[bobco85]

@GovernorSilver 163433 wrote:

Potomac Ave. Trail was extended north past S. Glebe.

However, it abruptly ends without a connection to the street. :rolleyes:

Luckily there seems to be enough would-be drivers on summer break that I was able to ride over the grass to get on Potomac Ave, without waiting.

Yeah, that section of the Potomac Yard Trail has been a PITA recently since it’s much easier to just take the lane on Potomac Ave rather than take the awkward detour that involves waiting for the unnecessarily long light at Glebe.

[bobco85]

Quick update on this situation: I saw a tweet from the FABB (@BikeFairfax) stating the following:

FABB continues to monitor this situation. LCPD said they were warning motorists about stopping when RRFB not flashing.

[bobco85]

I don’t like the idea of punishing a driver who decides to be proactive when they think a person will be entering a crosswalk and slowing down or stopping for them in a reasonable manner (i.e., no hard stops). I understand that drivers might get into Helpy Helperton a.k.a. arigata meiwaku territory, but I’d rather they err on the side of caution.

I like the installation of the RRFB, though, as it does help alert drivers to the presence of a pedestrian/cyclist, but it should be noted that it is not required in order for a person to be able to legally use the crosswalk.

As an aside, they should also lower the speed limit to 25 to really signal the importance of safety at this crossing to drivers, but I’ll keep buying property on the moon in the meantime.

[bobco85]

That’s terrible! I’m glad you were able to get home using only one leg and get checked out at the clinic. I hope you heal up when you have surgery and are able to be back on the bike by end of summer.

[bobco85]

@streetsmarts 163298 wrote:

Hi! Great idea . I can’t ride til 645 (from Braddock rd. And Potomac Yard trail). Would that work…rode for an hour or so and come back for treats? I had a really early morning appt today so won’t have lots of energy

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Sounds good; meet at 6:45 PM at the Braddock Rd/Potomac Yard Trail bollard (near this: https://goo.gl/maps/omB3zgh2qkF2) for some history and ice cream! The view should be nice when we get to Prospect Hill (close to sunset), too.

I’ll text you if I get held up.

For other bike folks who are interested: my cell is #571-201-7189 if you want to reach me.

[bobco85]

@streetsmarts 163295 wrote:

tonight might be a dairy godmother night after I go for an after work ride

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I’m up for a ride + Dairy Godmother.

Impromptu completion of the Arlington Historical Bike Ride, erm, ride? We didn’t get to do the last 4 stops (Eads St to Arlington Ridge), and I’ve got my notecards; interested?

[bobco85]

@Judd 163288 wrote:

(12:05 PM)I’ve also thought of how such a device could be used maliciously such as throwing a beacon in front of a moving vehicle.

@Judd 163290 wrote:

(12:21 PM)I’ve also thought of how such a device could be used maliciously such as throwing a beacon in front of a moving vehicle.

You guys should meet up sometime; very similar ways of thinking.

[bobco85]

I view this technology not just useful for self-driving cars but for cars in general.

Just as more and more non-self-driving cars on the road have safety tech including (looking at a list on ConsumerReports http://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/cars-with-advanced-safety-systems/) lane-departure warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, adaptive cruise control, they could easily incorporate this type of technology into new cars.

Picture these scenarios that this sensor tech could prevent (if properly implemented):

• Punishment pass – angry driver decides to buzz a cyclist, but the car doesn’t allow them to get within 3 feet of the cyclist
• Hit-and-run – driver and cyclist have crashed, but the driver tries to drive off; the car detects a collision and alerts the police with GPS information
• Ninja cyclist – driver at night does not see a cyclist (dressed in black, no lights/reflectors) in front of them, but the car senses the presence of the cyclist and warns the driver beforehand
• Double cyclist crash – cyclist crashes and is lying on the ground on a blind curve; approaching car detects their presence before the driver even gets close
• Rolling coal – jerk driver decides to “roll coal” on a cyclist behind them, but the vehicle detects a person behind the truck, measures the amount of smoke being sent through the exhaust, and adjusts the fuel intake to prevent the dangerously toxic smoke from being emitted
• (For laughs) Tour de France upgrade – mechanical dopers can now ride closer to each other as the technology allows their bikes to be ridden as close as possible for safe drafting, increasing the efficiency and speed of the peloton

While I see the potential for another talking point to victim blame, I’m all for adding passive (i.e., the cyclist does not need to do anything in addition) technology that helps to keep people safe.

