July 2015 Road and Trail Conditions

[Steve O]

@CaseyKane50 120367 wrote:

I sent an email to the city asking about removing the bollards. I haven’t heard back yet. In the message I pointed out that the spacing was off on some of the bollards, one was leaning, one had been removed leaving a bit of the collar behind and if they had to stay, they should at least be repainted.

Thanks. It doesn’t hurt to point out that bollards like these are actually counter to FHWA guidance on bollard placement.
FHWA guidance discourages the use of bollards as a default option. We don’t put telephone poles in the middle of the street; we should not put posts in the middle of the trail.
(FHWA guidance is here: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/…rds_access.cfm)

There’s a great blog series explaining the safety issues related to bollards, which anyone who is interested in the topic (and who isn’t!?) should read:
http://www.ohiobikeways.net/bikewaysblog.htm#bollards

[Steve O]

@Tim Kelley 120107 wrote:

Is that what you’ve done in the past? I thought you had secret inside connections as President of RUB?

For a time in 2011-12 the county was requesting input on locations of bollards and collars for removal, and there was some success. I testified at a county board meeting once on the topic during that same period. However, I believe this issue has fallen off the radar for county staff. Most of my recent efforts to have a hazard removed have been unsuccessful.

[dbb]

A couple of issues on South Eads for cyclists headed southbound.

What seems to be a daily occurrence, the ART buses check in with management before going to their parking spaces. While management engagement is a good thing, they tend to block the southbound bike lane in the early evening. Yes, that is a rear view mirror in the bottom of the photo. I was motoring.

I’ll go on the ART website and highlight this one but may Tim can give it a nudge as well.

I’m hoping this isn’t a daily occurrence. On Eads just south of 32d Street somebody thought it was appropriate to dump a partial load of asphalt in the bike lane. Saw the problem this morning.

This one got logged into the Arlington issue reporting system as issue 1072308

[CaseyKane50]

@CaseyKane50 120046 wrote:

Alexandria will be repaving a portion of the Mount Vernon Trail from First Street to Pendleton Street this week (weather permitting).

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Paving is complete on this section of the MVT from First Street to Pendleton.

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[dbb]

@dbb 120767 wrote:

A couple of issues on South Eads for cyclists headed southbound.

What seems to be a daily occurrence, the ART buses check in with management before going to their parking spaces. While management engagement is a good thing, they tend to block the southbound bike lane in the early evening. Yes, that is a rear view mirror in the bottom of the photo. I was motoring.

I’ll go on the ART website and highlight this one but may Tim can give it a nudge as well.

Got a near-immediate response to an email to ART management. It reads:

“Those buses aren’t parked. They are queued to have their fareboxes probed. We had to move the vault and prober to that building – the ART operations/dispatch center – while the bus storage lots further down and on the opposite side of the street are under construction. The buses will continue to line up there for the next 18 months at the end of their service day. This is a necessary step in the revenue collection process. Due to the communications lines and software involved in the process, this is by far the least expensive location to use for this purpose.

What I can and will do is refer this question to our Traffic Engineering and Operations Bureau. They may decide that some temporary signage or other mitigation is needed to alert motorists.”

Maybe a bumpout for the bike lane with a centerline shift and parking restrictions on the east side of Eads. Signs and sharrows might work as well.

[GovernorSilver]

@CaseyKane50 120768 wrote:

Paving is complete on this section of the MVT from First Street to Pendleton.

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Yay for being done.

Boo for not removing the bollards, which are not necessary there. Who is really going to try driving his/her car in there? Your car would practically be on the train tracks.

[GovernorSilver]

Went on a group ride on Holmes Run Trail yesterday. Granted, it’s the trail that goes nowhere (the “reward” at the end is Columbia Pike – oh joy!). Still, it’s a nice trail to ride on.

There’s a “sand pit” that caught a few of us. The trail is briefly interrupted by a street you have to cross. After the street crossing, if you head southeast on the trail (in the direction of Eisenhower) you’ll immediately descent and encounter the sand pit at the bottom of the descent.

[dbb]

@dbb 120767 wrote:

A couple of issues on South Eads for cyclists headed southbound.

I’m hoping this isn’t a daily occurrence. On Eads just south of 32d Street somebody thought it was appropriate to dump a partial load of asphalt in the bike lane. Saw the problem this morning.

This one got logged into the Arlington issue reporting system as issue 1072308

Rode that way this morning and the asphalt had been removed. Still a very small amount of gravel but completely passable. thanks to Arlington County!

[CaseyKane50]

Well, the city still hasn’t responded to my question on removing the bollards on the MVT, but somebody did temporarily remove one of the bollards at Wythe and the MVT. Unfortunately, in the process, they have created a more dangerous situation. Be very careful riding through there.

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This safety issue has been reported to the city.

[JustinW]

Perhaps related to the power lines downed in S ARL near Barcroft Park, the trail going thru the park has a surprise hose / line / cable lying across it. No signage. Cable is 3″ to 4″ in diameter, so you can manage it easily enough * if* you know it is there. As it gets darker, watch out.

[DrP]

As of last evening, that Hose (or whatever it is) did have cones around it and was wrapped in yellow tape, so it is a little more obvious now.

Also, this morning as I was on the Custis, I glanced up the access trail at McCoy Park (near 21st street) while passing and noticed a tree across the path. I reported that to Arlington County.

[CaseyKane50]

@CaseyKane50 120862 wrote:

Well, the city still hasn’t responded to my question on removing the bollards on the MVT, but somebody did temporarily remove one of the bollards at Wythe and the MVT. Unfortunately, in the process, they have created a more dangerous situation. Be very careful riding through there.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9196[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9197[/ATTACH]

This safety issue has been reported to the city.

The bollard was put back over the collar. A contractor had been removing the bollard to get their equipment on the trail, but failed to replace the bollard. After seeing the problem again yesterday, I spoke to the Parks and Recreation Division Chief who said he would get this resolved.

In the course of the call, I asked if the placement of the bollards along the Alexandria portion of the MVT could be reviewed. He said that he would discuss the bollards with the Complete Streets Program Manager.

[DrP]

@DrP 121070 wrote:

As of last evening, that Hose (or whatever it is) did have cones around it and was wrapped in yellow tape, so it is a little more obvious now.

Also, this morning as I was on the Custis, I glanced up the access trail at McCoy Park (near 21st street) while passing and noticed a tree across the path. I reported that to Arlington County.

The hose now has added blocks around it making it harder to go over since you need to avoid the blocks to find an area to ride over the hose. And more cones. They would be better off adding ramps over it.

Tree cleared.

[Kolohe]

North end of 15th Street cycle track used for Segway parking this morning.

[Greenbelt]

New pavement on Beaver Dam Road in the Beltsville Farms

[Author]

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