Hains Point Public Meeting on 4/19

[arlcxrider]

The project web site is a little light on specifics. There’s nothing in the “document library.” My concern is they’ll violate the “first, do no harm” principle. What problem are they trying to solve? Ohio Drive (the one-way section) seems to work pretty well as is, and the conflicts are mostly from inattentive drivers backing out of angled parking spaces without looking, speeding cars and motorcycles, and other shenanigans. Most people seem to have figured out “slower traffic keep right,” and it works well for the most part. I hope it doesn’t become a lane separation scheme with flexi-bollards and less room for maneuver.

[Judd]

The documents likely won’t be posted until the meeting occurs. I saw a post on Twitter advertising the meeting which showed one of the lanes on the one way section becoming a bike/ped only lane and the other lane remains by a car lane with sparrows. The loop would also be closed to tour busses (which have been the cause of my worst experiences at HP)

My understanding is that this project is in response to two pedestrians being killed at HP.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[lordofthemark]

@Judd 218863 wrote:

The documents likely won’t be posted until the meeting occurs. I saw a post on Twitter advertising the meeting which showed one of the lanes on the one way section becoming a bike/ped only lane and the other lane remains by a car lane with sparrows. The loop would also be closed to tour busses (which have been the cause of my worst experiences at HP)

My understanding is that this project is in response to two pedestrians being killed at HP.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

At least one member of our community should find that lane very interesting.

[ursus]

The tour buses being eliminated would be the most welcome part of this for me, and in my opinion they need to be eliminated if one lane is allotted to bikes and pedestrians because there are sections where buses would damage trees if they have to stay on the left instead of going up the middle. It has been a pleasure with very few buses due to COVID the last two years, and I have been dreading them coming back in large numbers.

[arlcxrider]

@Judd 218863 wrote:

The documents likely won’t be posted until the meeting occurs. I saw a post on Twitter advertising the meeting which showed one of the lanes on the one way section becoming a bike/ped only lane and the other lane remains by a car lane with sparrows. The loop would also be closed to tour busses (which have been the cause of my worst experiences at HP)

My understanding is that this project is in response to two pedestrians being killed at HP.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks. I would hope they would at least post the presentation slide deck a few days prior to the public meeting. I’ll try to tune in.

[jrenaut]

@Judd 218863 wrote:

…a car lane with sparrows…

Strongly agree, car lanes DO need more songbirds.

[arlcxrider]

The slide deck from the meeting is available on the project web site. Seems innocuous for the most part, although there’s really no good solution offered for the “angled” parking down at the south end. Other than getting rid of it, which isn’t on the table.

Public comment period runs through May 19th.

[ursus]

Thanks greatly for posting that. I had to miss it due to a dentist appointment.

I was thinking this morning about the fact that school buses will still be allowed. For between 30 minutes and an hour, 30 or more Fairfax County school buses were parking in what will be bike/pedestrian territory on the Potomac River side of HP. I spoke to a Metro policeman there who told be they were there because they had driven students to the Kennedy Center and there was no other place for them to park. The first two times I passed them I had to breath their fumes. (There used to be No Idling signs.) The next time I passed was when they decided to leave and immediately go into the left lane cutting me and a couple of others off. At least of the proposal is approved, the buses won’t be able to park there.

[arlcxrider]

@ursus 218961 wrote:

Thanks greatly for posting that. I had to miss it due to a dentist appointment.

I was thinking this morning about the fact that school buses will still be allowed. For between 30 minutes and an hour, 30 or more Fairfax County school buses were parking in what will be bike/pedestrian territory on the Potomac River side of HP. I spoke to a Metro policeman there who told be they were there because they had driven students to the Kennedy Center and there was no other place for them to park.

This happens often. Not the school buses specifically, but NPS treats the Ohio Drive loop as a “surplus” parking and staging area for any number of activities. Last week the gates were closed because the Park Police were doing some kind of training exercise down there. They didn’t seem to mind my presence (or even notice, to be honest.)

[CaseyKane50]

@arlcxrider 218957 wrote:

The slide deck from the meeting is available on the project web site. Seems innocuous for the most part, although there’s really no good solution offered for the “angled” parking down at the south end. Other than getting rid of it, which isn’t on the table.

Public comment period runs through May 19th.

Here’s a link to the presentation

From the presentation

And if you want to send in a comment by May 19.

[arlcxrider]

Final reminder that the comment period closes on May 19.

[JorgeGortex]

My feeling is that they are trying to create a solution for a problem that doesn’t really exist and in the process will mess up one of the most enjoyable places to ride. Most riders, except the most casual and families, will end up in more conflict with cars. If they want to ensure pedestrian safety, install a sidewalk on the “inside” of the loop adjacent to the golf course property. Leave the roads alone.

[Judd]

I was able to attend the meeting. It doesn’t look like it made it on the deck, but the NPS reps indicated that 1C was their preferred concept.

[arlcxrider]

@JorgeGortex 219130 wrote:

My feeling is that they are trying to create a solution for a problem that doesn’t really exist and in the process will mess up one of the most enjoyable places to ride. Most riders, except the most casual and families, will end up in more conflict with cars. If they want to ensure pedestrian safety, install a sidewalk on the “inside” of the loop adjacent to the golf course property. Leave the roads alone.

That would cost megabucks, as would fixing the seawalls. And I’m not sure there is room for a sidewalk unless you removed part of the roadway, due to proximity of the cherry trees. It looks like NPS thinking on this one is limited to “magical paint.”

[Author]

Posts