My Morning Commute

[Terpfan]

@Tim Kelley 95601 wrote:

Are you projecting? It’s too early to start drinking…

Only in so much as I would like a Dogfish 90minute right about now. I haven’t drank a PBR since I was last at a Cubs game circa 2006 or so. I refuse to pay tons of money for crappy beer .

However, I may be forced back into breaking the norm at the Nats game if I can’t find a vendor with a short line or the beer guy keeps coming around without Flying Dog in his bag.

[KLizotte]

Thinking long term, I can only assume that the cycletracks will be numbered like street routes eventually (the UK is already doing that) so that may play a roll into what to call them. The UK even has what they call “cycle superhighways”.

Perhaps “cycleway” is a better term than cycletrack??? A quick google search seems to show that this is standard nomenclature for what we call a cycletrack here.

[Steve]

@Terpfan 95650 wrote:

I haven’t drank a PBR since I was last at a Cubs game circa 2006 or so.

PBR at a Cubs game!? Had they sold out of Old Style?

[Steve O]

@KLizotte 95652 wrote:

Perhaps “cycleway” is a better term than cycletrack??? A quick google search seems to show that this is standard nomenclature for what we call a cycletrack here.

I like “cycleway.” Add my vote to the tally.

I also think I will start calling the ones we have now “unprotected” for exactly the reasons jrenaut suggests. Next Monday is the ABAC meeting; that would be a good place to start trying out our new nomenclature.

[Tim Kelley]

@Steve O 95658 wrote:

I like “cycleway.” Add my vote to the tally.

Would cycleway also be appropriate for something like the W&OD or Custis Trails?

[americancyclo]

@Tim Kelley 95659 wrote:

Would cycleway also be appropriate for something like the W&OD or Custis Trails?

Does that mean we don’t have to deal with runners or peds anymore? :p

I think the MUPs around here would be identified as equivalents of ‘cycle superhighways’ but without any exclusivity.

Alternate Transportation Corridors?
Human Powered Transitway?
Trails?

[vern]

A portent of things to come…leaving at 5:45am, I had to run a light the entire way into work. Psychologically, I’m not quite ready for that yet.

[dasgeh]

@Tim Kelley 95659 wrote:

Would cycleway also be appropriate for something like the W&OD or Custis Trails?

The problem with “cycleway” being used for trails is that trails are not exclusively for bikes.

It may make sense to talk about “cycleways”, “cycleroutes”, “bikeroutes” or some other term -safe routes that bikes can use- but then use other terms to designate what kind of infrastructure it is – MUP/trail, cycletrack/protected bike lane, neighborhood street. Unprotected bike lanes would not qualify as safe routes so should not be included.

Then we could name “cycleways” and sign them accordingly, even if they don’t line up exactly with streets. For example, to get between north (Lee Hwy) & south Arlington (Columbia Pike), a great route is to take a combination of Monroe St N, Jackson St N, Irving St N & S and Monroe St S (and Nelson St N and Lincoln St N for a block each, plus the numbered streets needed to connect those). It’s relatively flat, mostly direct and utilizes calm, neighborhood streets with lights at every major intersection. BUT it’s a pain to explain to people (obviously). If that were the “mid-Arlington cycleway” with appropriate signage to guide newbies, we could solve that problem.

(Better yet, if they moved/added a couple traffic lights, the route could be almost all on Monroe and Irving, and could go all the way from Lee Hwy to Four Mile Run. Then it could be the “MIM cycleway” or similar, which could be cute).

[ShawnoftheDread]

@dasgeh 95664 wrote:

The problem with “cycleway” being used for trails is that trails are not exclusively for bikes.

It may make sense to talk about “cycleways”, “cycleroutes”, “bikeroutes” or some other term -safe routes that bikes can use- but then use other terms to designate what kind of infrastructure it is – MUP/trail, cycletrack/protected bike lane, neighborhood street. Unprotected bike lanes would not qualify as safe routes so should not be included.

Then we could name “cycleways” and sign them accordingly, even if they don’t line up exactly with streets. For example, to get between north (Lee Hwy) & south Arlington (Columbia Pike), a great route is to take a combination of Monroe St N, Jackson St N, Irving St N & S and Monroe St S (and Nelson St N and Lincoln St N for a block each, plus the numbered streets needed to connect those). It’s relatively flat, mostly direct and utilizes calm, neighborhood streets with lights at every major intersection. BUT it’s a pain to explain to people (obviously). If that were the “mid-Arlington cycleway” with appropriate signage to guide newbies, we could solve that problem.

