[bobco85]

This got me thinking of the wonderful improvements that were made just over a year ago to the Burke-Gilman Trail in Seattle on the University of Washington campus. Not only did they widen the trail, they also used asphalt for the bike portion and concrete for the pedestrian portion. It was very intuitive and nice. Here are 2 pics of the improvements:
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Also, having ridden on the Pinellas Trail in Florida many times, hozn is absolutely correct about pedestrians not always using the pedestrian path when the trail has separation. I think some of this might be due to the fact that the trail only has lines in certain places (usually near road crossings), while most of the trail is not lined at all. I think that people instinctively move to their right, which makes it awkward when the pedestrian “lane” is on one’s left. First pic shows lack of lines (don’t look at the bollards, Steve O!), and the second pic shows the separate bike/ped paths.
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Using these 2 examples, I think that a white stripe is not going to be sufficient for good separation. I think that actually paving the pedestrian portion with concrete or using a separate path like the bridle gravel trail on the W&OD in Reston would be best.

Another aspect to consider is how the modes of travel should be separated. While this study focuses on bike-ped separation, I think it would be useful to consider fast-slow user separation much like how we separate fast and slow traffic on roads using bike lanes. This way, bikes/joggers (fast users) would be separated from walkers/strollers/dogs (slow users).

[bobco85]

This Tuesday Tidbit is from 6/6/2017

Just outside the D.C. border in Bladensburg, Maryland lies the old Bladensburg Dueling Grounds. It can be accessed from the Anacostia River Trail near Bladensburg Waterfront Park by passing through Colmar Manor Community Park up to Bladensburg Rd (Alt US-1).
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When you get there, you will see Dueling Creek and a few informational signs. Between 1808 and 1868, over 50 duels took place in this area. Because the District of Columbia had outlawed duels, gentlemen who needed to settle their differences without pesky law enforcement would head about 0.4 miles outside the city here to Dueling Creek (also nicknamed “Blood Run” and “The Dark and Bloody Grounds”) which is a tributary of the Anacostia River.
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The most famous of these duels took place on March 22, 1820 between Commodore Stephen Decatur (decorated naval officer who had success against the Barbary Pirates near North Africa) and Commodore James Barron (dismissed from naval service after his ship, the frigate Chesapeake, was captured in 1807). Both captains in the Navy, Decatur was on the court-martial board that declined to reinstate Barron after having found him guilty of neglect of duty. While you can imagine that Barron was not too happy about the outcome, they had been feuding for 13 years (Barron thought Decatur had called him a coward for losing his ship). They had a duel with pistols at eight paces, and in the end, Decatur was killed while Barron was wounded.
(Decatur on left; Barron on right)
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Maryland officially banned duels in 1839, but you can see the legacy of the Dueling Grounds is still a part of Colmar Manor. Random fact: Colmar gets its name from District of “Col”umbia and “Mar”yland.
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[bobco85]

@Fairlington124 161996 wrote:

There is also a marking for a bike lane heading northbound on S. Walter Reed Drive….this will allow bikers heading north to stay in a bike lane while traversing the intersection.

This is awesome! I pass NE-bound through this intersection on my morning commute, and drivers tend to drift over into the unmarked bike lane which puts a squeeze on cyclists such as myself who get walled in by the concrete island. With the new markings, I was surprised at how much space I actually got from drivers (who knew that’s how it’s supposed to be!).

@KLizotte 162000 wrote:

They are planning on “fixing” two other intersections along the WOD and 4MR (but not Walter Reed?!) too as part of the same project.

I noticed on parts of the Wilson Blvd bike lane in the Bluemont neighborhood that double white line “bulb-outs” were painted at intersections like Wilson/Jefferson, Wilson/Jacksonville, Wilson/Kensington, and more. I imagine they might get flexposts, too, to narrow the crossings which will make it safer for pedestrians.

[bobco85]

Alright, life happened and I ended up being late on this, but I did finally finish my bike route video for the final SafeTrack Surge 16 from Shady Grove to Twinbrook!

