No snow clearing this winter

[dasgeh]

@jhr 68705 wrote:

Someone needs to invent an electric-assist snowplow utility fatbike (OK, maybe it would have to be a fattrike?) that can be used to inexpensively clear bike paths.

I someone builds the attachment, we could put it on the ebakfiets.

[dasgeh]

@KLizotte 68699 wrote:

I’m on the fence about whether I support a hypothetical bike tax to pay for snow clearing.

I have a solution: now that I have free parking (yay, Congress), if I don’t bike, I drive. When I bike, a bunch of people who drive every day benefit from the reduced congestion. So let’s tax all of those people who benefit from my car not being in front of them on the road, making their trip that much slower.

[mstone]

@lordofthemark 68730 wrote:

Pro rating that on population I get $150 million in Va. Applying the 5.3% sales tax thats about 8 million dollars a year

Hmm. You may need to discount Internet sales that, I’m told, some people don’t report on their tax returns.

[GB]

@KLizotte 68699 wrote:

given that trails are not an excludable good (meaning you can’t keep out folks who don’t pay for the snow plowing) this is the generally agreed upon argument for government providing the service. A conundrum…..

I agree, governments have a place providing non-excludable goods. In my initial post (where I suggested we all chip in to have the trail plowed) I was wondering if the population of people actually wanting to use the trail in winter was (a) large enough to make it cost beneficial per person to have the trail cleared and (b) small enough that the free-rider problem would be minimal. – Judging by the posts that followed few people are interested in paying.

I like the clear it our selves suggestions. To add an idea to that train of thought – Fill, or partially fill, old holey panniers with sand/salt on your way in to work and enjoy sanded/salty trails on your way home.

[chris_s]

If somehow we were able to harness all the hot air in this thread we could melt all the snow that falls on the Custis this year.

Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk

[DismalScientist]

Snow is coming next week. http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/cold-snow-midwest-east-next-week-20131107
We shall all surely die.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@dasgeh 68739 wrote:

I have a solution: now that I have free parking (yay, Congress), if I don’t bike, I drive. When I bike, a bunch of people who drive every day benefit from the reduced congestion. So let’s tax all of those people who benefit from my car not being in front of them on the road, making their trip that much slower.

So all those taxpayers pay for your parking, and you also want to charge them an additional amount for those times you don’t utilize that benefit they provide you?

[Steve O]

At the BAC meeting we had a very enlightening discussion about creating and maintaining facilities not for us crazy-ass cyclists who already do it, but for the uncounted thousands who will hopefully start in the next few years. The concept of building separated cycle tracks and other facilities that I don’t need, since I’m an urban guerilla cyclist already, needs to somehow be communicated to our leadership. They see the miles of bike lanes and other facilities that have already been built as excellent amenities for the “cycling community.” Yet if we want to double or triple the number of cyclists, then we have to go beyond what we are already doing and push the envelope.

A lot of us will make do with less than perfect conditions, but if we really want to double or triple the number of cyclists, then things like clearing the MUPs and the bike lanes–proving that the County is serious about making cycling a preferred mode of travel for all sorts of cyclists, including newbies–is an imperative, not a nicety.

[Steve]

Sometimes I wonder if Arlington is hurt by being good early. The major trails have been here for a while, and have provided a great cycling opportunity. The county was probably out ahead of many of the other local areas in terms of putting in some bike lanes and accomodations to connect people to those trails. For a while, it has been the best place to ride. The other localities seem to have accepted that challenge. DC has made so many more efforts, and I think has gone far ahead of Arlington in terms of its on-street network, Alexandria is improving, and something tells me that Fairfax (Tyson’s especially) will outperform Arlington sooner than later. It seems to me that Arlington is just stuck where it is. Most of the cycling infrastructure is either trail (much of which isn’t Arlington’s) or bike lanes on roads where they seem very easy to be. But those appear to be exhausing themselves, so now the county is in a hard spot. Does it actually take transportational cycling seriously, or does it just do it when convenient? So far, it seems to be mostly out of convenience.