(Better yet, if they moved/added a couple traffic lights, the route could be almost all on Monroe and Irving, and could go all the way from Lee Hwy to Four Mile Run. Then it could be the “MIM cycleway” or similar, which could be cute).

You lost me at “could be cute.”

[dplasters]

The difficulty is not getting lost in the minutia of the various different types of facilities upon which one can ride a bike and the specific nomenclature of each.

Is it a cycletrack because there are two directions of bike traffic running parallel with no motor vehicle traffic between them?

If it is a protected bike lane then what is on Hayes St? They look very different. Both could be called protected. Does it matter that they are entirely different yet have the same name?

A trail must be a trail or a path, since it allows various types of traffic allowed upon it.

I consider what is on Hayes to be a protected bike lane. It is a lane that has been separated from the rest of the lanes of vehicular traffic. I consider what we are talking about here to be a cycletrack. Although cycleway is a better term that I will now adopt. Perhaps a cycleway can be a type of protected bike lane, but not all PBLs are cycleways.

Lane = Convential road structure
Anything else = we’ve done something different.

My 2 Cents.

@dasgeh 95641 wrote:

Not to mention that cars seem to be even more annoyed when there is a bike lane and a bike is in the main travel lane, even if the bike lane is obviously blocked (like FAIRFAX DRIVE BY GEORGE MASON LAW AND THE EQUALLY AWESOME SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY EVERY DAY!!!)

Corrected for appropriate naming.

[americancyclo]

@Greenbelt 95575 wrote:

New First Street cycletrack is getting quite a lot of use in short order
[IMG]http://bikearlingtonforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6705&stc=1[/IMG][IMG]http://bikearlingtonforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6706&stc=1[/IMG]

What I see in Greenbelts pictures are two way bike lanes with flexposts. There’s not even a buffer zone there.

There are some standards pushed by People For Bikes here:
http://www.peopleforbikes.org/green-lane-project/pages/the-green-lane-projects-style-guide

But in my mind, it’s not a Protected Bike Lane unless it’s more substantial than just flexposts. It requires at least two feet of buffer zone with planters, trees, or something else that would stop a texting driver from drifting in to the lane.

[Terpfan]

@Steve 95655 wrote:

PBR at a Cubs game!? Had they sold out of Old Style?

Ha, no. But PBR was somewhat newer to me then as I hadn’t seen it on the East Coast much. Suddenly it became the in beer, despite not being very good. The bbq joint over by 9:30 club wanted like $5 for a PBR at happy hour. I was appalled. Or maybe I’m just getting older.

[Emm]

Police officers were approaching all the cyclists at Braddock Road metro’s bike racks today. Not sure what they were doing, but it looked like they were asking for IDs, and then bringing some crazy huge U-lock they took out of a box. Maybe giving away free locks? Or doing an example of how to properly lock your bike? I was kinda confused, and in such a rush I didn’t stay to look long. I’m not aware of a big bike theft problem there, but I’m sure it happens. Those racks are PACKED by 8am, and bikes aren’t always secured very well.

Sadly, I saw all of this because I have sick fiance and the resulting dog-walking chore led me to run VERY late this morning, and it is quicker for me to metro . This fall has just not been good for me and my bike. Argh.

[jrenaut]

$5 at happy hour should get you a gallon of PBR.

Today is my wife’s day to take the kids on the Xtracycle. We ride about half of my commute together, then I head off and she continues to school. This morning I was getting dressed at work and see I have a missed call and a “call me ASAP” text from her.

I call, and it turns out she’s leaving school and dropped the chain on the Xtracycle. I talked her through putting it back on (it helps that the bike has a kickstand that lets you keep the wheel off the ground) and she rode home.

Also, a gaggle of jaywalkers waited for the cars to clear and then walked in front of me at 7th and C SW. I aimed at them for just long enough to make a point (which I’m sure was lost on them) and then went behind.

[lordofthemark]

First time I have ridden to work in the rain since BTWD (and hence the first time I have done the 10 mile ride in the rain.) Nice to see how well attended HDCC is on a day like this. Ride was generally fine – thanks to Arlingtonrider for the ‘attaboy’ as she passed me on the 4MRT I now see what people mean about there being fewer riders on the trails in worse conditions. And yes, despite consularrider’s warning, I got water squarely in my eye as I passed under the 14th street bridge. Maine Avenue was the same mess as usual.

[Author]

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