Quick notes:

• Surge 16 is running from June 17th through June 25th
• The Shady Grove and Rockville stations on the Red Line will be closed
• Free shuttle buses will replace train rides between the Shady Grove, Rockville, and Twinbrook stations
• This is the final SafeTrack Surge, even though there are other smaller closures that will occur throughout the next year

Since the video is late, the video might not be as useful for dealing with this week-long surge, but I think that this video could be useful for those looking for bike routes along the Shady Grove end of the Red Line. The north end of Rock Creek Trail is not too far from the Shady Grove Metro, the Carl Henn Millennium Trail is a loop that riders can use to go literally around Rockville, and the Bethesda Trolley Trail is another great trail for getting north-south especially to access the Capital Crescent Trail.

Here is the video. I’m glad to be able to contribute to finding good biking routes throughout the DC area, and I plan to contribute to biking around Seattle when I get there. Enjoy!

[video=youtube_share;455tnNZbilQ]https://youtu.be/455tnNZbilQ[/video]

[bobco85]

@anomad 162005 wrote:

Cool historic maps! I might try to georeference those and overlay them with current imagery if I find a few spare minutes.

If you have high-resolution copies send me a note.

Most of the historic maps I’ve been able to find were through the Arlington GIS, Library of Congress website with its nearly endless number of images amongst other media, and even a Flickr group dedicated to photos of Arlington pre-1990. Here’s a link to the Carrollsburg town layout: https://www.loc.gov/item/88690858/ The Library of Congress site gives multiple options for file download size, so you can get some really nice versions of each (I downsized everything to 1080 pixels in height for uploading to the forum).

Also, fair warning, you will lose many, MANY hours looking through all the historical imagery that is available!

[bobco85]

Before the Residence Act of 1790 mandated the creation of a capital and George Washington sent out a trio of folks to secure plots of land for the future District of Columbia, a town named Carrollsburg was founded in 1770 in the location we know as Buzzard Point. This can be accessed on the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail in SW DC.
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Here are some historic maps of the south half of the District of Columbia and the town layout of Carrollsburg, both from 1790-1791. Note that there is no Hains Point, and the tiny Jackson’s Hill on the map later became Capitol Hill! FYI: the town layout of Carrollsburg has North pointing to the right.
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In 1933, the Potomac Electric Power Company Buzzard Point Plant was built. Originally built with 1 tower, it was later expanded to the current 3. In 2012, Pepco announced the shutdown of the plant as part of the deal to create a future soccer stadium (Audi Stadium) for the DC United team.
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[bobco85]

After doing this ride, I got to thinking about a safer way to get to Dulles Airport by bicycle. I figure folks will want to try a ride out to the airport by bike because, well, it’s kinda cool to do so. Because we were following the Silver Line, we used some not-so-great roads to get from Innovation Center to Dulles Airport, and I know there’s a better way.

Here is the route I created to easily get from the W&OD Trail to Dulles Airport without too much hassle (note: there is some hassle because there isn’t quite a collection of bike-friendly roads to use): https://www.strava.com/routes/9265862
The route uses Pacific Blvd which has a paved side path for multiple parts and on-road riding without a sidewalk for other parts. Turning onto Relocation Dr provides a one lane road that should be easier to ride than the multi-lane highway. Relocation Dr leads to Old Ox Rd, a bike-unfriendly road which must only be used for 1 block before getting to airport access roads. The rest of the route is pretty okay as the roads from then on are 25 mph limit roads. Just remember to turn onto Commercial Vehicle Dr from Cargo Dr and use the protected sidewalk for a nice view of the main airport building and the future Metro station across the parking lot.

@FFX_Hinterlands 161956 wrote:

I hope you stopped by the bike fix-it-station at AOL for a quick adjustment.

I didn’t even know they had one! I’ll have to check it out next time I’m out there.

[bobco85]

First off, thank you to everyone who was able to make it for at least part of the ride; it was a lot of fun! Luckily, the weather changed from overcast in the morning to the sun coming out in the afternoon, so we avoided the scattered thunderstorms that were in the forecast, so that made things a lot nicer.

