomacCyclist]

And here’s a more comprehensive map, which shows current stations, proposed stations for 1st half 2013 in VA/DC/MD and additional sites that could get stations in a later round of expansion.

https://www.google.com/fusiontables/embedviz?viz=MAP&q=select+col4+from+1e106RvSSB_V0LAm-UJ29J2V-dg8kb8TSOj0ApKM&h=false&lat=38.880159386248486&lng=-76.89843893051147&z=11&t=1&l=col4&y=1&tmplt=1

The red dots are existing stations. The green markers in DC show where new stations will be installed in the coming weeks (as soon as Jan. 14 and finishing by March). The blue markers show the likely locations for new stations in Arlington, Alexandria and Maryland. (But not every blue marker will get a new station, I believe. The list hasn’t been finalized yet for Arlington.) I think the Arlington stations are supposed to be added sometime in the spring. The Alexandria and Maryland stations might not arrive until summer or fall. The blue markers in DC are possible sites in the next wave of expansion (after the Jan.-Mar. expansion). No timetable on the blue locations in DC. Perhaps in coordination with the Maryland roll-out.

Lots of new stations on the way.

[Tim Kelley]

Some reading:

http://www.bikearlington.com/pages/bikesharing/arlington-bikeshare-transit-development-plan/

http://www.bikearlington.com/pages/bikesharing/planned-arlington-stations/

[elbows]

Thanks. Sorry I missed the bikearlington links. Looking forward to the Spring!

[PotomacCyclist]

The first bike station on Columbia Pike is now scheduled to be “unveiled” on March 28 at 9 am, at the Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 16th St. S. The Arlington County Board Chairman will be on hand for the ribbon cutting.

According to the Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services email, there will be 12 CaBi stations on the Pike in this wave of expansion.

[PotomacCyclist]

Here’s the official announcement poster:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=554014961298496&set=a.138245472875449.17856.134700293229967&type=1&theater

[Jason B]

@PotomacCyclist 47124 wrote:

The first bike station on Columbia Pike is now scheduled to be “unveiled” on March 28 at 9 am, at the Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 16th St. S. The Arlington County Board Chairman will be on hand for the .

This is great news but please tell me it will cost less than the recent bus stop! [URL=”http://http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/1-million-bus-stop-opens-in-arlington/2013/03/24/49e5c47e-917c-11e2-9abd-e4c5c9dc5e90_story.html”]http://http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/1-million-bus-stop-opens-in-arlington/2013/03/24/49e5c47e-917c-11e2-9abd-e4c5c9dc5e90_story.html[/URL]

[PotomacCyclist]

I was surprised by the cost of the bus stop too. But I guess it cost so much because it’s the prototype and also because I think it is intended to be used later on for the proposed streetcar network.

A CaBi station costs nowhere near as much as that initial bus stop. (Future transit stops on the Pike will also cost a lot less.)

[creadinger]

With CaBi expanding to Columbia Pike, will there be changes to the Pike itself to make it more bike friendly? One of my weekend ride routes has me ride between Pentagon City and Courthouse Rd , and I definitely don’t have a very warm fuzzy feeling being on the road there. Also, where the W&OD crosses Columbia Pike the traffic there does not convey a sense of safety or security to be riding on the Pike. There aren’t many side-street alternatives that run the length of the Pike either.

[bobco85]

@creadinger 47567 wrote:

With CaBi expanding to Columbia Pike, will there be changes to the Pike itself to make it more bike friendly? One of my weekend ride routes has me ride between Pentagon City and Courthouse Rd , and I definitely don’t have a very warm fuzzy feeling being on the road there. Also, where the W&OD crosses Columbia Pike the traffic there does not convey a sense of safety or security to be riding on the Pike. There aren’t many side-street alternatives that run the length of the Pike either.

Part of the plan is to create bicycle boulevards on parallel streets (9th and 12th), but I do not know of any improvements that would make it easier to get from Pentagon City to Courthouse Road.

Here’s a link to information on the bicycle boulevards: http://www.columbiapikeva.us/multimodal-street-improvements/bike-boulevards/

I really wish we could get that Army Navy Country Club Access Road to Queen Street connection (WARNING: it’s a big can of worms should you want to look into it). It would make traveling between Pentagon City and the rest of Columbia Pike much safer.

