Good News on Infrastructure thread

[lordofthemark]

Maryland

MoCo finished design work for MBT from Silver Spring to DC line.

PG working on a connection from Bowie Heritage Trail to WB&A

PG got funding for a Central Avenue connection

Frederick got funding for 3.7 mile rail trail

[BikenRound]

Fairfax County completed its 2016 restriping efforts with the following improvements:

Bike lanes
Ravensworth Rd: Braddock Rd to Little River Turnpike (Road Diet)
John Matt Dr: Ravensworth Rd to Backlick Rd
Heritage Dr: Ravensworth Rd to Little River Turnpike
Patriot Dr: Heritage Dr to Americana
McWhorter Pl: Ravensworth Rd to Markham St
Markham St: McWhorter Pl to Little River Turnpike
Coffer Woods Rd:Burke Centre Pkwy to New England Woods Dr
Southrun Rd: Silverbroom Rd to Ambrose Ct
Franconia Rd: Rose Hill Dr to Craft Rd
Evergreen Ln: Columbia Pike to Little River Turnpike

More lanes are planned in 2017 so keep an eye out for public meetings to show your support!
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/bike

[lordofthemark]

Bikenround

Sounds like I need to take a ride back to Annandale.

[trailrunner]

@BikenRound 149788 wrote:

Fairfax County completed its 2016 restriping efforts with the following improvements:

More lanes are planned in 2017 so keep an eye out for public meetings to show your support!
http://www.fairfaxcounty.com/fcdot/bike

corrected link

[BikenRound]

@lordofthemark 149796 wrote:

Bikenround

Sounds like I need to take a ride back to Annandale.

For sure. Added bike lanes on Annandale Rd last year and more coming next year. Also, signing route from EFC Metro to Annandale and then to Springfield CBC using new bike lanes and neighborhood streets. Stay tuned for some new rides in the near future to explore the new routes and infrastructure.

[Fairlington124]

Realize things slow down this time of year due to weather and holidays, but any insights or tips about stuff going on, particularly in Alexandria or Arlington? I can say that the long-delayed King/Beauregard project, which will eventually give a sidepath on King between 28th St and Walter Reed/Beauregard is finally under way.

[lordofthemark]

@Fairlington124 153463 wrote:

Realize things slow down this time of year due to weather and holidays, but any insights or tips about stuff going on, particularly in Alexandria or Arlington? I can say that the long-delayed King/Beauregard project, which will eventually give a sidepath on King between 28th St and Walter Reed/Beauregard is finally under way.

Royal Street. Update provided to Old Town North Small Area Plan Advisory Group in late September. Next public meeting will be in summer 2017.

o More here: http://bit.ly/RoyalStreetNeighborhoodBikeway.

· Prince and Cameron Streets Complete Streets project

o Resurfacing and restriping will occur this spring.

o More here: https://www.alexandriava.gov/localmotion/info/default.aspx?id=92743

· King-Callahan-Russell – DPI is leading this project. Concept development will begin shortly. Public outreach will begin in March /April.

· Cameron Station Blvd: Staff presented proposals to the Cameron Station Community Association on September 8th. A survey has been provided to HOA Board for their review.

· Wilkes Street: Trail on the east side of Route 1 will be widened and aligned to the concrete apron; construction expected to occur in spring 2017.

· King Street Complete Streets Project – Project is 99% complete. Additional signage tweaking needed. Staff update to Traffic & Parking Board in May 2017 after evaluation of project.

· Monroe Ave Bike Lanes – drivers veer into bike lane to avoid speed cushions. Not enough room to install flex-posts. City painted bike lane adjacent to speed cushion green and posted “STAY IN LANE” signage in November 2016. Problem still exists.

· Trail paving plan: Taney Ave Park trail connection will be constructed in spring 2017.

· Vision Zero – Upon endorsement at the Jan. 18th Transportation Commission meeting, City Council will consider Vision Zero Policy on 1/24 at their legislative meeting.

· Capital Bikeshare – 31st Alexandria station installed at Madison & Fairfax on United Way property. City will begin community engagement in spring 2017 to identify future locations.

· Commonwealth Avenue Sidewalk – Missing sidewalk on NB side of Commonwealth Avenue, north of Braddock Road, to be constructed in spring 2017.

