Good News on Infrastructure thread

[lordofthemark]

@lordofthemark 122443 wrote:

City of Alexandria

New bikes lanes to be installed on Wheeler, this week. Stevenson Avenue bike lanes, done. Monroe Avenue bike lanes by end of September. North Hampton bike lanes this September.

Fairfax County

Road diet and new bike lane on Pleasant Valley Road in western FFX http://fabb-bikes.blogspot.com/2015/08/pleasant-valley-road-diet-scheduled-for.html

The first piece, WB from King to Ford, is striped (but no bike icon painted yet) as of last night when I rode it on the way from happy hour. I am guessing I was the first cyclist to ride it.

[lordofthemark]

More detailed info about planned bike lanes in DC – note three of them are new PBLs (on 6th street NE from K to Florida Ave, on Brentwood Parkway NE from 6th to 9th, and, on Pennsylvania Avenue NW from 17th to 29th, for a total of about 1.5 miles.

http://www.thewashcycle.com/2015/09/back-in-january-ddot-submitted-an-addition-to-the2015-financially-constrained-long-range-transportation-plan-clrp-in-the-f.html

[Terpfan]

The repaving of Belle View Blvd and Beacon Hill Rd has come with some added advantages for those of us taking the route. On the Beacon Hill steep hill section, they’ve put in the white striping for bike lanes on both sides of the hill. You can see where they’re going to put them too by the paint markets going further up toward Rt 1. It looks like they will do something on Belle View side of the road soon (maybe this weekend?).

Either way, it’s nice as drivers now have a very clear lane of where they should be. And it’s hard to miss. I’ll try to remember to leave my camera on for that part to get a screenshot or two.

[GovernorSilver]

@Terpfan 124974 wrote:

The repaving of Belle View Blvd and Beacon Hill Rd has come with some added advantages for those of us taking the route. On the Beacon Hill steep hill section, they’ve put in the white striping for bike lanes on both sides of the hill. You can see where they’re going to put them too by the paint markets going further up toward Rt 1. It looks like they will do something on Belle View side of the road soon (maybe this weekend?).

Either way, it’s nice as drivers now have a very clear lane of where they should be. And it’s hard to miss. I’ll try to remember to leave my camera on for that part to get a screenshot or two.

Is it easier to get to MVT from Belle View Blvd now? Or do you still have to take that sketchy crossing over Washington St?

[Terpfan]

@GovernorSilver 124993 wrote:

Is it easier to get to MVT from Belle View Blvd now? Or do you still have to take that sketchy crossing over Washington St?

Unfortunately, the crappy crossing of GWMP (I think it’s only considered Washington St in OT and turns back to Parkway designation after those condo buildings) continues. This a VDOT project from what I gather so their authority ends just prior to the intersection. And despite VDOT recognizing this obvious crossing and trying to connect things, I have zero faith in NPS to follow-suit with a crosswalk. Although sometimes I wonder if they would do anything if someone spray-painted a crosswalk onto it one night…

[Subby]

F this.

[IMG]http://bikearlingtonforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=9707&stc=1[/IMG]

[GovernorSilver]

Anybody know why they’re moving the MVT closer to the road there?

[dbb]

Short answer – they aren’t. Look at post 2 on this thread http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?9221-September-2015-Road-and-Trail-Conditions

The mulch path is a detour so they can move the trail further from the roadway.

Here is a site from FHWA where they update traffic information.

http://www.efl.fhwa.dot.gov/projects…gwmp-5001.aspx

Possibly a better link

http://flh.fhwa.dot.gov/projects/va/gwmp-5001/

Description:

The project consists of the rehabilitation of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport South Exit and VA Route 233 Bridges over the George Washington Memorial Parkway, and improvements to the Mount Vernon Trail near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The bridge work includes sidewalk widening, concrete deck overlay, barrier and bridge rail replacement and painting. The trail and roadway work includes trail realignment, stone masonry guardwall construction asphalt pavement milling and overlay, and other miscellaneous work.

[Anonymous]

@Terpfan 124974 wrote:

The repaving of Belle View Blvd and Beacon Hill Rd has come with some added advantages for those of us taking the route. On the Beacon Hill steep hill section, they’ve put in the white striping for bike lanes on both sides of the hill. You can see where they’re going to put them too by the paint markets going further up toward Rt 1. It looks like they will do something on Belle View side of the road soon (maybe this weekend?).

Either way, it’s nice as drivers now have a very clear lane of where they should be. And it’s hard to miss. I’ll try to remember to leave my camera on for that part to get a screenshot or two.

I’m surprised at how much I like what they’ve done so far. I was pretty ambivalent about the downhill lane; I have no intention of hugging the curb going down an 8-10% grade around curves and if drivers expect me to now that there’s a bike lane i could see it increasing conflict (so negative), but it might also get some people currently riding on the sidewalk or not at all onto the road (so positive). But I’ve been down it twice now and as it turns out, the place I most often position myself coming down the hill (unless I’m planning to turn left at the light) is right around the left of the new bike lane, so it may actually not create new conflict. I will wait awhile to see how drivers behave before passing judgment.

The climbing lane is nothing but goodness. It’s gloriously stress-free to get to the top and not have to negotiate with drivers about positioning at the light at Quander. (Do you filter on the right? How small a space do you try to squeeze through? Do you trust the cars without turn signals to not turn right? Or do you just take your place in line in the lane and hold up everyone behind you as you get moving uphill on the green?) I wasn’t even aware of being stressed there until suddenly I wasn’t anymore and it is just so pleasant to ride up to the light with my own space that cars are not crowding me out of.

