[bobco85]

I’m glad everyone had a great time, and I was happy to hear the additional historical information that many on the ride were able to offer! Alright, back to work on these notes!

• Stop #23 – Fort Ward
  • Built in 1861 and named for Commander James H. Ward, the first Union naval officer to die in the Civil War
  • Never attacked by Confederates
  • Earthen walls are 90-95% intact due to preservation efforts, one of the best mid-Atlantic preserved forts
• Stop #24 – Stonegate Archaeological Preserve
  • Developers pledged not to disturb this site in the 1990’s
  • Alexandria’s first legally designated Archaeological Preserve
  • Earliest identifiable artifacts found were 2 projectile points (lobate points) from ~5500 B.C.E.
  • Native Americans passed through here as early as 8,500 years ago
  • 3 sites found where they used the bluff tops to manufacture tools and build campfires
  • 1 site found below a bluff on a terrace overlooking the creek that had projectile points and Accokeek pottery (temporary/seasonal camp)
• REST STOP – Seminary Plaza
• Stop #25 – Cloud’s Mill
  • Built in 1813, also known as Triadelphia, used to produce flour
  • Partially preserved mill race ran from Beauregard/Morgan to Duke St
  • Used during Civil War to launch aerial reconnaissance missions by the Balloon Corps
• Stop #26 – Cameron Station
  • Cameron Station
    • Location of the Defense Logistics Agency (combat support), operated from 1941-1995, made of 8 massive warehouse buildings
    • Closed by the 1988 Base Realignment and Closure Commission and turned into a residential area
  • Camp California
    • Extensive federal encampment during Civil War
    • Strathblane estate located on Strathblane Pl near Patrick Henry ES served as headquarters for the encampment
  • Colonel Ben Brenman
    • Alexandria community activist for over 30 years
    • Involved in scores of projects including acquisition of the park that was later named for him (Ben Brenman Park)
    • Founded the Alexandria Archaeological Commission and served as its chairman for 21 years
    • Ben Brenman Archaeology in Alexandria Award presented to people who have given significant contributions toward Alexandria’s community archaeology and acknowledges high quality work and efforts towards preservation and more
• Stop #27 – Phoenix Mill
  • Built in 1812, only remaining mill structure in Alexandria
  • Also known as Brown’s Mill, Watkin’s Mill, and Dominion Mill
  • Had 8,000 foot mill race running from Holmes/Backlick Runs into Cameron Run
  • Produced 10,000 barrels of flour each year
  • Can’t go inside because it’s not safe
• Stop #28 – Cameron Mills
  • 2 mills built around 1752, possibly by William Bird, near Taylor Run/Cameron Run
  • Eastern mill purchased by Alexandria Water Company and became a pumping station in 1851, pumped water into a reservoir by Shuter’s Hill for over a century
  • Western mill operated until 1919, owned by Walter Roberts who also ran a grain and feed store (now Virtue Feed & Grain restaurant, in the alley you can see the original “Walter Roberts” on the brick wall) at Union St/Wales Alley – mill burned down in 1928
• Stop #29 – Dwight David Eisenhower Statue
  • Built to officially mark the start of the Eisenhower national expressway system
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways is the full name of the interstate system, authorized by Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956
  • Ike served as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during WWII
  • My grandfather (Leonard Daniel Dry), born in Hutsonville, IL, served in US Army and was put in Ike’s unit in Europe due to his mechanical and driving skills, once drove Winston Churchill, later joined Secret Service when Ike ran for president, Ike responsible for his marriage

[bobco85]

One more set for tonight, and I’ll post the other 2 parts on Sunday.