We met up at East Falls Church Metro, and it was clear that amongst the greys/silvers that we wore, LeprosyStudyGroup in his shiny silver gloves, shirt (later converted into a stylish cape), and leggings (?) best exemplified the spirit of Silver Surfer for the ride. Riding to McLean along Westmoreland, we were joined by a fellow cyclist for a little bit before he peeled off.

When we rode through Tysons, I made sure to have everyone stop on the Route 7 bridge over the Beltway and count the number of vehicle lanes that surrounded us. Just remember, even with 22 lanes of traffic, people are still saying they need more lanes! I also made sure that everyone paid attention to the pedestrian and bike-friendliness of the Tysons area, which is improving yet still has a long way to go from its car-oriented design. We found the Tysons Biergarten which is next to the Greensboro Metro but almost completely inaccessible because of road closures for all the construction. Our last bit of Tysons-area riding involved a route I recommend for easily accessing Wolftrap from the Spring Hill Metro before jumping onto the W&OD.

Once we got to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro (current end of the Silver Line), we were met by Chris W who had ridden from Sterling to track us down. We bidded adieu to Chris W, komorebi, and Bob James and continued on to check out the future Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Dulles Airport, Loudoun Gateway, and Ashburn Metro stations.

On our ride, as we passed from Arlington into Tysons into the outskirts of Fairfax County into Loudoun County, the amount of bike awareness held by local drivers and number of ped/bike infrastructure dropped (it really is on a spectrum). Soon, we were having drivers on one lane roads stay behind us, unaware they are allowed to cross the double yellow when passing in VA. There were a few incidents where people beeped at our group for committing the cardinal sin of getting in THEIR WAY on a three lane road. We formed into a car to fill a lane on Old Ox Rd which provided better visibility and protection. I did give a loud RING! which actually worked when we were stuck behind a driver at a green light who was engrossed in his phone. We even stopped at the AOL office which had a personalized crosswalk sign featuring the person icon from AOL Instant Messenger.

Once we got to Carolina Brothers BBQ (where Chris W was waiting for us, stalking our ride), the heat and humidity were getting a little more intense. The heat index was up to 93 degrees (F), so core body temperatures were higher than normal. Our group down to Nadine, LhasaCM, and I, we took a break and hydrated ourselves before heading back along the W&OD.

All in all, I had a great time, even though I did worry that I had thrown folks into uncomfortable and unsafe situations given some of the roads we had to take, but I am glad everyone enjoyed themselves. Hopefully, everyone also found some good ideas for future rides through this and learned about a lot of the new stuff coming in the next decade. Pics to follow.

(left) the starting group at East Falls Church Metro; (right) LeprosyStudyGroup modeling his silver-themed outfit with stylish cape on the aptly-named Fashion Boulevard in Tysons
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(left) riding near Clarks Crossing on the W&OD; (right) the group after meeting with Chris W at Wiehle-Reston East Metro
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(left) near Dulles Airport, we encountered a motorcycle convoy with police escort; (right) the group having made it to the future end of the Silver Line: the station will be called Ashburn Metro but is located at the new town center called Loudoun Station
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(left) Carolina Brothers BBQ pulled pork sandwich with cornbread, mac ‘n’ cheese, their super delicious baked beans, and a classic Cheerwine that makes me smile inside; (right) after everyone else died off like in most scary movies, Nadine and I got this shot on the W&OD close to Bon Air
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@Judd 161585 wrote:

Sweet. I’m awaiting Bobco to announce the “Let’s bike the Alexandria underground poo tunnel” ride in his continuing Let’s Bike Some Piece of Infrastructure Rides.

I’m working on a couple of group rides for July and August, so stay tuned!

[bobco85]

@KWL 161927 wrote:

Expletives were used. Sometimes you just need to give up and not worry about keeping any part of your body dry.

Look, it’s a preview for the I-66 Custis Trail Expansion!

[bobco85]

I think it’s an interesting dilemma for many folks on the forum.

