Surprise! Singletrack connection to Pentagon?

[KLizotte]

You should have used the trail that crossed under the same bridge but on the other side of the water. This connects to Columbia Island and another bridge that leads to the Pentagon parking lots/Boundary Drive.

What you found is a desire path that may or may not ever be built depending on the Pentagon’s whims.

[dbb]

@KLizotte 60639 wrote:

What you found is a desire path that may or may not ever be built depending on the Pentagon’s whims.

It seems that only the Pentagon doesn’t desire that path. It might be accomplished as part of the future efforts on Boundary Channel Drive.

[Bilsko]

They might one day make it a supported trail, if the Pentagon ever cedes to having trail-traffic skirt the boundaries of that boat-docking facility that they have there.

[mello yello]

@dbb 60643 wrote:

It seems that only the Pentagon doesn’t desire that path. It might be accomplished as part of the future efforts on Boundary Channel Drive.

I hope so, it seems a lot more straightforward than the loopy business around the LBJ memorial to get to the other footbridge. Besides, they’ve got people using it as a path anyway, whether or not it is official.

Thanks for all the replies – now I know!

[lordofthemark]

my discovery of said “desire path”

http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?5328-Pentagon-quot-desire-path-quot&highlight=desire+path

And yes, it will get better

http://www.arlingtonva.us/Departments/EnvironmentalServices/CapTrack/Details.aspx?q=UHJval9JZD0zNDAy

which is now on track to get funded

http://www.arlnow.com/2013/07/05/arlington-projects-to-receive-funding-under-new-transportation-bill/

[ShawnoftheDread]

@lordofthemark 60871 wrote:

my discovery of said “desire path”

http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?5328-Pentagon-quot-desire-path-quot&highlight=desire+path

And yes, it will get better

http://www.arlingtonva.us/Departments/EnvironmentalServices/CapTrack/Details.aspx?q=UHJval9JZD0zNDAy

which is now on track to get funded

http://www.arlnow.com/2013/07/05/arlington-projects-to-receive-funding-under-new-transportation-bill/

…and a bicycle connection from the Humpback Bridge to Long Bridge Park.

Question is, is this planned bicycle connection going to follow the desire path route over to Boundary Channel Drive, or go under 395 directly to Long Bridge Park (following the direction of the current dead-end path)?

[lordofthemark]

http://www.crystalcity.org/area/transformation/boundary-channel-drive-interchange

the map there seems to suggest it will follow the desire path to boundary channel, where there will be a new roundabout built to ease auto (as well as bike/ped) access to Long Bridge Park.

[lordofthemark]

By the way, whats the legal status of the “Connector Road” on Pentagon Reservation. I see cyclists riding there, and the sidewalk is narrow (esp on the bridge) but the Arlington County bike map seems to have it colored as “limited access no biking”.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@lordofthemark 60877 wrote:

By the way, whats the legal status of the “Connector Road” on Pentagon Reservation. I see cyclists riding there, and the sidewalk is narrow (esp on the bridge) but the Arlington County bike map seems to have it colored as “limited access no biking”.

I bike on the Connector Road, not the sidewalk, and have been passed by Pentagon police nearly every time. Never had an issue.

[dasgeh]

@lordofthemark 60877 wrote:

By the way, whats the legal status of the “Connector Road” on Pentagon Reservation. I see cyclists riding there, and the sidewalk is narrow (esp on the bridge) but the Arlington County bike map seems to have it colored as “limited access no biking”.

We even took Kidical Mass on the Connector Road, and were approached by a Pentagon Police car, but weren’t stopped…

[dbb]

@dasgeh 61375 wrote:

We even took Kidical Mass on the Connector Road, and were approached by a Pentagon Police car, but weren’t stopped…

Could you imagine the panic that a police officer would have in stopping a bike ride with dozens of young children? The potential for a crowd control fiasco is near infinite. If I were a cop, I’d consider “monitor at a distance” to be the only plausible scenario.

[americancyclo]

@lordofthemark 60877 wrote:

By the way, whats the legal status of the “Connector Road” on Pentagon Reservation. I see cyclists riding there, and the sidewalk is narrow (esp on the bridge) but the Arlington County bike map seems to have it colored as “limited access no biking”.

Not that it’s a legal reference, but Connector Rd is highlighted as a bike route on google maps as well.

[chris_s]

Just a little update that the trail connection from Humpback Bridge to Boundary Channel Drive near the Pentagon is looking more likely. I base this not on any conversation with staff, but on the fact that it appears to be making its way into the Pentagon Reservation Master Plan:

North Parking Lot Improvements and Boundary Channel Drive: Pedestrian safety improvements and stormwater management would be installed in the North Parking Lot and Boundary Channel Drive to reduce vehicular-pedestrian conflicts in this area, provide for a more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing pedestrian experience, and reduce potential surface water pollution affecting the nearby Boundary Channel/Pentagon Lagoon and Potomac River. A north-south tree-lined pedestrian path with LID measures would run through the North Parking Lot from the North Village to the North Parking Lot Connector Bridge. Light-emitting diode (LED) lamping would also be added to the North Parking Lot. A signed on-street bike lane would be installed along Boundary Channel Drive from its intersection at Routes 110 and 27 to the future I-395 roundabout and would be signed for use by DoD/Pentagon badge holders. A bike path would be added from the future I-395 roundabout along Boundary Channel Drive between the fence line and the Pentagon Lagoon via an easement provided by WHS to Arlington County for the path’s construction. This path would connect to the NPS multi-use trail.

The on-street bike lane sounds lovely too, until the whole ‘signed for use by DoD/Pentagon badge holders’ part. That said, Boundary Channel Drive appears to still be outside the security perimeter under the revised plan, so I’m not sure whether this would actually represent a change from the current “we’re not saying you can’t be here, but we aren’t going to invite you in either” status quo in that area.

[KLizotte]

@lordofthemark 60877 wrote:

By the way, whats the legal status of the “Connector Road” on Pentagon Reservation. I see cyclists riding there, and the sidewalk is narrow (esp on the bridge) but the Arlington County bike map seems to have it colored as “limited access no biking”.

I bike the Connector Road almost every day and see police all the time. Have never had an issue there. There are other regular bike commuters on that route daily too. I stick to the roads and not the sidewalks.

[Mikey]

@KLizotte 101019 wrote:

I bike the Connector Road almost every day and see police all the time. Have never had an issue there. There are other regular bike commuters on that route daily too.

Yes, this! The connector road is not a restricted area. The Pentagon lets you know when you are entering a restricted area (pop up bollards, with STOP in big red letters, armed guards, security cameras). As long as you are riding under the speed limit you are fine. I do see motorcycle cops here and along boundary channel catching speeders.

The Pentagon cops are not too keen on people riding bikes on the sidewalks along the pentagon reservation. I found this out while leaving the pentagon and biking around the bus station on the sidewalk. When the weather is really bad and it is dark, I stay on the sidewalk along boundary channel (too much glare from the parallel Jeff Davis Highway makes me less visible) and haven’t gotten too much grief.

[Author]

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