I wonder also if the early success hurts us from an advocacy standpoint. WABA doesn’t appear to have Arlington high on its priority list, because things have been ok here. It’s similar to how the top kids often get the least attention from teachers because of priorities. The BAC has its role, but that is not really advocacy. Fairfax is going to see results soon, and I’m sure that is largely because of FABB, and we don’t have that here. I don’t know what the right answer is for Arlington, but it just looks like the county is maxing out its easy ways to increase cycling. The next step has to be something more dramatic, because there aren’t that many small steps left to take.

I’m done rambling.

[mstone]

Heh, in Fairfax we say “we don’t have Bike Arlington”

[consularrider]

@GregBain 68741 wrote:

… I like the clear it our selves suggestions. To add an idea to that train of thought – Fill, or partially fill, old holey panniers with sand/salt on your way in to work and enjoy sanded/salty trails on your way home.

Certainly a possibility once the snow has been compacted into ice patches.

[KLizotte]

@Steve 68775 wrote:

I don’t know what the right answer is for Arlington, but it just looks like the county is maxing out its easy ways to increase cycling. The next step has to be something more dramatic, because there aren’t that many small steps left to take.

I’m done rambling.

Yes, Arlington has plucked the low hanging fruit but let’s not forget how much of a limb Arlington went out on to bring us CaBi. That is huge! Plus the Bike Arlington folks like Zanna and Tim are unique in the role that they play. The Crystal City BID has gotten into promoting biking and we also have major cycling events here. We are reaching diminishing returns for each dollar spent; such is life.

[rcannon100]

@KLizotte 68794 wrote:

Plus the Bike Arlington folks like Zanna and Tim are unique in the role that they play.

I work with Bike Arl and I work with, well, their counterparts. There is a HUGE difference. For one thing, the counterparts dont, well, dress like below. Seriously, the BA staff and the BA program are fabulous.

[IMG]http://bikearlingtonforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3922&d=1382557896[/IMG]

[ShawnoftheDread]

@rcannon100 68797 wrote:

I work with Bike Arl and I work with, well, their counterparts. There is a HUGE difference. For one thing, the counterparts dont, well, dress like below….

[IMG]http://bikearlingtonforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3922&d=1382557896[/IMG]

New motto: Bike Arlington. We’re kinda creepy.

[dbb]

Based on the press release about the County preparedness yesterday, http://news.arlingtonva.us/releases/arlington-ready-for-2013-2014-winter-season, I sent this note to Walter Tejada last night.

The county commissioners might enjoy hearing from other cyclists as well.

wtejada (at) arlingtonva.us
jfisette (at) arlingtonva.us
Lgarvey (at) arlingtonva.us
mhynes (at) arlingtonva.us
czimmerman (at) arlingtonva.us

I think they can be influenced as they are generally our friends.

Enjoy

Dana

Dear Commissioner Tejada,

I looked at today’s Arlington County press release entitled “Arlington Ready for 2013-2014 Winter Season” and am disturbed to tell you that Arlington isn’t really ready for the snow removal process. The County plan is silent on snow clearing on the priority multi-use trails that serve as major transportation routes in and through the County. Bicyclists use those trails all year long, and would use them if they were plowed.

I would expect the multi-use trails would be better addressed if we were to redesignate them as sidewalks and then ask the County to enforce its own ordinance which finds that “the unabated accumulation of snow and ice on public property threatens the public health, safety and welfare of the community, and constitutes a public nuisance unless abated in accordance with the requirements of this Section.” The snow removal ordinance assigns responsibilities to individual homeowners that it seems Arlington County won’t accept.

What is particularly galling is the fact that this press release includes promotional text at the bottom telling the reader about Arlington. In part, it said “Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods and quality schools, and has received numerous awards for Smart Growth and transit-oriented development. … Arlington stands out as one of America’s preeminent places to live, visit and do business.” I would suggest that if we want to demonstrate a commitment to Smart Growth and transit-oriented development and be a preeminent place to live, we should figure out how to get the snow of our trails so they can serve as the transit corridors they are.

Please contact me at _________________________________ if you have any questions or strategies to include snow removal as part of the services provided by a world-class community.

Thank you

[Author]

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