[bobco85]

I’m in (just registered)! I love to go on night rides/hikes amongst the monuments at night. The city can be quite peaceful and beautiful with the monuments all lit up.

@Starduster 163258 wrote:

on a loop that covers Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial (walk-through, 4th Term to 1st), MLK Memorial, the DC WW I Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, WW II Memorial, and the Washington Monument, then back across the river.

Can we also visit the U.S. Institute of Peace (1 block north of the Lincoln Memorial) and the Americans Disabled for Life Memorial (opened in 2014; 1 block south of the U.S. Botanic Garden https://goo.gl/maps/1TdQZSEcSMN2)? I ask because they also look beautiful at night.

@Starduster 163258 wrote:

Estimated mileage 13.5, about 7.5 for those riding from Lady Bird Johnson Park, 2 hours or so at an easy pace. Here is a rough map of our route: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/2805+Columbia+Pike,+Arlington,+VA+22204/38.8897984,-77.0352444/@38.8782696,-77.0713171,14.5z/data=!4m59!4m58!1m55!1m1!1s0x89b7b6ba4607b191:0x15476ea5e8188583!2m2!1d-77.0869544!2d38.8625782!3m4!1m2!1d-77.0606405!2d38.8693631!3s0x89b7b6e0eafd0f8d:0x431e535737e4d77f!3m4!1m2!1d-77.059575!2d38.8694472!3s0x89b7b6e0f43e72dd:0xafb03431c4afdf70!3m4!1m2!1d-77.0595873!2d38.8695571!3s0x89b7b6e0fea22d25:0xd325cd676749e6ac!3m4!1m2!1d-77.0398333!2d38.87993!3s0x89b7b70ea312152b:0x3ece6a15e207a273!3m4!1m2!1d-77.0408837!2d38.8811934!3s0x89b7b70931030229:0xddd60f00137820f!3m4!1m2!1d-77.043406!2d38.8876449!3s0x89b7b7a794960bdd:0x1f6fe1ead172206b!3m4!1m2!1d-77.0458358!2d38.8880806!3s0x89b7b7a86aa65695:0xf903b7dac08e09d1!3m4!1m2!1d-77.0470523!2d38.8902831!3s0x89b7b7a8ef1a6125:0x480ae395197b5bba!3m4!1m2!1d-77.0445108!2d38.8904939!3s0x89b7b7a618727733:0xc09badd75928f8fb!3m4!1m2!1d-77.0421948!2d38.8904274!3s0x89b7b7a68bca85c7:0x4151e0fd93442670!1m0!3e1?hl=en

Here’s a shorter URL (in Google Maps, you can hit Menu -> Share or embed map -> Click the Short URL box) for your route: https://goo.gl/maps/sK2eroR4doG2 I can create one in Strava and/or MapMyRide if you’d like.

[bobco85]

At probably the most exciting stop (to me) on my recent Arlington Historical Bike Ride lies a town long forgotten that’s along one of the most popular stretches of the Mount Vernon Trail, one that almost every single person on this forum has ridden by at least once in their lives.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]15240[/ATTACH]

In the 19th Century, a group of speculators from New York came to Washington and proposed a new industrial city that would be built on the Virginia side of Long Bridge.

On January 11, 1836, President Andrew Jackson (came across Long Bridge), George Washington Parke Custis (came from his mansion, Arlington House), and as many as 10,000 people gathered and set the ceremonial cornerstone in place for Jackson City.

This map (full version: https://www.loc.gov/item/99439186/) is from May 31, 1861. Interesting things on the map: Governor Lee’s Arlington House, Arlington Springs, Ross House (William & Carolyn Ross who founded Rosslyn), and Roach’s House on Prospect Hill (north end of Arlington Ridge Rd).
[ATTACH=CONFIG]15241[/ATTACH]

After the American Civil War, Jackson City wasn’t doing too well. Investors from New Jersey came to town and tried their hand at making it into a gambling resort. It was called the “Monte Carlo of America” and had saloons, gambling houses, bordellos, vice dens, and a race track. This map (full version: https://www.loc.gov/item/89692758/) is from 1900 (with zoomed in version):
[ATTACH=CONFIG]15242[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]15243[/ATTACH]

Not everyone liked having a gambling resort nearby (Rosslyn also had a bad reputation for being seedy), and things were about to change. Virginia Commonwealth Attorney Crandal Mackey and a group of civic crusaders called the Good Citizens’ League (included Frank Lyon, founder of Lyon Village) conducted a series of raids on Jackson City over the course of a few years. Their final raid in 1904 burnt down much of Jackson City. And people think NIMBY’s are bad nowadays!

