May 16th Cycling Movie Night at the Drafthouse!

[eminva]

Hello —

I am planning to attend and will be going from work. I work near Farragut North. Google Maps routes me down through GWU, to the mall, around the Lincoln, over the Memorial Bridge (south side), down Washington Avenue (or a trail next to it, can’t tell), to S. Southgate Road and from there onto Columbia Pike.

This would be a first for me (crossing the Memorial Bridge, that is) and I know a lot of you are very familiar with this area, so let me know if Google Maps has steered me wrong. Am I going over one of those GW Parkway Intersections of Mortal Peril? Not that I can avoid it, although I have somehow all these years . . . .

Thanks.

Liz

[5555624]

@eminva 19731 wrote:

I am planning to attend and will be going from work. I work near Farragut North. Google Maps routes me down through GWU, to the mall, around the Lincoln, over the Memorial Bridge (south side), down Washington Avenue (or a trail next to it, can’t tell), to S. Southgate Road and from there onto Columbia Pike.

This would be a first for me (crossing the Memorial Bridge, that is) and I know a lot of you are very familiar with this area, so let me know if Google Maps has steered me wrong. Am I going over one of those GW Parkway Intersections of Mortal Peril? Not that I can avoid it, although I have somehow all these years . . . .

It’s Washington Boulevard, but that route will work and the intersections are not too bad. (You’ll be facing traffic.)

When you get to the top of Southgate Road, make the second left, on S Ode St. (The first left, S Oak St is one-way the wrong way.) The intersection of S Ode St and Columbia Pike is easier than the intersection of S Orme St and Columbia Pike. (Unless you’re making this trip on the sidewalk.)

That stretch of Columbia Pike, past the Sheraton and under Washington Boulevard can be dicey at times.

[eminva]

Thank you, very helpful.

Liz

[5555624]

You’re welcome. Although I don’t cross at the Memorial Bridge, that’s my afternnon/evening commute. Unfortunately, you were a couple of hours too late to see the Lil’ Latina Babe, which is the “real” reason to turn left on Ode. If she waves at you and you wave back, you get rewarded with at least a smile that threatens to split her four-year -old face. (More often, though, she starts waving more, laughing, and cheering.)

[eminva]

Thank you again! I found my way fairly easily, with a little help from a cyclist who showed me where to go when the paved trail kind of ends near the Pentagon. Man, that trail must be interesting in winter evenings with the headlights coming straight at you. Still, it worked well for getting from Point A to Point B. I missed the little girl, sadly.

What do cyclists do on that early stretch of Columbia Pike? I took the lane, but it is kind of a long climb and the road is in poor condition, with cars raring to go fast. I saw another cyclist on the sidewalk.

By the way, the movie was excellent. If you get a chance, do see it. Nice to see Skreamingquadz and of course, Chris Eatough. I got a preview of the Bike to Work Day giveaway this year. My friend won a Cannondale bike frame in the raffle!

Thanks.

Liz

[5555624]

@eminva 19796 wrote:

I found my way fairly easily, with a little help from a cyclist who showed me where to go when the paved trail kind of ends near the Pentagon.

Which way? For a while, post-9/11 (and after the trail had been rebuilt), the route followed the on-ramp from Columbia Pike to Washington Boulevard. Although not paved well, it was paved. Roughly once the 9/11 Memorial opened, they tore that up stretch up and the trail continues through he bollards and by the memorial. (They tore it up one evening, after 4:00 p.m., because it was gone at 2:30 a.m. the next morning.) Some cyclists still use the dirt route along the ramp and some simply ride on the ramp and into traffic.

@eminva 19796 wrote:

What do cyclists do on that early stretch of Columbia Pike? I took the lane, but it is kind of a long climb and the road is in poor condition, with cars raring to go fast. I saw another cyclist on the sidewalk.

Whichever they’re more comfortable with, I guess. I normally take the road. (If I get stopped at the light at the bottom of the hill, I’ll sometimes bail onto the sidewalk, since getting started and the poor road condition just makes it slow going to start.) The sidewalk from the Sheraton and then under Washington Boulevard is not in good shape, anyway.

The project to replace the bridge and re-do the intersection is just starting. The end result is supposed to have a wide sidewalk for pedestrians and cyclists.

Jim

[txgoonie]

@eminva 19796 wrote:

My friend won a Cannondale bike frame in the raffle!

That’s awesome! I was SO jealous of the raffles (sadly as an official helper (I was the one running around handing the merch out) I was ineligible).

I used my hatred of Columbia Pike as an excuse to take the long way around to the theater and try my hand at the Walter Reed hill for the first time. In 80-something degree weather. That was fun:rolleyes:

Anyway, thanks for coming out!

[KLizotte]

@eminva 19796 wrote:

What do cyclists do on that early stretch of Columbia Pike? I took the lane, but it is kind of a long climb and the road is in poor condition, with cars raring to go fast. I saw another cyclist on the sidewalk.

Liz

I generally avoid Columbia Pike like the plague but when I do have to go in that direction, I skip Columbia Pike up to the Air Force Memorial by taking S Southgate Road instead – it takes you up the same hill on the other side of the Navy Annex. It’s still a long hill but there is little traffic. I take a left at Ft Myers (they don’t let cyclists through at this gate) on to the road that takes you by the Sheraton. Once you are at the intersection of the Sheraton and Columbia Pike you either have to suffer the indignities of the sidewalk heading west (narrow and in poor shape) or risk getting squashed by a car or bus along the Pike. Whether I take street or sidewalk depends a lot on time of day and which bike I’m riding. I really hope the County is able to make this stretch more bike friendly. I know plans are in the works and I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

[eminva]

@5555624 19798 wrote:

Which way? For a while, post-9/11 (and after the trail had been rebuilt), the route followed the on-ramp from Columbia Pike to Washington Boulevard. Although not paved well, it was paved. Roughly once the 9/11 Memorial opened, they tore that up stretch up and the trail continues through he bollards and by the memorial. (They tore it up one evening, after 4:00 p.m., because it was gone at 2:30 a.m. the next morning.) Some cyclists still use the dirt route along the ramp and some simply ride on the ramp and into traffic.

I followed the other cyclist on the ramp, but there was no traffic on it at the time.

@KLizotte 19897 wrote:

I generally avoid Columbia Pike like the plague but when I do have to go in that direction, I skip Columbia Pike up to the Air Force Memorial by taking S Southgate Road instead – it takes you up the same hill on the other side of the Navy Annex. It’s still a long hill but there is little traffic. I take a left at Ft Myers (they don’t let cyclists through at this gate) on to the road that takes you by the Sheraton. Once you are at the intersection of the Sheraton and Columbia Pike you either have to suffer the indignities of the sidewalk heading west (narrow and in poor shape) or risk getting squashed by a car or bus along the Pike. Whether I take street or sidewalk depends a lot on time of day and which bike I’m riding. I really hope the County is able to make this stretch more bike friendly. I know plans are in the works and I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Google Maps did route me on S. Southgate Road; I turned on S. Ode Street per the directions above. Good to know the county may be making changes in the future.

Liz

[dasgeh]

I know I’m too late for this thread, but you can skip that entire Columbia Pike mess. From Memorial Bridge, head up towards the cemetery, then take the right on the trail along 110 to the Iwa Jima. Continue straight on Marshall Drive onto the base (need an ID). Take the first left onto a real road once you’re on the base. After a while, that ends at a T, take a right. That takes you to the gate at 2nd Street South, from which you wind through a quiet neighborhood (aim southwest) to the Drafthouse.

[Author]

Posts