[bobco85]

@gibby 159947 wrote:

I may have to invest in some sandals for the rainy summer days, tho it seemed a bit chilly yesterday. Do you have a toe warmer at work?
My biggest issue is that both my pairs of bike shoes get quite stinky for a few days after getting soaked like that. At least I can switch out shoes so I don’t scare away everyone at work today. 😮

Easy solution: dryer sheets. I put them into my bike shoes (Keen sandals) after arriving at work. They help to dry out the sweat and deodorize my sandals. For wet shoes, stuff them with old newspapers and a few dryer sheets. My desk smells mountain fresh instead of like a gym locker because of this

[bobco85]

@Birru 159927 wrote:

This happens more often than I’d prefer, especially on the two lane 15th St cycle track. And last night I was riding up 29 from DC. Nearing Spout Run there was another cyclist salmoning in the bike lane heading directly toward me. After dark. I kept checking over my shoulder to see if I could take the lane, but cars were there and continued to pass me. Luckily said salmon finally detoured to the sidewalk. Good times!

That seems to be most of my experience with bike lane salmon. We approach, I hold my line (assertively, not aggressively), and (probably because of my size) the salmon will move out of the way. Sometimes, I will tell the salmon that they’re going the wrong way, and sometimes they will respond with an infuriating, “I know.” (I know? Then DON’T DO IT).

To be honest, I can slightly sympathize with the bike lane salmon in one way. In most cases, the bike lane (especially if it’s a protected bike lane) is the calmest space when compared to a sidewalk with pedestrians, dogs, poles, trees, mailboxes, drivers-leaving-driveways, etc. and a roadway with speeding/aggressive/distracted/oblivious drivers. I don’t condone salmoning in a bike lane, but I can understand how it could be a viable choice for someone looking to quickly and safely (in their mind) get somewhere for a short distance like a block or two.

[bobco85]

@Emm 159928 wrote:

That’s so cool. Any idea what that little stone says? It looks like someone wrote on one of them.

This looks like an adorable little squirrel city. Just needs some squirrel sized catapults and trebuchets and we could have a real life squirrel Medieval war!

The stone does say the name of the father and son who made it. It’s a little too small for a squirrel to fit, but maybe …a mouse city?

FYI for those that would like to see it: it’s on N Rosser St a few blocks from Skyline.

[bobco85]

Chalk this up as another case of “stop and smell the roses” on my evening commute yesterday.

On one of the various routes home that I like to use, I would pass by a little bridge and tower made out of wire and sticks on the side of the road. They looked cool, and I was sad when I saw them gone this past winter.

Fast forward to yesterday; the bridge is back and is accompanied by more bridges, and the tower became a lighthouse with a working light!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bobco85]

I rode with my brother (a teacher) to his school (Fairhill ES) today, then biked to all 3 of my nieces’/nephew’s schools. Great morning for a ride!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bobco85]

@Judd 159754 wrote:

Caught a bit of a news report this morning that said that VDOT had removed the signs.

Yay, the sign was removed! http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Virginia-Man-Posts-Signs-Telling-Drivers-Not-to-Stop-for-Cyclists-Pedestrians-421670963.html

I’d personally attend a bonfire for the sign, if there is one.

[bobco85]

@scoot 159726 wrote:

What? When was this?

I remember it happened a few years ago, so it popped back into my head when I saw this thread. I couldn’t find the original source of how I found out about it, but I did find this article: https://ggwash.org/view/10266/park-police-hassle-driver-who-stops-at-gw-parkway-crossing

[bobco85]

@MFC 159706 wrote:

I am not in anyway condoning what the guy did, but what was he doing that was illegal/is there is a statute prohibiting what he did? His sign does not look like an official sign, and I presume the police decided he was acting within his First Amendment rights, however reprehensible his actions.

Good question. Someone on Twitter (@notthatdsk) pointed out this could be in violation of the following Virginia law http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/section46.2-831/ which states:

§ 46.2-831. Unofficial traffic control devices prohibited; penalties.

No unauthorized person shall erect or maintain on any highway any warning or direction sign, signal, or light in imitation of any official traffic control device erected as provided by law. No person shall erect or maintain on any highway any traffic control device bearing any commercial advertising.

Nothing in this section shall prohibit the erection or maintenance of signs or signals bearing the name of an organization authorized to erect it by the Commonwealth Transportation Board, the Department of Transportation, or local authorities of counties, cities, and towns as provided by law. Nor shall this section be construed to prohibit the erection by contractors or public utility companies of temporary signs approved by the Virginia Department of Transportation warning motorists that work is in progress on or adjacent to the highway.

Any violation of this section shall constitute a Class 4 misdemeanor.

