October 2015 Road and Trail Conditions

[dasgeh]

@Terpfan 125942 wrote:

I edited my other thread, but the reverse southbound route requires you to take the second crosswalk (or really it’s the first one if you don’t count the temporary one by the detour hill curbcut-lacking one). The reason is because the two paved slots seemingly going north are actually both one way toward you as a rider, but they have a crosswalk in the middle. And then from there it’s like 100′ straight to crosswalk, left into maintenance yard just pass the bridge to Arlington, and then ride through maintenance yard to near entrance to main road and look for MVT connector in front of you paralleling the road. If one has done the southbound route, then this will make perfect sense.

I’m amazed at how many folks I see still doing the detours. They may be ahead of me getting to the detours, but I come out way in front of them through the bypass.

So I posted two sb routes – your original one and a different one that didn’t take you on Aviation Drive. From what I could tell, the second would allow you to just take streets (no sidewalks/crosswalks) nb.

Has anyone tried this route sb?
or this route nb?

[lordofthemark]

@CaseyKane50 126020 wrote:

While construction is on-going on 18th Street, the bike lane on 18th Street between Eads and Clark is currently being used by all through traffic.

When I took that route this AM, at first I saw no auto traffic, saw the bike lane and figured hey, that’s great. Then I heard a car behind me. Still not all that bad, since the shared one lane roadway segment is pretty short.

[Terpfan]

@dasgeh 126026 wrote:

So I posted two sb routes – your original one and a different one that didn’t take you on Aviation Drive. From what I could tell, the second would allow you to just take streets (no sidewalks/crosswalks) nb.

Has anyone tried this route sb?
or this route nb?

Yes, I think the northbound maintenance route would allow someone to take all sidewalks/crosswalks except through the maintenance yard. But, that section of Aviation Drive is like a ghost town for northbound travel. I’ve yet to see a car at the traffic light next to me. I suspect it’s because there isn’t much reason for someone to be in that little section since they would turn off earlier for Crystal City or GWMP. The only reason for them to come through here would be really to loop around or go to that one little parking lot.

[dasgeh]

@Terpfan 126030 wrote:

Yes, I think the northbound maintenance route would allow someone to take all sidewalks/crosswalks except through the maintenance yard. But, that section of Aviation Drive is like a ghost town for northbound travel. I’ve yet to see a car at the traffic light next to me. I suspect it’s because there isn’t much reason for someone to be in that little section since they would turn off earlier for Crystal City or GWMP. The only reason for them to come through here would be really to loop around or go to that one little parking lot.

I think you misread my post. If you take Thomas and Abdingdon you do NOT have to take crosswalks/sidewalks north- or south-bound. I believe you’ve been taking Aviation Drive to the abandoned road, which works exclusively on road southbound but not northbound.

[Terpfan]

@dasgeh 126031 wrote:

I think you misread my post. If you take Thomas and Abdingdon you do NOT have to take crosswalks/sidewalks north- or south-bound. I believe you’ve been taking Aviation Drive to the abandoned road, which works exclusively on road southbound but not northbound.

Ah, I see what you mean now. Yes, that northbound route avoids the crosswalk that the other route uses and this route stays on-road throughout. The southbound I suppose would work, but since you’re crossing the same light, it wouldn’t make too much sense to me as you don’t have to deal with any traffic once you cross that light on SB route now anyway. But it would cut out that last section of mulch that seems to be an imminent detour in the very near-future.

[dasgeh]

@Terpfan 126040 wrote:

Ah, I see what you mean now. Yes, that northbound route avoids the crosswalk that the other route uses and this route stays on-road throughout. The southbound I suppose would work, but since you’re crossing the same light, it wouldn’t make too much sense to me as you don’t have to deal with any traffic once you cross that light on SB route now anyway. But it would cut out that last section of mulch that seems to be an imminent detour in the very near-future.

I think the advantages SB are (1) same route SB and NB, for creatures of habit, and (2) less elevation gain.

[gibby]

@Terpfan 126001 wrote:

Have you ridden the mulch? I think his route is much safer, albeit, there is a way to do it with far less vehicular interaction. I ask if you have ridden it because those folks heading southbound are a solid 2′ above the jersey wall on their saddles. If they fall the wrong way because it’s so very narrow and made of mulch, then they are in the GWMP traffic.

By contrast, the highest speed for vehicles along the route he traveled was 25mph. Most of that route is 15mph. He went over 4 or 5 crosswalks throughout it. And, the police also ride the lanes in their segways. I think it’s less stressful to go the arrivals route, or even less stressful to take Aviation Circle for 1/5 mile to the maintenance and facility looping back to the trail.

