Four Mile Run Detour, 2016-2017

[Tim Kelley]

From an email:

“Hello – We had a status meeting on 4MR last week with the contractor, so we have an update on the trail detour. They had a delay with their sub-contractor setting up the MOT. They expect to begin setting up the MOT next week (Oct. 31st). We expect that the detour will take effect the following Monday, November 7th. We will send out some reminders about the detour starting next week.”

[Dachs6]

I just rode through this morning, and it remains open. But, I’ll start planning for closure 7 November on…thanks, Tim.

[Tim Kelley]

Monday, Monday, Monday!! Confirmed that it’ll be closed.

[vern]

I just rode this detour for the first time. It’s workable, but I foresee some problems with the crossing at Glebe and Mt. Vernon. The detour throws bikes onto the sidewalk for the block west of Mt. Vernon. It didn’t seem like pedestrians or cars in the intersection were really prepared for or used to bikes crossing there.

[Steve O]

@vern 148618 wrote:

I just rode this detour for the first time. It’s workable, but I foresee some problems with the crossing at Glebe and Mt. Vernon. The detour throws bikes onto the sidewalk for the block west of Mt. Vernon. It didn’t seem like pedestrians or cars in the intersection were really prepared for or used to bikes crossing there.

The way it’s “supposed” to work doesn’t require crossing there. Who are those renegade people riding bikes who might choose to use an unofficial detour! No.no.no! Bad bicyclist!

Here’s the official detour map:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]12704[/ATTACH]

[vern]

Oh, I see. I can go under Mt. Vernon and avoid crossing over in each direction, avoid the sidewalk on Glebe, and still maintain renegade status.

[Erin Potter]

Has anyone else had a chance to ride the detour? Curious how it is working for folks.

[tnelson]

@Erin Potter 148704 wrote:

Has anyone else had a chance to ride the detour? Curious how it is working for folks.

I used it yesterday and today, no complaints. Admittedly, I’m going under Mt. Vernon in both directions, just being very careful for oncoming traffic when heading eastbound. Volume as been light, though, so no issues so far.

[peterw_diy]

Thanks for asking, and for working to make the closure more bearable.

I wish there were signage at the top of the Potomac Ave switchback & stairs for those of us who ride Alexandria to 4MR to WOD/Shirlington.

I wish Alexandria would pave the desire path behind Shoppers Food, to connect Potomac Ave to 4MR and WOD.

Another cyclist pointed out that the sidewalk on the bridge across 4MR into Alexandria is wider than the 14th St bridge to DC, so it seems silly to try sending Eastbound 4MR traffic to the west side of the bridge.

Eastbound on 4MR, it’s easy to miss the severe left to Glebe before the Mt Vernon detour. Late signage, narrow path, hard turn.

Directing cyclists southbound on Mt Vernon past the strip mall seems needlessly risky. And while I’ve seen fewer than a half dozen people riding 4MR around Mt Vernon, nobody took the official Eastbound detour. We all crossed the run on the east side of the bridge after riding east through the underpass.

[DrP]

I rode the detour this morning heading north/west. Currently one can make it to Eads, but no further. From the earlier documentation, at some point the trail will be blocked at the ramp for Rt1. It would be nice for those who do not know the plans (I decided to not turn when I first went by so that I could see the whole set-up) to have a sign at the Rt1 ramp that says it is closed at Eads. At present it says that the trail is closed ahead, but that is (1) in an ambiguous location (is ahead at Eads or Rt1) for those coming from the MVT and (2) it would be good for those who want to use Eads to know that they can get there at present.

I liked the fact that there are Jersey walls (well, the plastic water-filled ones) along the bridge on Mt Vernon – It feels very safe that way. Might be nice to keep something like that after this is done.

Getting back on the trail once over the bridge and back in Arlington, while one can see that there is a bright orange detour sign at the trail entrance on Mt Vernon, however, the arrow telling you where to go is blocked by the tree they placed the sign effectively in. I am not advocating tree trimming, but perhaps better sign placement.

[Tim Kelley]

@DrP 148785 wrote:

I liked the fact that there are Jersey walls (well, the plastic water-filled ones) along the bridge on Mt Vernon – It feels very safe that way. Might be nice to keep something like that after this is done.

Agreed–funny enough, I actually suggested that to folks working on this project this morning!

[lordofthemark]

@peterw_diy 148715 wrote:

Another cyclist pointed out that the sidewalk on the bridge across 4MR into Alexandria is wider than the 14th St bridge to DC, so it seems silly to try sending Eastbound 4MR traffic to the west side of the bridge.

Eh. A. The 14th street bridge sidepath is used as much by cyclists as anyone, and most non-cyclists are runners or tourists, and I think most see and expect bike traffic. Mt Vernon Avenue sidewalk has always been a sidewalk, heavily used by walkers, and seldom used by cyclists, especially faster cyclists (who often take the road there) and it will be just a sidewalk again when this is over. Many of them are working class immigrants who may not know what to do on a MUT (in fact often appear not to) B. The 14th street bridge path situation in fact sucks. We use it for want of an alternative. The Long Bridge Project, hopefully, will create an alternative. I doubt we would have two way bike traffic mixed with peds on the 14th Street bridge if we had an alternative as good as we have on Mt Vernon Avenue (not saying its a great alternative – its not – but its better than anything near 14th Street bridge)

[lordofthemark]

I rode the detour this AM – I’ve ridden that trail before, but never actually rode my commute through there – this time I was heading up Eads to Whole Foods for the coffee club, so slightly different route than usual. I went the “official” way, eastbound.

My thoughts
1. The signage announcing the right to the Glebe sidewalk was just what I wanted
2. Glebe sidewalk is barely acceptable. There was a ped there, and not a lot of room to pass.
3. At Mt Vernon, I briefly considered taking the lane on Mt Vernon, but as the curb cut geometry was not well suited to turn right there, I decided to stay on the sidewalk and try out the official route.
4. There was a woman running to catch a bus. Caution is needed on this route, as it is a sidewalk with pedestrian traffic.
5. Yeah, the jersey wall thing was good.
6. The crossing was okay
7. The ride through the park was fine, and there were several cyclists on it in both directions
8. Coming off I was not certain at first how to get to Eads. I saw Eads, and decided to take the lane on west bound Glebe – not a lot of traffic, and its all in the right turn lane.
9. Eads is torn up for reconstruction, but that has nothing to do with the detour.

[consularrider]

@peterw_diy 148715 wrote:

…Another cyclist pointed out that the sidewalk on the bridge across 4MR into Alexandria is wider than the 14th St bridge to DC, so it seems silly to try sending Eastbound 4MR traffic to the west side of the bridge…

:confused: That other cyclist is just plain wrong. Each sidewalk on MT Vernon Ave over 4MR is less than half as wide as he sidepath on the 14th St bridge. Two way traffic on either side is a disaster waiting to happen.

[peterw_diy]

@consularrider 148809 wrote:

:confused: That other cyclist is just plain wrong. Each sidewalk on MT Vernon Ave over 4MR is less than half as wide as he sidepath on the 14th St bridge.

Less than half? I really doubt that. Looking at aerial imagery, 14th St’s sidewalk looks to be 8′ and Mt Vernon Ave’s looks to be 6-8′.

Have you actually measured, or are you just guessing?

[Author]

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