Clarendon Circle

[Rockford10]

Tell me again how to get through this mess? No less than 4 forum members have “shown me the way they” go through the intersection and I’m still at a loss. The easy part used to be going from Courthouse to Virginia Square, but last night, with construction closing Wilson down to one lane and rough debris in the road, I have no idea. Last night, it looked like another cyclist decided to take the Metro at Clarendon rather than go through the intersection.*

*Joking, but not really.

Topic

[Steve O]

@Rockford10 189611 wrote:

Tell me again how to get through this mess? No less than 4 forum members have “shown me the way they” go through the intersection and I’m still at a loss. The easy part used to be going from Courthouse to Virginia Square, but last night, with construction closing Wilson down to one lane and rough debris in the road, I have no idea. Last night, it looked like another cyclist decided to take the Metro at Clarendon rather than go through the intersection.*

You could choose to bypass entirely and go to the Custis sooner.
Several options. One might be: Right on Edgewood; left on Franklin to end; jog onto Key Blvd. Left on Jackson. Right on 13th; cross Kirkwood, up hill past YMCA. Then either straight to Quincy or jog over to 14th at Nelson to go to Quincy.
Right on Quincy; left on 15th. Left on N. Vermont or N. Vernon to the trail. This avoids the two sisters.

There are variations on this, but essentially you take parallel side streets and reconnect with the Custis just before Glebe.

[dasgeh]

Yeah, the construction sucks. I would definitely avoid, which is easy. Steve describes the route to the north (* though it’s more straightforward to take either Veitch to Key (Barton, Edgewood, and Fillmore also go through, but less directly, or if you want to go to Highland or west, I’d take 13th instead of Key))

To the south, 10th St is ok for the hardy, 9th St to 10th St is a little better, 9th to 7th is a lot better, if you’re going that far south.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

@Rockford10 189611 wrote:

Tell me again how to get through this mess? No less than 4 forum members have “shown me the way they” go through the intersection and I’m still at a loss. The easy part used to be going from Courthouse to Virginia Square, but last night, with construction closing Wilson down to one lane and rough debris in the road, I have no idea.

I went through yesterday evening. Use your advantages. Cars are crawling slower than a bike. Use the bike lane to pass most of the congestion. Before it ends because of construction barriers, change over to the first lane of cars and participate in the merge like the other vehicles.

[Rockford10]

Thanks for the help! When I went through Monday, I did scoot to the front of the cars and proceed through the intersection quickly and turn into the Northside parking lot while dodging rubble. Mid-intersection, a car two behind me honked and zoomed around, clearly on their way to the hospital with a life-threatening emergency, which is the part I’d never had before there. I guess I’ll just grit it out as needed. I still don’t understand why Arlington has a major bike thoroughfare with an enormous gap in the middle. What do the planners think I’m supposed to do? Weaving through the back streets, while a good backup plan, doesn’t seem like the right response.

In all seriousness, am I supposed to cross the street at Highland and go the wrong way to cross Washington Blvd at Clarendon (sort of the reverse way to go in Northbound)? I saw another cyclist do that.

[dasgeh]

@Rockford10 189662 wrote:

Thanks for the help! When I went through Monday, I did scoot to the front of the cars and proceed through the intersection quickly and turn into the Northside parking lot while dodging rubble. Mid-intersection, a car two behind me honked and zoomed around, clearly on their way to the hospital with a life-threatening emergency, which is the part I’d never had before there. I guess I’ll just grit it out as needed. I still don’t understand why Arlington has a major bike thoroughfare with an enormous gap in the middle. What do the planners think I’m supposed to do? Weaving through the back streets, while a good backup plan, doesn’t seem like the right response.

In all seriousness, am I supposed to cross the street at Highland and go the wrong way to cross Washington Blvd at Clarendon (sort of the reverse way to go in Northbound)? I saw another cyclist do that.

There’s a (pretty ok, but not great) plan once the construction is done. It doesn’t fix the issue WB at the corner of Fairfax and Kirkwood and 10th, but it’ll be ok for Clarendon Circle.

There’s just no plan to keep it safe during construction.

[JorgeGortex]

I think avoidance of the area is the smartest and safest method. I think I’d take Key Blvd, to Jackson and then pop out near Kirkwood. The beautiful thing about being on a bike is exploring places anyway…

[n18]

Don’t take unnecessary risks, take the sidewalk if possible.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

I lament how helpless and afraid we’ve become.

[dkel]

@Brendan von Buckingham 189698 wrote:

I lament how helpless and afraid we’ve become.

That’s the predictable effect of even occasionally being menaced by abusive drivers wielding tons of metal.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Predictable, but not logical.

[lordofthemark]

Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash.
George S. Patton

[dkel]

@Brendan von Buckingham 189723 wrote:

Predictable, but not logical.

To quote Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy, “Logic? My God, the man’s talking about logic! We’re talking about universal Armageddon. You green-blooded, inhuman—”

[Author]

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