The remnants of Jackson City became an industrial area (brickyards, warehouses, iron-fabricating factories, junk lots, look at some of the land owners in the 1900 map for more details) up until the 1960’s. The area where the town used to stand was completely covered over when the GW Parkway and I-395 were successively built.

No remnants were preserved, and no historical markers were erected, but hopefully folks who enjoy the Mount Vernon Trail will keep it in mind the next time they pass through on their way to/from the 14th Street Bridge.

[bobco85]

Yesterday’s evening commute was almost a perfect spa day commute as I got soaked in the rain then dried when the sun came back out.

The weather provided for me:
– refreshing rainwater shower
– steamy hot sauna
– pretty rainbow sighting

All that was missing:
– relaxing massage

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bobco85]

There was this recent thread that might help: http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?12114-Fitness-Center-Bike-Cages-at-4301-or-4401-Wilson-Boulevard-(Ballston)

I work in Ballston (parking my bike on same rack as Guus) and unfortunately think the only way you’ll be able to shower would be to eat the gym fees.

Regarding the Ballston parking garage bike racks, I’ll say this: in the 5 years since my bike was stolen from those racks, they are much more secure than before (they improved the lighting and added that area to the security guard patrol route). I still use the racks, but I remove any and all lights/cameras/etc.

That said, don’t ever park your bike outside near the Ballston Metro.

[bobco85]

To avoid confusion between this ride and the Arlington one, I kept relatively silent about this one until after the other ride had occurred. Now that the Arlington ride has been completed, I can finally give some updates to the Alexandria ride details including a finalized route!

I will create a Facebook event for the Alexandria Historical Bike Ride this evening.

@Nadine 163141 wrote:

Coooool! I love your rides. But i realized yesterday that there were places where I mightabin better off riding my hybrid…Do you know yet if there will be comparable amounts of dirt & gravel? (Grassy bits don’t count.)

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

Looking over my final route (will update this page soon), there is going to be up to half a mile of unpaved riding, so you will be better off on your hybrid. However, this will have one set of stairs that your bicycle will need to be carried up, so make sure those biceps are in shape!

[bobco85]

The last of my notes including those for the stops we were unable to visit due to the incoming thunderstorm. With this, I’m chilling for the rest of the night!

