September 2014 Trail Conditions

[chris_s]

@KLizotte 93693 wrote:

I wonder if the Park Service has considered replacing the wooden boardwalks on the MVT with the material used on the new Anacostia River Trail ped/bike bridge over the railroad tracks (north side); I’ve never seen anything like it before. It seems like it is a combination of wood and concrete and has a lot of texture. I haven’t tried it in the rain though but presumably the designers gave some thought to traction issues since there is a long slope up and down the overpass. The material does not seem particularly heavy either which would make it a good candidate for replacing on the trollheim. On the other hand, the bridge is practically brand new so who knows how long the surface material will hold up.

We should try to figure out the appropriate person to make this suggestion to. I was at a public meeting a year or two back where there were folks from NPS who indicated they were actively open to suggestion on new materials for the boardwalks because they know the current surface is dangerous. They said at the time they hadn’t found anything that maintained its non-slip surface long enough to be worth putting in.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@KLizotte 93701 wrote:

It’s weird isn’t it? Seems quite effective though.

IIRC, it’s a plastic/fiberglass composite material.

[rcannon100]

We could start our own totem pole, like the one in rosslyn that counts bike going by. We can put one in trollheim that counts accidents.

[KLizotte]

@TwoWheelsDC 93768 wrote:

IIRC, it’s a plastic/fiberglass composite material.

In that case, it should be easy and relatively inexpensive to replace when the texture wears out? Anybody know if it is mildew/ice/rain resistant??? I would think the park service could install a few sheets on the trollheim as a test case to see how well it holds up.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

I work with old buildings and know the substitute materials you’re talking about. The vinyl/fiberglass boards don’t have any wood in them, but as plastic containing materials they have a much higher rate of expansion than wood. Under direct sunlight some boards get very warpy, more so then a wood deck. If you’re ever tripped on the plastic board gangplank at Cantina Marina, it’s not because you drank too much, but rather the plastic boards have warped into tripping hazards.

The other material mentioned is a wood/cement composite material. Hardiplank is a leading manufacturer. It’s made by combining sawdust and cement into stock that can be milled like wood. It’s good for siding and weighs a ton. I haven’t seen it spec’ed for boards that have to span distances under a live load and are horizontal where it could hold water.

[JimF22003]

A couple of the stream crossings on the W&OD way out by Smiths Switch Station (Goose Creek?) have the faux-wood planks. I’m still a little cautious on them when it’s wet. They’re not strongly-textured, and I wonder how well they would do on a curvy section. Have to be better than the planks o’ death at Roosevelt Island though.

[kcb203]

Something big must have died and started rotting just off the W&OD halfway between Vienna and Hunter Mill Road. Be prepared to hurl.

[jnva]

@kcb203 94033 wrote:

Something big must have died and started rotting just off the W&OD halfway between Vienna and Hunter Mill Road. Be prepared to hurl.

I’m on it.
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[Steve O]

@Brendan von Buckingham 93837 wrote:

If you’re ever tripped on the plastic board gangplank at Cantina Marina, it’s not because you drank too much, but rather…

Speak for yourself.

[Rockford10]

Because of an after-work errand I needed to run last night, I discovered that the Falls Church City has really stepped up its bike friendliness. Sharrows are have been painted on the road from Little Falls (at the W&OD) to Maple Street (which parallels Lee Hwy) and on Park Street (which parallels Rt 7 from the W&OD to Lee Hwy). The sharrows lead me directly to my destination (Foxes Music for the win!), even though it was only later that I discovered that information. Wayfinding signs have also been installed; I don’t think they are quite as helpful as the sharrows.

Unfortunately, the [stupid, dumb, bumpy and dangerous] Falls Church Trail leading off of Lee Hwy to my neighborhood is currently under construction and was impassable last night. Hopefully they will fix some of the “bumps” and make it work.

[Geoff]

@Rockford10 94145 wrote:

Foxes Music for the win!

You and dkel would probably appreciate a shirt I saw a while back. It combined a bike with something musical – was it a treble clef? a guitar? – and the caption was “Music to my gears.”

[CaseyKane50]

I took an “exploratory’ ride on the Holmes Run Traill to see how the repairs http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?7376-August-2014-Trail-Conditions&p=93322#post93322 were coming along.

The Fairfax portion of the trail is still closed, but there is no fencing or temporary sewer pipes blocking the trail.
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Some repairs have been completed at the fair weather crossings, including a new concrete pad

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and stepping stones

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The area where the initial sewer repairs took place has been cleared of gravel, but the trail still needs to be repaved.

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Some trail sections are covered in dirt

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[rcannon100]

If you have need heard, apparently there is a lot of police enforcement taking place downtown against cyclists: cycling on sidewalks and running stop signs. Several folk have been ticketed. Be careful out there.

[dkel]

rcannon100;95223 wrote:

if you have need heard, apparently there is a lot of police enforcement taking place downtown against cyclists: Cycling on sidewalks and running stop signs. Several folk have been ticketed. Be lawful out there.

ftfy

[rcannon100]

Nope. Careful.

[Author]

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