• Stop #16 – Walter F. Anderson Bikeway
  • Luna Park
    • Amusement park running from 1906-1915, part of chain owned by Frederick Ingersoll
    • 34 acres, had figure 8 roller coaster, shoot-the-chutes ride, ballroom, circus arena, restaurants, and picnicking facilities for 3,000 people
    • Fire destroyed the roller coaster in April 1915; nearest fire hydrant was in Alexandria (think Old Town) over a mile away, park closed down soon afterwards
    • Now occupied by a sewage treatment facility (roller coaster site just North of 31st St S)
  • Washington, Alexandria, & Mount Vernon Electric Railway
    • Started in 1892, nation’s first successful electric trolley line
    • Ran between Alexandria & Mount Vernon before expanding North to Washington (14th St/B St NW near Federal Triangle Metro)
    • Ran on Alexandria Canal towpath along I-395, Eads St, Commonwealth Ave, & the GW Parkway to Mount Vernon and eventually Fort Belvoir
    • Traffic circle at Mount Vernon is the trolley turnaround
    • Last trolleys of the line ran in 1932
    • Rail yard is now the Metro bus yard
  • Wayne Frederick Anderson Bikeway
    • Wayne F. Anderson was a city planner from 1970-1974
    • Washington Post article wrote: “As Alexandria city manager (1970-1974), Mr. Anderson worked to balance land development pressures with quality-of-life concerns. He also worked to improve relations with the city’s black population, reorganized government departments and helped develop plans to revive neglected schools, neighborhoods and business districts.”
• Stop #17 – Alexandria Junction
  • Washington & Old Dominion Railroad
    • Construction began in 1855, meant to cross Blue Ridge Mountains to reach coal fields in Hampshire County, Virginia (now Mineral County, West Virginia)
    • Began operation in 1859 running from a terminal near Princess/Fairfax Streets in Alexandria to Vienna
    • After being extended, it ran from Alexandria to Bluemont (near VA-WV line)
    • Originally the Alexandria & Harper’s Ferry Railroad -> Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad -> Washington and Ohio Railroad -> Washington and Western Railroad -> Washington, Ohio and Western Railroad -> leased by Richmond and Danville Railroad -> acquired by Southern Railway in 1894 -> acquired in 1912 by John Roll McLean (McLean is named after him) and Stephen Benton Elkins as part of the new Washington & Old Dominion Railway -> bought by Stephen Elkins’ son Davis Elkins to become Washington & Old Dominion Railroad -> purchased by Chesapeake & Ohio Railway and owned by them until 1968 when it ended service
  • Alexandria Junction
    • Connected the Bluemont Line with Union Station in DC for the Southern Railway
    • Built before Bluemont Junction
• Stop #18 – Del Ray
  • Town of Potomac
    • Formed in 1908 as a combination of Del Ray, St. Elmo, and the site of the former St. Asaph Racetrack & poolroom
  • Del Ray
    • Originally formed in 1894 between Commonwealth Ave, t. Ida Ave, Bellefonte Ave, & US-1
    • After the city of Alexandria annexed the town of Potomac in 1930, the town became the Del Ray neighborhood
  • St. Elmo
    • Originally on the East side of the W&OD between Ashby St, Calvert Ave, & US-1
