My Morning Commute

[huskerdont]

@dasgeh 180972 wrote:

Please tell the people who can do something about it: your elected federal officials.

Yeah, what mstone said. I’ll write the odd email every now and then, but I’m not really ever going to be a superadvocate. Just don’t have the energy or disposition. That’s why I give money to WABA, and appreciate the efforts of people like Judd who go to the MVT stakeholders meetings. (Meetings like that are better off without someone of my temperament.)

I should add that, on the plus side, I’ve been impressed with the efforts they’ve made to keep the trail open along the staging area for the Memorial Bridge refurbishment.

[ursus]

@huskerdont 180963 wrote:

So many of us do this that it’s a wonder anyone uses it at the most crowded times.

The MVT really is substandard at this point, with the exception of the sections that have recently been redone.

“Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” — Yogi Berra

[Judd]

@huskerdont 180977 wrote:

Yeah, what mstone said. I’ll write the odd email every now and then, but I’m not really ever going to be a superadvocate. Just don’t have the energy or disposition. That’s why I give money to WABA, and appreciate the efforts of people like Judd who go to the MVT stakeholders meetings. (Meetings like that are better off without someone of my temperament.)

I should add that, on the plus side, I’ve been impressed with the efforts they’ve made to keep the trail open along the staging area for the Memorial Bridge refurbishment.

Aww. Thanks, man.

The Mt. Vernon Trail suffers from a lack of resources like most National Parks. The entire George Washington Memorial Park has 30 maintenance staff to take care of the trail, a major highway, bridges, landscaping and multiple buildings. So when you see a tree that’s down next to the trail (there are currently three) or foliage overhanging the trail or boards needing repair on a bridge, think about how you would prioritize them if you were in charge of the entire park with 30 maintenance staff.

Every person I’ve met who works for the GWMP has demonstrated that they care deeply about NPS mission and they are doing the best they can do with the resources available.

I’ve been working to establish a Friends of the Mt. Vernon Trail group with several folks from the forum. We will be doing our first event in September fixing some of the vegetation issues on the trail. Details are forthcoming and I will post on the forum. NPS is open to a Friends group taking care a lot of the things on the trail that we wish were different. If you’re interested in helping make those changes with a lot of sweat and maybe some moolah let me know.

[mstone]

@Judd 180985 wrote:

The Mt. Vernon Trail suffers from a lack of resources like most National Parks. The entire George Washington Memorial Park has 30 maintenance staff to take care of the trail, a major highway, bridges, landscaping and multiple buildings. So when you see a tree that’s down next to the trail (there are currently three) or foliage overhanging the trail or boards needing repair on a bridge, think about how you would prioritize them if you were in charge of the entire park with 30 maintenance staff.

The full list of stuff that falls under GWMP is:

– Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial
– Clara Barton National Historic Site
– George Washington Memorial Parkway
– Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac
– Theodore Roosevelt Island
– Arlington Ridge Park
– Netherlands Carillon
– U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial
– Belle Haven Park and Marina
– Claude Moore Colonial Farm
– Collingwood Picnic Area
– Daingerfield Island
– Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve
– Fort Hunt Park
– Fort Marcy
– Glen Echo Park
– Gravelly Point
– Great Falls Park
– Jones Point Park and Lighthouse
– Lady Bird Johnson Park
– Memorial Avenue/Arlington Memorial Bridge
– Mount Vernon Trail
– Navy and Marine Memorial
– Riverside Park
– Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary
– Turkey Run Park
– Women in Military Service for America Memorial

I’m glad I’m not the one prioritizing the insufficient funds with “help” from congress.

[Crickey7]

While the forecast at the beginning of the week looked ominous, it turned out to be a fairly agreeable week for commuting. Topped off with getting a police office to ticket someone driving in the L Street bike lane this a.m.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

@Judd 180985 wrote:

So when you see a tree that’s down next to the trail (there are currently three)

Find me on this forum and tell me where it is. I mill local logs into boards, mostly by hand. And make stuff.

[bobco85]

@Brendan von Buckingham 181020 wrote:

Find me on this forum and tell me where it is. I mill local logs into boards, mostly by hand. And make stuff.

Any chance you can make it into wooden planks that have, let’s say non-slip treatment, and can be easily and quickly installed on, let’s say a local trail near an island in a local river where many folks tend to slip and fall, covertly to improve the safety for all trail users? Asking for a forum of friends, most of which have either experienced or witnessed a fall on that highly-used section of trail.

[Judd]

@Brendan von Buckingham 181020 wrote:

Find me on this forum and tell me where it is. I mill local logs into boards, mostly by hand. And make stuff.

That’s pretty cool. The three downed trees that I know of are:
1. Just north of the Merchant Marine Memorial
2. On the Crystal City Connector
3. Just south of Daingerfield Island (this one is the biggest and would probably be the best for furniture making)

[huskerdont]

Thx, Judd. Can probably help out a bit on occasion.

Don’t for a second think I’m faulting the Park Service. I’m a big fan who purchases the yearly park pass every year. (Because my $80 is going to make up for the intentional neglect from congress, yeah.)

[Crickey7]

I exchanged pleasant greetings this morning with Carol Calhoun on the CCT.

[rcannon100]

Lonely

Source: Discerning Cyclist

[mstone]

Dinged a dog walker when passing on the W&OD and the dog moved the right!

[huskerdont]

This morning, a big truck suddenly cut across my path in the bike lane on G for a right turn onto 11th. No signal of course; I was at about his back bumper when the truck started moving into me. I’ve become so prepared for idiocy and a complete lack of concern for the safety of others that I had held back and was not crushed, so this post doesn’t go into the crashes and incidents thread.

[Tania]

@huskerdont 181560 wrote:

This morning, a big truck suddenly cut across my path in the bike lane on G for a right turn onto 11th. No signal of course; I was at abuot his back bumper when the truck started moving into me. I’ve become so prepared for idiocy and a complete lack of concern for the safety of others that I had held back and was not crushed, so this post doesn’t go into the crashes and incidents thread.

G street is by far the worst part of my commute. I frequently just take the damn lane.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Maybe I put too much acid on my cheerios this morning, but did anyone else see an Orthodox priest jazzercising with a Roman cross in the Pennsylvania Avenue bike lanes at 9th Street?

[Author]

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