January 2022 Road and Trail Conditions

[Judd]

@chris_s 212943 wrote:

Arlington County isn’t allowed to plow the W&OD, your beef is with NOVAParks.

It appears that NOVAParks was focusing on removing downed trees over plowing this week: https://twitter.com/wodtrail/status/1478837185667338244?s=21

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Alcova cyclist]

@chris_s 212943 wrote:

Arlington County isn’t allowed to plow the W&OD, your beef is with NOVAParks.

I have reached out to NOVA parks to tilt at this windmill again.

As I understand it, the County clears the W&OD between Custis and FC by claiming this is part of the Custis Trail that is co-located with the W&OD up to Falls Church (although the county’s own trail map shows Custis terminating where it intersects the W&OD). Seems like the county could use the exact same logic since the 4MR trail system is co-located with W&OD from mile 0 to the Custis… that is, if the county really wanted it to. But I guess some things are worth fighting NOVAParks over and some things aren’t.

[Alcova cyclist]

I already got a reply from NOVA Parks: “It is NOVA Parks responsibility and our policy to clear snow from the W&OD. It is our procedure to begin on the east end of the trail and work west after measurable snow.”

They added that the most recent storm presented unique challenges due to the amount/weight of the snow and the consistently low temperatures that followed. They also noted (as Judd highlighted above) that there were many downed trees along the trail that took considerable time to clear. Once the wet snow became packed on the trail with walkers, skiers and sledders, that further slowed the removal process.

[arlcxrider]

Fort Myer trail parallel to Rt. 50 was an icy mess this morning (not that I really expected otherwise but curiosity got the better of me.) Not just sheets of black ice, but lumpy frozen slush across the entire surface. Does VDOT ever clear this trail, or do they wait on Mother Nature?

[Dewey]

@arlcxrider 213065 wrote:

Fort Myer trail parallel to Rt. 50 was an icy mess this morning (not that I really expected otherwise but curiosity got the better of me.) Not just sheets of black ice, but lumpy frozen slush across the entire surface. Does VDOT ever clear this trail, or do they wait on Mother Nature?

Yes, it is treacherous and with tonights temperature dropping further its going to be like this tomorrow as well. I was glad I was wearing ice cleats on my shoes to push the bike
[ATTACH=CONFIG]25829[/ATTACH]

[arlcxrider]

@Dewey 213068 wrote:

Yes, it is treacherous and with tonights temperature dropping further its going to be like this tomorrow as well. I was glad I was wearing ice cleats on my shoes to push the bike
[ATTACH=CONFIG]25829[/ATTACH]

Is it even worth raising trail condition with VDOT, or it is a lost cause? I had a little “run in” with a road crew on the trail last summer. They thought it was appropriate to close the trail and park heavy equipment, and put up signs a couple hundred feet in advance. (Not at Pershing, btw.) What am I supposed to do, ride back up to Pershing, or “take the lane” on Rt. 50?

[DrP]

Custis, Ballston connector and Bluemont were basically clear this morning (1/10). The bike lanes on Fairfax Dr and Quincy were basically clear except for a few areas where slush froze too much and a few “ice & snow bollards” at intersections. W&OD from Bluemont to the Custis was mostly clear except for bridges, which were ice packs.

Anyone know what Custis over Spout Run (behind Lyon Village) is like – is it the usual ice rink? How about Mount Vernon Trail, especially Trollheim? Yesterday’s rain and warmer temps seem to have cleared a lot out, but definitely not all.

[Dewey]

@arlcxrider 213070 wrote:

Is it even worth raising trail condition with VDOT, or it is a lost cause? I had a little “run in” with a road crew on the trail last summer. They thought it was appropriate to close the trail and park heavy equipment, and put up signs a couple hundred feet in advance. (Not at Pershing, btw.) What am I supposed to do, ride back up to Pershing, or “take the lane” on Rt. 50?

Yes, I had the same issue last month and VDOT was responsive on twitter you can tweet them at @VaDOTNOVA, later they DM’d me to say they had spoken with the contractor who had removed the vehicles the same day. I briefly toyed with the idea of riding with the 55mph traffic on Rt 50 and quickly decided it was not worth the risk given at this point you are on a right turning curve and drivers would not be expecting a cyclist.

[mstone]

@arlcxrider 213065 wrote:

Fort Myer trail parallel to Rt. 50 was an icy mess this morning (not that I really expected otherwise but curiosity got the better of me.) Not just sheets of black ice, but lumpy frozen slush across the entire surface. Does VDOT ever clear this trail, or do they wait on Mother Nature?

AFAIK, VDOT’s official position is that they don’t routine maintenance on trails. First you’d ask for snow removal, then you’d ask for vegetation trimming and debris cleanup, who knows where it would end?

[chris_s]

1. The Federal Highway Administration says public agencies must keep pedestrian infrastructure clear of snow, it’s an ADA issue.

2. VDOT’s stated policy is to not clear snow and ice from sidewalks or trails

When I inquired about the conflict between these two things, their Civil Rights manager informed me that “on a case by case basis, if a request is made for snow clearing/removal on sidewalks, VDOT endeavors to address those situations”

Somebody’s probably going to have to sue before there is change at VDOT.

[mstone]

@chris_s 213093 wrote:

1. The Federal Highway Administration says public agencies must keep pedestrian infrastructure clear of snow, it’s an ADA issue.

2. VDOT’s stated policy is to not clear snow and ice from sidewalks or trails

When I inquired about the conflict between these two things, their Civil Rights manager informed me that “on a case by case basis, if a request is made for snow clearing/removal on sidewalks, VDOT endeavors to address those situations”

Somebody’s probably going to have to sue before there is change at VDOT.

I couldn’t even get a positive response to “could the snow plows maybe put the giant block of ice just to the side of the curb cut, instead of directly on top of it”. They really don’t think their job is anything other than moving cars around as fast as possible.

I suspect suing is hard, because the ice will melt long before your court date.

[Meh]

@mstone 213094 wrote:

I couldn’t even get a positive response to “could the snow plows maybe put the giant block of ice just to the side of the curb cut, instead of directly on top of it”. They really don’t think their job is anything other than moving cars around as fast as possible.

I suspect suing is hard, because the ice will melt long before your court date.

I’m really surprised we don’t have wheelchair users suing already.

Anyone notice that the set back sidewalk ramps are actually better for staying clear of snow than the ones directly in line with the sidewalk?

[consularrider]

Black ice on the Hell Gate Path under the railroad bridge on Randalls Island. Also refrozen runoff on the Sunken Meadow Loop by McEnroe Tennis Academy. Otherwise, not too bad in NYC on a day where we really didn’t reach freezing.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25843[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]25844[/ATTACH]

[Dewey]

@DrP 213072 wrote:

How about Mount Vernon Trail, especially Trollheim? Yesterday’s rain and warmer temps seem to have cleared a lot out, but definitely not all.

Trollheim is still hosting the frost giants

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25846[/ATTACH]

[Boomer Cycles]

@DrP 213072 wrote:

Anyone know … about Mount Vernon Trail, especially Trollheim? Yesterday’s rain and warmer temps seem to have cleared a lot out, but definitely not all.

The two citizen bridges on the MVT had thick ice sheets when I passed through late this afternoon before sunset. The northern one is navigable as a single track, but you need to hug the rails and switch sides half way through. The southern one is frozen solid and super slippery!

The footbridge between the LBJ Memorial Grove & the Pentagon parking lots is also solid ice.

Sent from Boomer_Cycles via my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Author]

Posts