[jhr]

@bobco85 47589 wrote:

Part of the plan is to create bicycle boulevards on parallel streets (9th and 12th), but I do not know of any improvements that would make it easier to get from Pentagon City to Courthouse Road.

Here’s a link to information on the bicycle boulevards: http://www.columbiapikeva.us/multimodal-street-improvements/bike-boulevards/

I really wish we could get that Army Navy Country Club Access Road to Queen Street connection (WARNING: it’s a big can of worms should you want to look into it). It would make traveling between Pentagon City and the rest of Columbia Pike much safer.

It’s unfortunate that the bike boulevard plan doesn’t appear the two main problems of 1) the parallel streets not running continuously along Columbia Pike and 2) the lack of a good connection from the Pentagon end.

The Army Navy Country Club thing is really weird because despite the internal lawsuit within the country club, Arlington County apparently already has the right of way for the path so as far as I can tell there’s no reason they shouldn’t have already constructed it. Heck, if Arlington just stated that people could bike along the right of way I might do it even if they don’t construct a path. If anyone has any connections, it would be really great if they could find out what exactly is going on with this.

I can only hope that CaBi will lead to more interest in improving Columbia Pike for biking in the future.

[KLizotte]

@jhr 47597 wrote:

I can only hope that CaBi will lead to more interest in improving Columbia Pike for biking in the future.

Particularly since so many of the poorer folks of the county live along this stretch and cannot afford cars.

[PotomacCyclist]

There is a plan to improve bike travel between Pentagon City and Courthouse Rd. (and slightly beyond), but it might be a while before construction is done. There are a few major issues going on, with the demolition of the Navy Annex, the transfer of land between DOD and Arlington, the planned expansion of Arlington National Cemetery and a proposed realignment of Columbia Pike on the eastern end.

The land north of Columbia Pike (Southgate Rd.) will be transferred to DOD. Arlington receives land south of Columbia Pike, where the parking lots for the Air Force Memorial used to be. (Great place for some short hill workouts, but no more.) Demolition started on the Navy Annex this winter. I think that is supposed to finish up by the fall, but construction/demolition projects rarely make their deadlines. Then the land north of the Pike will eventually be added to the Cemetery.

Arlington wants to add paved bike/ped paths (sidewalks?) on both sides of Columbia Pike, from Joyce St. out past Courthouse Rd. Maybe Veitch or Wayne St.? The path on the north side will be 10′ wide (I believe) while the south side path would be something like 7′ wide (I think). This would be great for those riding (or walking) between Pentagon City and Courthouse Rd. and onto Clarendon. But when will this happen? I have no idea.

I also have no idea how the proposed realignment of the Pike affects the sidepaths. Arlington wants to straighten out the Pike as it passes the former Navy Annex, so that it runs almost straight down to Joyce St., instead of curving north and back to the south.

***
The new Washington Blvd. overpass/bridge is supposed to include wide sidewalks along that part of Columbia Pike. Some of the on and off-ramps will be modified and even removed. Traffic lights will help to change the traffic patterns between those two roads. I think this should make it much more friendly to bike or walk along that part of the Pike, but we’ll have to see how the project turns out. Construction has started but it’s going to be a while before it is finished.

***
The bike boulevard plan is about all that might be done on the western part of the Pike. Maybe sidewalks could be improved as new building projects are started, but that could be it.

***
I haven’t been over to the W&OD crossing of the Pike in some months. But I do remember that the trail is supposed to be realigned on the NW side of the crossing, so that cyclists and pedestrians can go directly from one side of the Pike to the other, instead of having to make that awkward turn after crossing from the south side to the north side of the road. It still won’t be the greatest intersection in the area, but it should be a little better than before. (Maybe the trail realignment has already taken place? Someone around here will know if the work has been done yet.)

***
All this will improve cycling in certain sections along Columbia Pike, IF all the plans are carried out. Some sections of the road will still be difficult for cyclists. There’s also the streetcar project in the coming years. The tracks could be an issue for those brave souls who ride on the Pike, but it shouldn’t be a problem for those crossing the Pike at a 90-degree angle.

[PotomacCyclist]

In the meantime, I know all too well how poor the sidewalk is on the eastern end of Columbia Pike. Even with the Navy Annex demolition going on, I wish they could at least fix a couple of the rough spots on the sidewalk. There is one small section in particular that consists of lumps of asphalt. Very tough on skinny road/tri bike tires. It wouldn’t take much to smooth out that 2-foot section.

[Author]

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