There goes the neighborhood – Pentagon City

[paulg]

You can take Four Mile run trail from the MVT at the south end of the airport and head West on four mile run. Just before the water treatment plant and just after the electricity sub station you take a right onto South Eads St. This road has a bike path but the markings could do with some fresh paint. Cross over Glebe and head north on Eads.

From Eads turn left on either fort Scott drive or 26 th street both of which are low traffic (but some steep hills). from there you can climb up 23rd to Arlington Ridge or 20th which is a bit less trafficky.

Most of the roads in the Aurora highlands and arlington ridge ‘hoods are quiet except for a couple such as 23rd.

[Mike Hirrel]

Thanks, dudes, this is good advice and I’m going to give these a try. I don’t fancy being killed on Army Navy Drive by an idiot in an SUV yakking on his celfone. My mom would miss me. Mike

[PotomacCyclist]

+1 on those streets becoming very steep, especially as you approach Arlington Ridge Road from the side. Be prepared for some hard work on that last block going west on 23rd or 20th Streets. For other challenging but short climbs, there is Fort Scott Drive from Eads. Embrace the pain!

[5555624]

@Mike Hirrel 28177 wrote:

Thanks, dudes, this is good advice and I’m going to give these a try. I don’t fancy being killed on Army Navy Drive by an idiot in an SUV yakking on his celfone. My mom would miss me. Mike

Because your mom’s more careful when talking on her cell phone? Oh, you mean she’d miss you becuse you were killed — never mind.

[CaseyKane50]

@CaseyKane50 27825 wrote:

Chris,

Thanks for the contact information. I have reported the pot hole problem and the bike lane markings to DES and also reached out to the project manager for the Hayes Street project. DES has logged both issues and the project manager will be meeting with the contractor to discuss the issues I raised. She has promised to get back to me with a response and any actions that will be taken.

I did get a response back from Katherine Youngbluth, the Arlington County Capital Project Management Coordinator for the Hayes Street Project. She promised to look into my concerns and several days later did respond to my message. Several steps were taken to improve the situation for pedestrians and she provided the following response to my specific concerns about the bike situation “… the contractor would “order “bicycle lane ends” signage and would place them on either end of the lanes to inform bicyclists. Bicyclists are still permitted to ride either on the sidewalk or in the travel lane so there is no need to post a detour route for bicyclists. I confirmed this with our bicycle operations staff yesterday afternoon.” As of Saturday, the signs were still not up. I will follow-up with her again.

Regarding my complaint about Metro providing short notice that the lockers would be removed, Katherine told me that Metro had been notified in May and early June of the schedule. The failure to provide notice to locker users was clearly placed on Metro. Metro did call me to alert me that they would like me to vacate my locker by the 16th, but that I would need to be out no later than the 27th. I confirmed this with the contractor doing the work. So imagine my surprise when I went to get my bike out of it’s secured locker on the afternoon of the 17th, it was gone! Somebody had removed my bike. I called the Bike Locker coordinator and left her a message that my bike was gone and then reported it to the Metro police. An office responded within 20 minutes and took my report and even offered to assist me in getting home. Today, the Bike Locker coordinator called me to tell me that Metro had indeed taken my bike. She reminded me that she had previously told me that Metro would like me to vacate the locker by the 16th. I replied that her message had not indicated that I must vacate by the 16th, but rather that I had to be out no later than the 27th. After we discussed this a few times, she wanted to know when I could come pick up my bike. I told her that I expected Metro to return it to me. She said she would get back to me. I got a call from another Metro employee at 3:40 today that I could come pick up my bike, but not until after 7 pm. I told the caller that I expected Metro to return my bike to me. Well, that caused a problem, as they can only return it by using Metro, there is this rule that says bikes can’t be on Metro during rush hour (apparently, Metro does follow their rules regarding bikes on Metro) and I wasn’t going to hang around the office until after 7 pm . We finally worked out that the employee who took my bike will return it tomorrow at the Pentagon City bike lockers.

[KLizotte]

Wow, I’m so sorry you had to go through all this pain and agony. I hope you get your bike back and it is unharmed. I rather doubt they would do this with cars.

[KelOnWheels]

Yeah, that is so not okay. I hope you get your bike back safe & sound!

[CaseyKane50]

@KelOnWheels 28881 wrote:

Yeah, that is so not okay. I hope you get your bike back safe & sound!

Bike was returned yesterday, safe and sound.

Katherine Youngbluth followed up with the contractor on the bike lane end signs. They are on order and should be installed within a couple of weeks.

[Author]

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