My Morning Commute

[dasgeh]

So maybe it’s all of Constitution (the issue I’ve had at 17th has always been right turners not yielding). I’m not in a position to have that problem at 15th.

[LBSki]

I was also wondering about the GW parkway crossing accident. I came by around probably 7:40 and saw the same thing – a few cyclists standing, and a bike in the road, and three cars. My thought was a driver stopped for the cyclist, and the driver behind her didn’t. It didn’t look like anyone was seriously injured, but I really couldn’t tell. I hate the crossing so much, it would shave about 2 miles off my commute, but I can’t do it, I’d rather keep going to 14th and loop back around!

[Terpfan]

@LBSki 96679 wrote:

I was also wondering about the GW parkway crossing accident. I came by around probably 7:40 and saw the same thing – a few cyclists standing, and a bike in the road, and three cars. My thought was a driver stopped for the cyclist, and the driver behind her didn’t. It didn’t look like anyone was seriously injured, but I really couldn’t tell. I hate the crossing so much, it would shave about 2 miles off my commute, but I can’t do it, I’d rather keep going to 14th and loop back around!

Hm, I didn’t think about that possibility. Lucky for me, I don’t have to cross it, but my few experiences doing so have been quite harrowing. I’m impressed by folks who regularly do it. I cross the GWMP much further down by Belle View and so I do it in halves.

[DCAKen]

The ninja runners out there are bad enough, but I’m starting to encounter ninja moths. These are the runners who don’t wear any reflective clothes, are running side by side with someone else, and seem to be attracted to my headlight. They only jump out of the way when I yell a warning. I don’t have a dim light, so I can only think they are the human equivalent of the Bugblatter Beast, who are

so profoundly unintelligent that, if you can’t see it, it assumes it can’t see you

[Emm]

Today was the first morning I left home and it was legit dark outside. Fortunately, my cygolite arrived in the mail last night, and it is BRIGHT. All I needed was the medium and low setting, but I can see the high setting being good for evening commutes after daylight savings time ends. It was really useful to have it installed today though. I didn’t realize how dark the streets are in my neighborhood.

I felt bad for the dead rat on MVT this AM (a little south of gravely point). Looked like he got hit by a car last night and crawled onto the trail. Didn’t look like a fun way to go

[cyclingfool]

@Emm 96741 wrote:

I felt bad for the dead rat on MVT this AM (a little south of gravely point). Looked like he got hit by a car last night and crawled onto the trail. Didn’t look like a fun way to go

I saw that rat, too. Poor guy. I’ve seen worse in that stretch… a beaver a couple years ago comes to mind, but I felt bad for the rat, too.

Took my life in my own hands and crossed the GW Parkway to ride the Memorial Bridge into town this morning. Drivers behaved well. Helped that it was a little after 9 AM when I went through, and it’s Friday, so traffic was probably lighter than usual, but I easily survived.

I did notice as I approached the crossing, that there was one of those “Your Speed” radar displays to remind drivers of the speed limit and their speed. Not surprisingly, almost every car that passed the sign as I could see the readout was doing at least 8-10 mph over the limit. Not one of the 10-12 cars I saw pass it was doing the speed limit or less. Thankfully, the rumble stripes on the road just past the sign seemed to be getting cars to slow down. Anyway, no news to anyone here, but the speeds through there are unsafe, and it seems like a modicum of actual enforcement of the speed limit could be a helpful deterrent. Only enforcement I’ve ever seen on the GWMP for speed is south of the airport or up around McLean, places where there are no road crossings and speed seems less of a safety threat.

[dasgeh]

I had appointments in Arlington today, so got to take the kids to preschool. As we we crossed the bridge over I66 before W-L HS on Quincy, a cyclist turned left from 13th… followed by about 20 other cyclists, all in white shirts and blue shorts. We hauled bakfiets to catch up with them, and it turns out it was a PE class from W-L, out for a morning ride.

HOORAY!!!!!! BIKES IN PE CLASS FTW!!!!!

Best morning commute in a long time (helped to be with the whole family…)

[CPTJohnC]

Okay, I know I shouldn’t get excited about the pace of my morning commute, but seeing an average speed of over 15 MPH always makes me smile a little. Today, however, it made me smile a lot, because I did it while riding CaBi.

[Dickie]

…was deliciously quite, drizzly, moody… ahhh, Fall I love you!

“… it’s surprising how quick a little rain will clear the streets” – Billy Bragg.

[dkel]

@Dickie 96825 wrote:

“… it’s surprising how quick a little rain will clear the streets” – Billy Bragg.

“Someday a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets.” – The Clash

[jnva]

@dkel 96826 wrote:

“Someday a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets.” – The Clash

Learn to swim.

Cuz I’m praying for rain

– Tool

[Dickie]

I guess we’ve become “Riders of the storm”.. Thank Thank, I’ll be here all week…. tip your waiters!

[mcfarton]

@jnva 96828 wrote:

Learn to swim.

Cuz I’m praying for rain

– Tool

Coolest album art. The hologram of california falling into the ocean learn to swim

sent from your mom’s house

[Supermau]

Wet and quiet. But my rain gear did it’s job.

[Terpfan]

Sigh, as many of you slept in, I got to ride into work.

But it was a great ride. Nice temperature, no wind, almost empty trails (not a single cyclist passed me in my 17ish miles and I passed all of two on the MVT), no school in session, no Metro buses stopping front of me, no cars at the stop signs… glorious. So it’s no surprise that sans 1 minute traffic light I hit, I set my record getting in. If only it was like this everyday.

[Author]

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