[Brendan von Buckingham]

Huh. So the text on the warning says regarding stop signs: “All persons riding a bicycle on a sidewalk or public highway shall stop at all stop signs.” Highways? Now, I suppose all public roads are qualified as “highways” somewhere in the primordial ooze of ancient Virginia Law. But what if that supposition is wrong? Might I NOT be breaking the law by blowing through the stop sign at Henderson and 2nd. Neither of those residential streets fit the common sense idea of “highway.” A scofflaw cyclist can still dream.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Eastbound I would also use 22nd Street between Sycamore and Lee Hwy. It hits Lee Hwy at the McDonald’s just short of Glebe. Then I’d take Lee to the trail behind Big Wheel Bikes in Lyon Park. The Lee Hwy segment is a good downhill that offer 25+ MPH speeds. No problem keeping up with AM rush hour traffic. Not practical westbound in the evening rush though.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

I once was a regular Washington Blvd user between EFC Metro and the Clarendon Circle (The crazy intersection at Silver Diner used to be a circle around the war memorial with the little cannon on top, so I still call it a circle. Take that.)

I find that between EFC and Glebe, the shoulders are comfortably wide enough to give me my own lane. Between Glebe and Clarendon Circle the lanes are so narrow that I can unambiguously take the lane and keep up well with congested rush hour traffic. Washington Blvd has two lanes for a reason. If someone wants to pass me, they can change lanes.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Is that section of Wilson heading downhill to Lynn still milled leaving a washboard surface?

[Brendan von Buckingham]

The only time I’ve been doored was M Street (WB) in Georgetown.

I was riding between the parked cars in the right lane and moving traffic in the center lane. A cab stopped in the middle lane without pulling over and his passenger opened the passenger side door into my path. My speed was low, so my handlebar only hooked the door frame. I didn’t come off the bike and wasn’t hurt. But my impact was forceful enough to damage the door hinge. The door could not close and latch; just bounced open the 62 times the cabbie tried to slam the door shut.

Ever since I split the lane between center and left lane. I’ve never had a problem with that.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

DS’s response is right. If cops don’t see it for themselves, it’s cyclist’s word against driver’s word. No tickets. Flagging down an officer after the fact doesn’t do any good unless there’s damage or injury.

A similar scenario was discussed at WashCycle recently. Bike vs. cab, no contact or injuries, cyclist flagged down nearby officer, officer refused to do anything. An MPD officer weighed in on the conversation and explained the officer in the event was correct: essentially no harm no foul, one word against another’s.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

DS’s response is right. If cops don’t see it for themselves, it’s cyclist’s word against driver’s word. No tickets. Flagging down an officer after the fact doesn’t do any good unless there’s damage or injury.

A similar scenario was discussed at WashCycle recently. Bike vs. cab, no contact or injuries, cyclist flagged down nearby officer, officer refused to do anything. An MPD officer weighed in on the conversation and explained the officer in the event was correct: essentially no harm no foul, one word against another’s.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

I take the lane. It’s downhill. Keeping pace with a.m. traffic is not a problem.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

I take the lane. It’s downhill. Keeping pace with a.m. traffic is not a problem.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

When I got a ticket on Wilson Blvd between Silver Diner and Virginia Square Metro for “failure to stay to the right” (which is a non-existant regulation), the only substantial question the judge asked me was if there was a bicycle lane available. The answer was no and the charge was dismissed, but I have to wonder, if there HAD been a bike lane the judge would have used that to find against me.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

When I got a ticket on Wilson Blvd between Silver Diner and Virginia Square Metro for “failure to stay to the right” (which is a non-existant regulation), the only substantial question the judge asked me was if there was a bicycle lane available. The answer was no and the charge was dismissed, but I have to wonder, if there HAD been a bike lane the judge would have used that to find against me.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Riding the brakes on the turn, down to about 10-12 mph, I had 2 seconds (one thousand one, one thousand two) between first seeing the map and then getting to the map. That’s not a lot of reaction time.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Southside side of Memorial Bridge, eastbound.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Now there’s a new hazard. They’ve reinstalled the yield sign, but they’ve also installed a tourist friendly area map on the blind turn eastbound off Memorial Bridge. The sightlines are not good coming eastbound because of the turn and the architecture of the bridge. The new NPS map that will encourage tourists to stand in the blind spot while reading the map.

It’s a terrible location and cyclists will have to use extra caution.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Outbound, with an opportunity to make eye contact with drivers, I’ve almost never had a problem; drivers typically yield. Inbound however, when I can’t make eye contact over my should, is when I have some touch-and-go encounters.

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