Car driving under Wilson Bridge

[GreyBear]

Last night as I was riding home, I witnessed a driver proceed along the bike/ped path under the Wilson Bridge. I’m sorry I didn’t have the time (it would have meant missing a class) to get the license number and call the park police (although I know that may have been an exercise in futility). BTW, just a block before, I was stopped at a stop sign, as I proceeding into the intersection, the driver came from the right and turned in front of me without stopping.
The driver did pass by a sign that clearly says “Road Closed, no Motor Vehicles.” The second sign that says “No Motor Vehicles,” which is usually posted on a barrel and blocking part of the path had been moved to the side and turned around. This morning, I did move the barrel with sign back to where it normally is so that a car cannot fit through there, at least not without the driver getting out and moving it.
On reflection, I just should have missed my class and pursued it. I’ve had a lot of problems with cars/bikes/dogs/and pedestrians in this area.
I have it on video, but can’t make out the tag as it was after 6pm. I’ll try to post the pics.[ATTACH=CONFIG]792[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]793[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]794[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]795[/ATTACH]

Topic

[Dirt]

I have encountered people driving on the path… most of the time it is a park service/authority person doing some service on the trail. Over the last few decades I guess I’ve met a dozen bewildered drivers who wonder why the lanes are so narrow.

It is amazing how people drive/ride/walk on instinct and pay no attention to signs.

[baiskeli]

I saw a car start to drive on the Mt. V trail at the airport once. The driver obviously thought it was a road.

[KLizotte]

I’d always thought the bollards on the trails were an excessive safety measure. No more.

[jrenaut]

@KLizotte 15568 wrote:

I’ve always thought the bollards on the trails were an excessive safety measure. No more.

Less expensive than machine gun turrets.

[jabberwocky]

@jrenaut 15572 wrote:

Less expensive than machine gun turrets.

A lot less entertaining though.

[Riley Casey]

I dunno, it’s mighty creepy going in the entrance to the Pentagon and seeing the real machine gun positions at the top of the escalators.

@jabberwocky 15573 wrote:

A lot less entertaining though.

[vvill]

The closest I’ve seen is a driver going onto the eastbound W&OD at Lee & Washington. They realized soon enough and awkwardly began backing out.

[ontarioroader]

I’ve seen several cars on the Capital Crescent Trail over the past few weeks. I caught up to and spoke with all of them and each one said they simply drove around the bollard at the trailhead under the Whitehurst Freeway, thinking it was a road. There is only a signs that says ‘No Outlet’ and the railroad ties on one side of the bollard are spaced so far apart that cars can easily drive around [as evident by the tire tracks]. I called Park Police each time [good number to have in your cell phone: 202-619-7300] and the dispatcher claimed they were sending an officer out. Perhaps a sign that said ‘no cars’ or ‘non-motorized traffic only’ would help, but to be honest the individuals I spoke with who drove on the trail were definitely not the smartest folks I’ve met.

[Rootchopper]

I’ve seen cars drive onto the Mount Vernon Trail at Northdown Road near the Stone Bridge. There’s a drive way or two there along the trail and cars sometimes miss the turn on to the Parkway. Backing out is the only option and it’s quite difficult to do.

[CCrew]

@vvill 15579 wrote:

The closest I’ve seen is a driver going onto the eastbound W&OD at Lee & Washington. They realized soon enough and awkwardly began backing out.

Clueless I’ve seen was the lady with the minivan full of kids headed down the hill on the W&OD at Idylwild. She hadn’t a clue she wasn’t supposed to be there.

Best was the one that turned off Maple right in the heart of Vienna walloping the plastic bollards under the car that (used to) reside just to make that folly obvious. I pointed out that it wasn’t a road and got a very sheepish “I know now”

[baiskeli]

A car with out of state plates briefly took the bike lane on Penn. Ave. in front of me this morning. He figured it out before I caught up with him though.

[KLizotte]

@baiskeli 15589 wrote:

A car with out of state plates briefly took the bike lane on Penn. Ave. in front of me this morning. He figured it out before I caught up with him though.

I’m wondering how we can apply pressure on the Penn Ave oversight committee to overturn their “no bollards” policy along the bike lanes. I know they have rejected the plan to install them the length of the bike lanes for aesthetics reasons.

It’s unfortunate that these things happen so fast that pictures can’t be taken and sent to the turkeys on the commission.

[Terpfan]

@KLizotte 15630 wrote:

I’m wondering how we can apply pressure on the Penn Ave oversight committee to overturn their “no bollards” policy along the bike lanes. I know they have rejected the plan to install them the length of the bike lanes for aesthetics reasons.

It’s unfortunate that these things happen so fast that pictures can’t be taken and sent to the turkeys on the commission.

Is there a reason they don’t put a bollard in between the cycle track lanes at the start to each new block? I’ve noticed an increasing number of cars parking in the 15th Street lane down by L Street in recent weeks. I figure one of the plastic bollards lining the sides of the bike lane in the middle between two sides would probably clear the confusion up. I suppose in fairness, the individuals parking and even waiting there were quickly ticketed by the city (I have no idea how, but the parking enforcement folks seem to appear out of no where sometimes and in this case I was happy for it).

[Tim Kelley]

@Terpfan 15662 wrote:

Is there a reason they don’t put a bollard in between the cycle track lanes at the start to each new block?

Street cleaner access?

[baiskeli]

At minimum they should mark the bike lanes in a different color.

[Author]

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