• Stop #18 – MVT under Long Bridge (this is the one I’ve been keeping a secret since everyone has passed by this spot a million times in their lives)
  • Nameroughquena
    • Inhabitants spoke an Algonquian dialect similar to those living near James Fort
    • Tribal name sounded to John Smith like Nacotchtank
    • Simplified by Englishmen to Necostin, then anglicized to Anacostia
    • Around 500 people lived on either side of the Potomac River
    • In the 17th Century, they temporarily moved to Analostan Island before fleeing up the Potomac River
    • Arlington was planning on setting a historical marker for this, but somehow it’s been forgotten
  • Jackson City
    • In the 19th Century, a group of speculators from New York proposed a new industrial city around Long Bridge
    • On January 11, 1836, President Andrew Jackson, George Washington Parke Custis, and as many as 10,000 gathered and set the ceremonial cornerstone for Jackson City
    • Hosted Fort Jackson during the Civil War
    • After the Civil War, it wasn’t doing too well, so a group of investors from New Jersey tried turning it into a gambling resort
    • They wanted it to become the Monte Carlo of America, and it had saloons, gambling houses, bordellos, vice dens, and a race track
    • Virginia Commonwealth Attorney Crandal Mackey and a group of vigilante citizens (you thought NIMBY’s are bad nowadays) called the Good Citizens’ League (Frank Lyon, founder of Lyon Village, was a member) raided and burnt down most of the city in 1904, and it stayed industrial until the 1960’s
  • Fort Jackson & Fort Runyon
    • Both built at the start of the Civil War, deserted after the war ended, and no steps were taken for their preservation
    • Fort Jackson was built to guard the VA end of Long Bridge
    • Fort Runyon was pentagonally shaped was built to guard the intersection of the Columbia Turnpike and the Alexandria & Loudoun Railroad
    • Fort Runyon was on the SE side of the Pentagon under I-395 exit 9
  • Hoover Airport
    • 1925 private airfield located in current Pentagon and north parking lot
    • Closed in June 1941 to build the Pentagon
  • Twin Bridges Motor Hotel
    • Built in 1957 just before President Eisenhower’s inauguration
    • World’s first motor hotel (remember the Marriotts)
    • Written in Time magazine: “Guests can drive up… select accommodations from a look at 3-D Kodachrome prints, then drive straight to rooms guided by a bicycle-mounted bellhop without once stepping out of their cars.”
• Stop #19 – Abingdon Plantation
  • In 1695 John Alexander bought the land from Robert Howson
  • He had to pay for it twice due to an inheritance dispute from people in Maryland
  • Run in the 18th and 19th Centuries as a plantation
  • Owned by the Alexander, Custis, Stuart, and Hunter families over time
  • Alexandria is named after the Alexander family
  • Rumor: weeping willows grown at the plantation are the progenitors of all weeping willows in the US
• We ended the ride here due to the incoming thunderstorms, so the remainder starts here
• Stop #20 – Luna Park (Eads St and Four Mile Run Trail)
  • Luna Park
    • Amusement park running from 1906-1915
    • Part of a chain owned by Frederick Ingersoll
    • 34 acres which featured a 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 Alexandria) over a mile away
    • Park closed down soon afterwards
    • Site is now occupied by the sewage treatment facility
    • Roller coaster was located approximately just north of Eads/31st St
  • Washington, Alexandria, & Mount Vernon Electric Railway
    • Started service in 1892, was nation’s first successful electric trolley line
    • First ran from Alexandria to Mount Vernon before it was extended into DC (station was at 14th/B NW near present-day Federal Triangle Metro)
    • Ran on the Alexandria Canal towpath which included parts of present-day I-395, Eads St, Commonwealth Ave, & GW Parkway to Mount Vernon, later extended to Fort Belvoir
    • Eads St and Commonwealth Ave have medians because the trolley line had buildings between the tracks
    • Traffic circle in front of Mount Vernon was the trolley turnaround
    • Last trolleys of the line ran in 1932
    • The rail yard is now being used as a Metro bus yard
• Stop #21 – Hume School
  • Hume School
    • Built in 1891, oldest school building in Arlington
    • Named for Frank Hume, a Confederate veteran and local civic leader, sold his property for $250 and donated additional land for a playground
    • Closed in 1958, became Arlington History Museum in 1960
  • Arlington Historical Society
    • Founded in 1956, moved into the Hume School in 1960 after a community campaign
    • Holds over 350,000 artifacts on rotating display
• Stop #22 – The Little Tea House (corner of Arlington Ridge Rd/Lynn St)
  • Opened in 1920, ran until 1963
  • Famous people who ate there: Eleanor Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, and Oliver Wendell Holmes
  • One of the first places in Arlington where racially mixed groups could meet
  • Owned and run by Gertrude Crocker who wanted to be independent and her own boss
  • Later sold to Gertrude Allison, called Allison’s Little Tea House
  • Stone tower only remaining part of the building, now being used for pool maintenance
• Stop #23 – Prospect Hill
  • Prospect Hill
    • Site of mansion built in 1841 by James Roach
    • Mansion was demolished in 1965
  • James Roach
    • Contractor who supplied most of the brick and stone for both the Aqueduct Bridge and the Alexandria Canal
    • His property extended to Roach’s Run (named for him)
    • Neighbor to George Washington Parke Custis (Arlington House)
  • Fort Albany
    • Built in 1861 as part of the defenses of Washington

[bobco85]

Now, when I say that I put hours of research into this ride, I’m not kidding! Of course, parts of many of those hours were spent getting distracted by minor details that later turned into other cool bits of info.

