Missed connection

[vern]

@Subby 87366 wrote:

Yesterday afternoon I was sprinting home NW on the WOD and came to the Walter Reed intersection. The signal was about to change, but I had enough time to get through the intersection if I hurried up. I kept an eye out for NW traffic on Four Mile Run Dr. turning right on to Walter Reed, saw none, and kept trucking. I did not, however, look for SE traffic on Four Mile Run Dr turning left on Walter Reed Drive. As I entered the crosswalk, the car came within feet of me, slamming on its brakes. I slammed on mine and my rear tire came off the ground, what felt like a good six inches. I thought for a split second that I was about to get blown up. Thankfully, I didn’t – I was able to recover and keep moving forward out of the intersection. Pretty shaken for the next mile or two.

I learned a pretty valuable lesson there. Slow the F down going through intersections. Making the light doesn’t matter if you get destroyed trying to do it.

I saw the exact same scenario you describe at that insersection about 10 days ago with the guy being inches away from being crushed. It was a great reminder to me to not accelerate to beat a light.

[PeteD]

@Subby 87366 wrote:

I learned a pretty valuable lesson there. Slow the F down going through intersections. Making the light doesn’t matter if you get destroyed trying to do it.

After going over my handlebars at the access road light in front of the Barcroft Park entrance on the W&OD, I’ve developed an uber-paranoia about cars seeing me on that part of the W&OD.

Last night it was a driver turning right onto Walter Reed from FMR failed to see me sitting there at the light for a 20 seconds while we waited for the FMR light to turn green, and as I clipped in, came within a foot and a half of knocking me over, but I guess just not as dire a situation as yours.

It’s a sad state of affairs that I’ve been contemplating riding on FMR Drive instead of the W&OD because it’s safer to ride in the roadway than on the MUP.

–Pete

[Raymo853]

Should also be a reminder not to speed when operating a vehicle, regardless is car or bike. And the speed limit for bikes on the WOD is 15 MPH

[Subby]

@Raymo853 87385 wrote:

Should also be a reminder not to speed when operating a vehicle, regardless is car or bike. And the speed limit for bikes on the WOD is 15 MPH

You’ve mentioned this once or twice, thanks.

[Subby]

@PeteD 87381 wrote:

It’s a sad state of affairs that I’ve been contemplating riding on FMR Drive instead of the W&OD because it’s safer to ride in the roadway than on the MUP.

–Pete

I actually do ride on 4MR Rd quite a bit. In the morning, the stretch between Geo. Mason and Walter Reed is super smooth, and I just stay on the roadway because it makes the crossing at Shirlington to get to the 4MR Trail (Or HDCC!) a lot less complicated. In the evening it is pretty easy to get on Shirlington Rd. right off the trail and take the left turn arrow on to 4MR Rd. I usually take that all the way to Walter Reed (the buses and trucks parked in the far right lane take up enough of the lane that the rest serves as a de facto bike lane!).

[consularrider]

@Raymo853 87385 wrote:

Should also be a reminder not to speed when operating a vehicle, regardless is car or bike. And the speed limit for bikes on the WOD is 15 MPH

Nope, there is no speed limit on the W&OD. MVT and CCT both have a posted 15 mph speed limit, but I believe those are the only two MUPs in the area with posted speed limits.

[Raymo853]

@Subby 87386 wrote:

You’ve mentioned this once or twice, thanks.

But I still refrain from ranting about how cyclists too cowardly to ride on the road or in races still treat fellow users on MUPs.

[rcannon100]

@consularrider 87392 wrote:

Nope, there is no speed limit on the W&OD. MVT and CCT both have a posted 15 mph speed limit, but I believe those are the only two MUPs in the area with posted speed limits.

ConsularRider is correct. There is no speed limit on the WOD

The Rules can be found here. They state on page 25

Restrict speed to safe levels appropriate for existing trail condition

And just a reminder – for those forum participants who do like to engage in rants – you can click the ignore button on their profile and you will never see their posts again.

[Raymo853]

@consularrider 87392 wrote:

Nope, there is no speed limit on the W&OD. MVT and CCT both have a posted 15 mph speed limit, but I believe those are the only two MUPs in the area with posted speed limits.

I do not like that, and now as a Arlington County resident something I should work on talking to my elected officials about.

[jnva]

@rcannon100 87399 wrote:

And just a reminder – for those forum participants who do like to engage in rants – you can click the ignore button on their profile and you will never see their posts again.

Too bad you can’t do that when someone is ranting at you in “real life”

[baiskeli]

@mstone 87372 wrote:

umm, you shouldn’t speed through intersections trying to make a light in a car, either…

I know, that’s the joke.

[Steve O]

@consularrider 87392 wrote:

MVT and CCT both have a posted 15 mph speed limit

Note that the CCT speed limit only applies in MoCo. Once you cross the line into DC it’s no holds barred.

BTW – has anyone been stopped for speeding on the CCT? I used to commute on it every day, and it’s “possible” I may have “slightly” exceeded the limit on “rare occasion.” But I never saw an officer of any kind and I was never stopped.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@jnva 87403 wrote:

Too bad you can’t do that when someone is ranting at you in “real life”

You can if you practice enough. Just ask my kids how loud I have to get before their internal ignore button breaks. They might not answer you, though.

[consularrider]

@Steve O 87429 wrote:

Note that the CCT speed limit only applies in MoCo. Once you cross the line into DC it’s no holds barred.

BTW – has anyone been stopped for speeding on the CCT? I used to commute on it every day, and it’s “possible” I may have “slightly” exceeded the limit on “rare occasion.” But I never saw an officer of any kind and I was never stopped.

You must not have come across the citizens arrest patrols on the CCT.

[Vicegrip]

@Raymo853 87397 wrote:

But I still refrain from ranting about how cyclists too cowardly to ride on the road or in races still treat fellow users on MUPs.

I simply don’t see the same activities you do on the MUPS. I ride a section of the WOD every day of the week year round and take many rec rides on area MUPS. to single out just the cyclists is myopic. Please refrain from posting disinformation. The non/speed limit was something that was discussed in a previous thread.

[Author]

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