L Street cycletracks

[ShawnoftheDread]

@Steve 34853 wrote:

I guess I just disagree with the assertion that it is necessarily more dangerous. I say this only as a result of the 15th street track, where I have felt more comfortable when going in the opposite direction of traffic because of the ability for both the car and rider to see each other. It takes the bike out of a car’s blind spot, which I generally think is good. I agree that when in traffic, or when in bike lanes designed to go with traffic, the salmoning is wrong. However, I don’t agree with Dismal’s assertion that riding designed opposite way tracks would someone lead to more of it. I don’t believe 15th street has caused an outburst of salmoning.

So far the parked trucks and cars turning left have required me to merge into or close to the left-hand traffic lane several times. That would be bad news if I were heading in the opposite direction of the traffic.

[Steve]

@ShawnoftheDread 34857 wrote:

So far the parked trucks and cars turning left have required me to merge into or close to the left-hand traffic lane several times. That would be bad news if I were heading in the opposite direction of the traffic.

I can’t disagree with that. That’s part of why I said that it really would only work in a totally separated track, more like 15th St., and not in a bike-lane type situation (which the L street track seems to have a bit of both). Also it doesn’t work if, even when the lane is separated, cars decide to use it. Though it might make throwing things at the driver easier, since they’ll be in front of you.

[bobco85]

@DismalScientist 34852 wrote:

I was responding to what I thought was Steve’s desire for a one-way cycle track westbound on L Street, not a two-way cycletrack. I think there are example of contra-flow bike path in DC. Maybe on 4th Street or so, NE, or something like that.

I think I misunderstood you. I thought that Steve was referring to having a two-way cycletrack on L Street by adding the contra-flow to the existing con-flow (?) cycletrack and its consequences on salmoning.

That said, I have rarely used contra-flow cycletracks but found them to be very weird, especially from a route-planning standpoint.

[eminva]

I just got a response to the email message I posted earlier. Here it is:

Hi Elizabeth,

Thanks for your e-mail. I certainly understand and agree with your perspective about respecting that the bike lane be for bikes only. Because the city’s list of storm-related issues to be resolved is extremely long, we made the decision this morning to remove the tree that had fallen into the sidewalk and cycle track.

We understand that the protected bike lane should be completed shortly – and that the signs indicating that the tracks are for bikes only and no parking are starting to go up today. I can assure you that from this point forward, you will not see the Golden Triangle vehicles parked in the protected bike lane.

Thanks,
Jenna

@eminva 34821 wrote:

The following was sent this morning, from my email address at a member of the Golden Triangle BID, to the Golden Triangle BID:

Hello –

As a bicycle commuter working in the Golden Triangle BID, I am grateful that DDOT is finally in the process of installing the L Street cycletrack. So far, it is not without its bumps. Many motorists (trash and delivery trucks, in particular) are unaware that the lane is only for bicycles. I believe in time these issues will be resolved and the cycletrack will be a great resource for DC cyclists.

However, I think it is very important for those of us who ostensibly support the cycletrack to respect that it is for bicycles ONLY, and not use it as short term parking, even in an emergency. Therefore, I would request that the BID ask all of its truck drivers to refrain from parking in the cycletrack. See attached photos (taken this morning at about 9 a.m., northeast corner of L and 19th).

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1960[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]1961[/ATTACH]

[Bilsko]

Hot off the press is this DDOT flyer to help improve driver understanding of what’s going on with the L St. Cycletrack:
http://ddot.dc.gov/DC/DDOT/Publication%20Files/On%20Your%20Street/Bicycles%20and%20Pedestrians/Bicycles/Bike%20Lanes/L_St_ProtectedBikeLane.pdf

I want to print some out to leave on windows when I come across a non-MPD car/delivery truck parked in the lane, but I don’t know if my printer has enough ink. ZIIIINNNGGG!

Seriously, though – DDOT said they’d be printing some (not sure what they’ll do with them once printed)

I wish there was a version with a less colorful palette – it really is going to eat up a lot of ink.

[Dirt]

@Bilsko 34884 wrote:

Hot off the press is this DDOT flyer to help improve driver understanding of what’s going on with the L St. Cycletrack:
http://ddot.dc.gov/DC/DDOT/Publication%20Files/On%20Your%20Street/Bicycles%20and%20Pedestrians/Bicycles/Bike%20Lanes/L_St_ProtectedBikeLane.pdf

This actually helps cyclists navigate the lanes too.

[mrkenny83]

Totally excited about L st – but also a little confused (shocker?).

I think a lot of the confusion is caused by the width of the lane. If it’s a one-way bike line, why is it so WIDE?! If it’s wide enough to accomodate a car, cars WILL be in it (as we’ve seen).

That’s all
Peace & Love to my bi-wheel family.

[PotomacCyclist]

I’ve only seen one small section of the L Street cycletrack so far, while walking. It seems that there is a plastic bollard at the entrance to the cycletrack, at the start of each block. It’s easy enough for cyclists to move past the bollard. But a car driver would have to run straight into, and over the bollard, to enter the cycletrack, other than in the mixing zone areas.

I can also see a section of the cycletrack from work. Throughout the day, I will look out the window and check out the traffic patterns on the cycletrack. It’s not a scientific survey by any means. More like an occasional spotcheck and a means to satisfy my curiosity about how people are actually behaving in and next to the cycletrack. The car traffic patterns appear to be normalizing. Cars in the left turn lane seem to be staying off of the green painted area, for the most part. But there are moments of confusion, such as when a driver was in the left turn lane and tried to turn to the right, across the other car lanes.

[jnva]

What I’ve noticed is that delivery trucks enter the bike lane at the mixing zone, backup and park. I’ve seen this pretty much every day.

[Rod Smith]

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152293491220023&set=a.246402765022.302078.175133555022&type=1&theater

I though you all would enjoy this picture if you haven’t seen it already.

[Greenbelt]

No cars or trucks parked in the track this morning at about 7:45, at least between 21st and 15th.

However, the Treasury department was using the 15th street track as a construction loading zone — completely blocked.

[jnva]

I saw three delivery trucks and a car parked in the bike lane at around 9:45am. I still have not seen it all clear!

[dcv]

The po-po making sure no one accidentally biked into the construction zone on the next block.

[UrbanEngineer]

Been seeing wrong way cyclists on the cycletrack far too often. I tend to let them know that they’re going the wrong way but I get the feeling they’re well aware of that already.

[DaveK]

@UrbanEngineer 38308 wrote:

Been seeing wrong way cyclists on the cycletrack far too often. I tend to let them know that they’re going the wrong way but I get the feeling they’re well aware of that already.

I look at it as the latent demand for the M Street cycletrack.

[Author]

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