· Safe Routes to School Walk Audits – 2 walk audits completed at Maury and Lyles-Crouch. Remaining walking audits for ACPS elementary schools to resume in early spring 2017.

· North Van Dorn Complete Streets – Markings and signage complete. Flexposts to be installed in Spring 2017 (aiming for April) for Alexandria’s first protected bike lanes.

· Mount Vernon Avenue and Glebe Road – Changes in progress, e.g. improved lighting, No Right Turn on Red from Glebe Road, Leading Pedestrian Intervals for crossing Mount Vernon Avenue.

From the agenda for the last BPAC meeting

[bobco85]

I found out via Twitter (thanks, Greg Billing) that the Maryland State Highway Administration announced plans to install modified HAWK signals in 2 locations: http://www.roads.maryland.gov/Pages/release.aspx?newsId=2792

I will focus on one of the two locations, and that is the Viers Mill Rd / Matthew Henson Trail crossing which is where 2 cyclists have died over the past couple of years. Frank Towers was killed in December 2015 http://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2015/12/cyclist-dead-after-collision-in-montgomery-county/ and Oscar Mauricio Gutierrez Osorio was killed in July 2016 http://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2016/07/cyclist-struck-killed-by-car-in-rockville/

From the news release:

The new flashing signal on MD 586 at Turkey Branch Parkway (Matthew Henson Trail) will display a flashing yellow caution light 24/7 on MD 586 until a pedestrian or bicyclist presses the cross button. The signal then turns to solid red, stopping all vehicular traffic.

The signal will be installed sometime this summer.

The difference between a regular HAWK (High intensity Activated CrossWalk) signal and Maryland’s modified HAWK is this: normal HAWK signal stays off when not in use by a pedestrian/cyclist, and MD’s modified HAWK will have flashing yellow lights when not in use.

To everyone who fought for this signal, thank you. This truly will save lives.

[bobco85]

I’m excited for 2 new pieces of bicycle infrastructure that look like they are close to being completed!

The 2-way protected bike lane on the north side of Fairfax Dr between Glebe Rd and Wakefield St/Bluemont Connector (path leading to the Custis Trail) is really coming along. Right now, it’s a de facto sidewalk (a sidewalk is being built next to it, so peds will be separated), and it looks really nice, but it’s still not finished. If you choose to ride on it, be careful as the concrete and asphalt do not yet meet (I’m thinking another layer of asphalt is going to be added since the difference is at least 4 inches).

Looking west from the corner of Fairfax Dr/Glebe Rd
[ATTACH=CONFIG]14594[/ATTACH]
Looking west toward Wakefield St/Fairfax Dr/Bluemont Connector
[ATTACH=CONFIG]14595[/ATTACH]

A new connection between Ashlawn Elementary School and Bluemont Park (and by extension, Four Mile Run Trail and W&OD Trail) looks almost complete. Ashlawn (my kindergarten alma mater, and yes, these things are important to point out) folks will have a new and safer way of getting across Manchester St on their way to/from the school. The path was being built as part of the renovation (read: major upgrade) to ballfield 3 in Bluemont Park, and the new ballfield even has cute baseball-shaped bike racks!

Next to the tennis courts, one can see the connection to 4MR and the baseball bike racks
[ATTACH=CONFIG]14596[/ATTACH]
Traffic calmed crossing of Manchester St
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[bobco85]

After perusing Google Maps while researching a route, I was surprised to find that the satellite view of a couple sections of Route 1 near Fort Belvoir showed actual sidepaths along the highway. I decided to check it out today.

For starters, there is a continuous concrete sidewalk running on the east side of US-1 from Mount Vernon Memorial Highway to Fairfax County Parkway. On the west side, however, is supposed to be a paved sidepath. The sidepath is mostly passable with a few spots where one has to lift their bike over a small ditch and switches between asphalt and packed gravel.

(Quick note: I did not ride on any section that had a sign saying it was closed/no trespassing.)

at the intersection of US-1/Mount Vernon Memorial Highway; (left) looking at the intersection; (right) looking south at the sidepath
[ATTACH=CONFIG]14818[/ATTACH]

(left) a couple of ditches from curbs due to the many housing developments being built; (right) a few, ahem, “blockages” can be found
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(left) I need a MTB’r to jump this gravel pile; (right) a completed section under Gunston Rd bridge which was awesome to ride on
[ATTACH=CONFIG]14820[/ATTACH]

(left) intersection of US-1/Backlick Rd which is used to access the southern end of the Fairfax County Parkway Trail; (right) intersection of US-1/Fairfax County Parkway, the only “Sidewalk Closed” sign I encountered, and future southern expansion of the US-1 sidepath in the distance
[ATTACH=CONFIG]14821[/ATTACH]

[bobco85]

Also on my ride today, I rode the entirety and took pics of the new (eastbound one-way) Prince St and (westbound mostly one-way) Cameron St bike lanes in Alexandria.

