Good News on Infrastructure thread

[lordofthemark]

@chris_s 97034 wrote:

I am hopeful, but I’ll believe in the trail connection when I see it with my own 2 eyes. If you know Pentagon employees who cycle, keep them on speed dial, we may need them in the next couple years to make sure the trail connection makes it. DoD security hates change.

Note that this would serve not only Pentagon employees, but several people who put their bikes on the buses to the Pentagon and then bike commute TO DC. I used to be one of those, Mikey I think still is, and several other people I have observed at the bus bays. Though naturally DoD will be more interested in the thoughts of their own employees, I guess.

[cyclingfool]

@mstone 97032 wrote:

Score! That’s one of the worst spots left on the west side of the W&OD.

Yeah, I’d heard lots of horror stories about that crossing, mostly here. I don’t get out that way often, but when I did a ride to Leesburg and back on my birthday, I watched a car (Car plow into the back of another one (Car A) as Car A slowed to let me and a couple others cross there on the trail. I waited around since I’d seen it and thought I could offer my eyewitness testimony should the police be called as I’d seen it happen. The two cars pull up and over to the side of the road. Turned out to be two employees from the same place, judging by uniforms. They talked for 30 seconds and left w/o calling the police to file an accident report, so I just rode on.

Point being, yes, any improvement to the crossing there, especially a grade separation, is a positive change. The only downside is it’s part and parcel of another road widening project in exurbia. But I guess that’s going to happen anyway, so we might as well get some bike/ped infra out of it.

[cyclingfool]

@lordofthemark 97036 wrote:

Note that this would serve not only Pentagon employees, but several people who put their bikes on the buses to the Pentagon and then bike commute TO DC.

And those looking for non-MVT routes to the 14th St Bridge, be it just to mix things up, to avoid kids and dogwalkers, to avoid Gravelly Point, or to lessen the distance traveled on an unplowed MVT in case of copious winter precip. I would use a connection there for all of these things, probably at least a couple times a week.

[lordofthemark]

@cyclingfool 97039 wrote:

And those looking for non-MVT routes to the 14th St Bridge, be it just to mix things up, to avoid kids and dogwalkers, to avoid Gravelly Point, or to lessen the distance traveled on an unplowed MVT in case of copious winter precip. I would use a connection there for all of these things, probably at least a couple times a week.

Which would in turn reduce crowding on the MVT for those of us who continue to use it in that section.

[chris_s]

@lordofthemark 97056 wrote:

Which would in turn reduce crowding on the MVT for those of us who continue to use it in that section.

The connection would be huge, it would benefit a ton of people, but what I hear is that the Pentagon folks could not possibly give less of a f*ck about any of that. It’s all going to come down to assuaging security fears and/or political pressure.

[chris_s]

http://projects.arlingtonva.us/projects/wilson-boulevard-improvements/

Wilson Boulevard between North Frederick Street and North Manchester Street.
Repaving and restriping from four lanes to three lanes
Providing a center left turn lane throughout
Addition of bike lanes on both sides
Bus stop consolidations

This is a demonstration project that will be monitored further by the County to determine whether a complete streets project — currently unfunded — is viable along the entire section of Wilson Boulevard, west of North Glebe Road. If successful, staff will continue to work with the community to develop this future potential project.

[Kolohe]

The devil will be in the details on that one, I think. Ending at Fredrick means a block and a half gap between the project area and the George Mason intersection (and moreover, the Bluemont trail). That gap is also the riskiest place right now because of the commercial corridor on both sides of the street, with specific establishments designed for low dwell time and high turnover (e.g. 7/11, McD’s, gas station, two places that are predominantly take away, heck even the Safeway in its current configuration) – thus above average car crossings. Add a bike lane merge (and sun glare several times a year), and that’s asking for trouble.

[dasgeh]

@Kolohe 98256 wrote:

The devil will be in the details on that one, I think.

Agreed. A big detail will also be whether this is a protected bike lane (which shouldn’t take much space, because there won’t be parking). Wilson is scary, and will need more than paint to convince most to bike on it. More safe connections are needed in that area, as there are not many neighborhood streets that don’t end at a major street.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Well, it’s not much, but I appreciate the sentiment behind the speed displays that went up today in Westover. I hope more comes from it…maybe speed tables on Washington Blvd?

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[DismalScientist]

Umm… The speed limit through Westover proper is 30, not that it should be. (I think it is under VDOT’s control.) I don’t think the ACPD can arbitrarily change a speed limit by placing a missigned guiltometer.

[chris_s]

@dasgeh 98287 wrote:

Agreed. A big detail will also be whether this is a protected bike lane (which shouldn’t take much space, because there won’t be parking). Wilson is scary, and will need more than paint to convince most to bike on it. More safe connections are needed in that area, as there are not many neighborhood streets that don’t end at a major street.

I’m betting buffered, but not protected given the # of driveways.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@DismalScientist 98302 wrote:

Umm… The speed limit through Westover proper is 30, not that it should be. (I think it is under VDOT’s control.) I don’t think the ACPD can arbitrarily change a speed limit by placing a missigned guiltometer.

I noticed that too, but if it makes even some people slow down (why some people slow down for these signs escapes me…not like they can issue tickets) then I won’t complain. Like I said, I think the crosswalks in front of the Rite Aid and the Market should be turned into speed tables, but I can’t imagine VDOT ever doing that.

[DismalScientist]

Well, do you slow down for guiltometers when you are on your bike?:rolleyes:

I just noticed the speed gauge on the CCT. When you accelerate to 20, a white light goes on. What happens at 25? Does a laser shoot you dead?

[ShawnoftheDread]

@DismalScientist 98309 wrote:

Well, do you slow down for guiltometers when you are on your bike?:rolleyes:

I just noticed the speed gauge on the CCT. When you accelerate to 20, a white light goes on. What happens at 25? Does a laser shoot you dead?

I consider them challengemeters and I speed up.

[cyclingfool]

@DismalScientist 98309 wrote:

Well, do you slow down for guiltometers when you are on your bike?:rolleyes:

I just noticed the speed gauge on the CCT. When you accelerate to 20, a white light goes on. What happens at 25? Does a laser shoot you dead?

This happens:

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