February 2015 Trail Conditions

[Arlingtonrider]

I rode from Pentagon City to the FMR trail and Shirlington last night via Hayes and Eads St.

All of the bike lanes were clear and mostly dry and ArlingtonDES had removed or smoothed the pile of snow at the south end of Eads making access to the trail easy. A few spots on FMR were wet or a little slushy and may have iced up overnight, but it was a very easy trip.

[dbb]

Roads in Arlington in good shape – rode Eads, Long Bridge and Boundary Channel.

Walked bike from NPS parking lot on Pentagon side of Boundary Channel wooden bridge to Columbia Island Marina parking lot and again from the tunnel under the Humpback Bridge to the top of the ramp up to the 14th Street Bridge.

As Mikey noted yesterday, there is a clear but narrow line the length of the 14th Street Bridge. A few chunks and some ice from the refreeze that was pretty solid (it was 7F on the bridge).

I was on studded 35s and had no real challenges.

Between the Jefferson and the 15th Street Crosswalk around the Tidal Basin portions of the sidewalk were blocked with 4-6 inches of drifts that got me walking again.

It is cold out there. Be safe!

[dbb]

@peterw_diy 108837 wrote:

Be sure to complain via something like http://311.dc.gov so DC is more likely to do something. Squeaky wheel.

If you are calling from Virginia or Maryland, call 202-737-4404 (option 1)

I just called (again) on the 14th Street Bridge bike/ped lane. Operators are standing by!

1015 Update – DC 311 called me back and conferenced in DDOT. It seems the 311 pull down choices don’t really include the bike lanes but I think we “got to yes”. Will somebody report on the status?

[Harry Meatmotor]

@dbb 108839 wrote:

Roads in Arlington in good shape – rode Eads, Long Bridge and Boundary Channel.

Walked bike from NPS parking lot on Pentagon side of Boundary Channel wooden bridge to Columbia Island Marina parking lot and again from the tunnel under the Humpback Bridge to the top of the ramp up to the 14th Street Bridge.

As Mikey noted yesterday, there is a clear but narrow line the length of the 14th Street Bridge. A few chunks and some ice from the refreeze that was pretty solid (it was 7F on the bridge).

I was on studded 35s and had no real challenges.

Between the Jefferson and the 15th Street Crosswalk around the Tidal Basin portions of the sidewalk were blocked with 4-6 inches of drifts that got me walking again.

It is cold out there. Be safe!

Took the same route this morning, too. coming through LBJ park (and the ped bridge connecting it to the Pentagon Reservation) is rideable thanks to enough footfalls compacting a smooth-ish path all the way through. The drifts along the tidal basin are a bit tricky, so be careful with oncoming traffic being so close.

[slowtriguy]

Repeat of yesterday’s ride, but a bit earlier – Falls Church to Arlington, 0740-0805.

No issues of any kind Spring->Lincoln->Westmoreland->Van Buren->W&OD->Custis->stub to 15th before Stafford. The trail is basically dry the whole length I rode.

Happy riding!

[Tim Kelley]

How’s the Capital Crescent Trail look these days?

[Alcova cyclist]

Central Arlington –>Ft Myer –>ANC–>Memorial Bridge–>National Mall

Short version: No real problems – Go for it!

Arlington streets are mostly good, but bike lanes mostly not cleared.
Fort Myer, as always, has its snow-removal act together
Arlington Cemetery has a few snowy/icy spots, especially towards the bottom of the hill (don’t build too much speed going into the last curves). Always a dry pavement path if you look for it.
Sidewalks to and across the Memorial bridge are great
There’s some drifting snow at the crosswalk next to Memorial circle (on the Virginia side) that I chose to walk through
National Mall is in pretty good shape. The paths aren’t 100% clear, but everywhere I went, there was at least a 2-3′ section clear to pavement (maybe with some blowing snow — not much they can do about that)

And it was beautiful!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7874[/ATTACH]

[dasgeh]

Clear pavement Custis Cherrydale-> Rosslyn –> streets –> 110 Trail –> Memorial Bridge –> in front of Lincoln –> Constitution

@Alcova cyclist 108848 wrote:

Fort Myer, as always, has its snow-removal act together

Yes, but how was access at Fort Myer? What ID did you use and did they give you a hard time?

@Alcova cyclist 108848 wrote:

There’s some drifting snow at the crosswalk next to Memorial circle (on the Virginia side) that I chose to walk through

The snow was a good 10 feet long when I got there, and for the first time possibly ever, both very full lanes of cars stopped for me before I even got to the snow. They looked a little exasperated as I slowed and Flintstoned through. Oh well. I reported the issue to some NPS workers on the DC side, but I’m not sure it will help. Does anyone know the NPS jurisdiction in charge of the “Virginia” side (that’s not really VA)

I guess I paid for their kindness when the next 2 crosswalks I encountered were blocked by backed up traffic, and on Constitution by a jerk parking. I could see police at State, so I told him if he didn’t clear the one small walkway, I would call them over. That worked.

