Let’s make the County Board listen!

[Tim Kelley]

@TwoWheelsDC 75441 wrote:

If Arlington isn’t prepared to do the work to be truly bike/ped friendly, it should stop claiming to be so. Maybe it’s going to take LAB downgrading us to Bronze or something.

The League designation isn’t an all or nothing type thing. There is plenty of hard work that staff (and residents) put into making Arlington a great place to ride a bike. Sure, trail clearing may keep Arlington from getting one of the higher designations, but a downgrade is a bit harsh.

I think continuing to share your thoughts with elected officials (and future elected officials), and organizing your neighbors and fellow riders to do so as well, is a great way to make yourself heard. Keep up the good work!

[DismalScientist]

@dasgeh 75440 wrote:

School isn’t cancelled today. How are those trails treatin’ ya?

The trails are treating me the same way they always treat me: a slow speed, scenic, but dangerous alternative to riding on the streets.

Geez… I can’t even make a hyperbolic statement about APS snow policy without being crucified…:rolleyes:

[Tim Kelley]

@DismalScientist 75446 wrote:

without being crucified.

Now that’s a hyperbole!

[rcannon100]

In the words of the profit Morrissey, Now you know how Joan of Arc felt

[video=youtube_share;XLtFlKn7N90]http://youtu.be/XLtFlKn7N90[/video]

[ShawnoftheDread]

@rcannon100 75449 wrote:

In the words of the profit Morrissey…

An inadvertently apt misspelling.

[Steve]

I’ve said it before, I don’t think Arlington is prepared to make any HARD decisions with respect to being pro-bike. It benefits from a trail system that is either not owned by the county (WOD, MVT), or developed prior to Arlington being nearly as populated and high density. It also benefits from the metro being there early, and the county growing around the metro line. Bike lanes have gone in on slower roads or roads with clear room, but most all of it appears to be the low hanging fruit. Arlington has not (at least yet, I know some of it iss coming) put in any physically separated bike lanes, done anything close to the cycletracks in DC, or addressed the MASSIVE shortfall of cycling along the major road systems. They are providing a substandard cycling solution along the Pike, 50 is a mess, Glebe is worse, Washington Blvd still hasn’t happened, Route 1 is awful, etc.

It’s a great place to ride, all things considered, but the couty is at a point now where to improve cycling more is going to mean really standing behind it, and it doesn’t appear to be happening.

[Tim Kelley]

@Steve 75460 wrote:

They are providing a substandard cycling solution along the Pike, 50 is a mess, Glebe is worse, Washington Blvd still hasn’t happened, Route 1 is awful, etc.

Just wanted to point out that all the streets you mention by name are under VDOT jurisdiction. I think you have a really good handle on things and agree that it is going to require taking space away from motor vehicles to step things up.

So what can you? Talk to your elected officials, write them emails, get your neighbors to do so as well, encourage your civic associations to write letters, and personally attend Count Board meetings (there is one this Saturday where the public is given a chance to speak.

[Steve]

@Tim Kelley 75463 wrote:

Just wanted to point out that all the streets you mention by name are under VDOT jurisdiction. I think you have a really good handle on things and agree that it is going to require taking space away from motor vehicles to step things up.

So what can you? Talk to your elected officials, write them emails, get your neighbors to do so as well, encourage your civic associations to write letters, and personally attend Count Board meetings (there is one this Saturday where the public is given a chance to speak.

Yep, and I am sympathetic to the VDOT issue, as I know that creates a big problem (I left out the intersection of d(eath)(oom) accidentally, which correct me if I’m wrong is VDOT as well). I think that is why I am critical of the County, not of county staff. I think staff (especially DES) has done a lot in their own power to improve things on the roads that they control. I think the County at a higher level (Manager, Board, State Delegates), the people that I would assume really have to take on VDOT, aren’t fighting that battle enough.

I think the snow removal thing really makes people upset because that IS in the county’s control.

I participate in the government in the ways that suit myself, but I’m not actually complaining. I’m just observing what I believe is the reality of cycling in Arlington, which is to say generally good but mostly via trails and easy changes.

[dasgeh]

@Steve 75465 wrote:

I think that is why I am critical of the County, not of county staff. I think staff (especially DES) has done a lot in their own power to improve things on the roads that they control. I think the County at a higher level (Manager, Board, State Delegates), the people that I would assume really have to take on VDOT, aren’t fighting that battle enough.

In various interactions with County staff, I have found that the true staffers are excellent — smart, thoughtful, trying to do a good job with limited resources. I do not have high praises for the people in management positions that I’ve dealt with — lots of disingenuous statements and throwing others under the bus (“the contractor changed the location and blocked the sidewalk” when in reality, the contractor got County approval to change the location). It’s very disheartening.

[Tim Kelley]

@Steve 75465 wrote:

Yep, and I am sympathetic to the VDOT issue, as I know that creates a big problem (I left out the intersection of d(eath)(oom) accidentally, which correct me if I’m wrong is VDOT as well). I think that is why I am critical of the County, not of county staff. I think staff (especially DES) has done a lot in their own power to improve things on the roads that they control. I think the County at a higher level (Manager, Board, State Delegates), the people that I would assume really have to take on VDOT, aren’t fighting that battle enough.

I think the snow removal thing really makes people upset because that IS in the county’s control.

