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It’s interesting, but pricy. I think I’d make a couple of stitches and permanently attach it to a light jersey, so it would be easy to pull on.

Since I always ride to work in the dark, I wanted a vest that’s really visible. (I usually don’t wear my vest during the day.) It’s not cycling specific and it may look dorky, but my Ansi class 2 safety vest is visible, day or night.

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@mstone 17157 wrote:

This is the part that many of us have trouble grokking. Why would you think people wouldn’t try to stuff the bike onto a car in which it won’t fit, once they’ve managed to easily get to the platform? This is the same system that routinely has the remains of peoples’ lunches on the floor under the no eating signs, and has a lot of trouble with people cramming their way into a full car, breaking the doors. But cyclists are saints, and would only follow the rules? If the doors open and the car already has two bikes, the guy waiting will just stand back and wait for the next train? Even if it takes 2 or 3 or 4 trains before he’s lucky enough to be standing in front of a car without bikes? (Because no way he’s gonna be able to run to the next car before the doors close, even if it’s empty.) Somehow this will be the one commuting mode in metro dc where everyone is simply polite and the system polices itself?

Oh, I think that once they’ve got their bike through the gates, they’ll try and cram them on a car. The people arguing for bikes during rush hour are ignoring the two bikes per car limit, too. I also think they will use the middle doors, ignoring that rule.

As my posts have indicated, I’m not in favor of any changes to the current rules. I was simply answering someone’s post of who might take advantage of taking non-folding bikes on during rush hour other than commuters.

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@americancyclo 17113 wrote:

I also wonder how many people are not being served by metro only allowing folding bikes at all times.
How many people would take advantage of this if it was allowed?
Would it make any difference in metro revenues?

You mean how many people would take advantage of being able to bring non-folding bikes on metro during rush hour?

I’d like to think that an serious cycling commuters who use Metro as part of their normal commute have a folding bike. After all, that’s the way the current rules reads.

If the rule would be eliminated, I think the biggest increases would be

– Emergencies — Can’t ride home due to a mechanical issue or weather (thunderstorms, snow, etc.)

– Tourists — after spending a day cycling around, they take the subway home/hotel. (I’m including not just tourists who have brought their bikes to DC, but locals.)

There are others — I work with a woman who won’t ride home, but will ride to work if her husband can pick her up — but I think those are the two biggest categories.

I can’t see a big impact on revenues unless other rules are revised, too. There is a weekday limit of two bikes per car, which is only a maximum of 16 bikes per 8-car train — if there is room. Barring some sort of zone system, many rush hour cars do not have room for one bike, much less two.

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@mstone 17117 wrote:

I’ve decided what I really need is one of those stadium air horns.

I’m thinking of getting one simply to use when the cyclists Jeff mentions — those who don’t announce their passes — pass me.

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@creadinger 17062 wrote:

Coming from the Douglas bridge, heading to the 14th St. bridge, is there a way around that section which would be suitable for rush hour and tourist season?

At Maine and 9th Streets SW, head up to Banneker Circle and take the Case Bridge over to Haines Point. At the end of the sidewalk, head down to Buckeye Drive and make a right. Make a right on Ohio Drive SW. Head up and under the bridges, then up onto the 14th Street Bridge. (Alternatively, instead of heading down to Buckeye Drive, you could make a right and go through the Park Police parking lot, then right on Ohio Drive SW.)

This is my “Cherry Blossom Route” and avoids the Maine Avenue sidewalk, crossing East Basin Drive SW, and most of the mayhem in front of the Jefferson Memorial.

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@KLizotte 17095 wrote:

If the lobby floor of my apartment building is any indication, the fallen petals will make for some slippery riding. Be careful out there!

That’s why you’re not supposed to ride in the lobby!

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@Mark Blacknell 17037 wrote:

I have to say this that the tone and direction of this discussion is kind of disappointing. The original poster proposed a solution to a need that’s facing a lot of cyclists. While the initial responses were good, it got pretty dismissive pretty quick. I understand the initial “no, this is a bad idea” reaction (as I’m sure anyone who regularly faces a crowded Metro car does). But that crowded experience isn’t universal on the Metro system, even during peak hours, and plenty of other systems seem to manage bikes just fine. I appreciate Dasgeh’s efforts to try to find a solution, instead of shooting the idea down wholesale. Washcycle’s got some similarly constructive efforts over here.

