Upcoming Four Mile Run Trail closures

[Bike-Ped Manager]

Starting December 2nd and running for approximately 6 months, a short section of the Four Mile Run trail in Potomac Yard near the junction with the Mt. Vernon Trail will be closed during most commuting hours due to demolition of a bridge overhead.
A detour will be provided, but many riders may find it better to pick an alternate route to avoid the construction area altogether.
The detour – designed for ADA compliance, not necessarily bicycles – diverts traffic off of the trail onto the Jeff Davis Hwy west side sidewalk and also at the new switchback ramps to cross US1 at the S. Glebe Road signal. For those who are game, the switchback does incorporate a flight of stairs with bike rails built in.
The trail will be closed from 5am to 7pm Monday thru. Friday; and 8:30am to 6:30pm Saturdays. For the most up to date information, trail users are encouraged to check http://www.novaregion.org The demolition project is being managed by the Potomac Yard Development LLC. Issues and comments should be directed to [URL=”http://stephen.collins@pultegroup.com”%5Dstephen.collins@pultegroup.com%5B/URL%5D

Topic

[Tim Kelley]

@gothedistance 70200 wrote:

Ah, it sounds as if you’re saying there is straight ramp right next to the steps. I never noticed it. I assume the ramp is not intended to be ridden down? In other words you walk down the steps while you guide your bike down the ramp?

Correct, it’s a skinny flat piece of wood running alongside the railing. You should dismount your bike and walk it down/up the stairs.

When a more permanent ramp is built, it will be more bike friendly.

[CaseyKane50]

Here is a picture of the ramp.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4142[/ATTACH]

To use the ramp, you will need to slightly tilt your bike to clear the metal
handrail.

[Raymo853]

I will find the detour annoying, but am still impressed with the amount of resources allocated to cycling commuters in this region. Of course I want more, more things that meet my needs at the moment, and so on but am still happy compared to the past here and other places.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[consularrider]

@gothedistance 70197 wrote:

Sigh. The closure is yet another example of the second class status accorded cyclists. The detour offered is time-consuming and undesirable, and that brand new zigzag bicycle ramp at the end of detour is an abomination with its narrow path and tight turns (I’d be astounded if that ramp were designed with any input from cyclists). How come we keep letting traffic engineers and planners get away with abusing us?

Actually it’s effect is not worse than the mess that was the I-395/I-495/I-95/Wilson Bridge project was for drivers and that went on for years. They are removing a big obsolete piece of infrastructure and it would be dangerous to be riding under it during the removal process and will, if all goes as promised, provide better cycling accomodation. Unfortunately, given the state of the cycling infrastructure as currently built, I don’t see what better detour they could come up with in the short term. For me the real problem is the NPS and lack of convenient connectivity to the Mt Vernon Trail.

[CaseyKane50]

I think that this is one of the better coordinated detours for bicyclists that I can remember. We have been given ample warning that the detour was happening and a solution was put in place before construction was started. It would be nice if actual detour signs are added along the detour route and that signs are placed at all of the entry points to this section of the trail.

The on-going project at Columbia Pike and the Four Mile Run Trail is a recent example of a poorly executed project impacting pedestrians and bicyclists.

[Arlingtonrider]

The BikeArlington newsletter says that the trail closures will be from 5 AM to 7 PM. Does anyone (Tim?) know if that means that the trail will be open before and after those hours? (I’d be surprised if it is, but that would be great if true.)

[cyclingfool]

@consularrider 70204 wrote:

Actually it’s effect is not worse than the mess that was the I-395/I-495/I-95/Wilson Bridge project was for drivers and that went on for years. They are removing a big obsolete piece of infrastructure and it would be dangerous to be riding under it during the removal process and will, if all goes as promised, provide better cycling accomodation. Unfortunately, given the state of the cycling infrastructure as currently built, I don’t see what better detour they could come up with in the short term. For me the real problem is the NPS and lack of convenient connectivity to the Mt Vernon Trail.

Oh, come on… there’s only 1.1 miles between Four Mile Run and the Crystal City Connector Trail or 2.1 miles from FMR to Old Town Alexandria. What do you think the MVT is, some sort of important piece of urban cycling infrastructure??? Oh, wait… :rolleyes:

[Tim Kelley]

@Arlingtonrider 70206 wrote:

The BikeArlington newsletter says that the trail closures will be from 5 AM to 7 PM. Does anyone (Tim?) know if that means that the trail will be open before and after those hours? (I’d be surprised if it is, but that would be great if true.)

Check the very first post on this thread–that’s what we’re being told!

[cyclingfool]

@CaseyKane50 70202 wrote:

Here is a picture of the ramp.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4142[/ATTACH]

To use the ramp, you will need to slightly tilt your bike to clear the metal handrail.

Anyone tried this with fully loaded panniers? Or a Burley trailer in tow? Or with a Bakfiets? Or, perhaps, on one of these?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4143[/ATTACH]

All with exposed cleats on cycling shoes on a rainy day…?

I feel like it’s too easy for the people that design and build this stuff to forget that not all bikes have only two wheels and that some bikes might have other things attached to them, be it luggage or trailers. Many of those very plausible scenarios seem be overlooked in the ramp design from my quick study of the ramp pics…

[cephas]

@CaseyKane50 70202 wrote:

Here is a picture of the ramp.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4142[/ATTACH]

To use the ramp, you will need to slightly tilt your bike to clear the metal
handrail.

We need a prize for the first person to ride down the railing unbloodied.

[Tim Kelley]

@CaseyKane50 70205 wrote:

It would be nice if actual detour signs are added along the detour route and that signs are placed at all of the entry points to this section of the trail.

I asked about that and this is what I heard:

“The contractor is required to put all the appropriate/approved detour signs up when it’s being used. If they don’t, then they’re in violation of their permits.”

[dbb]

There was a sign at the intersection of the MVT and the FMR trail this evening. It appears they will be getting all the routes.

[PotomacCyclist]

@cyclingfool 70209 wrote:

Anyone tried this with fully loaded panniers? Or a Burley trailer in tow? Or with a Bakfiets? Or, perhaps, on one of these?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4143[/ATTACH]

All with exposed cleats on cycling shoes on a rainy day…?

I feel like it’s too easy for the people that design and build this stuff to forget that not all bikes have only two wheels and that some bikes might have other things attached to them, be it luggage or trailers. Many of those very plausible scenarios seem be overlooked in the ramp design from my quick study of the ramp pics…

A few weeks ago, I tried to roll a CaBi bike up the ramp. The bike was just too heavy to roll up. I now think that Bixi bikes could weigh nearly 50 lbs. Or maybe I was just tired that day. Either way, very few people will roll a CaBi bike up the ramp. I did manage to ride down and up the switchback path, however.

They have stated that the temporary detour really isn’t ideal for cyclists. It was designed for ADA requirements. The permanent path should be much better for cyclists. That will be built after the bridge is demolished, but I don’t know when. 2014? 2015?

[CaseyKane50]

@cyclingfool 70188 wrote:

Out of curiosity, are there signs for those coming onto the trail from Route 1, as one would do if they came up Commonwealth Avenue from Del Ray and tried to get onto Four Mile Run on the Arlington side?

As of this morning, there are still no signs along Route 1

[dbb]

I just sent a note to the Pulte project manager. Let’s see what happens.

[Author]

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