March 2023 Road and Trail Conditions

[arlcxrider]

A spring equinox miracle? I rolled up on the infamous “Zoo Loop” trail about 6:30 last night (Mon, 3/20) to find the gates open. Is this a one-time fluke, or is it now policy, aka summer hours? The signs still say “7 am to 5 pm.”

[DCAKen]

@arlcxrider 225542 wrote:

A spring equinox miracle? I rolled up on the infamous “Zoo Loop” trail about 6:30 last night (Mon, 3/20) to find the gates open. Is this a one-time fluke, or is it now policy, aka summer hours? The signs still say “7 am to 5 pm.”

The first time I noticed them open late was on the day Eleanor Holmes Norton held a town hall meeting with the NPS. They’ve been kept open after 5 pm many times now. One night last week, since I was so used to them being closed on my commute home, I went through the tunnel before noticing the gates were still open. They’re usually opened by 6:30 am, in addition.

[arlcxrider]

Thanks for the heads up. I’ve been avoiding the tunnel, especially after the time change when lots of runners come out to play. (I swear the zoo trail was still closed as of last week during my normal commuter transit of the area, about 6-6:30.)

Meeting other traffic on that narrow walkway is a PITA. I’ve also taken the lane–if drivers don’t like it, they can complain to their congresscritter.

[DCAKen]

I’ll usually take the lane heading southbound when the gates are closed.

[darkwave]

For those of you who ride the Custis, there is work on the underside of Utah Street, which is one of the streets that the Custis ducks under during the two sisters hills.

The work effectively lowers the “ceiling” that you ride under when going under Utah Street. I’m a runner myself, not a cyclist, so I’m not sure how risky this is for cyclists – it looks like it’s only an issue if you are sitting up on your bike, and most cyclists are not going to be sitting up while going down that steep hill. But I thought I’d point it out anyway.

The county has it marked, but it’s not lit, so a cyclist in the dark might not see it.

If you are travelling eastbound on the Custis, Utah street is the first street that you ride under after riding up the overpass near Glebe Road.

[huskerdont]

Yes, I’m only 6 ft tall on a 58 cm frame, but it would scarily close if I were to ride upright down the center line where their center lumber piece sits pointing endwise. A taller person could easily hit that, and the result could be very bad indeed. They do have police tape and streamers up, but going fast down the hill in the dark, these could easily be missed. This really doesn’t seem safe, and while I’m sure they’re trying to avoid a detour, a detour here would not be onerous.

[darkwave]

@huskerdont 225598 wrote:

Yes, I’m only 6 ft tall on a 58 cm frame, but it would scarily close if I were to ride upright down the center line where their center lumber piece sits pointing endwise. A taller person could easily hit that, and the result could be very bad indeed. They do have police tape and streamers up, but going fast down the hill in the dark, these could easily be missed. This really doesn’t seem safe, and while I’m sure they’re trying to avoid a detour, a detour here would not be onerous.

This has a very easy and obvious detour that would add about 10 seconds to one’s commuting time. left at the Vernon street exit off of the Custis. Right onto 15th St. Take 15th Street about 3 blocks, then right onto the Custis entrance just after Taylor Street and continue on your way.

The more I think about it, the more shocked I am that there’s not a detour AND flashing lights or something similar on the lumber. It felt low to me, and I’m a pretty short runner.

[arlcxrider]

Effective 3/25 traffic on Ohio Drive will flow counter-clockwise around Hains Point. Claim those KOM/QOMs while you can.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]30737[/ATTACH]

[consularrider]

@darkwave 225599 wrote:

This has a very easy and obvious detour that would add about 10 seconds to one’s commuting time. left at the Vernon street exit off of the Custis. Right onto 15th St. Take 15th Street about 3 blocks, then right onto the Custis entrance just after Taylor Street and continue on your way.

The more I think about it, the more shocked I am that there’s not a detour AND flashing lights or something similar on the lumber. It felt low to me, and I’m a pretty short runner.

Nothing like getting slapped in the face by a yellow dangling participle.

[Starduster]

@darkwave 225599 wrote:

This has a very easy and obvious detour that would add about 10 seconds to one’s commuting time. left at the Vernon street exit off of the Custis. Right onto 15th St. Take 15th Street about 3 blocks, then right onto the Custis entrance just after Taylor Street and continue on your way.

The more I think about it, the more shocked I am that there’s not a detour AND flashing lights or something similar on the lumber. It felt low to me, and I’m a pretty short runner.

Here’s a map of that portion of the Custis:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]30739[/ATTACH]

[Steve O]

@arlcxrider 225615 wrote:

Effective 3/25 traffic on Ohio Drive will flow counter-clockwise around Hains Point. Claim those KOM/QOMs while you can.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]30737[/ATTACH]

It’s hard to tell from the tweet if this is permanent or temporary.

[arlcxrider]

@Steve O 225630 wrote:

It’s hard to tell from the tweet if this is permanent or temporary.

Extremely short-lived, apparently. Back to normal operations (clockwise) last evening.

I did not go down there to experience the insanity over the weekend. NPS seems to making it up as they go along this year.

I hope there is some after-action reckoning, in light of Sunday’s debacle. The environs need to be completely closed to motorized traffic, with perhaps an exemption for disability placards. There needs to be no expectation that one can drive and find parking. Free shuttle buses should be provided to multiple Metro stations–Smithsonian was completely overwhelmed.

[Starduster]

@arlcxrider 225634 wrote:

Extremely short-lived, apparently. Back to normal operations (clockwise) last evening.

I did not go down there to experience the insanity over the weekend. NPS seems to making it up as they go along this year.

I hope there is some after-action reckoning, in light of Sunday’s debacle. The environs need to be completely closed to motorized traffic, with perhaps an exemption for disability placards. There needs to be no expectation that one can drive and find parking. Free shuttle buses should be provided to multiple Metro stations–Smithsonian was completely overwhelmed.

I guess we should ask, “Why???”

I support greatly restricted motor vehicle traffic here, but I also want to be respectful of the locals who picnic and fish there.

[DrP]

@arlcxrider 225634 wrote:

Extremely short-lived, apparently. Back to normal operations (clockwise) last evening.

I did not go down there to experience the insanity over the weekend. NPS seems to making it up as they go along this year.

I hope there is some after-action reckoning, in light of Sunday’s debacle. The environs need to be completely closed to motorized traffic, with perhaps an exemption for disability placards. There needs to be no expectation that one can drive and find parking. Free shuttle buses should be provided to multiple Metro stations–Smithsonian was completely overwhelmed.

I hope there is an after-action/lessons learned or the like. It was a COMPLETE mess Sunday morning – I was not expecting it at all. I biked down early Sunday morning to see the trees like I do every year and expected to do a couple of laps. It took an hour to get through one and out of there. People were trying to enter by car the way they normally would (wharf side) and were turned around and there was no planning, it seems, by park police. They could have closed off a lane for bikes and peds, but instead all had to weave through traffic, which was not always possible or safe.

[arlcxrider]

@Starduster 225635 wrote:

I guess we should ask, “Why???”

I support greatly restricted motor vehicle traffic here, but I also want to be respectful of the locals who picnic and fish there.

The “why” is self-evident it seems to me, but I agree the “how” has some nuances. Still, it’s only one weekend per year. The golfers, picnickers, and fisherdudes can cope, just like they do for the Fourth of July shutdown that closes off motor vehicle access.

[Author]

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