Fairfax County Police: Getting things done! Thank you!!! (New Blog Entry)

[jnva]

Bikes are not the problem on this road.

[GuyContinental]

@jnva 79870 wrote:

Bikes are not the problem on this road.

The design sucks, cars are too aggressive but bikes are absolutely PART of the problem. I’d rather there be no trail at all (just a pedestrian sidewalk) and a bike lane on each side to reduce the ambiguity.

[jnva]

I can’t remember what the problem is, what were we talking about? Bikes are the solution, not the problem. Sorry, it’s just my automatic response whenever I hear this…

[americancyclo]

@GuyContinental 79848 wrote:

the grade is too steep to exit in ice anyway

Dude already has 4MATIC AWD. maybe he needs some Pirelli Winter Carving Edge tires?

[jabberwocky]

@GuyContinental 79865 wrote:

IHMO, “trail up” and “road down” matches probable speeds and objective and pedestrian hazards.

I take the road both directions always there. The way the trail crosses several driveways and has that fairly poor road crossing at the neighborhood is kinda dangerous IMO, and since I have another option I take it.

I make the left at the bottom without stopping, but always check a: for cars turning right off shreve, b: for cars turning left off shreve, c: for cars attempting a last minute pass of me (which you would think wouldn’t happen, given that I’m usually over the speed limit and we are like 50 feet from a crosswalk and a stop sign, but people do it anyway), and d: for people blowing the intersection on the W&OD. Visibility is fine there though, and I’ve never had an issue.

[GuyContinental]

@americancyclo 79873 wrote:

Dude already has 4MATIC AWD. maybe he needs some Pirelli Winter Carving Edge tires?

Ride down that thing sometime (CX tires would be a good idea)- He’d need a Rubicon to get out. Super steep.

[jrenaut]

@americancyclo 79873 wrote:

Dude already has 4MATIC AWD. maybe he needs some Pirelli Winter Carving Edge tires?

Or just learn how to drive in the snow.

[Dirt]

Thanks Guy! I totally understand that he’s got a tough situation. Hopefully he’s got a place that he can park that is a little better than the crosswalk. Thank you.

[hozn]

@GuyContinental 79871 wrote:

The design sucks, cars are too aggressive but bikes are absolutely PART of the problem. I’d rather there be no trail at all (just a pedestrian sidewalk) and a bike lane on each side to reduce the ambiguity.

Yeah, I agree; this is a confusing/poorly-designed section.

Unlike many, I prefer to stay on the trail in both directions, though especially downhill. I have never had a problem with people backing out without looking and I have frequently had a problem when on the road (downhill) with cars not expecting me to be there / turning left onto the trail (or I get stuck behind a bunch of cars waiting at the stop sign and I’d rather not be the donkey riding the oncoming lane to turn left onto the trail because I can’t be bothered to wait). In poorly designed situations like that my strategy is to take try to take the route that is most likely to meet with drivers’ expectations. That is probably one of the least safe intersections on the W&OD.

[dkel]

@hozn 79881 wrote:

Unlike many, I prefer to stay on the trail in both directions, though especially downhill. I have never had a problem with people backing out without looking and I have frequently had a problem when on the road (downhill) with cars not expecting me to be there / turning left onto the trail (or I get stuck behind a bunch of cars waiting at the stop sign and I’d rather not be the donkey riding the oncoming lane to turn left onto the trail because I can’t be bothered to wait). In poorly designed situations like that my strategy is to take try to take the route that is most likely to meet with drivers’ expectations.

+1

[jabberwocky]

@hozn 79881 wrote:

In poorly designed situations like that my strategy is to take try to take the route that is most likely to meet with drivers’ expectations.

Oddly enough, I do the exact opposite thing for the same reason. Most of the issues I have at MUP/road intersections are simply that drivers don’t expect traffic at places that aren’t clearly roads. Taking the road works better because you are where drivers actually expect vehicles to be (they may not like it that you are there, but they are more likely to actually notice you).

I might do things differently if I was through that area at normal rush hours though. I’m usually there either after evening rush hour or on weekends.

[hozn]

@jabberwocky 79886 wrote:

Oddly enough, I do the exact opposite thing for the same reason. Most of the issues I have at MUP/road intersections are simply that drivers don’t expect traffic at places that aren’t clearly roads. Taking the road works better because you are where drivers actually expect vehicles to be (they may not like it that you are there, but they are more likely to actually notice you).

I might do things differently if I was through that area at normal rush hours though. I’m usually there either after evening rush hour or on weekends.

So I would agree except that I’m turning left off of the road onto the W&OD coming down that hill. That mixture of road and trail seems to cause the most confusion for drivers. At least, that has been my experience. I have only ridden down on the road a handful of times, given the negative experiences I’ve had, so perhaps this wouldn’t bear out statistically if I were to make it a habit.

Yeah, I am riding through at pretty normal rush hour (well, in the afternoon). A good percentage of the traffic that I encounter there is coming out of the school (dropoff/pickup, I guess). I imagine those folks, at least, are well accustomed to bikers & peds on the MUP. They typically are mindful when going up Virginia Ln, anyway. I’m not as worried about cars coming down because I can stop and make sure they see me; it’s the people pulling out across Shreve or turning (w/o indicators!) onto Virginia and going up the hill that scare me at that intersection.

[culimerc]

Road up, Road down.

At the bottom unlike most, I turn right.

So, once I hit the hill itself I behave like a car. Take the lane, speed limit(ish) down the hill, stop at the bottom, yield appropriately and be on my merry way.

For me the climb up the road is actually easier, less traffic, smoother, and more even incline

YMMV

[rcannon100]

Just went down it with a pack of kids. When there is a choice, I want the kids on a separated facility. While the trail may cross driveways, I still want those kids as far out of traffic as I can get them.

[vvill]

I’ve never had issues with the Virginia Ln/Shreve intersection. Sometimes I take the road, sometimes the trail – I would guess if it’s a quieter time of day I’d be more likely to be on the road. I do hate crossing driveways though, two of the three times I’ve ever sustained vehicle-bike contact has been at driveways. One time I was a kid on a sidewalk, and the other time an adult on the road.

Anyway, it seems pretty safe and visible compared to oh I dunno, Lee Highway – and I think crossing Lynn St for 95% of my commutes has perhaps heightened my sense of what’s dangerous.

[Author]

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