My Morning Commute

[dbb]

Lengthy email sent to NPS Superintendent and USPP Station Commander.

Will advise what happens next.

[dplasters]

Anyone hear of details of the crash there yesterday? I saw that struckinDC tweeted it out but I never found an article, presumably because it was a non serious thing?

[Terpfan]

@dbb 120460 wrote:

My commute at Jefferson.

The single point where cyclists could come off the sidewalk at the east driveway (the ones with the Jersey barriers) was blocked by a USPP cruiser. The officer indicated that he had specifically parked there to prevent cyclists coming off the bridge from salmoning up East Basin Drive and getting up on the sidewalk at that point. I attempted (and failed) to help him understand that cyclists heading toward the bridge transitioned from the sidewalk around the Tidal Basin to the roadway at that point and he had blocked the only gap in the 13 (!) cones. He seemed unfazed.

Letters to the NPS are in my future.

What an a–. Did you write the Superintendent? I’m curious if they responded.

He can stop people salmoning by simply parking his vehicle further up and then issuing warnings–something they have done in the past. But for those going southbound, I would have been pissed. I use to take that route every day and depending on cycles/traffic/etc, many folks made the transition right there.

[dbb]

@Terpfan 120522 wrote:

What an a–. Did you write the Superintendent? I’m curious if they responded.

I had been communicating with staff about the damned cones for about a month and there was some movement. I think yesterday’s antics helped move the process faster. Key to my latest exchanges was that the cones should return to cone central to make ad hoc decisions to deploy a bunch of cones more difficult. When there were a dozen cones stockpiled behind a Jersey barrier it was easy to do something with little or no coordination or consideration.

At some point, we need to get police and transportation folks to understand that traffic cones are often an indication of a problem, not a solution.

I prefer to avoid public flame-fests as they seem to make long term collaboration more difficult. When responses come back, I’ll post something.

[Mikey]

Anyone up for Guerilla cone relocation across both the travel lanes at that point. It would only take a few seconds to swing the line of cones 90 degrees to the left

[dbb]

@Mikey 120531 wrote:

Anyone up for Guerilla cone relocation across both the travel lanes at that point. It would only take a few seconds to swing the line of cones 90 degrees to the left

While I may have observed some cyclists stacking cones that were in their way, I suppose I would counsel against some action like relocation. Such actions might serve to demonstrate that working with the cycling community is fruitless and they might use that conclusion to just do what works for them. This morning there were but four cones at the east Jefferson entrance. While I think they actually will yield no beneficial results, the number makes them fairly benign for cyclists (as long as they have wide spacing). I think the long term solution is to just close that entrance and plant grass.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

@dbb 120511 wrote:

This evening there was a noticeable absence of one police cruiser and 9 (of 13) cones.

Success, possibly ephemeral!

Traffic control like this is like trying to control and handful of water by squeezing tighter. And it’s goofy. As an in-bound cyclist that just gives me more encouragement to go straight off the bridge, through the west driveway and right past the front of the Memorial. It cuts the whole corner and is a whole lot shorter anyway. As an out-bound cyclist it encourages me to take a traffic lane the whole way from 15th Street (which isn’t so bad actually). I suspect the USPP would have problems with those two too.

[kwarkentien]

@Brendan von Buckingham 120558 wrote:

As an in-bound cyclist that just gives me more encouragement to go straight off the bridge, through the west driveway and right past the front of the Memorial. It cuts the whole corner and is a whole lot shorter anyway. As an out-bound cyclist it encourages me to take a traffic lane the whole way from 15th Street (which isn’t so bad actually). I suspect the USPP would have problems with those two too.

That’s what I do everyday. I find that taking the west entrance crossing inbound and the east crosswalk outbound also helps to keep separation of bikes and we don’t cross paths when entering and exiting the 14th Street Bridge trail.