• Stop #13 – Stratford Junior High School
  • Built in 1950, named after Robert E. Lee’s birthplace
  • 1st public school in VA to desegregate in February 1959
  • Remember, Brown v. Board of Education ruling was in May 1954
  • After the ruling, the VA legislature and Governor William Byrd instituted policies to ensure that schools would never integrate; called “Massive Resistance”
  • Edmund Campbell (remember from Campbell Ave) was lead attorney in 1958 case (James v. Almond) overturning “Massive Resistance” laws
  • On Monday morning, February 2, 1959 at 8:30 a.m., under the protection of 85 Arlington police officers, Ronald Deskins, Michael Jones, Lance Newman, and Gloria Thompson entered the school without incident.
  • 15 minutes later, 17 black students entered white schools in Norfolk
• Stop #14 – Cherrydale Fire Department
  • Cherrydale
    • In 1893, a branch post office was formed at the intersection of Lee Hwy/Pollard St
    • Named after Dorsey Donaldson’s large cherry orchard behind the current firehouse (south of post office)
    • Quincy St previously known as Cherry Valley Road (can we please change it back?)
    • Military Rd was formed by cutting through dense forest to connect Chain Bridge to the Arlington Line of forts/battlements
  • Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Company
    • Formed in 1898, first fire company in Arlington
    • Firehouse was built in 1921 with contributions from the community and President Woodrow Wilson
• Stop #15 – Gateway Park
  • Aqueduct Bridge
    • Built 1833-1843 to connect the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal to the Alexandria Canal
    • 8 piers were used for a wooden canal bridge (later with wooden roadway bridge built on top)
    • Later became an iron truss bridge to carry roadway and electric trolley line
    • Demolished in 1933, but on the west (upriver) side of Key Bridge, you can still see the remnants of 1 of the piers (support closest to VA)
  • Alexandria Canal
    • Built 1833-1843 to connect Georgetown to Alexandria
    • Ran along parts of Eads St, Commonwealth Ave, and Washington St
    • Towpath was later used to build an electric railway
  • Consumer Brewing Company
    • Built in 1896 on site just west of Key Bridge Marriott
    • Red brick structure with turrets on ends, clock tower in center, large smokestack in back
    • Reorganized in 1904 as the Arlington Brewery but closed in 1920 due to Prohibition
    • John Fowler, an entrepreneur from Richmond, turned it into a Cherry Smash soda factory for over 30 years
  • Hot Shoppes
    • Chain restaurant that stood where the current Key Bridge Marriott stands
    • In 1927, J Williard & Alice S Marriott ran an A&W root beer franchise in DC
    • When they added hot food to the menu, it became Hot Shoppes
    • After expanding into catering (including airline catering), became a hotel business in 1957 when they opened the world’s 1st motor hotel
  • Analostan Island
    • Named after the Necostin tribe living there
    • Later known as Mason’s Island and eventually Theodore Roosevelt Island
• Stop #16 – Dark Star Park
  • Created in 1984, Arlington’s first major commissioned art project
  • Designed to resemble fallen, extinguished stars
  • Artist Nancy Holt consulted with astrophysicists
  • Shadows of some of the dark stars and pillars align with markings on the ground every August 1 at 9:32 a.m.
  • This commemorates August 1, 1860, when William & Carolyn Ross acquired the land that became Rosslyn
• Stop #17 – Arlington National Cemetery
  • Arlington House
    • Formerly the Custis-Lee Mansion
    • Built by George Washington Parke Custis and was modeled after Mount Vernon
  • Arlington Springs
    • Picnic ground along the Potomac River that was run as a business by the Custis family
  • Robert Edward Lee
    • Married his 3rd cousin Mary Anna Randolph Custis
    • Is the step-great-grandson-in-law to George Washington
    • His father, Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee, gave the eulogy at George Washington’s funeral including the quote: “First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen”
    • General in the American Civil War, supported Reconstruction, opposed allowing black people to vote (his reason was that they were too uneducated at the time), but promoted education for black people
    • Never actually owned Arlington House, was its custodian
  • Arlington National Cemetery
    • After Virginia seceded and Robert E. Lee joined the Confederacy in April 1861, Mary Lee fled in May 1861, and Union troops seized and occupied Arlington House
    • Congress passed legislation imposing a property tax on any “insurrectionary” areas – an update to the law stated that the tax had to be paid in person
    • Mary Lee (had rheumatoid arthritis and was living in a Confederate area) could not pay it in person, and the property was auctioned off in January 1864 and purchased by the US government for $26,800 (~$400k today)
    • US Secretary of War Edwin Stanton approved the establishment of a military cemetery on June 15, 1864, thus creating Arlington National Cemetery

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