WO & D path under Carlin Springs – the quick turn of possible unhappiness

[Arlingtonrider]

Sorry to hear about those cyclists.

This does present an opportunity to mention that it can help in places like this to slow down and ring your bell once or twice as you go into the underpass, even though you can’t see if anyone is on the other side. (Of course, this assumes that you’ve ridden there and are aware that it presents visibility issues, and that any cyclists coming toward you aren’t listening to loud music through headphones.).

I don’t think lights would help here because the issue is the blind turns, and even mirrors might not help that much because of the distances and angles. It might be one of those places where people just have to learn to be extra careful. I think some sort of caution sign might help, provided people pay attention to it, and a more vivid center line could possibly help too.

[OneEighth]

What time did this happen yesterday? I rode through there a little after 4PM and saw three people, at least one of whom was a rider, standing in a clump at the worst possible part of the blind corner.

[JustinW]

Yeah that was likely the same thing. 3 cyclists in total were affected (one in a very minor way), and three others stopped to check on the injured. While the positioning of the affected cyclists was not ideal, enough of us had on bright clothing and kept checking the approaches to the degree possible.

Worst part – two people called 911, and in neither case could the dispatcher figure out where the heck we were. I wonder if they have any guidance when it comes to bikepaths, locations on bikepaths and access to those paths from roadways.

[jpaulwhite]

@Arlingtonrider 12437 wrote:

Sorry to hear about those cyclists.

This does present an opportunity to mention that it can help in places like this to slow down and ring your bell once or twice as you go into the underpass, even though you can’t see if anyone is on the other side. (Of course, this assumes that you’ve ridden there and are aware that it presents visibility issues, and that any cyclists coming toward you aren’t listening to loud music through headphones.).

I don’t think lights would help here because the issue is the blind turns, and even mirrors might not help that much because of the distances and angles. It might be one of those places where people just have to learn to be extra careful. I think some sort of caution sign might help, provided people pay attention to it, and a more vivid center line could possibly help too.

This is what I do. There also is a bubble mirror there (Or used to be. Haven’t rode that trail in a while) Ringing the bell works for me and you have to SLOW DOWN

[JimF22003]

I just baaaaaarely missed getting creamed under there by a bike rider crossing way over onto my side of the trail a few weeks ago.

I’m not sure the big mirrors help much (against idiots anyway.) There’s a big mirror like that on a similar underpass on the W&OD in Leesburg. I’ve had exactly the same thing happen there going both ways.

[JustinW]

Nope, no mirrors available at this point. Those ( and speed bumps … JOKING) would likely help. I have also done the “warming bell” thing but that seems to work inconsistently.

[theakston]

There used to be a mirror there but it was washed away in one of our many recent floods (these are much more common now that most of Arlington is covered in concrete or pavement).
I run through there with my dog most mornings (before I jump on my bike and head to work). I have seen my fair share of accidents, especially in the dark mornings, where cyclists have wiped out a ninja or two. It scares the bejeebus out of me to be honest. I have my LED headlight on and shake my head vigourously going under that tunnel so that the beam reflects off all the surfaces and (hopefully) makes my presence known to any oncoming cyclists. I’ve also had a few bikes pass me when going down into the tunnel, which is very foolish but so far they have not met another bike coming the opposite way.

[rcannon100]

Agreed. Always ring my bell several times as I enter the underpass.

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