Stop signs at crosswalks. Do you yield to cars?

[KLizotte]

@Dirt 6133 wrote:

Good point. It was an oversight on my part. Enforcement should be done on all. Will it happen? No. It would require a lot of manpower increase and effort and might not produce much in the way of results. It’ll have to remain part of my personal “I have a dream” dream sequence.

I think the only way to improve the situation is to rely upon technology and vastly redesigned infrastructure. Need to make things as idiot-proof as possible.

The way car technology is moving, eventually all cars will have defensive radar and will automatically slow or stop when an object gets too close. Hopefully that will happen in my lifetime….

[Mark Blacknell]

So maybe if the Park Police spent less time in speed traps up on the northern end of the parkway, and more time down where there are loads of people crossing it, we’d see less of this.

But that would require the NPS to take something besides cars and imaginary standards of historic preservation seriously.

[KLizotte]

Wow. The crosswalks on Wash Blvd and the GW Parkway have always struck me as government sanctioned jaywalking (at a minimum, why don’t they put in blinking lights to alert drivers?!). Unfortunately since the NPS controls the latter it is difficult to apply political pressure to get them to address the problem. Unfortunately it will probably take a truly horrific accident (with deaths) before the officials wake up and do something about it.

Perhaps it is time to organize an petition campaign to fix the crossings? Bad timing though given all the budget shortfalls…. Generally I’m a big fan of NPS and know they are doing their best but these crossings have been there for decades…..given all the money being spent on “shovel ready projects”…..Grrrrrrr

I will be even more careful when crossing from now on.

[ronwalf]

@uswebpro 6132 wrote:

big crash today
VIDEO I JUST TOOK (7/21/2001 AT 9:00 AM)
[video]http://www.facebook.com/v/909708145845[/video]

Where’s the rear wheel from the red bike?

[RESTONTODC]

@Mark Blacknell 6138 wrote:

So maybe if the Park Police spent less time in speed traps up on the northern end of the parkway, and more time down where there are loads of people crossing it, we’d see less of this.

They need to lower the speed limit before the crosswalk and enforce it.

During the every afternoon rush hour, the cyclists and joggers are waiting to cross the GW parkway. The front cars would slowing down but the rear cars would blow the horn on them.

Sadly, the parkway should be for people to slow down and enjoy it instead of using as a commute highway.

[eminva]

I’m not familiar with the MVT at all, but another solution in situations where heavily used MUTs cross heavily used roadways is an overpass — used to great effect up and down the W&OD (e.g., at Route 7) and of course, the Custis. Obviously a more expensive solution, but haven’t we reached the critical mass of users on the MVT where that should be considered?

Liz

[Dirt]

The difficult part is getting from the Mount Vernon Trail onto memorial bridge. To do so, you must cross GW Parkway at a cross-walk where the speed limit is 45(?) and traffic is usually going 55+mph and an access ramp where traffic is merging and dealing with a crosswalk while going much faster than they should. That was part of my daily commute for years and I finally switched routes. It is just too dangerous. The WORST thing drivers can do is to stop to let people cross. No-one is expecting it and everyone behaves erratically.

Other than that, it is great.

[5555624]

@uswebpro 6132 wrote:

ATTN: DC BIKERS
Do not use the pedestrian crossing on the GW (George Washington) Memorial Parkway. It’s a FALSE sense of safety. Today with 2 cars completely stopped a pickup truck barreled through both of them. Thus pushing both (stopped) cars completely though the pedestrian crossing. Luckily the girl that was about to cross waited. I was watching this as it happened. Normally I just go through as the 1st car begins to stop.

I used to cross there about four days a week, around 3:45 p.m. If a car slowed to stop, I waved it on — I don’t trust the cars in the other lane to stop. I would just wait for a good gap. The normal wait was 1 -2 minutes, the longest I waited might have been three minutes. No wait? Maybe twice a month.

Now, the tunnel under the Humpback Bridge is open and I see no need to ever use this crossing again. Sure, I can think of times it might be shorter, but as long as we have drivers who get more mpg than they have IQ points, it’s not worth the hassle.

[Justin Antos]

Those two crossings are incredibly scary, and they both deserve at minimum lots more signage and blinking lights. Cars are easily going 60+ MPH along there. A long-term solution is probably grade separation somehow.

I try to avoid it, and use either 14th St. bridge or the ped bridge at Rosslyn to cross from Arlington to DC.

[5555624]

@Dirt 6157 wrote:

The difficult part is getting from the Mount Vernon Trail onto memorial bridge. To do so, you must cross GW Parkway at a cross-walk where the speed limit is 45(?) and traffic is usually going 55+mph and an access ramp where traffic is merging and dealing with a crosswalk while going much faster than they should.

Except now, you can avoid that cross-walk and take the tunnel under the Humpback Bridge. Is it safer? Well, you might get hit in the marina parking lot, but I consider that less of a risk than speeding/distracted drivers on the parkway. Is it longer? Yes, if you’re heading to Memorial Bridge; but, as I learned a long time ago, sometimes cycling means taking a longer (and possibly safer) route.

[Dirt]

@5555624 6179 wrote:

Except now, you can avoid that cross-walk and take the tunnel under the Humpback Bridge. Is it safer? Well, you might get hit in the marina parking lot, but I consider that less of a risk than speeding/distracted drivers on the parkway. Is it longer? Yes, if you’re heading to Memorial Bridge; but, as I learned a long time ago, sometimes cycling means taking a longer (and possibly safer) route.

Good recommendation. I haven’t gone under the hump-me bridge yet. If I’m going to Haynes Point, I take 14th Street. If I’m exploring the endless wasteland that is NW DC, I use Roosevelt. I’ll go explore the tunnel next week. It will be fun. Thanks!

[Justin Antos]

Intriguing… can you post a map of the route from MVT to Memorial Bridge by going under the Humpback Bridge?

[StopMeansStop]

@Dirt 6127 wrote:

I’d love to see what some real enforcement for bikes and cars would do for safety.

I’d like to get jerseys or safety pinned signs that read “I obey traffic laws” on the backs of riders like Dirt. It would be a nice reminder to both cyclists AND cars.

[5555624]

@Justin Antos 6194 wrote:

Intriguing… can you post a map of the route from MVT to Memorial Bridge by going under the Humpback Bridge?

Except for part of the route through the marina parking lot and along the Pentagon north parking lot, it’s all on trails.

The blue spot is the cross-walk we’ve been talking about.

[PotomacCyclist]

The Washington Blvd. crossings are just as dangerous as the GW Parkway crossing. I don’t think this proposed route is an improvement over the direct route. Both are equally problematic. I actually think the Washington Blvd crossing is the most dangerous one in that entire area.

I agree that the trail design is particularly bad over there. The only good solution is a pedestrian bridge or tunnel but those would be very expensive. I can’t see either getting funded, unless there is a really bad accident involving multiple deaths. There aren’t any good spots for an alternate layout for a grade crossing. There are just too many high-speed roads and on and off-ramps south of Memorial Bridge.

[Author]

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