#SafeTrack: when WMATA made everyone a bicyclist

[bobco85]

@ShawnoftheDread 143680 wrote:

$10 to attend a WMATA event to help commuters get through WMATA’s craptasticness is simply hilarious.

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It’s not a WMATA event, though. It’s sponsored by WABA and MCDOT.

Additionally, if you’re a WABA member, it’s only $5, and if you’re a Capital Bikeshare member, it’s free. Note: the discounts are available for both events (Sunday, July 31 and Saturday, August 6).

[Steve O]

Also, walk-ups (ride-ups) are free if there is available room.

As bobco pointed out, WMATA has nothing to do with this. It’s MoCo and WABA trying to help people out who are being affected.

[dasgeh]

@Steve O 143702 wrote:

Also, walk-ups (ride-ups) are free if there is available room.

As bobco pointed out, WMATA has nothing to do with this. It’s MoCo and WABA trying to help people out who are being affected.

But why are they charging?

[eminva]

@dasgeh 143705 wrote:

But why are they charging?

My understanding is that WABA charges a de minimus amount for pre-registration for all its classes to ensure that folks don’t hog all the spots on the roster and then just no show. There is an exception made in jurisdictions that fully fund the classes with the proviso that WABA not charge participants.

Liz

[ShawnoftheDread]

@bobco85 143698 wrote:

It’s not a WMATA event, though. It’s sponsored by WABA and MCDOT.

Additionally, if you’re a WABA member, it’s only $5, and if you’re a Capital Bikeshare member, it’s free. Note: the discounts are available for both events (Sunday, July 31 and Saturday, August 6).

Why you stepping on my fun rant with facts?

Yeah, I misread the first abbreviation.

Still amusing though.

[bobco85]

@ShawnoftheDread 143709 wrote:

Why you stepping on my fun rant with facts?

https://xkcd.com/386/ It’s the only explanation I need 😎

[bobco85]

My video for SafeTrack Surge 6 which starts tomorrow is complete!

For this video, I chose to show connections to Takoma and Silver Spring from Rock Creek Park Trail on the west side, Sligo Creek Trail on the east side, Fort Totten on the south side, and Forest Glen on the north side. The routes look like this:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]12214[/ATTACH]
Magenta – main route that connects each station on the line
Cyan and Green – connections from the Rock Creek Park Trail
Yellow and Orange – connections from the Sligo Creek Trail
Purple – connection to the Capital Crescent Trail in Bethesda

Here’s the video:
[video=youtube_share;9za60izrxEI]https://youtu.be/9za60izrxEI[/video]

The hardest part of recording the voiceover was trying to pronounce the k’s correctly when going between saying “Rock Creek Park” and “Takoma” because the k’s are in different places in the words.

[bobco85]

I had to make some last minute changes due to the news* on Monday, but the video for Surge 7 is complete and ready for viewing!

For this video, I headed out to Shady Grove and worked my way inwards towards DC, covering the Shady Grove, Rockville, Twinbrook, and White Flint stations. There aren’t a lot of bikeable routes in Rockville, but I did find good use from the Carl Henn Millenium Trail which loops around Rockville and the Bethesda Trolley Trail.

*On Monday, it was reported that the Red line between Shady Grove and Grosvenor-Strathmore would be shutdown all day on Saturday (13th) and Sunday (14th). (Note: Surge 7 lasts from today (9th) through next week (18th)).

Because of this news, I had to add more content to my video to cover the shutdown, and I was unable to finish the video before nightfall. I had the video upload to Youtube while I slept last night, and now everything is ready for viewing. Enjoy!

[video=youtube_share;GQcN07n_Hjo]https://youtu.be/GQcN07n_Hjo[/video]

[ginacico]

I’ve said as much to other people, but it’s worth mentioning here… These videos are informative and helpful, and I for one have learned a few tricks from them. Even if they’re not on my usual routes, I note things that I file away for future reference. You’re doing a great public service – thanks for all the effort you put into it!

(And, it’s kinda fun going on a virtual ride while I’m stuck at a desk. :p)

[Judd]

@ginacico 144280 wrote:

I’ve said as much to other people, but it’s worth mentioning here… These videos are informative and helpful, and I for one have learned a few tricks from them. Even if they’re not on my usual routes, I note things that I file away for future reference. You’re doing a great public service – thanks for all the effort you put into it!

(And, it’s kinda fun going on a virtual ride while I’m stuck at a desk. :p)

Just wait until I convince Bobco to make his historical sites by bike videos. See the secret spring off of the W&OD trail!

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[ginacico]

@Judd 144281 wrote:

Just wait until I convince Bobco to make his historical sites by bike videos. See the secret spring off of the W&OD trail!

So sorry I missed that.

I propose we could do another for touring Arlington Visual Arts by bike. There are plenty of sites to add to the original list, and the whole tour can be ridden in one loop (which I’d be more than happy to accompany).

[scoot]

@Judd 144281 wrote:

Just wait until I convince Bobco to make his historical sites by bike videos. See the secret spring off of the W&OD trail!

Already done, though it doesn’t show every turn like his recent SafeTrack videos. I had the pleasure of riding with him one day last fall while he shot this one.

[dasgeh]

Bobco85 deserves an award for his service with these videos. They are really great.

[bobco85]

@Judd 144281 wrote:

Just wait until I convince Bobco to make his historical sites by bike videos.

I like the idea, but right now I’ve got a backlog (I do this in my free time) currently involving:

• SafeTrack Surge #8 (Franconia-Springfield to Van Dorn St) bike route – filmed it, am working on the video
• SafeTrack Surge #9 (Vienna to West Falls Church) bike route – planned route, will film this weekend
• Fairfax County Parkway Trail (full route from Ft Belvoir to Herndon/Great Falls) – filmed it a month ago
• My Clearwater-Tampa-St Pete loop – filmed it half a year ago in February (my FL ride videos tend to get really delayed)

@ginacico 144288 wrote:

I propose we could do another for touring Arlington Visual Arts by bike. There are plenty of sites to add to the original list, and the whole tour can be ridden in one loop (which I’d be more than happy to accompany).

There are a couple of tours around different parts of the county that can be done. https://publicart.arlingtonva.us/resources/self-guided-tours/ I’d be interested in doing one of these and/or creating a new route that hits the major ones.
Also, since I am an Alexandrian as of last summer, there are a few on here, too (I did the walking historical scavenger hunt which was interesting): https://www.alexandriava.gov/historic/info/default.aspx?id=31254

[bobco85]

Just got a bit of a reprieve on making my video for the upcoming Metro SafeTrack Surge #8 (Franconia-Springfield to Van Dorn St) due to today’s announcement: http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=6153 At least this time, it wasn’t the day before the start of the surge :rolleyes:

Surge #7 (Shady Grove to Twinbrook) which was supposed to end this Thursday (Aug. 18) has been extended a few days and will now end on Sunday (Aug. 21). This pushes the start of Surge #8 from originally this Saturday (Aug. 20) to Saturday of next week (Aug. 27), and the other surges have been pushed back a bit, too. Also, Metro is moving to weekend shutdowns of the SafeTrack segments, so knowing how to access the next station on each line is even more key to navigating the transportation chaos.

My video for Surge #8 is around 80% complete, and I successfully filmed for Surge #9 this past Saturday, so I will actually have time to (do more biking and) work on my video backlog 😎

[Author]

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