    • Became part of the town of Potomac
  • St. Asaph Racetrack
    • Horse racetrack operating from 1894-1897 when Virginia banned betting on horse races
    • Betting moved to poolroom which was making $150k/year in profit by placing bets via telegraph (claimed bets were technically being placed outside the state) but also had gambling (poker, roulette, etc.) inside
    • Closed down in 1905 by Commonwealth Attorney Crandall Mackey
• Stop #19 – Alexandria Union Station
  • Opened in 1905, serviced passenger trains of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, Washington Southern Railway, and Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad
  • In 1971, Amtrak took ownership of the building, and CSX Transportation took ownership of the rails
  • In 2001, ownership changed to the city of Alexandria
  • Referred to as Alexandria Station to avoid confusion with DC’s Union Station (typically the next stop)
  • Used to have both a passenger station and a freight station; King Street Metro was constructed on the site of the old freight station
• Stop #20 – George Washington Masonic Temple
  • Built from 1922-1932 to honor George Washington who was a Mason (part of Fredericksburg Lodge before becoming Charter Master at Alexandria-Washington Lodge)
  • Built in the likeness of the Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt
  • Sits atop Shuter’s Hill a.k.a. “Shooter’s Hill”
  • At first, a life-size bronze statue of George Washington was on display in Alexandria from 1861-1863 before it was moved to Richmond and later destroyed in a fire in 1865
• Stop #21 – T.C. Williams High School
  • Opened in 1965, named after Thomas Chambliss Williams, superintendent of Alexandria City Public Schools from the mid-1930’s to the mid-1960’s
  • Stadium was dedicated as Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium on October 29, 1983
  • Basketball court named in honor of Earl Lloyd (1st black NBA player) in 2007
  • Movie “Remember the Titans” portrays consolidation of the city’s 3 public high schools into one in 1971 creating an all-star team (climax of the film was actually a mid-season game against Marshall, the only team that put up a fight; T.C. Williams rolled over everyone else to the championship)
  • Known for its internationally competitive rowing program that has won state, national, and international championships and produced Olympic athletes
  • Notable alums include Casey Wilson (actress & screenwriter), David Bray (FCC exec), and Edward Wong (foreign correspondent)
• Stop #22 – Episcopal High School
  • Founded in 1839 as the first high school in Virginia, originally known as The Howard School
  • Central administration building (Hoxton House) was built in 1805 by Elizabeth Parke Custis Law (oldest granddaughter of Martha Washington)
  • Closed during the Civil War, used as a hospital for Federal troops
  • Famed poet Walt Whitman served as a nurse at the temporary hospital
  • Became co-ed in 1991
  • Notable alums include John McCain (politician, excelled at wrestling while there), Tim Hightower (NFL running back), and Lester Kinsolving (political talk radio host, first White House correspondent to ask questions about the HIV/AIDS epidemic during the Reagan administration)

