Commuting through Georgetown

[MarseaVA]

I’d like to start biking to work from Arlington. The part that intimidates me is going through Georgetown. Any recommended routes would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Topic

[Tim Kelley]

Please tell us more about your starting location and ending destination!

[CCrew]

At 4am you can ride right smack down the middle of M street weaving from side to side, but I agree with Tim your start and destination and time you’ll be riding would be valuable for those of us that know the route.

[jnva]

At 930am M street is still not bad, IMO. Just watch out for the cab drivers. I always assume I’m invisible to cars, but cabs are always trying to run me down.

[brendan]

If your destination is north of M street, you could always cut up to N street within a block or two of the bridge, and then when you hit Wisconsin, head up to P or Q. Might even work ok if your destination is south of M if the M street traffic really makes you nervous.

Brendan

[off2ride]

Prospect St. which is parallel to M St is another option if you want to avoid the M St. Zoo.

[Justin Antos]

@brendan 17470 wrote:

If your destination is north of M street, you could always cut up to N street within a block or two of the bridge, and then when you hit Wisconsin, head up to P or Q.

Good advice – N is a great alternative to M Street. (This was my commute for a few years) Good luck!

[dasgeh]

If you don’t mind getting off your bike, you can cross the canal on one of the bridges and head down to Canal street. There’s no option without dismounting, but it’s not a big deal.

Another option, depending on your destination, is stay in Virginia on the MVT to either the Teddy Roosevelt (66) bridge, the Memorial Bridge, or the 14th Street Bridge.

[PotomacCyclist]

@jnva 17468 wrote:

At 930am M street is still not bad, IMO. Just watch out for the cab drivers. I always assume I’m invisible to cars, but cabs are always trying to run me down.

I thought that only happened to me. I was heading toward the Pentagon City mall one evening, with no traffic at all on the nearby streets. I had a green light and moved into the intersection. A taxi was in the opposite lane, heading toward me. He wanted to turn left, i.e., across my path. He began honking his horn repeatedly, so obviously he saw me from far away. (I have so many lights on the bike that it’s almost impossible to miss me. That intersection is also very well lit.) I don’t understand his hurry because even if he had to wait for me to pass through the intersection, he would have been delayed at most by a couple seconds. He wasn’t trying to beat any other traffic because there was none. It was smooth sailing for him to wherever his destination was.

He came barreling through and floored it as he turned to his left, narrowly missing me. What a jacka$$.

[brendan]

@PotomacCyclist 17507 wrote:

I thought that only happened to me. I was heading toward the Pentagon City mall one evening, with no traffic at all on the nearby streets. I had a green light and moved into the intersection. A taxi was in the opposite lane, heading toward me. He wanted to turn left, i.e., across my path. He began honking his horn repeatedly, so obviously he saw me from far away. (I have so many lights on the bike that it’s almost impossible to miss me. That intersection is also very well lit.) I don’t understand his hurry because even if he had to wait for me to pass through the intersection, he would have been delayed at most by a couple seconds. He wasn’t trying to beat any other traffic because there was none. It was smooth sailing for him to wherever his destination was.

He came barreling through and floored it as he turned to his left, narrowly missing me. What a jacka$$.

I used to say the most predictably unpredictable vehicles on the roads were cabs and bike couriers.

Then a couple of weeks ago, I was in courthouse, in daylight, heading downhill eastward in the bike sharrows on 15th St N and then curving on to 14th St N when a parked Doctor Delivery car on the right side of the road suddenly U-turned right in front of me (about 1/4 block from the right turn on N. Queen Street that takes me across route 50 towards iwo jima). I slammed the brakes hard and stopped less than two inches from his rear passenger door. Cargo bike, disc brakes, properly adjusted, meant I didn’t endo and I stopped in time. I was pretty angry and called the guy an idiot before moving on.

Bad bike ambassador, I know, but seriously, that could have been really terrible.

So add food delivery cars to that list. Yeesh.

Brendan

[GuyContinental]

@dasgeh 17498 wrote:

There’s no option without dismounting, but it’s not a big deal.

Oh, you can do it without dismounting… it’s just pretty exciting on a road bike

[Author]

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