Should we apply the same reasoning for cyclists with electric motors on trails as we do for pedestrians with electric motors on trails? (examples of pedestrians with electric motors: motorized wheelchairs, hoverboards, possibly segways, motorized skateboards)

Most of the discussions on e-bikes on trails seem to boil down to: technically, those with motors are not supposed to be on the trails, but if they are being considerate of and safe around others, most seem to be okay with their presence.

[bobco85]

I think this will be great for cyclists on Pershing Drive. Currently, when heading eastbound on Pershing, right after crossing the Washington Blvd intersection there’s about 100 or so feet where Pershing Dr bears right (causing everyone to have to turn), the bike lane hasn’t formed, and drivers cut to the inside of the “curve” which then doesn’t give enough space to ride between the parked cars and main travel lane. This design fixes that issue.

The rest of the PBL going to Barton looks like it will be more comfortable to ride in, and I like what they did for cyclists traveling westbound by putting in that bike box.

This stretch of Pershing Dr was always the least bike-friendly for me on what is otherwise a nice and straightforward bypass to the Fairfax/Wilson/Clarendon bike lanes, so I’m glad to see improvements are coming.

[bobco85]

@streetsmarts 161736 wrote:

Where might folks go if it pours cats and dogs and thunder?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Through the cats, dogs, and thunder, of course! I brought my rain gear with me to work just in case.

[bobco85]

@Steve O 161728 wrote:

A flexpost is safer than a steel bollard
A hand grenade is safer than a cruise missile, but I’d not use either to clean out my closet, except as a last resort.

Hey, I never said it had to be steel; they make them out of concrete, too! Also, since they are objects meant to prevent intrusion and not offensive weapons, I’d rather go with a guard dog being safer than a landmine (works with the closet-cleaning, too).
@Steve O 161728 wrote:

I am with you theoretically. I challenge you, though, to cite a single, real life example of a location where other strategies such as clear, visible signage and surface treatments have failed and there is still a history of incursions. I am not personally aware of any.

I could easily point to every buffered bike lane in the area that has seen increased protection from driver incursion by adding flexposts, but that wouldn’t be fair because we’re talking about trail incursions.

I suppose a proper example would be hard to find, because how many times in these cases will signage and surface treatments be used before a more permanent solution is found? I’d point to the Commonwealth Ave/Wayne F. Anderson Bikeway driver incursions as an ongoing problem that has not yet been solved using signage and/or pavement treatments. Signage has been improved multiple times, and rocks were placed closer to the trail access to discourage drivers, but it will be proven ineffective the moment a driver makes it onto the trail again. It’s like those workplace safety signs (XX days without an accident); the moment a driver makes it onto a trail, the number goes back to zero. For the record, I do think a flexpost would be useful in this location.

On the contrary to your challenge, can you find a real world example of a trail that has been protected from vehicle incursion without having to use flexposts/bollards?

Of course, my theories about the effectiveness of flexposts only work if they are properly implemented. To the detriment of my argument, it’s a known fact that flexposts in the DC area have not been properly implemented (placed only at trail entries, marked with a diamond surrounding, leaving plenty of room for trail users to get around, maintained so that collards aren’t left, etc.). I wish they were better maintained which would maximize their effectiveness, but I still think they have a use in preventing driver incursions on trails.

[bobco85]

@Judd 161713 wrote:

I believe that a permit is required to post traffic related signs, either from VDOT or the county, but I am not sure. Here is VDOT’s FAQ page about signs. Here is a relevant quote:

I have advised the guy that I know with an impact drill that he may be breaking the law and that he will suffer the serious repercussions of improving a trail in a way that no one would ever complain about and that he is likely to suffer the slings and arrows of increased admiration from his peers.

You should also advise that guy to stop breaking the end QUOTE tags :p

[bobco85]

@DrP 161707 wrote:

That one was removed a while* ago.

*While can be anywhere from 3 months to a year because at some point it is no longer a new thing.

I swear, all my memories of passing through there have that bright yellow flexpost being there, and I’ve gone through there a couple times in the past few weeks (does this mean I’m getting old?)! Anyways, I’m glad it’s gone, and hopefully I’ll notice its removal (and remember that it’s not there anymore) next time I pass through.

[Author]

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