January 2013 Kennedy Center Path Closure

[Tim Kelley]

“In early January, the Kennedy Center will temporarily close the bike path that connects the Roosevelt Bridge to the Kennedy Center property in order to perform concrete maintenance and repair. Work will begin on approximately January 2 and will continue for six weeks, depending on the severity of the winter weather.

A detour will be provided parallel to the bike path that utilizes the Kennedy Center’s main roadway. Near the bridge, there is an asphalt path that connects the bike path to the roadway; bikers and pedestrians will be diverted along that path. Signage will be provided. Thank you for your patience.”

More details to come as they come in…

Topic

[vvill]

Hmm… extra motivation to go the long way (via W&OD/4MR + 14th St Bridge).

Otherwise going west I’ll do K St under the Whitehurst, and skip up onto M St via 33rd St. The traffic signal for left turning onto M St from 33rd never seems to take very long, and then you’re on M St just long enough to get onto the west side of Key Bridge (and thereby skip the Lynn St crossing), but short enough to not get snarled in M St traffic.

[eminva]

@vvill 40168 wrote:

Hmm… extra motivation to go the long way (via W&OD/4MR + 14th St Bridge).

Otherwise going west I’ll do K St under the Whitehurst, and skip up onto M St via 33rd St. The traffic signal for left turning onto M St from 33rd never seems to take very long, and then you’re on M St just long enough to get onto the west side of Key Bridge (and thereby skip the Lynn St crossing), but short enough to not get snarled in M St traffic.

Interesting — do you go through the K Street underpass under Washington Circle? If traffic is backed up there, do you filter? I might not be intrepid enough for this, but would do almost anything to avoid 16 blocks of M Street.

And, for the record, if anyone actually DOES hop the curb and power up the detour path, please brag and let us know you did it.

Liz

[vvill]

@eminva 40175 wrote:

Interesting — do you go through the K Street underpass under Washington Circle? If traffic is backed up there, do you filter? I might not be intrepid enough for this, but would do almost anything to avoid 16 blocks of M Street.

And, for the record, if anyone actually DOES hop the curb and power up the detour path, please brag and let us know you did it.

I only take that underpass occasionally, if I’m leaving work extra early before there’s too much traffic (that way I don’t need to filter), or it’s close to a holiday etc. Usually if I’m in a hurry to get to Key Bridge I’ll use Washington Circle, and use the K St service road (usually filtering) until K St and 25th, where I “cross” main K St at the pedestrian light. When the light to cross goes green, K St traffic is stopped for plenty long enough for a cyclist to get under the Whitehurst safely. Then of course you have to deal with a plethora of stop signs, exhaust fumes, and dismounting at some point to cross the canal but I think it’s still better than M St.

To be honest I really don’t know what’s the best way to Key Bridge from the Farragut area. I never see many cyclists on this part of my commute so they must all have a better way! Another way I sometimes take is south on 21st to G or H St to Virginia Ave, past the Boat Center and the 30th St CaBi station to get to K St under the Whitehurst. That’s a bit of a roundabout way perhaps.

[ShawnoftheDread]

I usually use M St all the way now. I don’t have much of a problem with it, since the traffic is moving so slowly. And yes, I filter.

[DismalScientist]

This detour is really putting a crimp in my KOM efforts.:p

[vvill]

@DismalScientist 40195 wrote:

This detour is really putting a crimp in my KOM efforts.:p

Easy solution: make a new segment!

[Dirt]

I noticed the other day while doing some fancy riding in that area that they had painted and marked up the wall between the path and the parking lot. My guess is that the work they’re doing isn’t so much on the path, but on the wall. I was wondering why they were redoing the path that seemed like it was in good shape. Fixing the wall seems to make more sense.

[americancyclo]

@eminva 40175 wrote:

Interesting — do you go through the K Street underpass under Washington Circle? If traffic is backed up there, do you filter? I might not be intrepid enough for this, but would do almost anything to avoid 16 blocks of M Street.

I come from near the Capitol, and I used to take Penn, through Washington Circle to M St, filtering along the way. It got a bit stressful.
If I was heading down K, I’d do as vvill said, although I usually filter and merge rather than waiting for the light at 25th.

Is taking P west to 35th too far out of your way?

@eminva 40175 wrote:

And, for the record, if anyone actually DOES hop the curb and power up the detour path, please brag and let us know you did it.

Liz

Hopped the curb and rode up the trail back in August one day. It was fun!
http://app.strava.com/activities/20253987

[Bilsko]

@eminva 40175 wrote:

And, for the record, if anyone actually DOES hop the curb and power up the detour path, please brag and let us know you did it.

Liz

Ha! I hopped the curb and rode up last night on a late night rambling ride…was on the geared bike so not too much trouble. Have yet to attempt on FG.

[Dirt]

Nice day for a detour.

[eminva]

@vvill 40178 wrote:

Another way I sometimes take is south on 21st to G or H St to Virginia Ave, past the Boat Center and the 30th St CaBi station to get to K St under the Whitehurst. That’s a bit of a roundabout way perhaps.

Okay, I tried vvill’s detour #2 suggestion (above). It had the advantage of giving the illusion of movement — don’t know if it was really faster overall. The disadvantage was the portage over the canal — it was dark, secluded and a bit too creepy for me (conceding I think about personal safety more than most people).

@americancyclo 40235 wrote:

Is taking P west to 35th too far out of your way?

Will try this one next. It is out of the way, but not too bad. At times I have switched from M over to N just as soon as I’m west of Rock Creek — could go back to doing that.

Thanks.

Liz

[Dirt]

Big Ben, This here’s Rubber Duck, I say we ain’t a-gonna pay no toll, So we crashed the gate doing 98, I said “Let them truckers roll!” 10-4

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrogringo/8379678535

[Mikey]

That fog was crazy yesterday. I felt that I let my team down yesterday by not riding, but I couldn’t get out with my 3 year old son in that stuff.

I guess I will have to ride an extra 11 miles this week to make up for it.

[Dickie]

@Dirt 40479 wrote:

Big Ben, This here’s Rubber Duck, I say we ain’t a-gonna pay no toll, So we crashed the gate doing 98, I said “Let them truckers roll!” 10-4

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrogringo/8379678535

Not sure what made more of an impression on my youthful eyes, Ali McGraw or the convertible E-Type…. “…Oh ain’t she a beautiful sight”

[Dirt]

@Dickie 40492 wrote:

Not sure what made more of an impression on my youthful eyes, Ali McGraw or the convertible E-Type…. “…Oh ain’t she a beautiful sight”

Don’t say that I didn’t warn you.

[Author]

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