Virginia governor issues stay-at-home order

[Dewey]

@bentbike33 200197 wrote:

Is it actually illegal for bikes to ride on the GWMP?

Yes bicycles are prohibited from the roadway, see section 4.30(a) on page 15 of https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/learn/management/upload/GWMP-Compendium-508.pdf

[Emm]

@bentbike33 200197 wrote:

Is it actually illegal for bikes to ride on the GWMP? If not, and it’s really this empty, we might as well go for it.

Yes, they will ticket you. There are signs posted on the parkway (mostly in the southern section) banning bikes, and I know of at least one person who got a ticket. They list the prohibition on their website (https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/planyourvisit/mtvernontrail.htm), so I assume they have some enforcement mechanism based on their past ticketing.

[zsionakides]

Despite the light traffic on the parkway, I wouldn’t recommend riding it as cars are going fast and aren’t going to expect to see bicycles.

I do recommend that the Parkway or at least the northbound side of the parkway be shutdown to facilitate everyone who is out getting exercise and crowding the MVT.

[bentbike33]

@Emm 200199 wrote:

Yes, they will ticket you. There are signs posted on the parkway (mostly in the southern section) banning bikes, and I know of at least one person who got a ticket. They list the prohibition on their website (https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/planyourvisit/mtvernontrail.htm), so I assume they have some enforcement mechanism based on their past ticketing.

Figures. They should just throw in the towel and rename the GWMP I-595.

[dbb]

@Dewey 200198 wrote:

Yes bicycles are prohibited from the roadway, see section 4.30(a) on page 15 of https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/learn/management/upload/GWMP-Compendium-508.pdf

The crappy definitions may give cover for some. Extracted from Page 2 (my emphasis added):

Bicycle means every device propelled solely by human power upon which a person or persons may ride on land, having one, two, or more wheels, except a manual wheelchair.

Motor Vehicle means every vehicle that is self-propelled and every vehicle that is propelled by electric power, but not operated on rails or upon water, except a snowmobile and a motorized wheelchair.

Scooters and e-bikes – to the roadway!

Caveat – this should not be taken as legal advice and if you try to school the Park Police, they will likely not be amused.

[Steve O]

@Dewey 200198 wrote:

Yes bicycles are prohibited from the roadway, see section 4.30(a) on page 15 of https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/learn/management/upload/GWMP-Compendium-508.pdf

This is a change that occurred within memory. There used to be Sunday rides on the southern portion, because traffic was light and could easily move to the left lane to pass.

Someone with a better memory than I may remember some sort of incident that occurred and prompted the NPS to ban bikes. I seem to remember maybe a crash, controversy over the incident and then, in what the bicycling community felt was an unwarranted response, the banning of bicycles.

I remember thinking at the time that the ban on bikes could have been time-limited. I.e., they be allowed on weekends and holidays, say. But they didn’t ask me.

Who remembers this better than I?

[LhasaCM]

Not from my memory, but from Google (in case this helps pinpoint the timeline or jog someone’s memory): https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/learn/management/upload/No-Bikes-on-Road_Compliant.pdf

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

[dasgeh]

@LhasaCM 200212 wrote:

Not from my memory, but from Google (in case this helps pinpoint the timeline or jog someone’s memory): https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/learn/management/upload/No-Bikes-on-Road_Compliant.pdf

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

That is from 2011. Bikes were banned years before.

[LhasaCM]

@dasgeh 200218 wrote:

That is from 2011. Bikes were banned years before.

That 2011 document says “since 2007.” Was it significantly earlier than that?

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[Steve O]

@LhasaCM 200219 wrote:

That 2011 document says “since 2007.” Was it significantly earlier than that?

That seems about right to me. Down the rabbit hole. Washcycle has some posts:
https://washcycle.typepad.com/home/2006/05/gw_parkway_brid.html (read the comments)
https://www.thewashcycle.com/2014/09/back-when-cyclists-on-the-mt-vernon-parkway.html
https://www.thewashcycle.com/2008/10/biking-on-the-1.html
https://www.thewashcycle.com/2008/10/biking-on-the-2.html
https://www.thewashcycle.com/2011/08/new-no-bikes-signs-on-the-gw-parkway.html
https://www.thewashcycle.com/2011/08/not-of-a-highly-controversial-nature.html
https://www.thewashcycle.com/2011/08/waba-responds-to-nps-closure-of-gw-parkway.html
https://www.thewashcycle.com/2011/09/should-bikes-and-cars-part-ways-on-the-parkways.html

What I don’t see in these, though, is reference to the incident that is in the back of my memory, some sort of a crash, that started this whole house of cards to start tumbling down.

I must say, having the Washcycle for all these years is a glorious gift. Major kudos.

[n18]

VA governor extended business shutdown until May 14 but said he expects to begin rolling back restrictions after that. Expect phase 1 of reopening to start Friday May 15th. News conferences are made on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays only.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2020/05/04/coronavirus-dc-maryland-virginia-live-updates/

[accordioneur]

@n18 200562 wrote:

Expect phase 1 of reopening to start Friday May 15th.

Just in time for Bike to Work Day!

[Yeah, yeah, I know it’s already been cancelled ]

[n18]

From today’s update, VA governor said “We hope to enter phase 1 next Friday, the 15th of May”, but he also said that it will be based on seeing declining numbers over a two week period. We are still at 500 to 700 new cases per day:

https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/

[SarahBee]

@accordioneur 200582 wrote:

Just in time for Bike to Work Day!

[Yeah, yeah, I know it’s already been cancelled ]

So I was one of the weirdos on 5/15 and biked to work that day not because I couldn’t work from home, but because I truly missed bike to work day. Separate masks for sweaty biking vs interacting with real people.

[Author]

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