How to bike across the Key bridge?

[birddog]

Coming from the Custis trail eastbound, I like to take the Key bridge from Rosslyn into Georgetown. It’s a great ride with amazing views. It puts you right in the middle of the action in Georgetown on the other side.

Lately I’ve been doing something kind of risky: riding in the traffic lanes. This is because the pedestrian lanes are full of pedestrians and CaBis – and the car traffic seems to be rather slow. The east pedestrian lane is more congested than the west, but most mornings (0745-0800) recently I’ve been taking on the cars. But is that what I should be doing? Obviously there’s the risk of being hit by a car, but I ride on the median to let cars pass on either side. Besides the one bump on the Rosslyn side, it’s pretty good pavement and is significantly faster than dodging people in the pedestrian lanes.

What’s the general consensus on this?

Topic

[KLizotte]

Not entirely sure what you mean by median but that definitely doesn’t sound right. You should be in the middle of the lane or over a little to the right so cars can pass you more easily. For the most part though you want to make sure you are as visible as possible not riding in the middle of two lanes.

[birddog]

Sorry – I should have said between stopped cars. They inch forward on my sides as I glide in between them. With no other cars on the road, I try to occupy the right lane.

[americancyclo]

I ride over the key bridge most commute days, and i’ve always ridden on the separated multi-use pathway on the eastern side of the bridge. I’ve ridden both ways in traffic before, but I find that between texting, lack of coffee, and general ire, I feel safer being separated from drivers by a concrete barrier. you have to be more aware at the turnoff to the whitehurst, but it’s still a relatively quick trip.

I’d be curious what your time is across the bridge in traffic, and what it is on the side path. got strava links?

[birddog]

Car traffic lanes: http://app.strava.com/activities/74606883#1480518676. 0.4 miles in 01:10.

I’ll try the pedestrian lanes tomorrow.

[consularrider]

@birddog 60906 wrote:

Sorry – I should have said between stopped cars. They inch forward on my sides as I glide in between them. With no other cars on the road, I try to occupy the right lane.

I believe this is one version spitting lanes and I don’t believe it is legal in Virginia when you are riding between two lanes of traffic. The guide for DC makes it look like you can ride between two lanes traveling in the same direction. Outside of rush hour, my preference is to take the lane across the bridge rather than the sidepath, rush hour or heavy traffic on the bridge, I just slow down and grin and bear it with the others on the sidepath.

[Bilsko]

@birddog 60911 wrote:

Car traffic lanes: http://app.strava.com/activities/74606883#1480518676. 0.4 miles in 01:10.

I’ll try the pedestrian lanes tomorrow.

FWIW, without hammering, it usually takes me between 1:00 and 1:20 on the West side sidewalk at 8/815 in the morning or 5/530 in the evening:
http://www.strava.com/activities/74345263
http://www.strava.com/activities/71369488
http://www.strava.com/activities/70649253

[birddog]

So you take the western sidewalk each way? I knew it was faster because of the lighter pedestrian traffic…but not sure about the legality of taking the car lanes.

I’ll try the western lanes too.

[Tim Kelley]

@Bilsko 60913 wrote:

FWIW, without hammering, it usually takes me between 1:00 and 1:20 on the West side sidewalk at 8/815 in the morning or 5/530 in the evening:
http://www.strava.com/activities/74345263
http://www.strava.com/activities/71369488
http://www.strava.com/activities/70649253

My best was 1:30:
http://app.strava.com/segments/2142569

[birddog]

Looks like you’re using the eastern sidepath. Maybe my ride tomorrow will show me on that segment…

[Tim Kelley]

@birddog 60919 wrote:

Looks like you’re using the eastern sidepath. Maybe my ride tomorrow will show me on that segment…

Not unless you get off your bike and carry it across!

[Bilsko]

@Tim Kelley 60918 wrote:

My best was 1:30:
http://app.strava.com/segments/2142569

Not sure about the time discrepancy.
Take a look at my first ride on that list, zoom way in and show the time scale on the elevation profile. I’m using the two peaks on either side of the valley in the elevation profile as my reference points for either side of the bridge. (Strava thinks we’re dropping down to the river and back up on the other side). I hit the DC side at about 5:52 and then get to the VA peak at 7:09 – around 1:20.

I recall there being a Strava segment for the bridge at one point which has probably been flagged, so i don’t have a segment to go by, but the 1:00-1:30 range should cover about any effort to get across the bridge.

[americancyclo]

@Tim Kelley 60918 wrote:

My best was 1:30:
http://app.strava.com/segments/2142569

That’s weird. I don’t show up as having ridden that segment at all.

[americancyclo]

@americancyclo 60907 wrote:

I’d be curious what your time is across the bridge in traffic, and what it is on the side path. got strava links?

My main point is that in traffic vs. the sidewalk there is not a big difference in time, maybe 10-30 seconds, depending on traffic and pedestrian volume. I try to use that minute or so to enjoy the view and reflect. Do what makes you feel best.

Full disclosure: I also ride independence home which some would argue is dangerous, since riding on the penn ave bike lanes feels immensely slow.

[Mikey]

@americancyclo 60971 wrote:

My main point is that in traffic vs. the sidewalk there is not a big difference in time, maybe 10-30 seconds, depending on traffic and pedestrian volume. I try to use that minute or so to enjoy the view and reflect. Do what makes you feel best.

Full disclosure: I also ride independence home which some would argue is dangerous, since riding on the penn ave bike lanes feels immensely slow.

funny thing about Independence, especially west of 15th street: I ride it quite frequently in the Pedicab, the memorials are where the real money is, and I never really feel that scared – even though I’m tooling along sub-10mph. I tried to take Independence out to Georgetown on my commuter bike and felt like I was going to be run down. I always try to take the lane when the road narrows and there is not enough room to pass, but driving the pedicab has made it amazingly clear.

[off2ride]

I ride the KB where people walk. It’s really not bad not unless you’re going way too fast. Plus it’s safer. There’s not a lot of room on the KB car travel lanes for a cyclist to bail out if he/she was in a spot of trouble. I’d like to ride another day thank you very much.

[Author]

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