I found them to be quite awesome, though I was more excited just for the asphalt to actually be smooth (my (can’t put this due to family-friendly forum) still feel those old potholes sometimes). The bike lanes feel wide enough to allow one to avoid the door zone in most cases, and the upgraded sharrows seem to work. There was, however, one short block of normal sharrows still around, but these were on Prince St just past Royal St and before the cobblestones that were looking to destroy my road bike along with my (still can’t post this due to family-friendly forum). All in all, pretty nice.

(left) start of Prince St bike lane from Diagonal Rd; (right) a couple blocks of upgraded sharrows
[ATTACH=CONFIG]14822[/ATTACH]

(left) Prince St bike lane starts again; (right) Prince St bike lane navigating around everyone’s favorite statue
[ATTACH=CONFIG]14823[/ATTACH]

(left) Cameron St starts from Union St with upgraded sharrows; (right) Cameron St has many more blocks of bike lanes than Prince St, and they’re awesome to ride on
[ATTACH=CONFIG]14824[/ATTACH]

(left) big changes to Cameron St as it approaches the King St Metro; (right) I love the wayfinding sign here on Cameron St
[ATTACH=CONFIG]14825[/ATTACH]

[Sunyata]

@bobco85 160413 wrote:

Also on my ride today, I rode the entirety and took pics of the new (eastbound one-way) Prince St and (westbound mostly one-way) Cameron St bike lanes in Alexandria.

I found them to be quite awesome, though I was more excited just for the asphalt to actually be smooth (my (can’t put this due to family-friendly forum) still feel those old potholes sometimes). The bike lanes feel wide enough to allow one to avoid the door zone in most cases, and the upgraded sharrows seem to work. There was, however, one short block of normal sharrows still around, but these were on Prince St just past Royal St and before the cobblestones that were looking to destroy my road bike along with my (still can’t post this due to family-friendly forum). All in all, pretty nice.

I rode the new Cameron bike lanes yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised, as I did not know this was planned. They are REALLY nice. As is the nice butter smooth pavement!

[Birru]

@Sunyata 160417 wrote:

As is the nice butter smooth pavement!

Who are you and what did you do with Casey?

[peterw_diy]

I ride Cameron often and am not sure I like the change from sharrows to door zone paint-defined bike lanes. While it’s nice that it’s now easy, in some stretches, to ride past backed up autos, I also now find that a significant portion of people driving don’t give me three feet when overtaking me.

They behave as if they think staying in their auto lane suffices. I find this a little odd since on other streets like Commonwealth motorists are pretty good about giving cyclists more space. Anyhow, motorists passing too close now happens fairly often, but didn’t in the old design, where I would take the lane.

I think this street, while smoother, is likely less safe for people on bikes than before.

(I hope this post doesn’t end up in my obit or on a gofundme page.)

[dasgeh]

@bobco85 158561 wrote:

I’m excited for 2 new pieces of bicycle infrastructure that look like they are close to being completed!

The 2-way protected bike lane on the north side of Fairfax Dr between Glebe Rd and Wakefield St/Bluemont Connector (path leading to the Custis Trail) […]
Looking west from the corner of Fairfax Dr/Glebe Rd
[ATTACH=CONFIG]14594[/ATTACH]

Great, except… why is the entrance on the east side so narrow? Some people biking are going to use the green signal to go across Glebe on the north side before crossing FFX….

@bobco85 158561 wrote:

A new connection between Ashlawn Elementary School and Bluemont Park (and by extension, Four Mile Run Trail and W&OD Trail) looks almost complete. […]

Agree this is awesome. But I believe at least the crosswalk (and possible the trail as well) are actually related to the expansion of Ashlawn Elementary. I point this out to illustrate how these projects provide opportunities for us to get infrastructure improvements.

Pay attention to these school projects. There are lots in Arlington right now.

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