Crosswalks on the GW Parkway?

[StopMeansStop]

You are not obligated to stop for pedestrians that are waiting to cross.

See this very recent thread for many opinions. Don’t sweat the warning. Its meaningless.

http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?964-Stop-signs-at-crosswalks.-Do-you-yield-to-cars

ETA: That part of the GW is in DC

[RESTONTODC]

Dave,

Welcome to the forum and thank you for stopping at the crosswalk. It’s a norm that the police officers don’t know much about the pedestrian and bicyclists laws. You’re right on this.

Since the Park Police is under the federal jurisdiction, we have to write to some congressmen to get the result. Personally, I don’t have a positive impression about the park police. I haven’t seen any of them on a bicycle before.

I love to buy you a beer too.

Rick

[CCrew]

@david.m.wilburn 6769 wrote:

Also, from a purely selfish perspective, I’d rather not have a formal warning hanging around on my driving record.

No formal record of a warning, just FYI.

[Justin Antos]

David, the cyclist may be identified in a post over on Greater Greater Washington who picked up on this yesterday, I’m guessing it’s the same incident (do you drive a red BMW?) link.

[Justin Antos]

Also, thanks for stopping at that crosswalk. I have always been taught that drivers stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, too. I’d like to buy you both a beer.

[ronwalf]

Same incident?
http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/11524/park-police-hassle-driver-who-stops-at-gw-parkway-crossing/

*edit* Whoops, too late

[Andrew Beaujon]

Dave, if you were in the red car, I’m your cyclist. My email address is abeaujon@gmail.com and my phone number is 703-842-1719. I am a journalist and thinking of writing a story about that intersection, and whether or not you’d want to talk to me for that, I’d still like to say thanks in person. I’m really glad you didn’t get a ticket.

Andrew

[americancyclo]

That GGW comment thread is getting UGLY! Any lawers on these boards that can comment on what should happen at that crossing?

[jrenaut]

@americancyclo 6781 wrote:

That GGW comment thread is getting UGLY! …

Isn’t it a corollary to Godwin’s Law that, as time goes to infinity, civility in online comment thread discussions goes to zero? And the speed at which it heads there is proportional to how inconvenienced one side is by the opposition?

[OneEighth]

Following up on the earlier posts regarding whom to contact…
For a list of members of the appropriations subcommittee that oversees the NPS go here: http://appropriations.house.gov/About/Members/InteriorEnvironment.htm
Congressman Jim Moran (8th District of VA) is the ranking member of the subcommittee.
The House has not finished debating the Interior-Environment appropriations bill for FY2012 (HR2584), which makes inquiries from appropriators that much more exciting.
Another route is through Congressman Earl Blumenauer’s office. He is a big cycling advocate.

[KLizotte]

I suspect the NPS police are reacting to the GW crossing accident that occurred a couple (?) of weeks ago. Unfortunately this scattershot approach is simply a bad, ineffective idea and, again, highlights how confusing current vehicular law is regarding crosswalks (because the laws are badly written to begin with and vary according to jurisdiction).

This highlights the need for the public to apply more pressure on NPS to fix these crosswalks once and for all with grade separated crossings.

I’m off to write an email to Moran et al on this (and reauthorizing the FAA).

[americancyclo]

Thanks for the info OneEighth, I sent a letter off to Moran yesterday!

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