Except that the original poster was not trying to find a solution. All he wants is Metro to eliminate the rule and allow bikes at anytime, anywhere. While I disagree with Washcycle that the rule is “silly” (and that a folding bike is a “drastic solution”), the discussion on his site is looking at solutions. I might not think the zone system will work, but that’s better than simply saying the rule is bad and needs to be done away with. Neither Washcycle nor the original poster has even mentioned Metro’s rule about the number of bikes allowed on the trains — two bicycles per car on weekdays and four bicycles per car on weekends (and most holidays). If there are truly a lot of cyclists that need to take their bikes on the subway, this is going to be the next subject of a petition.

A better idea is for WABA and WMATA (and others?) to get together and look at ALL the rules concerning bikes on trains and buses (and at bus stops and subway stations) and discuss alternatives.

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Unfortunately, bad drivers make bad cyclists — regardless of the vehicle, they will do what they want. They don’t care about others and I thik it’s the same when they are behind the wheel. As mentioned elsewhere, I’ve said something to cyclists running red lights. I’ve been told the law says cyclists don’t have to stop, just need to stop can then continue through red lights, that it’s safer, etc. As more people start cycling, more of them will bring their bad driving habits from thei cars to their bikes.

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@KLizotte 17017 wrote:

No matter what fancy trail name they attach to it, it’s still a sidewalk and not really fit for mixing peds and cycles. If they are unwilling to carve out a place for cyclists on the road with say, a cycletrack, then they should paint part of the sidewalk as “cycles only.”

I only take the sidewalk traveling towards the bridges and Jefferson Memorial. (The last week, I’ve avoided it due to the influx of cherry blossom tourists.) While it is now wider and makes it easier to pass cyclists heading the other direction or pedestrians, it’s not much better. Pedestrians still walk two and three abreast, they just walk with a little more separation. The first picture on DDOT Facebook page says it all.

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@Justin Antos 17008 wrote:

It’s a great and welcome improvement, for sure. How do others here navigate the southern end, to continue south on Water Street? Heading south, do you take that sharp right and go across the fish market driveway and into the little roundabout? Hop the curb back onto Maine Ave?

Travel west to east? I take the street. If I am going to cut over to Water Street, I use the second fish market driveway. If the fish market is busy, I avoid cutting through it.

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@Tim Kelley 16588 wrote:

Just curious, but where was it that you were coming from that you couldn’t just ride home in the three hours that you were waiting?

Well, although he has not been back since he posted about his petition, I’m guessing College Park, since that’s where he says he is from, on the petition page. (I wonder if he knows how to ride from downtown DC to College Park?)

I’m in favor of keeping the current rules. Metro is too crowded during rush hour. (Of course, elsewhere, I’ve been told the rule is “silly” and a folding bike is a”drastic” solution.)

A “zone” system won’t work. The current rules don’t always work — riders can sneak through and get on — so riders will do the same or, as someone pointed out, simply not get off when the train enters the “zone.”

I’m surprised they haven’t complained about the “two bikes per car” rule. Oh, right, they’d have to reed the rules to know about it.

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@dasgeh 16977 wrote:

I simply disagree with you. I think any functioning public transportation system should serve all of its riders. Some of those riders choose to ride bikes to and from stations, and taking the bikes on the trains just makes sense.

And Metro says that if they ride a folding bike, they can fold it up and take it on the train “during all operational hours” (and it has to be in a bag/case during rush hour).

If someone is going to chose multiple forms of transportation for their commute, then they they need to sit down and give it some thought.

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@americancyclo 16917 wrote:

you can never beat the rush in the afternoon.

If you can hit the east end of the Custis Trail by 3:30 p.m., you’ll beat the rush. You’ll be early enough to beat the “after work” runners and there are only a few bike commuters.

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@essigmw 16580 wrote:

To get to Columbia Pike I think you could cross over washington blvd near the south lot, but I would have to check the map.

Just head to the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial and veer slightly left at the restrooms. That’s the east end of Columbia Pike. Take the road or the sidewalk under Washington Boulevard. (At Washington Boulevard, the sidewalk is designated as a Bike Trail.) Although traffic getting on and off Washington Boulevard can be a pain, I find the road easier.

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I have a 2003 Dahon Matrix, which is a full-size folder. It essentially folds in half. They do make a carrying case that fits it, so you could ride to Metro, fold it, stick it in the case, and get on the subway.

One reason I picked it up because I could fold it and put it under the work surface in my cubicle. (The work surface on that side was set so I could work standing up.) That lasted a few months, but not because of the bike, but because I could once again bring in my regular commuter and store it inside.

It’s now my usual bike for errands and such. I have a rear rack installed, with a folding wire basket on one side. It’s usually store, folded, in a corner. When out and about, I can flip the latch and “fold” it around a signpost to lock it up.

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