(Edit: ninja’d by jrenaut)

[bobco85]

Consider me triggered, but this type of s*** needs to be shut down IMMEDIATELY. The signs are telling drivers to break the law http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/section46.2-924

It’s this kind of thinking that led to the NPS Park Police ticketing drivers at Memorial Circle for stopping for pedestrians and cyclists.

The W&OD/Sterling Blvd crossing shouldn’t have to be like this:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]14723[/ATTACH]

As an aside, I had a conversation with my father (retired transportation engineer) a few months ago about the changes made to a dangerous intersection near his neighborhood where many crashes had occurred due to red-light runners. I asked him if they had tried to incorporate any traffic calming, signage, or other methods to slow traffic down. He responded by telling me that the only change made was to lengthen the light cycle because fewer red lights mean less red-light runners (I facepalmed).

[bobco85]

I went through and added all events for May that were listed in the forum calendar to this shared calendar. I’ll check the forum calendar every couple of days and add any new events as I find them so that the forum and shared calendars are 1-to-1.

[bobco85]

Not much on that specifically. He did, however, talk about a possible new reporting system that would replace the current Call.Click.Connect system, but my memory of the details on that including their affect on a case like yours/mine/Casey’s are a bit hazy. The purpose of the new chief’s presence at the BPAC meeting was more of a big listening tour of different community and neighborhood groups that he had been doing for the 12 weeks since his arrival; he’s been taking input instead of making any policy decisions so far. Hopefully this issue will be resolved in the process.

[bobco85]

@peterw_diy 159649 wrote:

WTF is this $1500 nonsense? When did this start? Did anyone ask the new police chief about this when he attended the BPAC meeting?

To answer your questions:

• The $1500 threshold is not a requirement, but it’s still at the officer’s discretion on whether to write a report.
• I don’t know when the policy was put in place.
• Yes, we did bring this up to the new police chief at the most recent meeting.

[bobco85]

@bentbike33 159626 wrote:

Exactly, it mystifies me why bike lanes on streets with so much room that the bike lane can include a buffer zone, like Williamsburg Blvd, have that buffer between the car travel lane and the bike lane rather than between the bike lane and the parking lane. Put that buffer in the door zone! (Overly-)Cautious cyclists will be more likely to hug the right side of the bike lane than the left, and the buffer on the right would remind them of the less obvious danger (moving cars usually make plenty of scary noise) of dooring.

Curiosity brought me to this page: https://nacto.org/publication/urban-bikeway-design-guide/bike-lanes/buffered-bike-lanes/

Interestingly, they do have a configuration for a buffered bike lane that has buffers both between parking/bike lane and bike lane/travel lane. I don’t know how effective dual-buffered bike lanes^TM (trademarking it now because reasons) would be because drivers would likely interpret them as lanes for driving or as advisory bike lanes (this post is a good test of your cycling infrastructure vocabulary knowledge).

That said, it makes me think that a road that has enough space for a buffered bike lane and parking lane would be better off being reconfigured by converting it into a protected bike lane with the parking lane as the buffer.

[bobco85]

I’m glad you’re okay, especially considering you made a quick reflex to prevent a worse outcome.

Did the police actually write a report on this crash? Getting Alexandria PD to do reports on vehicle/cyclist collisions when the damage has been less than the $1500 amount has been a point of contention lately as there are growing numbers of Alexandria residents (including Casey and myself) who were hit by cars and were unable to get the city to properly document these cases (right now, they aren’t documenting them at all).

[bobco85]

@Tania 159577 wrote:

I don’t find those crossings on 50 (or the ones on the trail that’s along 27) to be all that bad. Yes, you have to (gasp!) slow down or even (bigger gasp!) stop (WHAT?) and make sure the way is clear but that’s not such a big deal. To me.

I agree with you only 50% on this. I should note that the majority of my experience at the crossings have been either during afternoon rush hour or on the weekends.

I’m mostly okay with the westbound Wash Blvd to westbound Route 50 crossing. Traffic can go a little fast at times, but usually there’s a bit of a backup or gap which makes crossing much easier.

I dislike the westbound Route 50 to westbound Wash Blvd crossing. Traffic is fast, and it’s difficult to predict whether a fast moving vehicle is going to stay in the right lane or take the exit ramp (especially since right turn signals don’t seem to be used). Additionally, people (especially westbound folks) at the crossing are not as visible to drivers because they are obscured by a yellow bicycle diamond sign, a yellow 25 mph exit sign, and the supports for the overhead green road signs. Look at the Google Street View here: https://goo.gl/maps/qGuEWrqxkQx A driver going at the speed limit (45 mph on this stretch) would have little-to-no time to react and stop if they were to encounter someone in the crossing.

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