[Greenbelt]

@Greenbelt 108669 wrote:

Greenbelt does a fabulous job with street and sidewalk clearing in the old part of town, but it’s hit or miss in other sections. This is the connector trail from Old GB toward Capital Office Park by the State Highway facility that serves as the main bike route to get to Metro:
[IMG]https://scontent-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/10622837_795072047226181_6983009610442530285_n.jpg?oh=a57223bafe0f130284a059b1b2ec5f3f&oe=555BB424[/IMG]

Greenbelt had this section cleared as of last night, and the sidewalks and bus stops in the office parks looked to be in much better shape this morning, so kudos to the City for getting things cleared up for bike riders and walkers. Now if we could only get MNCPPC to plow the trails, we’d be pretty much back to normal. But sadly their plows are too big…

[PotomacCyclist]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7876[/ATTACH]

[Alcova cyclist]

@dasgeh 108863 wrote:

Yes, but how was access at Fort Myer? What ID did you use and did they give you a hard time?

I used a Federal Employee CAC and was waved through by the generally friendly gate guards just as I have been all year.

A cyclist in front of me entering with a driver’s license and they seemed to be taking his information onto a clipboard. Don’t know if they made him wait around for any sort of background check or were just taking information and sending him on his way; They glanced at my CAC and sent me on through while still writing down his info — in this cold I wasn’t interested in waiting around to see how long it took him. I’ve seen the clipboard routine for Non-DOD/Fed cyclists entering the base in the past — even before the access policy theoretically changed.

[PotomacCyclist]

Are there cross-country skiing tracks on the MVT? I’m interested to see how much validity there is to the NPS reasoning for not plowing the MVT, at least in Arlington, which probably has more bike traffic than the southern part near Mt. Vernon. I suspect that cross-country skiing is just a cover for a lack of funds or lack of desire to plow the MVT. If so, then I wonder if we can get Arlington to reach an agreement with NPS to take over plowing duties on the Arlington section of the MVT. While it’s nice to have the Custis and FMR Trails plowed, many commuters are headed to DC. A snow and ice-covered MVT makes it difficult to commute from many areas in Arlington to DC.

[dasgeh]

@PotomacCyclist 108873 wrote:

Are there cross-country skiing tracks on the MVT? I’m interested to see how much validity there is to the NPS reasoning for not plowing the MVT, at least in Arlington, which probably has more bike traffic than the southern part near Mt. Vernon. I suspect that cross-country skiing is just a cover for a lack of funds or lack of desire to plow the MVT. If so, then I wonder if we can get Arlington to reach an agreement with NPS to take over plowing duties on the Arlington section of the MVT. While it’s nice to have the Custis and FMR Trails plowed, many commuters are headed to DC. A snow and ice-covered MVT makes it difficult to commute from many areas in Arlington to DC.

I believe the cross-country skiing BS is spouted by NVRPA, not NPS. Honestly, if someone would just clear from Rosslyn to the TR Bridge and from either the CC Connector to the 14th St Bridge or the Humpback bridge to the 14th St Bridge, it would be immensely helpful. In the long term, they should plow it all, but for now let’s give people SOME option.

[Alcova cyclist]

@PotomacCyclist 108873 wrote:

Are there cross-country skiing tracks on the MVT? I’m interested to see how much validity there is to the NPS reasoning for not plowing the MVT, at least in Arlington, which probably has more bike traffic than the southern part near Mt. Vernon. I suspect that cross-country skiing is just a cover for a lack of funds or lack of desire to plow the MVT. If so, then I wonder if we can get Arlington to reach an agreement with NPS to take over plowing duties on the Arlington section of the MVT. While it’s nice to have the Custis and FMR Trails plowed, many commuters are headed to DC. A snow and ice-covered MVT makes it difficult to commute from many areas in Arlington to DC.

Is cross-country skiing really their claimed rationale? If that’s not just BS as you suggest, that’s insane. I am not a cross-country skier, but isn’t that something easily done, say, next to trail…. you know, cross-country style?

If maintaining recreational opportunities is so important, they should close down one of the superhighway lanes and let that be used by x-country skiers. Because it’s a national park, and recreation is their priority over commuter traffic, right?

[vern]

So, am I correct in assuming that the W&OD between the Custis and Shirlington remains an ice and snow covered mess that is unrideable on slicks?

[Author]

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