[Terpfan]

@dbb 120528 wrote:

I had been communicating with staff about the damned cones for about a month and there was some movement. I think yesterday’s antics helped move the process faster. Key to my latest exchanges was that the cones should return to cone central to make ad hoc decisions to deploy a bunch of cones more difficult. When there were a dozen cones stockpiled behind a Jersey barrier it was easy to do something with little or no coordination or consideration.

At some point, we need to get police and transportation folks to understand that traffic cones are often an indication of a problem, not a solution.

I prefer to avoid public flame-fests as they seem to make long term collaboration more difficult. When responses come back, I’ll post something.

Thanks.

It’s odd with them anyway. On the one hand, they’re great about responding to trees in the MVT, boards loose on the bridges, etc. On the other hand, the PP do these ridiculous things and sit there picking fights for no reason. Maybe the PP should form a riding squad. I know they folks on horseback. Let them see what it’s like. I mean many other jurisdictions seem to have them–MPD, FFX, Arlington, MoCo, SS, etc.

[GovernorSilver]

@Brendan von Buckingham 120558 wrote:

As an in-bound cyclist that just gives me more encouragement to go straight off the bridge, through the west driveway and right past the front of the Memorial. It cuts the whole corner and is a whole lot shorter anyway.

Where is that? I like shortcuts.

I take the road outbound. Sometimes there’s a parked bus or other vehicle in the right lane, so I’m forced into the left lane already, on the way to the path to the 14th St. bridge.

[GovernorSilver]

@Brendan von Buckingham 120558 wrote:

As an in-bound cyclist that just gives me more encouragement to go straight off the bridge, through the west driveway and right past the front of the Memorial.

Is this the route?

https://goo.gl/maps/Fy0Zl

[ShawnoftheDread]

@Terpfan 120562 wrote:

Thanks.

It’s odd with them anyway. On the one hand, they’re great about responding to trees in the MVT, boards loose on the bridges, etc. On the other hand, the PP do these ridiculous things and sit there picking fights for no reason. Maybe the PP should form a riding squad. I know they folks on horseback. Let them see what it’s like. I mean many other jurisdictions seem to have them–MPD, FFX, Arlington, MoCo, SS, etc.

Officer Friendly in Falls Church is a bike officer. A lot of good it does us.

[Steve O]

@Brendan von Buckingham 120558 wrote:

straight off the bridge, through the west driveway and right past the front of the Memorial.

You have to squeeze between the attractive jersey barriers they have there, for aesthetic purposes I suspect, and often dodge some parked cars.

Lesson learned: If you take the sidewalk straight toward the Memorial rather than the street, SLOW DOWN! I hit the electric cable protector thingy that lies on the sidewalk at full speed one day. No fall, but, man, did I bounce high outta my seat.

[GovernorSilver]

Nice morning commute. Tried the Jefferson Memorial shortcut and liked it. Some bumpy roots though on the path connecting to the sidewalk along Ohio Dr. after passing the memorial.

Tried taking First St NW to E St NW then N. Capitol. I made it through but the combination of construction and motorist traffic along that route discourages me from trying it again. On the left turn from E St to N. Capitol, I was stuck behind a bus that was unable to turn because it in turn was behind another vehicle. I found it was quicker to dismount, walk my bike to the sidewalk, start crossing N. Capitol as a pedestrian, then hop back on my bike to get on N. Capitol.

[Steve O]

Well, that was long.

Went out the wrong way to join friends at Vienna Thursday Coffee Club. After coffee, was convoying in when I noted my rear tire was very soft. Stopped just past Gallows and added air, hoping it was a slow enough leak to get me in. No luck. Stopped at Idylwood to repair.
No biggie, the weather was great.
Decided to swing by house in Arlington to pump up all the way and grab a new tube just in case. That’s when I noticed my u-lock was missing. I remembered it being on the bike at Gallows, and the photo I took while I was fixing my flat showed it missing at Idlewood. So I went back out to look for it. Not there; someone must have picked it up.

Finally got to work after 10, but got 30 miles of low humidity, not-too-hot morning riding in first.

[Author]

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