[bobco85]

It’s kinda cool, as I type these notes I have memories of each of the actual stops that we did on the ride today. Good times were had!

• Stop #8 – Charles Houston Recreation Center
  • Charles Hamilton Houston
    • Civil rights lawyer and Dean of the Howard University Law School
    • Died before Brown v. Board of Education SCOTUS case was ruled
    • Mentored Thurgood Marshall
    • First special counsel for the NAACP
  • Parker-Gray School
    • Founded in 1920 to combine the Snowden School (boys-only) and Hallowell School (girls-only) for grades 1-8, named for principals of previous schools
    • Black students used to have to travel into DC for education past 8th grade
    • 1st students to graduate from the new high school (11th grade) in 1936
    • Renamed to Charles Houston Elementary School in 1950 when the new Parker-Gray High School was built
  • John Parker – principal of Snowden School which was destroyed in a fire in 1915
  • Sarah Gray – principal of Hallowell School
  • Earl Lloyd – student at Parker-Gray, first black person to play in NBA (3 other black players debuted in that same season, but the team Earl was on had its season opener earlier than the others)
• Stop #9 – Alexandria Black History Museum
  • Robert H. Robinson Library
    • Constructed in 1940 after a court agreed that black citizens should have access to a library after Samuel W. Tucker’s sit-down strike
    • Became the Alexandria Black History Museum in 1983
• Stop #10 – Lee-Fendall House
  • Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee
    • Cavalry officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution
    • Served as the 9th governor of Virginia and a representative to US Congress
    • Gave the eulogy at George Washington’s funeral, famously saying of Washington: “First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.”
  • Robert E. Lee’s Boyhood Home
    • Across the street, Robert E. Lee left from here to attend West Point
    • The home also hosted George Washington
  • Lee-Fendall House
    • Built in 1785, 37 members of the Lee family called it home until 1903
    • Housed hundreds of Union soldiers during the Civil War
    • Owned by the Downham family and later by John L. Lewis (1937-1969)
  • John L. Lewis
    • Foremost national labor leader of his time and very controversial figure
    • Worked as a coal miner at age 16
    • Worked with the United Mine Workers Association and organized coal mine strikes across the country
• Stop #11 – Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library
  • Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library
    • Constructed in 1937, formerly known as the Alexandria Library or Queen Street Library
    • Named for Kate Waller Barrett, a humanitarian, social crusader, and political reformer who founded a shelter for unwed mothers
  • Samuel Wilbert Tucker
    • Attorney who orchestrated the 1st sit-down strike on August 21, 1939 that involved 5 individuals (Otis L. Tucker, Edward Gaddis, Morris Murray, William Evans, Clarence Strange)
    • After Samuel and retired Sergeant Wilson requested a library card and were refused, they took the issue to court
    • Samuel had the 5 kids tried separately, boiled down to their race being the only issue, charges were dropped
    • Became the leading attorney for the NAACP in Virginia and crusaded against segregation in public schools
• Stop #12 – Beth El Synagogue
  • Established by ~40 Jewish families on September 4, 1859
  • Rented facilities until building the first synagogue in the DC area in 1871
• Stop #13 – Eugene Simpson Stadium Park
  • On Wednesday, June 14, 2017, a man opened fire on Republican members of Congress who were practicing for a charity baseball game
  • House GOP Whip Steve Scalise (Louisiana) was critically injured during this event, but has been doing much better as he recovers
• Stop #14 – Potomac Yard
  • Potomac Yard
    • Opened in 1906, was 450 acres, 2.5 miles long, and had 52 miles of track
    • Employed up to 1,500 people at its peak, people settled in Del Ray and St. Elmo neighborhoods
    • Closed in 1982, was declared a Superfund site, cleaned up by 1998, then converted to parks, commercial, and residential areas
  • Pearson Island
    • First settled by Native Americans, it was technically an island because it was surrounded by a swamp and a creek
    • Later named Daingerfield Island
    • Was modified to bow out toward the East to deflect ebbing currents toward the main river channel and away from the Southern half of the island
    • National Park Service has had a tree nursery on it for over 60 years
• Stop #15 – Preston
  • John Alexander and his wife lived in a spacious dwelling on the site of current-day Barnes & Noble
  • In 1808, the Washington Turnpike passed by Preston
  • Destroyed by a fire in 1862, it was graded over for development

[bobco85]

Thank you, everyone, for coming on my ride today! We managed to ward off all thunderstorms and attract some bits of sunny blue sky, and this time we were able to visit all 34 stops! Sadly, a mechanical failure (completely stripped pedal on a tandem) caused an early departure for a few, but the rest of us soldiered on. I’m tired, throat a bit sore, and sunburnt (wasn’t expecting so much solar goodness a.k.a. harmful UV radiation), but very happy to have this experience with everyone.

That said, here are my notes on the ride that y’all must study because I may quiz you someday

