Missed connection

[Drewdane]

@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’ve never seen a posted speed limit on the MVT. At least, not on the stretch from TR Island to the WOD.

[mstone]

@Raymo853 87385 wrote:

And the speed limit for bikes on the WOD is 15 MPH

That’s not actually true.

[CaseyKane50]

@Drewdane 87437 wrote:

I’ve never seen a posted speed limit on the MVT. At least, not on the stretch from TR Island to the WOD.

I believe I have seen one south of Alexandria.

[mstone]

@Drewdane 87437 wrote:

I’ve never seen a posted speed limit on the MVT. At least, not on the stretch from TR Island to the WOD.

http://www.nps.gov/gwmp/planyourvisit/upload/Mt-Vernon-Trail-brochure.pdf

NPS usually has a speed limit, just as they like to have stop signs everywhere; it’s just what they do. C&O towpath also has a 15MPH limit.

Edit to add: I think I may have managed to stay under 15 on the towpath last week, but only barely and that’s with the weehoo and following the 7yo. 15 is just really low on the long, straight, desolate stretches of a 180 mile path.

[Drewdane]

@Drewdane 87437 wrote:

I’ve never seen a posted speed limit on the MVT. At least, not on the stretch from TR Island to the WOD.

@CaseyKane50 87439 wrote:

I believe I have seen one south of Alexandria.

@mstone 87440 wrote:

http://www.nps.gov/gwmp/planyourvisit/upload/Mt-Vernon-Trail-brochure.pdf

NPS usually has a speed limit, just as they like to have stop signs everywhere; it’s just what they do. C&O towpath also has a 15MPH limit.

Edit to add: I think I may have managed to stay under 15 on the towpath last week, but only barely and that’s with the weehoo and following the 7yo. 15 is just really low on the long, straight, desolate stretches of a 180 mile path.

You’re both forgetting the fact that I’m a moron who can’t tell the difference between the MVT and the MCT. :rolleyes:

[Subby]

I would actually be pretty stoked if I got pulled for speeding on the towpath. I promise you will hear about it if I do.

[Terpfan]

I actually felt bad yelling at a driver who cut me off. I was heading to trivia last night taking the L St Cycletrack and this woman decided as I’m halfway across the intersection and light is changing yellow-to-red to turn left right in front of me with her bmw. She throws her hands up to me in that ‘how dare you’ gesture and so the annoyance in me had me turn left and to her open window say loudly (not quite a yell): “What the hell are you doing? You nearly hit me. You do not have the right of way there. Come on!” To which I expected some snide remark, but instead she sheepishly said, sorry. So then I realized I failed to channel my inner Dirt very well. On the plus side, I doubt she will not make that move again on any of us.

[Terpfan]

@CaseyKane50 87439 wrote:

I believe I have seen one south of Alexandria.

Yah there are at least two I can think of south of OT. Sort of funny that they put the speed limit part in the section of the trail that’s less traveled.

[sjclaeys]

Continuing the speed limit discussion, I noticed this morning that there is a small 5 mph speed limit sign at the entrance of the underpass next to Crystal City Water Park.

[CaseyKane50]

@Terpfan 87471 wrote:

Yah there are at least two I can think of south of OT. Sort of funny that they put the speed limit part in the section of the trail that’s less traveled.

This morning I rode down to Mount Vernon and found three speed limit signs south of Alexandria.

One is southbound just past the Belle Haven picnic area.

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And two of them are northbound, one just north of Fort Hunt and the second one is just north of Northdown Road.

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[ATTACH=CONFIG]5818[/ATTACH]

I don’t know about how “less traveled” the section of the trail south of Alexandria is, but it is much narrower than the section north of Alexandria and it has a lot of twists and turns mixed in with short climbs and downhills and it can be quite crowded on weekends. It makes perfect sense to have the speed limit signs posted in this section, but they probably should also be posted elsewhere on the trail.

[cyclingfool]

From last night’s commute home…

Black SUV. MD plates. Heading towards Independence Avenue on Maine, you decided that you should go ahead and drive through the intersection by BEP even though the light was already red. There were two cars that had already run the red who were finally clearing out of the crosswalk so that cyclists and pedestrians could actually cross. Questions for you:

1. Why did you think you should be able to go given the situation
2. Why did you flip me off when I raised my hand at you in incredulous, inquisitive disgust as your 3 ton behemoth came rolling at me as I was in the crosswalk as if I had done something wrong. Take a look around you.

I have another from a few days ago at the intersection of Potomac Ave and Main Line Blvd in Alexandria, which I won’t describe now, but suffice it to say it involved my good friend Black Ford Explorer, VA Plates JFN-5323. Yes, I have your plates memorized, b/c IMHO you don’t deserve to have a driver’s license based on a handful of experiences I’ve had with you in the last year. I’m going to make it a personal mission to report every traffic violation I see you commit from now on.

[bobco85]

@CaseyKane50 87497 wrote:

I don’t know about how “less traveled” the section of the trail south of Alexandria is, but it is much narrower than the section north of Alexandria and it has a lot of twists and turns mixed in with short climbs and downhills and it can be quite crowded on weekends. It makes perfect sense to have the speed limit signs posted in this section, but they probably should also be posted elsewhere on the trail.

Now this may be a bit pedantic, but I question why they placed speed limit signs because using speed limit signs implies that there is a strict speed limit that could be enforced. They can’t enforce speed limits when less than 100% of the cycling population has speedometers, can they? (follow-up question on the side: have speed limits ever been enforced on DC area trails?)

I think they would be much better off using yellow diamond caution signs with recommended speeds on them like those used for drivers or signs that say something like “Crowded area, lower your speed” (this is needed for areas like Gravelly Point) and “Blind corner, lower your speed.”

[CaseyKane50]

@bobco85 87504 wrote:

Now this may be a bit pedantic, but I question why they placed speed limit signs because using speed limit signs implies that there is a strict speed limit that could be enforced. They can’t enforce speed limits when less than 100% of the cycling population has speedometers, can they? (follow-up question on the side: have speed limits ever been enforced on DC area trails?)

I think they would be much better off using yellow diamond caution signs with recommended speeds on them like those used for drivers or signs that say something like “Crowded area, lower your speed” (this is needed for areas like Gravelly Point) and “Blind corner, lower your speed.”

I agree enforcement would be an issue, but I suspect that the majority of bikes that don’t have some way of gauging speed aren’t exceeding 15 miles an hour.

I have heard that the CCTV has had some enforcement in years past.

To your point about different types of signs, here is a sign posted northbound on the MVT just before the Belle Haven Park.

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[OneEighth]

No data.
Don’t know.
Don’t want to either.

[mstone]

Yes, signs that alerted people to specific dangers and encouraged taking conditions into account would be preferable to a universally ignored blanket limit. Would be more work, also, so don’t hold your breath.

[Author]

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