My Morning Commute

[dasgeh]

@bobco85 160992 wrote:

Wow, what an asshat of a driver. You should report this behavior to the folks at Key Elementary School because an enraged criminal (hit ‘n’ run) driver had just entered their parking lot that had faculty and other schoolchildren, a serious safety issue.

My kid goes to Key, so yes, I’ll report there, too. Thanks. I didn’t see this happen, but the runner said the driver intentionally swerve to hit him. What I saw was the car very close to the curb, which would have been strange, because there was a parked car just before the intersection and no other cars on the street. From what the driver said, he did not particularly value the life of the runner.

@bobco85 160992 wrote:

Looking at the satellite image for the intersection (https://goo.gl/maps/dw2fTMcPmh42), it’s clear that the pedestrian ramp “points” northeast across Key Blvd. Thus, there would be an implied crosswalk. I also see that there is a speed hump that the driver must have flown over in their haste to get their kid to school on time which apparently overrides the value of human life.

And yes, that’s my interpretation, too. The officers kept discussing what judges would find, if something went to court. I don’t know if that was just a smokescreen, but it seems to be worth having the discussion. If the problem is the judges, do we need to put down more paint? If the problem is ACPD, then we should discuss this through our ACPD channels.

[Brett L.]

@dasgeh 160994 wrote:

I didn’t see this happen, but the runner said the driver intentionally swerve to hit him.

The part where you state “intentional”, pending evidence, can actually be upgraded from hit-and-run to assault with a deadly weapon. It’s not just a lack of value for human life, it’s actually contempt towards it.

[mello yello]

I was coming in here to post how wonderful and invigorating my (late) morning commute was… what a bummer to find a hit and run instead!

Today I saw… deer, turtles, snakes, frogs, buzzards, maybe two dozen bicyclists, a runaway dog, a dog peeing on a fire hydrant, a toddler peeing on a fire hydrant, and no hit and runs. Best weather ever. I’ve missed commuting. Today was 1mph / 15 minutes slower than last night’s dash home, but I didn’t feel quite as tapped out.

Edit: I’m lying about the dog peeing on the fire hydrant. It’s to contrast how absurd it is to see a 3 year-old peeing on a fire hydrant. In the city. Don’t know if I’d do different if the other option was a wet, miserable toddler though.

[Steve O]

So I’m not exactly clear where he was hit. Obviously not at the one spot where there is a painted crosswalk, because that would be totally unambiguous.

Below is a pic of the ramp bobco noted. If somehow that does not indicate some sort of pedestrian access/ROW, then what does it mean? If it’s only intended to allow crossing of Bryan and not Key, then it should be angled parallel to Key, not diagonally into it.
Regardless, everything about this is wrong, wrong, wrong. School zone area: drivers need to be ultra aware and careful. Awkward intersections: drivers need to be ultra aware and careful. Car striking a person: careless or distracted driving. There is no way a fully aware, careful driver going over a speed bump could hit a person unless they were either not paying attention or were trying to.

I sincerely hope that police charge the driver and don’t just show up at his house with some milquetoasty slap on the wrist. (“We didn’t witness it, so we can’t issue a ticket” BS)
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[dasgeh]

The officers were saying that a pedestrian would only have the right of way crossing Bryan. I stood on that corner and pointed out that the angle was the same to cross Bryan as to cross Key. The officers said that they didn’t issue tickets if they’re not certain that there would be prosecution and conviction. There are issues with that approach (do officers ever talk to the prosecutors about why something isn’t pursued, or do they follow appeals?), but still – if courts aren’t enforcing tickets for crossing at these kinds of intersections unless there’s a painted crosswalk, shouldn’t DES just paint the crosswalks?

*I should note, the officers were clear that the hit-and-run was illegal. But in conversations about the hypothetical of whether there was just a person crossing and a car approaching, this came up.*

[mstone]

This is typical behavior for police, and infuriating. We can’t get the general assembly to change the laws in a case like this because they’ll say there’s no evidence that the courts aren’t enforcing the current statute (since there weren’t any charges for the court to rule on). I wish the police would just issue citations so we could see the whole thing play out and make whatever changes are needed. The really obnoxious thing is that they’re loath to bring any charges against a driver unless they’re 100% sure they’ll get a conviction, but they don’t seem to mind making up statutes for tickets for cyclists.

[gibby]

Thank you to the good samaritan who retrieved my chain that snapped as I was making a stupid move against the light crossing 14th St on the Mall.
Fortunately bike karma was not totally against me and I had a chain tool in the bag. 😮

[Tania]

When you hang out with 11 year olds, you tend to get Annie songs stuck in your head. Apologies to anyone on the trail this am who now also has that blasted song in their head, thanks to me whistling.

[DrP]

Beautiful morning. Cool, but not cold. Not significantly humid (compared to yesterday). Sun shining. No aggressive geese.

