[Alcova cyclist]

Henry – that would be great! I am happy to help/participate if needed.

This might also help to highlight for the county board what I think is a key problem area in the otherwise mostly awesome Arlington cycling infrastructure — getting from central Arlington to DC. The barriers posed by 395, the pentagon, and possibly now Ft. Myer essentially means anyone from central Arlington would need to go miles north or south or deal with riding in the lane along Columbia Pike, on the 2′ sidewalks along Rt 27, or the cobbled together bits of trail, sidewalk and parking lots along Rt 50.

[Alcova cyclist]

Is this something Bike Arlington could take the lead on? It sounds like there’s enough still in flux that sitting down with the right person at the base for a chat might yield positive results. I’m a reserve officer, which sometimes helps get things off on a good footing, so I would be happy to reach out to the base to try to set something up — but I certainly don’t feel like I am in a position to represent the cycling community. If Dasgeh hears back from hear phone call, perhaps she could ask.

It seems like we would want to stress to the base:
– Given the surrounding transportation infrastructure, passing through Ft Myer is a critical cycling link between central Arlington and DC. (Does anyone have any way to estimate numbers of cyclists who use this cut-through? Even in mid-winter I rarely go through the base without seeing other cyclists)
– While many cycle commuters have DOD or Federal badges, many don’t
– There do not seem to be a consistent set of policies even now about who can access and under what circumstances, and there seems to be conflicting information on what the upcoming changes will mean for cyclists

Questions to address:
– What forms of ID will be allowed for cyclists to enter under the new policy? (Seems like DOD and Fed, but what about Federal contractors?)
– Is “no pass through” being seriously considered? Including for bicycles?
– Would the base be willing to establish a process for regular cycle commuters lacking the requisite ID to access the base routinely and quickly? (maybe using the “Automated Installation Entry (AIE) pass”)
– Are there any concerns the base has regarding pass-through cyclists that we could help address within the cycling community?

Does this seem like a good idea? Would BA want to be involved (or take the lead)?

[Alcova cyclist]

The first article actually answers more of our questions than the FAQ.

Looks like non-DOD Feds are consider as having a DOD ID: “Officials define “DoD ID card holders” as active duty and reserve component military personnel and their family members; retired military personnel and their family members; and federal workers.”

There also appears to be a way for non-DOD non-Feds to get some sort of access clearance so they don’t have to clear security screening every day: “Joint base officials urge those who frequent the base and do not have a DoD-issued ID card (examples are people who volunteer on the joint base regularly, thrift shop visitors, nannies, vendors and delivery persons) to register now to avoid long waits and possibly being turned away. These same folks can get an Automated Installation Entry (AIE) pass for a specified period of time, based on their need for joint base access.” They don’t list cyclists cutting through the base as an example, but hopefully they’ll consider those as eligible.

This highlights a significant issue for Arlington cycling advocacy: Cutting through Ft Myer is really the only reasonable way to get from central Arlington to DC and back. If cutting through the base gets significantly curtailed for cyclists, there are really few alternatives for access to central Arlington and Washington DC. Columbia bike is a terrifying place to ride, and the path along Rte 50 is far from adequate or complete.

[Alcova cyclist]

@PotomacCyclist 107754 wrote:

I’ve already tried to stick with “collision” instead of “accident.” Dictionaries tend to reveal a car driving bias in their definition of “accident.” They note that such an incident is unintentional but they don’t really distinguish between true random collisions and those that are likely because of driver behavior (speeding, texting, drunk driving, red-light running). So I’ve avoided using the word “accident” for traffic incidents lately, although I still slip up from time to time.

Since there’s already been a lot of hijacking on this thread, a quick story… Back in the dark ages a while the NJ DOT driver’s manual had a phrase warning motorcyclists not to “crashally” [sic] gun the throttle while attempting to pull the brake (or maybe the clutch… whatever — I’m a cyclist not a biker). It took me a few seconds to figure out what I was reading when I saw this. Apparently, someone had taken a draft of the manual and done global search-and-replace of “accident” with “crash.”

[Alcova cyclist]

Continuing my hijack… In addition to emailing the bus company, I also emailed the hotel (the tour operator told me the hotel told them to park there — not that it lets the driver off the hook). Within a few hours I got a very nice and apologetic email from the Quincy saying they regret having the bus park there and that they had worked out a different dropoff point that wouldn’t block the bike lane. Cautiously optimistic!

@Alcova cyclist 107600 wrote:

I suppose flex posts are better than no flex posts, but not only do they offer no protection against moving traffic, they also don’t actually offer any protection against someone who decides they want to park in a bike lane.

Exhibit A (Taken on L street yesterday around 12:45 — I have already emailed the bus line asking them WTF?)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7774[/ATTACH]

[Alcova cyclist]

I suppose flex posts are better than no flex posts, but not only do they offer no protection against moving traffic, they also don’t actually offer any protection against someone who decides they want to park in a bike lane.

Exhibit A (Taken on L street yesterday around 12:45 — I have already emailed the bus line asking them WTF?)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7774[/ATTACH]

[Alcova cyclist]

Just posted 16 more European flags captured — all with 4 teammates in the picture, so they should be harder to capture back.

Thanks to Dasgeh for setting it up!

[Alcova cyclist]

Alcova Cyclist, dasgeh, Boomer2U, W^3; team who must not be named; Bulgaria

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7767[/ATTACH]

[Alcova cyclist]

Alcova Cyclist, dasgeh, Boomer2U, W^3; team who must not be named; Estonia

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7766[/ATTACH]

[Alcova cyclist]

Alcova Cyclist, dasgeh, Boomer2U, W^3; team who must not be named; Luxembourg

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7765[/ATTACH]

[Alcova cyclist]

Alcova Cyclist, dasgeh, Boomer2U, W^3; team who must not be named; Greece

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7764[/ATTACH]

[Alcova cyclist]

Alcova Cyclist, dasgeh, Boomer2U, W^3; team who must not be named; Ireland

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7763[/ATTACH]

[Alcova cyclist]

Alcova Cyclist, dasgeh, Boomer2U, W^3; team who must not be named; Romania

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7762[/ATTACH]

[Alcova cyclist]

Alcova Cyclist, dasgeh, Boomer2U, W^3; team who must not be named; Latvia

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7761[/ATTACH]

[Alcova cyclist]

Alcova Cyclist, dasgeh, Boomer2U, W^3; team who must not be named; Croatia

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7760[/ATTACH]

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