Should I report this bad DC cop?

[Greenbelt]

Frustrating to see so many illegal u-turns on Penn. Ave. So unnecessary, since you can usually just go down a block and u-turn legally at the light. Extending the bollards between intersections could help.

The most dangerous (to cyclists) driving I see on my commute usually involves cars or work trucks circling blocks or making crazy turns trying to snag “free” curbside parking spots.

In my opinion, the indifference of the police is infuriating, but the design of streets to create a lottery or goldrush system for “free” curbside parking is what is really crazy. We need those lane-miles for transportation purposes — people can park their cars in parking garages.

I’d love to see some of those “free” parking lanes converted in to traffic lanes, wider sidewalks, or cycletracks, or designated only for bus or taxi pickup, disabled permits only, that sort of thing. Too many drivers just cruising around clogging downtown streets and driving erratically trying to score free or cheap-metered parking at the curb.

Washcycle had a piece on a certain city council member pulling an illegal u-turn through the Penn. Ave. bike lanes a couple weeks ago: http://www.thewashcycle.com/2011/08/wednesday-morning-commute-hes-so-barry.html

[jrenaut]

I sent an email along with a link to this thread to my councilmember (Jim Graham, Ward 1). I’d really like to see enforcement of all modes of transportation. Cars making illegal turns, pedestrians jaywalking, and cyclists blowing lights.

[OneEighth]

Report him to MPDC.

If you don’t report inappropriate behavior, management has no opportunity to take corrective action and I am certain that they would much rather deal with it now than wait until an officer with questionable judgement makes a (pardon me) much more serious and news-worthy mistake.

[jrenaut]

From the WashCycle: DC Council to hold hearing on enforcement of pedestrian and bicycle safety

By the way, Jim Graham has not responded to my email, and will get an annoyed follow-up tomorrow if that doesn’t change.

[KLizotte]

To Greenbelt:

I agree with you 100% and couldn’t have stated the case better myself.

Just before the “incident” I was thinking how great the Penn Ave bike lanes were (out of the way of traffic and peds) – it never even occured to me that someone would even consider driving through them, much less actually do so. I have since googled the topic and found out that it is a common driver practice. Very scary. It’s also aggravating/concerning that the Commission of Fine Arts stopped add’l safety measures from being implemented due to aethestic reasons.

I’m sure that cyclist was shocked to see a car pulling a U-turn with a dragging bumper.

I wonder if there is someway to plant trees in buffer medians along the bike lanes. That would look nice and provide safety.

[KLizotte]

@jrenaut 8513 wrote:

I sent an email along with a link to this thread to my councilmember (Jim Graham, Ward 1). I’d really like to see enforcement of all modes of transportation. Cars making illegal turns, pedestrians jaywalking, and cyclists blowing lights.

Thanks so much for doing this.

I think enforcement is only a stop gap measure though. I think revising the infrastructure so that it completely removes the option to do something dangerous by the driver/cyclist/ped is the only long-term solution. Better car technology should help with that since they are moving to having radar features that automatically slow or stop the car when it gets too close a physical object. Can’t come fast enough!

[Dirt]

I walk across and ride along the Penna Ave Cycleway daily. EVERY time I encounter it, I experience drivers, walkers and cyclists doing stupid and dangerous things. My favorite is the cabby that has figured out that he can hit the fiberglass poles that divide the lanes near some of the intersections and drive over them without visibly damaging his car. This gives him his own “special” lane that others don’t normally use.

Fortunately I see pedestrians and cyclists abiding by the spirit of the rules of the cycleway more and more. Things with peds and cyclists have improved a lot over the last 6 months. Drivers are still a problem…. as is evidenced by this thread.

[americancyclo]

If cars aren’t making illegal u-turns mid-block, then they’re doing it in the intersections, and cutting cyclists off in the process. It’s something I’ve learned to live with riding the Penn Ave lanes almost as much as Dirt. I’ve actually changed my westbound commute pattern so I can avoid these lanes in the evening unless I’m specifically meeting up with someone. Independence Ave has more traffic, but at least it flows better and is marginally more predictable.

[jrenaut]

@americancyclo 8580 wrote:

I’ve actually changed my westbound commute pattern so I can avoid these lanes in the evening unless I’m specifically meeting up with someone. Independence Ave has more traffic, but at least it flows better and is marginally more predictable.

This is infuriating (not you, the fact that you felt you had to make this choice) – experienced cyclists choosing not to use the dedicated bike facilities because they feel safer riding on another street in traffic.

[americancyclo]

@jrenaut 8582 wrote:

This is infuriating (not you, the fact that you felt you had to make this choice) – experienced cyclists choosing not to use the dedicated bike facilities because they feel safer riding on another street in traffic.

It is mostly due to the fact that the signal timing is off, making the bike lanes painfully slow. Independence is timed reasonably well, and from point A to B, it can make up to a ten minute difference. Also, crazy U turn drivers.

[jrenaut]

The signal timing is annoying. Though if it were timed differently I fear it would become a racetrack (more so than it already is) and the u-turns would get worse.

[cephas]

I almost got hit by a u-turn taxi just yesterday morning, about 6:55 am. In my experience, taxis are the worst offenders, and I’ve seen them making u-turns accross the bike lane on more than one occasion. I had to stop defensively and yell at the guy. He was paying absolutely no attention to bike lane traffic.

The bike lanes need to be highlighted more. Maybe yellow lines on either side, instead of white lines, and bright yellow signs to beware of cyclists. Oh, and if it’s not too much to ask, a little enforcement would be really, really nice. (That said, I don’t fault the original story cop much. He was on another call, and there was no emergency at either. I would think protocol would be to continue on the first, even if he does need to learn manners.)

[CCrew]

@cephas 8603 wrote:

I would think protocol would be to continue on the first, even if he does need to learn manners.)

I would think protocol would be to call in another officer to cover it, but maybe that’s too much to ask….

[Tim Kelley]

On the topic of U-turns, I was at a WABA meeting last night, and from what I understand it came up that in DC mid-block u-turns are legal, even through the bike lane. I’ve been trying to find some more information on this, but navigating the DC traffic codes isn’t easy and Google doesn’t help much.

Can anyone confirm??

[KLizotte]

@Tim Kelley 8621 wrote:

On the topic of U-turns, I was at a WABA meeting last night, and from what I understand it came up that in DC mid-block u-turns are legal, even through the bike lane. I’ve been trying to find some more information on this, but navigating the DC traffic codes isn’t easy and Google doesn’t help much.

Can anyone confirm??

I haven’t found anything definitive on Google either though I suppose a thorough reading of DCMR is in order. I read through WABA’s Pocket Guide to Washington, DC Bike Laws this morning and came across this paragraph:

Are cars allowed in bus/bike lanes?

“According to the CDMR Section 2220, the Director of the District Dept of Transportation is authorized to designate any traffic lane on any roadway for the exclusive use of a single class or combination of classes of vehicles during certain hours. During the restricted hours, any vehicle may enter a restricted right curb lane solely for the purposes of taking on or discharging passengers or to make a right turn where a right turn is not otherwise prohibed by any official traffic control device.”

I suppose that might be interpreted by taxi drivers as giving them the right to do u-turns to pick up/drop off passengers.

I strongly suspect that unless there is a sign explicitly forbidding U-turns thru bike lanes that it is legal. I think this is because the laws simply haven’t caught up with the new cycling infrastructure.

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