Yeah I ‘tried’ to ride the mulch a couple times and gave up due to that very reason of not wanting my head getting planted on GWP. Over to CC for me for the coming weeks..

I think we’re talking about different routes or I may be confused about the route in the video. It looks like CaseyKane50 is going right up into the departures area and down the GW onramp. I guess that could be 25mph but I don’t think I’ve been in or seen a vehicle that was going that slow as they enter and exit there- or paying much attention to who they’re cutting off.
Apologies for my initial shock at anyone trying that..

[dasgeh]

@gibby 126055 wrote:

Yeah I ‘tried’ to ride the mulch a couple times and gave up due to that very reason of not wanting my head getting planted on GWP. Over to CC for me for the coming weeks..

I think we’re talking about different routes or I may be confused about the route in the video. It looks like CaseyKane50 is going right up into the departures area and down the GW onramp. I guess that could be 25mph but I don’t think I’ve been in or seen a vehicle that was going that slow as they enter and exit there- or paying much attention to who they’re cutting off.
Apologies for my initial shock at anyone trying that..

You could use the detours by the maintenance facility instead of going by the terminal.

[CaseyKane50]

Today, I tackled the mulch detour. I rode on the mulch, but pulled over a couple of times to let others pass.

[video]https://youtu.be/EV8Hjpl5lFs[/video]

The video is running at normal speed.

[ginacico]

@CaseyKane50 126062 wrote:

Today, I tackled the mulch detour.

Two of us rode the mulch southbound this evening. It was pretty easy on my 700x40s. My friend felt a little sketchy on skinny tires, but made it through just fine.

We only encountered one other rider going northbound and squeezed by uneventfully, but more crowded conditions would cause me to walk it instead.

The mulch detour is short, over before I had time to overthink it. And according to the plan (which I finally read) they’re only supposed to be necessary for 2-3 weeks, if they stay on schedule. Yay to trail improvements!

[GovernorSilver]

@Emm 125861 wrote:

yes, you can actually get to the service drive without getting on to crystal drive going southbound . Just hook a left into the parking lot/road at the point where the MVT exit/water park hits crystal drive. That parking lot-ish section of the service drive leads right into the main section, and allows you to completely skip Crystal Drive.

Ah, that’s where I missed it.

I took the MVT<->Crystal City trail and it seemed to deposit me right at Crystal Drive. I stood there like an idiot wondering where the heck the legendary Tim Kelly Service Drive was, before giving up and riding the sidewalk to an intersection, then using that to hop onto Crystal Drive.

Oh, and anybody find a route around that one-way section of Crystal Drive, going towards Potomac Ave?

[komorebi]

@GovernorSilver 126074 wrote:

I took the MVT<->Crystal City trail and it seemed to deposit me right at Crystal Drive. I stood there like an idiot wondering where the heck the legendary Tim Kelly Service Drive was, before giving up and riding the sidewalk to an intersection, then using that to hop onto Crystal Drive.

The northern end of the service road is the driveway in front of the Crystal Place apartments. Go where the white SUV is going in this photo, if I’ve gotten the link right.

@GovernorSilver 126074 wrote:

Oh, and anybody find a route around that one-way section of Crystal Drive, going towards Potomac Ave?

The southern end of the service road will put you at the intersection of 26th Street South and Crystal Drive. That intersection is unfortunately milled at the moment, but the transitions off and back onto the paved surfaces aren’t too bad. After getting through the intersection, I take 26th Street west, turn left on S. Clark, and turn left on 27th Street South to get to Potomac Ave.

[vern]

The milling and paving appears to be complete on Crystal Drive, with re-striping still left to do.

[gibby]

@Emm 125861 wrote:

yes, you can actually get to the service drive without getting on to crystal drive going southbound . Just hook a left into the parking lot/road at the point where the MVT exit/water park hits crystal drive. That parking lot-ish section of the service drive leads right into the main section, and allows you to completely skip Crystal Drive.

Mucho thanks for the route info.
Going thru CC, instead of the MVT woodchipper route, added 1/4 mile to my commute but shaved off almost 5 minutes.
Can’t believe I’ve lived in the area so long and never knew that service road existed.
My life is changed forever.
😎

[americancyclo]

10th St North between Fairfax Dr and Arlington Blvd (and more importantly to me, the ABT) is milled and has some loose gravel spots. I doubt many folks take this route, but it’s the fastest I’ve found from Memorial Bridge to the Custis in Ballston. It’s not on the 2015 Paving Map. Any idea where I can find out the paving schedule? Might alter my route while they are finishing.

[Author]

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