How does development affect on-street bike routes?

[donkeybike]

I rely on the on-street bike routes to get me safely around/through Arlington, and I’ve noticed over the last year that North Highland St has developed quite a bit and will in a much bigger way soon. Does development eventually change designation of a street as a bike route? Is there anything that can be done to preserve a street as a safe bike route?
I guess I have an easy alternative–ride farther/longer–but this street is pretty vital to my daily commute and I am worried it is going to become pretty unpleasant soon.

Topic

[dasgeh]

@donkeybike 13585 wrote:

I rely on the on-street bike routes to get me safely around/through Arlington, and I’ve noticed over the last year that North Highland St has developed quite a bit and will in a much bigger way soon. Does development eventually change designation of a street as a bike route? Is there anything that can be done to preserve a street as a safe bike route?
I guess I have an easy alternative–ride farther/longer–but this street is pretty vital to my daily commute and I am worried it is going to become pretty unpleasant soon.

Where on N Highland are you referring to? Near the Clarendon Metro? That’s the part I know best, and I’ve always thought Garfield was a better option, especially with the new light at Washington…

[donkeybike]

The part I am specifically referring to is from the Trader Joes to 10th Street (and don’t get me started on the Lyon Hall valet stand). Once the new highrise development begins at 11th, this stretch will be insufferable. This is mostly curiosity–what the process for bike routes is and how they are monitored.
I could try Garfield, but it is no picnic either, and Highland is a straight shot–in addition to being classified as a bike route. I think I will switch to Jackson this spring (I use Key Blvd to avoid Wilson at rush hour, so this only adds a nice 10 mins or so to my commute).

[donkeybike]

@donkeybike 13598 wrote:

I think I will switch to Jackson this spring (I use Key Blvd to avoid Wilson at rush hour, so this only adds a nice 10 mins or so to my commute).

No clue what I was thinking there–that obviously won’t work.

[Bike-Ped Manager]

If I understand the question correctly, you want to know if recommended bike routes are ever temporarily altered to account for disruptions created by construction activity? The answer so far has been “No”. These are long-term recommended routes and we plan on putting signage in place (see discussions on Wayfinding) to more or less lock them in. Every new construction project is required to have an approved Maintenance Of Travel plan (MOT), which must accommodate pedestrian and bike access. Sometimes these include detours. And these detours will sometimes change depending on what phase of construction they’re in. Of course, everyone knows construction is an ugly process and even the best MOT plan is never as good as having a finished street again. But generally we don’t alter routes for what are understood to be temporary conditions. (Yes, even if temporary means a year or more!) If room allows, most new development projects are required to provide better bike access than before. So there are very few (if any) situations where a road would be downgraded as a result of new development.

[chris_s]

Heck the Penzance Project (which I believe you’re referring to) will actually eliminate a curb cut on Highland so – hey – one less potential conflict point.

[dasgeh]

@donkeybike 13598 wrote:

The part I am specifically referring to is from the Trader Joes to 10th Street (and don’t get me started on the Lyon Hall valet stand). Once the new highrise development begins at 11th, this stretch will be insufferable. This is mostly curiosity–what the process for bike routes is and how they are monitored.
I could try Garfield, but it is no picnic either, and Highland is a straight shot–in addition to being classified as a bike route. I think I will switch to Jackson this spring (I use Key Blvd to avoid Wilson at rush hour, so this only adds a nice 10 mins or so to my commute).

Sounds like you’re coming from Rosslyn-ish (or DC) to Lyon Park or South Arlington. You might try avoiding the entire R_B corridor entirely by taking the trail along 50 to Pershing. It’s not the most scenic, but probably easier hill- and traffic-wise. The first block of Pershing is killer, but hopefully will be better when that construction is done. In fact, that trail should be prettier once construction is done.

But I also don’t mind Highland/Garfield. The lights could have friendlier timing, but cars are generally aware of peds and bikes near the Metro.

[zanna_leigh]

@dasgeh 13646 wrote:

You might try avoiding the entire R_B corridor entirely by taking the trail along 50 to Pershing.

I actually commute from Lyon Park to Rosslyn everyday (shortest commute…ever?) and I specifically avoid the route 50 trail. I prefer riding on the street than using that trail. Mostly because I don’t like feeling like I’m riding my bike on a highway, but also because of the construction at Pershing Dr. I have to go around anyway and catch up with the trail on 10th St. The trail past 10th street has been completely destroyed. They had a metal plate on the trail for some reason that actually acts as a giant pot hole.

So depending on where exactly your end destination is, I would recommend the on-street routes around the construction that will envelope N. Highland street (I use that occasionally on my way home and prefer that intersection with 10th st than taking Garfield to Washington Blvd). You might experience the same situation that’s happening at Pershing because of the construction for the new development there (i.e. sidewalk closures and detours) but I think going around and using parallel streets like Iriving or even Danville are good options. I actually take Danville everyday and just hop up on the sidewalk for 30 seconds before joining up with Clarendon Blvd. It’s a nice quiet street but going home it can take a while to cross 10th st during rush hour.

Oh, just like acc, I think hills are the instrument of the devil and so I specifically avoid N. Barton St even though it would be a straight shot for me (it has 2 big hills), so you can always do that if you ‘like’ hills (nobody actually likes hills).

Hope this helps…?

[donkeybike]

I’m just happy to see others here hating on hills! I have excluded Barton for that reason.
I’ll just have to keep my head straight–it is more the stress of bad riding conditions than the roads themselves that get to me.

[Tim Kelley]

For what it’s worth, I’ll take riding up any steep hill around here over riding into a steady headwind any day!

[Author]

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