• Stop #1 – Windmill Hill Park
  • Alexandria
    • Named for John Alexander who purchased the land that would become Alexandria
    • Established in May 11, 1749 by the Virginia Assembly to form a town around a tobacco warehouse at Hunting Creek
    • Originally called Belhaven by a few prominent citizens for 12 years, but the name did not stick (there are old maps referencing “Belhaven formerly known as Alexandria” and “Alexandria or Belhaven”)
    • In 1800, it became part of the District of Columbia under boundaries formed after the 1790 Residence Act
    • In 1847, Alexandria County (included both Alexandria and Arlington) was retroceded back to Virginia
    • In 1863 when West Virginia joined the Union, the capital of Virginia switched from Wheeling to Alexandria (7 counties in Northern Virginia and the Eastern Shore were Union-controlled, and Richmond was the capital of Confederate Virginia)
    • In 1865 when the Army of Northern Virginia surrendered and the Confederacy was dissolved, the capital switched back to Richmond
  • Virginia
    • Named after Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen
    • Was the name given to all of North America in the early 1600’s that was not claimed by Spain or France
  • Windmill Hill
    • Named for a wind-powered water mill built by John R. Remington from Alabama that occupied the sandy bluff in 1843
    • Used to be much steeper, but the bluff was carved out for safety
    • Established as a park in 1945
  • Occupation of Alexandria during the War of 1812
    • On August 20, 1814, the British sent ships from the Chesapeake Bay to attack Washington to distract from a northern attack, but the fleet was delayed due to navigating the tricky Kettle Bottom Shoals near the mouth of the Potomac River
    • August 27, Fort Washington (the last defense for Alexandria) went down quickly after 4 hours of bombardment as Captain Dyson spiked its guns and blew up the fort and its magazine (3,000 pounds of gunpowder) before retreating; he was then court-martialed
    • August 28, Alexandria (no defenses, all troops had been pulled back to DC by President James Madison) sent its mayor on a boat under a white flag to surrender the town
    • August 29, Alexandria became occupied by Captain James Gordon of the HMS Seahorse (38 gun frigate) and his fleet (2 frigates, 2 rocket ships, 2 bomb ships, 1 schooner) for 3 days
    • British gained 22 merchant ships and vast quantities of flour, cotton, tobacco, wines, and cigars
    • The delay from navigating the Potomac River back to the Chesapeake Bay led to a delay in the British attack on Baltimore which allowed American forces to set up their defenses and win that battle (same battle that inspired the creation of “The Star Spangled Banner”)
• Stop #2 – Pioneer Mill
  • Pioneer Mill Grain Warehouse was built in 1854 by William Fowle (Alexandria Steam Flour Company) at the end of Duke Street
  • It was 6 stories in height and one of the largest steam flour mills in the US, powered by a 250 horsepower steam engine that turned a dozen run-of-burr millstones and produced 800 barrels each day
  • Grain would arrive via both ships and trains
  • Went into ruin after it was not used in the Civil War and burned to the ground in a major 1897 fire
  • The Robinson Terminal Warehouse Company built a warehouse (Robinson Terminal South Warehouse) in 1939 on the former site of Pioneer Mill, but now that is being taken down for new development
• Stop #3 – Ramsay House
  • Ramsay House
    • Built in 1724, traditionally referred to as the oldest house in Alexandria
    • Now the Alexandria Visitor Center
  • William Ramsay
    • Scottish merchant, one of the founders of Alexandria
    • First mayor of Alexandria
• Stop #4 – Carlyle House
  • Carlyle House
    • Stone mansion built in 1753
    • Used by General Braddock as his headquarters during the French & Indian War
    • Became used as a hotel by James Green, then used by Union troops as a hospital during the Civil War, went into disrepair, then became an apartment building, then a museum during WWI, then apartments again, finally restored in 1970-1976 by NOVA Parks for part of nationwide bicentennial celebration
  • John Carlyle
    • Scottish merchant, one of the founders of Alexandria
    • Married to Sarah Fairfax, cousin of the 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron
• Stop #5 – Market Square
  • Market Square
    • George Washington led his troops to fight in the French & Indian War from here
    • Rallies were held for both Union & Confederate soldiers & sympathizers
    • Slaves were sold here along with other goods
    • Held the public whipping post
  • Sophia Browning Bell
    • Slave woman who sold goods in Market Square
    • Earned enough money to free her husband George Bell in 1801
    • Helped establish the first school for black children in DC
  • Gadsby’s Tavern
    • Oldest building that has been preserved and restored in Alexandria
    • Mary Hawkins was the proprietor of this tavern
    • George Washington frequented the tavern that served primarily upper class people
• Stop #6 – East Coast Greenway Midpoint
  • Greenway was launched in 1991
  • 3,000 mile route running from Calais, ME to Key West, FL
  • Over 30% of the route is on firm-surface trails
  • Oronoco Bay Park is at the midpoint of the Greenway
• Stop #7 – Tide Lock Park
  • Alexandria Canal
    • Built in 1833-1843 to connect Georgetown to Alexandria
    • 7 miles long, 50 feet wide, ran along Eads St, Commonwealth Ave, & Washington St
    • Used to ship coal (most important), wheat, corn, flour, whiskey, fish, salt, & lumber
    • Responsible for the economic rebirth of Alexandria in the mid-19th Century
    • 4 lift locks lowered boats 38 feet to the Potomac River
    • Ended operation in 1886, towpath was used to build an electric railway
  • Canal Center
    • Features “Promenade Classique” sculpture garden created by French artists Anne & Patrick Poirier