And LOTS of people. Wow. Cyclists, joggers, and walkers all over the place. In all directions. It was both lovely to see and annoying to have to nearly stop repeatedly to wait to pass folks (not that some other cyclists had a different interpretation than I did, but no egregiously bad passes) (yes, at times the little selfishness inside calls out). I was surprised at all the cyclists in the “other” direction in several places. Almost as many were traveling west on Custis as were traveling east. A lot of folks heading north on the MVT after 14th Street Bridge – and not all going to Memorial bridge. And I was at my normal travel time this morning, so the huge surge since yesterday or last week was noticeable.

So, “build it and they will come” seems to have worked for all these trails – Custis, MVT, and LBJ Grove. And they have come. In droves at morning commute (and weekends too). Definitely a good thing to see, but maybe it means we need wider or additional trails (like something safe to ride all along Washington Blvd – that would be such a great commute)

[Steve O]

I came upon a crash on the Custis Trail at the low spot between the Bridge to Nowhere and the Bridge over 66 at the top of the Rosslyn Hill.
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The medical team was there already. I noted two bikes but only one crash victim, which was curious, so I stopped and observed. The crash victim had rash and blood on his right side, including his face, but was conscious and talking with them (I stayed a little ways off so I could not hear what they were saying). They eventually loaded him on a stretcher and carried him up the hill towards Lee Hwy. About that time a cyclist came walking down from the B to N side. The other bike was his. He (Mike from McLean who rides the Custis every day) had gone up the hill to warn oncoming traffic. He said he came upon the victim after the crash but before the responders arrived and that a call was already in to 911.

His take was that the crash victim was westbound, based on the location of the blood on the trail. There’s a root heave in the outbound lane right near the bottom of that hill (circled in red in the picture below), and it could potentially take someone down under certain circumstances.

The crash victim didn’t appear to be seriously injured, but clearly shaken up, and the fact they took him away on the stretcher is a bit concerning–perhaps a concussion.

I thanked the responders as they were packing up and continued on my way.
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[TwoWheelsDC]

@Steve O 161249 wrote:

I came upon a crash on the Custis Trail at the low spot between the Bridge to Nowhere and the Bridge over 66 at the top of the Rosslyn Hill.
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The medical team was there already. I noted two bikes but only one crash victim, which was curious, so I stopped and observed. The crash victim had rash and blood on his right side, including his face, but was conscious and talking with them (I stayed a little ways off so I could not hear what they were saying). They eventually loaded him on a stretcher and carried him up the hill towards Lee Hwy. About that time a cyclist came walking down from the B to N side. The other bike was his. He (Mike from McLean who rides the Custis every day) had gone up the hill to warn oncoming traffic. He said he came upon the victim after the crash but before the responders arrived and that a call was already in to 911.

His take was that the crash victim was westbound, based on the location of the blood on the trail. There’s a root heave in the outbound lane right near the bottom of that hill (circled in red in the picture below), and it could potentially take someone down under certain circumstances.

The crash victim didn’t appear to be seriously injured, but clearly shaken up, and the fact they took him away on the stretcher is a bit concerning–perhaps a concussion.

I thanked the responders as they were packing up and continued on my way.
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Ooof, hope the rider is okay. That little bump is kinda fun to get air off of, but every time I do that I also think “someone not expecting this could seriously get hurt.” In lieu of actually fixing the trail, maybe some “rough trail” signs would be helpful.

[KLizotte]

I agree. Anyone not familiar with the trail could be easily taken out by the moguls in that area. Definitely a hazard. Sigh.

[KLizotte]

I had to come into work earlier than normal today and was reminded once again why I usually start my commute at 9:00. Morning drivers are *crazy*. I also took a Cabi instead of my own bike.

While at the crosswalk next to the NPS parking lot on Hain’s Pt heading towards the Case Bridge I waited for an obviously speeding car to pass (he clearly had no intention of stopping for me); I was only about one foot into the crosswalk with my foot down in the other lane. He yelled out something unintelligible and it definitely wasn’t friendly. Dude, you are doing way over 25 mph and didn’t stop for a ped/cyclist in the crosswalk.

While riding around the fountain at the end of L’Enfant Plaza after coming off Case Bridge a woman in a sedan pulls up behind me. I go left around the circle while she continues straight towards 9th Street. As she is passing me she yells very angrily at me to get out of the street. Ummmm…..where am I supposed to go lady? The sidewalk? Never mind the fact that she had to slow down for all of two seconds for me to get out of her way.

Wow, morning commuters are an entitled angry bunch. Drivers, if you are in that much of a hurry, please leave the house earlier!!!!

Fortunately leaving 30-45 minutes later is much less stressful.

[Crickey7]

I just bought a new bell that is much louder and easier to ring than my old one. Now, if I see anything within a 100 foot radius of me that looks like it might, in time, turn into something less than perfect bike-wise, I just ring the shit out of my bell.

[Steve O]

@KLizotte 161253 wrote:

I agree. Anyone not familiar with the trail could be easily taken out by the moguls in that area. Definitely a hazard. Sigh.

This particular spot is east of the end of the moguls about 100-150 yards. Not to say those are not also hazardous. In this case the rider had not yet reached the moguls.

[Author]

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