Wilson Boulevard Protected Bike Lanes in Courthouse and Rosslyn

[Judd]

I attended a public meeting last night to see Arlington’s proposal to add protected bike lanes to part of Wilson Blvd when it’s repaved this summer. Good to see some other forum members there. Overall, the concept looks good and I’m glad to see the County moving towards protected bike lanes.

Full project site is here:
https://projects.arlingtonva.us/projects/crmci/

Here’s the concept map for a protected bike lane on Wilson:
https://projects.arlingtonva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2018/05/REF_WILSON-BLVD-PBL-Concept-Rendering.jpg

[chris_s]

Be sure to share your comments on the project web page. The “OMG my parking” crowd was definitely out at the meeting.

[bobco85]

Anybody make the argument that most of the parking being lost is actually the illegal parking of drivers in the current unprotected bike lane? Just an idea.

[Judd]

@bobco85 178183 wrote:

Anybody make the argument that most of the parking being lost is actually the illegal parking of drivers in the current unprotected bike lane? Just an idea.

If I remember correctly there was a loss of 6 spaces on Wilson but a gain of 6 spaces on Vietch.

There were a lot of folks from an apartment complex with 125 units but only 65 parking spaces that were energized about parking as well as a right turn lane in a specific corner.

There was also one attendee energized about parking and drop offs around a school.

Appreciate anyone that can provide comment through the project page supporting the proposed plan. It helps pave the way for having protected infrastructure on all of Wilson and sets the groundwork for PBLs being the standard on Arlington streets.

[accordioneur]

I left my comments supporting the project and greedily asked that they extend the Wilson Blvd lanes all the way to N. Kent St., and also add 19th St., Ft. Myer Dr., and Key Blvd.

[Judd]

@accordioneur 178189 wrote:

I left my comments supporting the project and greedily asked that they extend the Wilson Blvd lanes all the way to N. Kent St., and also add 19th St., Ft. Myer Dr., and Key Blvd.

My understanding is that the scope of this project is limited to these road sections because they’re on the repaving schedule this summer. I’m not sure if there’s a longer range schedule for repaving to see when there would be opportunities on the rest of Wilson and the additional streets that you identified which I’d like to see as well.

[Judd]

@accordioneur 178189 wrote:

I left my comments supporting the project and greedily asked that they extend the Wilson Blvd lanes all the way to N. Kent St., and also add 19th St., Ft. Myer Dr., and Key Blvd.

My understanding is that the scope of this project is limited to these road sections because they’re on the repaving schedule this summer. I’m not sure if there’s a longer range schedule for repaving to see when there would be opportunities on the rest of Wilson and the additional streets that you identified which I’d like to see as well.

There is one section on the current plan where the bike lane disappears to accommodate an existing bus stop. Several attendees put a sticky note on the map requesting that Arlington install a floating bus stop at the part to preserve the bike lane and deconflict a bus/bike interaction. Staff indicated that they don’t have a way to do temporary floating bus stops and that the scope of the project didn’t include curb work. We also tagged a couple of sticky notes suggesting protected turning lanes, which also aren’t in scope, but would be nice to include in future projects involving curb work.

[Guus]

I attended the meeting and left comments online as well. This is great progress.

Let’s hope we can continue these bike lanes into Clarendon and onto Fairfax Dr.

[DismalScientist]

You guys seem determined to ruin all of my commuting routes, aren’t you?

I left my comments too.

[Judd]

@DismalScientist 178208 wrote:

You guys seem determined to ruin all of my commuting routes, aren’t you?

I left my comments too.

I made sure to comment that if more parking spaces were needed on Wilson that we could take them away from your church.

As someone mostly comfortable riding in traffic and who makes left turns, I prefer non-protected lanes. As someone who helps teach enthusiastic but slightly wobbly cyclists, I would rather have PBLs than not.

[accordioneur]

@accordioneur 178189 wrote:

I left my comments supporting the project and greedily asked that they extend the Wilson Blvd lanes all the way to N. Kent St., and also add 19th St., Ft. Myer Dr., and Key Blvd.

In a positive development, the construction equipment which had been blocking the bike lane at Key Blvd & Nash St. (which was there for construction of the cleverly named “Key & Nash” condo building) has been cleared away – and now there’s a freshly painted, albeit not protected, bike lane there.

[Author]

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