February 2022 Road and Trail Conditions

[Henry]

New Month. New Thread. Puxautawney Phil reporting soon.

[consularrider]

The third 4MRT ford going west from Columbia Pike is still flooded and someone has placed rocks along the outer edge.

[Dewey]

News for people who ride through Foggy Bottom, the roadworks fencing blocking half of 21st St NW on the East side of the State Dept between Virginia Ave and C St NW has been removed, while that block remains a one-way street heading South the East sidewalk has been opened up so you no longer need to cross 21st St twice to avoid the obstruction when travelling Northbound from the Mall towards the 21st St & Virginia Ave PBL’s.

[Starduster]

From yesterday (Wed. Feb. 2): The Rock Creek Trail was closed in front of the river side of the Kennedy Center. To me it looked like repaving work that not been completed yet. No idea when it will reopen. They offered a detour. *Except*… detour led across the Parkway to a crosswalk ramp under construction- freshly poured concrete. Damn. So backtracked to Virginia Ave. NW and rode a splendid Protected Bikeway to the Kennedy Center. My detour afforded me a bonus I had not known about, below.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]27371[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]27372[/ATTACH]

Back across via the TR Bridge. Believe it or not, my first time. Not thrilled that it is one bike width wide with low barriers. Also not thrilled with the root-heaved pavement down to Trollheim. That an issue for NPS?

[secstate]

@Starduster 215531 wrote:

rode a splendid Protected Bikeway to the Kennedy Center.

It’s a very useful PBL. But, the section from Rock Creek Parkway to the Watergate has no flexposts. Totally fine going uphill (toward Foggy Bottom) but the two times I’ve taken it the other way (downhill) I have had cars turn in front of me (including twice yesterday!). Drivers are definitely not expecting counterflow traffic. I think I will continue to use the traffic lanes when heading from Foggy Bottom toward the boathouse and Georgetown.

[LhasaCM]

@secstate 215532 wrote:

It’s a very useful PBL. But, the section from Rock Creek Parkway to the Watergate has no flexposts. Totally fine going uphill (toward Foggy Bottom) but the two times I’ve taken it the other way (downhill) I have had cars turn in front of me (including twice yesterday!). Drivers are definitely not expecting counterflow traffic. I think I will continue to use the traffic lanes when heading from Foggy Bottom toward the boathouse and Georgetown.

Please take care: the lanes on Virginia Ave are still under construction. Flexposts/concrete barriers have yet to be installed along the entire corridor and, more importantly, signals are not yet installed/operational. It’s usable-ish right now if you’re very confident and brave, but I would not recommend it to people until it’s done this spring.

[Dewey]

@Starduster 215531 wrote:

not thrilled with the root-heaved pavement down to Trollheim. That an issue for NPS?

I think Judd mentioned NPS were supposed to work on it last month but then the fallen trees and ice from the snowstorm appear to have delayed it, last summer was told there are only two NPS guys doing trail maintenance for the length of the MT Vernon trail so they’ve been kept busy

[secstate]

@LhasaCM 215538 wrote:

Please take care: the lanes on Virginia Ave are still under construction. Flexposts/concrete barriers have yet to be installed along the entire corridor and, more importantly, signals are not yet installed/operational. It’s usable-ish right now if you’re very confident and brave, but I would not recommend it to people until it’s done this spring.

Great to know there are plans to signalize it and install barriers. It is pretty dodgy at the moment.

[arlcxrider]

@Dewey 215527 wrote:

News for people who ride through Foggy Bottom, the roadworks fencing blocking half of 21st St NW on the East side of the State Dept between Virginia Ave and C St NW has been removed, while that block remains a one-way street heading South the East sidewalk has been opened up so you no longer need to cross 21st St twice to avoid the obstruction when travelling Northbound from the Mall towards the 21st St & Virginia Ave PBL’s.

That’s on my normal route home, and that right lane has been closed for what seems like years. Here’s hoping for improved access to the Memorial Bridge from the 21st/20th Streets PBLs. Going south, I usually do a “Crazy Ivan” west on Constitution and a “green arrow” onto Henry Bacon.

[DCAKen]

@LhasaCM 215538 wrote:

Please take care: the lanes on Virginia Ave are still under construction. Flexposts/concrete barriers have yet to be installed along the entire corridor and, more importantly, signals are not yet installed/operational. It’s usable-ish right now if you’re very confident and brave, but I would not recommend it to people until it’s done this spring.

And beware of the bad drain grates in the eastbound lane. At least one of them has a gap big enough to eat your front wheel.

[CaseyKane50]

A detour has been installed on the Shirlington Road bridge where the Four Mile Run Trail crosses Shirlington Road. As with many detours in our region (see the West Glebe Road Bridge), it does not consider the safety of people who walk and bike.

As you are headed eastbound on the Four Run Trail (alongside Arlington Mill Road), turning the corner onto the bridge you are confronted with this sign.

If you follow that sign you will end up on the east side of Shirlington Road. As many know, there is no sidewalk on the east side of the Shirlington Bridge.

If you ignore the sidewalk closed sign, you will find the sidewalk is actually closed on the north side of the bridge. You will have two choices – walk in the road until you get to the mid-block crosswalk or turn around.

Here is a view of the blocked sidewalk looking south on Shirlington Road.

Note the sign above directs a person walking or biking to cross at the sign. To get to the crosswalk, as you can see, will require someone to walk in the street, with your back to traffic.

Now, if you happen to be headed west on the Four Mile Run Trail and approach Shirlington Road, this is what you will see.

Nothing about a detour, but if you were planning to take the Four Mile Run Trail, be prepared to ride in the street.

This area was already problematic for people who walk and bike. This abomination of a detour makes it even more unsafe.

I know the Arlington BAC is scheduled to discuss tracking MOTs at their meeting on Monday. Perhaps, this poorly designed detour will be part of that discussion.

[bentbike33]

Fify

[attach=config]27689[/attach]

[arlcxrider]

If only Arlington spent as much time actually being “bike-friendly” as it did collecting awards and patting itself on the back. The pedestrian/bike accommodations on the decaying West Glebe Rd. bridge are equally abysmal.

[consularrider]

@arlcxrider 215951 wrote:

If only Arlington spent as much time actually being “bike-friendly” as it did collecting awards and patting itself on the back. The pedestrian/bike accommodations on the decaying West Glebe Rd. bridge are equally abysmal.

Isn’t that in Alexandria? It’s a quirk of the border that Karen Warkentien pointed out

[CaseyKane50]

@consularrider 215983 wrote:

Isn’t that in Alexandria? It’s a quirk of the border that Karen Warkentien pointed out

The bridge is on the border, with a portion in both jurisdictions. Alexandria and Arlington are both funding the replacement, with Arlington taking the lead on the project.

[Author]

Posts