[bobco85]

@LhasaCM 164135 wrote:

Yes – that is exactly how it worked for the Purple line ride…

I should add the following corollary to my hypothesis based on today’s events: being prepared for potential thunderstorms by having a rain jacket works in warding off said thunderstorms.

[bobco85]

@streetsmarts 164112 wrote:

I’ll be there for the first part of the ride unless thunderstorms are nearby. looking forward to it!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I went through my route and found places along the way for the group to take shelter should we encounter any storms. The way the forecast looks, any storms will be brief. Should storms bring additional delays, I have shortcuts we can use to make up time (the shape of the route allows for this).

I will bring my rain jacket which will surely ward off any storm clouds (that’s how it works, right?) 😎

[bobco85]

@Judd 164095 wrote:

I’ve actually taken to checking out some of the places that I bike frequently by car

There you have it, folks, Judd has just admitted to driving some of his HP laps!
@Judd 164095 wrote:

just to get the motorist perspective of intersections and trail crossings. I think it’s helpful, particularly in understanding that some “bad” driver behavior is a influenced by the infrastructure, particularly bad sight lines.

I’m amazed sometimes at how easy it is to miss signage of upcoming trail crossings on some of the speedways- er, I mean, highways around here. It’s one of the reasons why I hate those tiny “Yield to Pedestrians (arrow pointing diagonally signaling “Here”)” signs that VDOT has foolishly decided are adequate for on/off-ramp pedestrian crossings at interstates like the Beltway & I-395; they are difficult to see and get overshadowed by the larger signs nearby.

[bobco85]

From reading the article, it seems that the author was pretty neutral towards cyclist behavior until it hit home with their mother getting killed by a cyclist. Only after that did the author realize that cyclists can and sometimes do create danger for pedestrians.

It’s like how we cyclists don’t always realize the effects that our decisions can have on other trail-users until we go for a walk/run on a trail. Until one gets passed too closely, sees close calls between aggressive/oblivious cyclists, or sees a crash or its aftermath, it can be difficult to understand the danger to others.

Just like drivers can have a windshield perspective, I think cyclists can have a handlebar perspective.

[bobco85]

@DrP 164081 wrote:

I have thought the intersection needs a regular sign that is “NO TURN ON RED” with the sub-sign of “During Leading Pedestrian Interval” or whatever the appropriate phrase is. It gets people to realize that there may be a time to not turn so that the sign that lights up isn’t a complete surprise. (Okay, I would prefer the lack of the caveat sign, but that is probably changing some other rules)

My idea: add a sign farther back on the off-ramp stating “Fine for Disobeying No Turn on Red Signal: $XXX”

People sometimes care more about money than the safety of others, so why not use that to our advantage?

[bobco85]

I’m excited for Saturday, and I’m hoping for great weather (current forecast shows high of 85° (F) and 30% chance of isolated storms).

I just finished creating my notecards for the ride.

If you need to reach me, my cell is #571-201-7189. See you Saturday!

(Edit: the notecard should read 1865 not 1875; my notes had the correct date, but I mistyped when I did the notecard.)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bobco85]

I finished creating a guidebook for my Arlington Historical Bike Ride and have printed a few copies! I gave them out at Hump Day Coffee Club this morning.

For anyone interested in getting their own version, here is a link to the PDF file that you can print for yourself or put on your electronic device to save paper: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzfUugn9MSiIeFBLSWd1dHdQOUk

Please note: if printing the guidebook, use Adobe Reader and select the booklet setting. The pages are meant to be half a standard letter page each (5.5″ x 8.5″).