[Terpfan]

@Amalitza 125006 wrote:

I’m surprised at how much I like what they’ve done so far. I was pretty ambivalent about the downhill lane; I have no intention of hugging the curb going down an 8-10% grade around curves and if drivers expect me to now that there’s a bike lane i could see it increasing conflict (so negative), but it might also get some people currently riding on the sidewalk or not at all onto the road (so positive). But I’ve been down it twice now and as it turns out, the place I most often position myself coming down the hill (unless I’m planning to turn left at the light) is right around the left of the new bike lane, so it may actually not create new conflict. I will wait awhile to see how drivers behave before passing judgment.

The climbing lane is nothing but goodness. It’s gloriously stress-free to get to the top and not have to negotiate with drivers about positioning at the light at Quander. (Do you filter on the right? How small a space do you try to squeeze through? Do you trust the cars without turn signals to not turn right? Or do you just take your place in line in the lane and hold up everyone behind you as you get moving uphill on the green?) I wasn’t even aware of being stressed there until suddenly I wasn’t anymore and it is just so pleasant to ride up to the light with my own space that cars are not crowding me out of.

The only thing on downhill I wish is that they squeezed it out a little more around that one manhole cover that kind of has a road divot next to it. I usually swing left more into the road at that point, but otherwise agree it’s been fine on the downhill stretch. I’ve only gone left at Fort Hunt once so I didn’t even really think about that factor.

I filter up to Quander and almost always seem to get there during a red light. And definitely agree about noticing the difference.

When they said they were going to make the lane, I honestly thought they were just going to lay down one strip of white along the road like a shoulder and paint one or two bicyclists onto it. So I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

[Terpfan]

@dbb 125001 wrote:

Short answer – they aren’t. Look at post 2 on this thread http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?9221-September-2015-Road-and-Trail-Conditions

The mulch path is a detour so they can move the trail further from the roadway.

Here is a site from FHWA where they update traffic information.

http://www.efl.fhwa.dot.gov/projects…gwmp-5001.aspx

Possibly a better link

http://flh.fhwa.dot.gov/projects/va/gwmp-5001/

Description:

The project consists of the rehabilitation of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport South Exit and VA Route 233 Bridges over the George Washington Memorial Parkway, and improvements to the Mount Vernon Trail near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The bridge work includes sidewalk widening, concrete deck overlay, barrier and bridge rail replacement and painting. The trail and roadway work includes trail realignment, stone masonry guardwall construction asphalt pavement milling and overlay, and other miscellaneous work.

From your other post, I guess it appears we will either be riding on mulch or detouring around via Crystal City. Argh. Mulch is about the one thing I’ve actually ever ridden my road bike on so no idea how it would hold up. I would rather just ride through the airport, but I’m sure that’s banned.

[mstone]

@Terpfan 125008 wrote:

From your other post, I guess it appears we will either be riding on mulch or detouring around via Crystal City. Argh. Mulch is about the one thing I’ve actually ever ridden my road bike on so no idea how it would hold up. I would rather just ride through the airport, but I’m sure that’s banned.

It’s better than riding through sand, but only because the mulch doesn’t tend to stick to your bike as much.

[GovernorSilver]

@mstone 125009 wrote:

It’s better than riding through sand, but only because the mulch doesn’t tend to stick to your bike as much.

That’s good, because I suck at riding on sand.

[GovernorSilver]

Got an email response from City Of Alexandria’s Dept. of Transportation and Environmental Services:

Quote:

Thank your for pointing out these issues.

1&4: I know from a policy standpoint, the City is looking to remove to bollards at most existing trail access points. In most instances, they are a safety issue on to themselves. The bollards at the south entrance of the Potomac Ave Trail may be considered for removal as a result.

2. We haven’t had a good storm in a while so I haven’t seen this issue firsthand. Do you know if this is still an on-going problem with the storm drain?

3. As for the unfinished trail pavement, are you referring to the area near the dead end roundabout of Mainline Blvd?

The text in my original submission to Call.Click.Connect, mostly concerning the Braddock Rd. end of Potomac Ave. Trail:

I’m reporting a couple of issues with this location:

1. There are two bollards. They are adding an unnecessary hazard to users of the Potomac Ave Trail. Cyclists who are heading south on the trail towards Braddock Rd. are forced to make difficult maneuvers to avoid hitting these bollards. Pedestrians coming in and out of the trail are also affected by these cyclists being forced to maneuver.

2. The storm drain is not working. Water just accumulates into a puddle instead of draining after a storm.

3. The trail pavement is unfinished about 100 yards north of this intersection – it’s like whoever laid down the asphalt forgot a patch, so it’s basically a big pothole.

4. The bollards do not comply with FHWA guidance on bollards: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/guidance/design_guidance/bollards/index1.cfm

[dbb]

@Terpfan 125008 wrote:

From your other post, I guess it appears we will either be riding on mulch or detouring around via Crystal City. Argh. Mulch is about the one thing I’ve actually ever ridden my road bike on so no idea how it would hold up. I would rather just ride through the airport, but I’m sure that’s banned.

The detours are only a hundred feet or so. With something short like that, you can walk your bike and call it practice for BAFS this winter.

I’ve ridden through the airport and while the route to 233 and Crystal City is a bit exciting got no grief from it. I’d expect northbound might be pretty easy. As you approach the north end of the new terminal you need to be at ground level to get into the parking lot near the maintenance building

[Author]

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