Hazardous Bollard and Bollard Collar Map

[baiskeli]

I see hazardous dullards out on bikes every day on the trail.

Oh, wait, bollards.

[dbb]

@baiskeli 10926 wrote:

I see hazardous dullards out on bikes every day on the trail.

I’d expect the dullards would be less hazardous if they just stood there.

[americancyclo]

I’ve been meaning to note that two bollard collars have been removed and paved over along Vanderpool near 19th St. Good work!

[Steve O]

This is NOT how it’s supposed to work!
The idea is that they should be REMOVED–not more added.

Yes, another day, another bollard. A brand new one just installed at the entrance to the 4MR trail going to Dominion Hills Park at the corner of N Madison and Four Mile Run Drive.
I think there was one there 10-15 years ago; you can see the patch where it was removed.

I have lived about 300 yards from this location since 2000. As far as I know there has never been any issue with vehicle encroachment here.
Also, this trail is often used by people teaching their little children to bike, because it’s much less busy than the nearby W&OD. Great idea putting a hazard right in the middle of the trail for 6-year olds to run into. I love crying children as much as the next person, but this seems a little nuts.

We need to devise a consistent policy in the county about when and where bollards are to be installed. Right now it seems completely arbitrary.
Although I do not wish harm to anyone, I hope that the next person who is injured by one sues the county for deliberately placing needless hazards in the middle of the path of travel.

[Steve O]

Arlington has started installing many new bollards in locations that they are not needed and may constitute hazards. At the least, they are wasting tax dollars doing so.

I have blogged about the details at this link.

http://www.steveoffutt.com/2012/05/more-bollards-in-arlington-county.html
There’s also another thread on the forum here:
http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?2161-New-East-Falls-Church-bridge-over-4MR-Why-the-bollards-!!

I also gave public comment to the Board on the morning of May 19. Here is the text of my comments:

My name is Steve Offutt, and I wanted to bring to the board’s attention recent activity by the parks department that needs to be addressed as soon as possible
In the last few weeks, numerous bollards have been installed on trails in the County. I know personally of six new ones within less than one mile of my house in Dominion Hills.
Bollards are those posts that one sees installed near trail intersections with streets. They represent a significant hazard to trail users, and can cause severe injury. The purpose for bollards, if needed at all, is to deter motor vehicles from entering the trail.
Four have been installed on the new bridge connecting Madison Manor with EFC. This bridge is at the intersection of two trails—no street—so there is no reason for bollards here. One of them shows signs of being struck by a cyclist, so someone may have already been injured by them.
Similarly, a bollard was just placed on the 4MR trail by Dominion Hills Park. This is my neighborhood and there has not been a bollard there for at least ten years, and I am not aware of any trail encroachments, so it seems needless, hazardous and a waste of taxpayer dollars to place it here.
From what I have gathered, these installations are being ordered without input from county transportation staff who have cycling expertise nor any community input
The Federal Highway Administration provides guidance on bollards. I quote here from their guidance:
Even “properly” installed bollards constitute a serious and potentially fatal safety hazard . .. . For these reasons, bollards should never be a default treatment, and should not be used unless there is a documented history of intrusion by unauthorized cars, trucks, or other vehicles.
Unjustified bollards can create liability exposure. Trail managers should consider whether or not they increase their liability if they install bollards or other barriers.
Since there is no history of intrusion, these bollards are likely to be considered as “unjustified “ in a court of law, exposing the County to legal risk.
I would like to request that the Board instruct staff to immediately cease installation of any additional bollards until a consistent and acceptable policy for location and design that assures the highest level of safety for our citizens who use these trails is in place. I would also like to recommend that the Board instruct staff to remove the bollards that have been recently installed until such policy is in place.
Thank you.

[Arlingtonrider]

Sure would like to see the bollard collar disappear at the entrance to Barcroft Park at the intersection of Walter Reed and S. Arlington Mill Drive. There’s an unneeded bollard there too, but at least you see that. The collar sticking up 2 or 3 inches is a disaster waiting to happen.

[consularrider]

It’s not in Arlington, but I saw the the new concrete bollards at the bottom of the ramp along side the Wilson Bridge at Jones Point. What are they thinking?

[OneEighth]

@consularrider 20720 wrote:

It’s not in Arlington, but I saw the the new concrete bollards at the bottom of the ramp along side the Wilson Bridge at Jones Point. What are they thinking?

You are being generous…

[KLizotte]

@consularrider 20720 wrote:

It’s not in Arlington, but I saw the the new concrete bollards at the bottom of the ramp along side the Wilson Bridge at Jones Point. What are they thinking?

Saw them for the first time last night. Wow. Are they big, and close together. The lights on top were not working. Bad, bad idea.

And why three? One in the middle would certainly suffice if a car going up was a real threat.

[paulg]

I agree and don’t like the bollards on MVT at the Wilson bridge either. There should be another way to stop vehicles from using the trail.

Having said that I have contacted the Potomac Bridge crossing folks a couple of times about trail issues underneath the Wilson Bridge at the end of South Royal st. and so know at least one reason why they really don’t want cars etc. going under the bridge and it’s for homeland security. I guess they really don’t want someone putting a truck bomb under the bridge, hence the bollards. I’m not saying I agree with these reasons, fears etc. but I believe that’s why the bollards are there.

I will say though the bollards slow people down as they come down the ramp before making the turn under the bridge which is a blind curve.

Paul G.

[Rootchopper]

If they want to restrict access they could have put the bollards at the top of the hill near the Washington Street deck. If you need to go from the trail into the high rise apartment parking lot, some other arrangement that impacts a fraction of the bike/ped traffic could be added (it’s going to be needed anyway).

And while I’m at it the other side of the Wilson Bridge at the end of South Royals street is a cycling nightmare. A manhole cover in the shade of the bridge stick up several inches. The path is blocked by yellow bars. The detour, soon to be permanent part of the trail, has gaps between the pavement and the sidewalk, gravel, a utility box that sticks up above grade and a telephone pole.

I seriously doubt that when this is all done it will be ridable.

[paulg]

Rootchopper

You are right about the North side of the bridge. I took some photos back in April and sent them to the Potomac Crossing folks and they called me back to say the pole blocking the trail was temporary and that final surfacing is still to be done apparently. They said it would be gone by mid May (still waiting for that to happen) They had some other comments which I posted here:

http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?2132-New-pinch-point-on-MVT-under-Wilson-Bridge

Maybe time for another call to them.

Paulg

[rcannon100]

Bollards removed from Bluemont Junction Trail…. Collards remain.

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[Mark Blacknell]

I’m a big fan of whoever marks those collars with bright yellow paint.

(The parks department has been asked to remove the collars where bollards have been removed. It’s not a priority for them.)

[DaveK]

@Mark Blacknell 22196 wrote:

I’m a big fan of whoever marks those collars with bright yellow paint.

Doesn’t take any real know-how to do it. Just a can of brightly-colored paint.

Hell, you can get those at any store these days.

It’s easy.

Takes about 5 minutes.

Anyone passing by could just stop and reach down and do it.

Hypothetically.

*whistles*

[Author]

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