Let me know if you have any issues with printing/downloading the document, and enjoy!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bobco85]

My guess is that it’s hard to use echolocation when you hear the deafening noise of planes nearby.

[bobco85]

I had a similar situation on Monday evening. As I was turning from the southside Arlington Blvd service road onto SB Meade St near Iwo Jima, I was surprised to find a cyclist headed NB in the SB bike lane that I was about to enter! I said to him, “Wrong way!”, and he responded with the infuriating, “I know,” while proceeding to continue riding the wrong direction in the bike lane. (I hate this kind of dismissive attitude)
@lordofthemark 163927 wrote:

Report from Eads Street. I took it again, a bit late but early enough in rush hour to motivate me to avoid the MVT. I left work at 5:31, so must have been going through around 6 PM.

There was at least one rider in addition to myself headed SB in the SB bike lane. I also saw two riders heading NB, in the NB bike lane. Yay. But I also say not one, but two separate riders heading NB in the SB lane. When the second one came along, I was so exasperated, I didn’t pull fully out of the way, but slowed, shrugged, and called out “why?” I did not curse, or insult, but asked why (though my tone may not have been friendly). This elicited a stream of angry curses as he passed.

I don’t get it. I mean I understand the clueless CaBi riders who end up doing this, and are usually apologetic about it. I understand the runners in the bike lanes. I understand the folks who freak out about streets and ride the sidewalk, and I understand the pathletes who decide a trail crowded with tourons, dogs, etc is the best place to train. I don’t approve, but I understand the motivations, at least. But I absolutely do not understand why someone riding their own bike, and presumably with some experience riding locally, chooses to ride the wrong way on a clearly marked lane, when there is an equivalent (and yeah, the NB PBL isn’t significantly if at all worse than the SB PBL there, IMO) bike lane visible right across the street.

The best explanation I can give for people doing this is that it’s a combination of convenience and perceived safety. The convenience comes from cutting out a street crossing, or on one-way streets, cutting out having to go the next block over (which would be 3 blocks out of their way in total). There is a perceived safety from riding the wrong way in a PBL because the protection is still there, so there’s less of an incentive to change as opposed to riding against vehicular traffic or riding on the sidewalk with pedestrians. It can be very handy and feel safer for one to salmon one block much like cutting through a parking lot to get around traffic at a red light.

Disclaimer: I do not condone or support salmoning because it is very dangerous. This is merely to help with understanding why people do the things they do.

[bobco85]

@Judd 163901 wrote:

It has a nice depiction of the sinking of the Maine on the back.

@TwoWheelsDC 163903 wrote:

No one did fake news like Hearst!

The USS Maine sank in 1898 as a result of the explosion. In 1911, the US patched up the remains of the ship including the mast so it would float and performed a Navy burial at sea, so the depiction could be of that ceremony.

[bobco85]

Since I didn’t post pics from the ride, here are a couple that I took Saturday evening/night:

(left) group at the start behind Papillon Cycles; (center) triple towers including a found empty wine bottle in LBJ Grove; (right) crossing 14th Street Bridge
[ATTACH=CONFIG]15332[/ATTACH]

(left) Dan representing Fairbault (Southern MN) at the Jefferson Memorial; (center) Gina third-wheeling with Glenn and George Mason; (right) full moon reflection over the Tidal Basin
[ATTACH=CONFIG]15333[/ATTACH]

(far left) DC War Memorial; (center left) inside the DC War Memorial; (center right) looking into the US Institute of Peace; (far right) WWII Fountain
[ATTACH=CONFIG]15334[/ATTACH]

(left) riding along the Mall; (center & right) at the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial
[ATTACH=CONFIG]15335[/ATTACH]

(left) glass reflection of the Capitol; (center) biking to the Supreme Court; (right) pausing for a shot of the Air Force Memorial as my compatriots bike up the hill with their red taillights in the distance
[ATTACH=CONFIG]15336[/ATTACH]

[Author]

Posts