Haines Point

[arlcxrider]

Encouraging cyclists to salmon seems like a really, really bad idea. The original options didn’t show that, IIRC.

[scoot]

The worst part of this design is the placement of the contraflow lane in the middle. With two lanes going one direction and one going the other way, the contraflow lane should be on the outside. Since we drive on the right in the USA, it should be on the left side of the image above.

The traffic design in this image, flawed as it is, could be substantially improved just by switching the positions of the car parking lane with the MUP. That would also enable vehicles to be parked in the most common method, with the passenger side against the curb, improving drivers’ visibility.

[JorgeGortex]

I’d say that what the NPS is the cheap and easy fix instead of investing the time and effort to do it right. They could have made a sidewalk on the inside of the point in the grassy area shown in the picture, for pedestrians. Slower riders could have been reminded to stay on the far right, and otherwise things should have been left as they are now. If they wanted to enhance the point, then they could have restricted cars and left the whole thing for cyclists and peds. Make cars park in the lot for the golf course. But noooo, they had to try to be everything for everyone while doing it in a half-assed way that is going to get someone hurt. Where does WABA stand on this?

[Hancockbs]

The rendering may be old. The narrative says the MUP will be separated from traffic by parked cars. Also says they intend to repair the seawall and sidewalk at some point in the future. That won’t be cheap, but is needed.

[arlcxrider]

@Hancockbs 220650 wrote:

The narrative says the MUP will be separated from traffic by parked cars.

There will only be buffering from parked cars at the current angled spaces, which are going to be converted to parallel parking.

[Bumnah]

Everyone at work has been talking about this change. One person even feared it would end the noon ride. There will be a slight adjustment period but after that it’ll feel normal. Perhaps I’m ignorantly optimistic.

[warmjets]

Considering cars travel anywhere from 5 to 50 mph this is going to be a disaster to force them into one lane. Maybe impatient drivers will swerve into the bike/pedestrian lanes to pass.

[warmjets]

The article is vague on details regarding installation. Sounds like it could happen any day now. anyone know?

[amanka]

I rode there the other night. If the lines painted on the pavement represent what’s actually going to happen, the primary ride lane on the right (CW) is smaller than the CCW lane and runs up to the curb and over the gratings. What a disaster.

[Dan K]

I do my cycling workout here 5 days a week, and strongly agree that this is as much a looming disaster as it is wholly unnecessary. Rather than spending a big pile of bucks on this ill-conceived project, it would be great NPS would spend a much smaller pile of bucks on the faded/absent double yellow lines that keep the left turners exiting the Jefferson Memorial in the proper lane. Wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve had a vehicle coming toward me head-on, as they drive the wrong way in the WEST-bound lane as I travel from East Potomac Park to West Potomac Park (just west of the 14th Street Bridge overpasses). Now THAT would be money well spent!

[bentbike33]

I’m beginning to suspect that the whole point is to discourage the Haines Point pelotons.

[arlcxrider]

This is what they should have done (Potomac Ave in Arlington). A lane for pedestrians with tire stops and flex-posts, one-way cycle lane for slower cyclists, one-way shared lane for faster cyclists and motorists.

The design they’re going to implement is overwrought and creates all sorts of conflicts.[ATTACH=CONFIG]29169[/ATTACH]

[ursus]

@amanka 220789 wrote:

I rode there the other night. If the lines painted on the pavement represent what’s actually going to happen, the primary ride lane on the right (CW) is smaller than the CCW lane and runs up to the curb and over the gratings. What a disaster.

My recollection, which could be faulty, was that both lanes were clockwise with the one nearer the golf course for pedestrians and the one nearer the car lane for cyclists. Cyclists also allowed to use the car lane if they could keep up with cars (15 MPH). That more or less made sense to me. If it is the way you wrote, I agree it would be a disaster, especially when there is cross wind which is often.

[darkwave]

@ursus 220809 wrote:

My recollection, which could be faulty, was that both lanes were clockwise with the one nearer the golf course for pedestrians and the one nearer the car lane for cyclists. Cyclists also allowed to use the car lane if they could keep up with cars (15 MPH). That more or less made sense to me. If it is the way you wrote, I agree it would be a disaster, especially when there is cross wind which is often.

Nope – of the two inner lanes – one is clockwise and one is counterclockwise. Which you do need for pedestrians. Forcing pedestrians to only go one direction means that they are forced to complete the loop of the island if they walk there, which is a far bigger ask for pedestrians than it is for cyclists. And limiting pedestrians to one narrow lane (narrower than requirements for a DC sidewalk) would be unfeasible because at certain times of day there are too many pedestrians of differing speeds for such a narrow lane.

I’m not a fan at all of this – my preference was that they a) eliminate the buses, b) install automated speed cameras, and c) post signs indicating that the road is to be shared.

[ursus]

@darkwave 220815 wrote:

Nope – of the two inner lanes – one is clockwise and one is counterclockwise. Which you do need for pedestrians. Forcing pedestrians to only go one direction means that they are forced to complete the loop of the island if they walk there, which is a far bigger ask for pedestrians than it is for cyclists. And limiting pedestrians to one narrow lane (narrower than requirements for a DC sidewalk) would be unfeasible because at certain times of day there are too many pedestrians of differing speeds for such a narrow lane.

I’m not a fan at all of this – my preference was that they a) eliminate the buses, b) install automated speed cameras, and c) post signs indicating that the road is to be shared.

Good point that pedestrians should not be forced to make a complete loop. I also think that buses, including school buses, need to be eliminated because they will destroy the cherry trees if they are confined to one lane. Speed cameras enforcing the speed limit would be a great idea, but there are so many drivers in DC ignoring tickets that I don’t think that the end result will be the drivers changing their habits.

[Author]

Posts