I participate in the government in the ways that suit myself, but I’m not actually complaining. I’m just observing what I believe is the reality of cycling in Arlington, which is to say generally good but mostly via trails and easy changes.

The Intersection of Doom is Arlington (Lynn Street), VDOT (I-66 & Lee Highway), NPS (Mount Vernon Trail) and DC (their easement comes over the Key Bridge).

The issues with snow removal is that the trails are under the control of the Parks Department, and the Parks department does not prioritize the clearing of trails over community center and school parking lots/access routes.

Even if you choose not to reach out to your elected officials, please educate others to do so if it suits them!

[rcannon100]

@Steve 75460 wrote:

I’ve said it before,

Not totally disagreeing but a few points. Arlington does not accidentally benefit from things that just happened around it. Arlington had a strong hand in creating these things, with decision making that goes back decades (and I believe even 100 years).
* WMATA: Arlington has always been a part of that decision making and took a progressive vision back in the 60s or whenever, deciding it wanted and paying for subway stations within walking distance of each other. Arlington is the only suburban jurisdiction that opted for this. It was highly disruptive of existing Arlington businesses. Clarendon was Vietnamese – they all moved out to 7 corners. Arlington advocated for the bikes on subways program (used to be highly restricted).
* WOD: Arlington is a partner in that park system and of course supports that with its own trail the 4MR. WOD did not just magically come about because of some third party – it was a partnership of the jurisdictions that make up the NVRPA. One of the huge booms in cycling commuting is when Arlington completed the link from Shirlington to Crystal City completing the Arlington Loop.
* Custis was of course a part of the hard fought battle about 66 and not turning N Arlington into another 395 corridor. Along with that agreement was a plethora of residential bridges across 66 so that one side was not stranded from another. Cyclists greatly benefit from those bridges.
* Arlington officials have worked with NPS to improve the MVT (snails pace)
* Arlington has strongly promoted bicycle parking which makes a HUGE difference
* Arlington was a lead partner in CABI
* Arlington supports Phoenix Bikes and other county bicycle programs (Kenmore Middle School has a fleet of like 100 bikes)
* Arlington is a lead supporter of Bike to Work Day – with the Rosslyn pit stop now the largest of the day??? I think maybe??

And Tim is right – you are complaining about state controlled roads. And absolutely, you can tell the difference between a state controlled road and a county controlled road. I live off Lee Hwy. We have constant problems with enforcement and litter and illegal signs. Two feet off of Lee Hwy, county controls and county makes a difference. State Control is why we cant solve the Intersection of Doom.

My view is somehow the flip of what you are saying. We cyclists are frustrated exactly because Arlington has been so effective. Arlington has a progressive and effective campaign of promoting cycle commuting and smart growth. We drank the cool-aid. We have become car-free or car-lite commuters. And then when we have situations like we are currently in, when the infrastructure fails – and priority is placed on car infrastructure – it is fantastically frustrating. But the reality is – the reason why it is so frustrating – is because we have become so far. We are in the land of the “not quite.” Arlington has done an amazing job – but it needs to do more and it makes some bad mistakes. Arlington has told us that cycling is transportation – and then Arlington Parks and Wreck does not act that way – shutting down trails during rush hour on a whim; and not plowing.

I agree with your frustration – but for almost entirely the opposite reason.

[Steve O]

@dasgeh 75420 wrote:

I’ve been thinking lately:

How much does it cost the County (direct costs like road maintenance and police, or even indirect, like congestion on the roads and reduced safety) when a car drives 1 mile? Let’s say $X for now.

You get the idea. We could put dollar amount on their foolishness of not clearing the trails.

Or a very simple calculation might go like this:
Number of cars that drive on my street – x per day (not many; it’s a side residential street)
Number of people who use the trail near my house – 3-10x per day (estimated) (a lot- it’s a major commuter route and also used by peds to access EFC Metro)

Cost to plow a mile of residential streets like mine – $xxxx
Cost to plow a mile of major commuter route trail – $xx

It’s a no brainer.

[Steve]

@rcannon100 75469 wrote:

Not totally disagreeing but a few points.

Really fair. I know I broad-brushed how Arlington got what is has, in part because admittedly I wasn’t here for most any of it (only 8 years or so here in Arlington). And I don’t think we are seeing this opposite, I really think we almost entirely agree. The county has done a lot to promote car-lite and high density living. It is clearly active with metro and NPS and others to make it all possible. I think at the highest levels, that County has not fought this fight as a high priority, and so we have to live with state priorities. It is frustrating, I totally agree.

[thucydides]

I agree with rcannon100 on this. (In fact, for anyone who’s really bored here’s an article I wrote with Royce Hanson on Arlington biking a few years back. I don’t think it’s behind a paywall, but I can’t really tell for sure.) There’s a reason we have the bike infrastructure we do and it’s largely because of the actions of county leadership, often without any obvious political reward at stake. There’s much that can and should be improved that is in the county’s control, as rcannon100 notes, but we should also keep in mind the system we do have didn’t happen by accident and has some very good attributes.

[Terpfan]

The correct question to ask NPS, Arlington, Alexandria, or Fairfax is, if you don’t plow it, do you mind if I rent a 4 wheeler and do it for you? Then say I will sign a waiver on liability, but I will count this off my taxes. Problem solved.

[Author]

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