[BrettVA]

Mostly riding the road for my evening commute after the 7 PM closure at the zoo. A question and an observation.

Does anyone know if the park serviced has bailed on the promise to build a bridge for bikes and peds across the creek south of the tunnel? I have seen no work on abutments and I can’t believe they could build it before the 20th.

They seemed to have spent a lot of time and effort hand paving the center line in the tunnel with white bricks. Maybe that is what they spent the bridge money on?

I have been having recurring conflicts with runners on the existing trail on the bridge. With the construction barriers up one cannot step into the road to pass another user on the bridge’s sidewalk. While I regularly wait for runners/walkers on the bridge to clear before I start over, they rarely return the courtesy. When I point out their rudeness, I am inevitably told that I should be walking my bike. So now when a runner enters the bridge I immediately dismount. I have a fat veranda and me and my bike take up the entire width of the path making it impossible for the runner to pass.

I think this issue will be further amplified by the design of the path through the tunnel. The new path will be the width of the path on the bridge. A guardrail will prevent folks from easily stepping into the road to pass–as was past custom. The Park Service’s “solution” to this problem is to require bikers to walk through the tunnel. I can see me and another biker walking through the tunnel in opposite directions. We meet somewhere in the middle. With our fat verandas and bikes at our side, no one can get by. A major choke point.

I’m thinking new lyrics to the song “Charlie on the M.T.A”

Did they ever return?
No they never returned.
Their fate is still unlearned
They are stuck forever ‘neath the Rock Creek Tunnel.
They are the bikers who never returned.

[BrettVA]

I have heard from My ANC rep that work won’t start until September. Any confirmation? Also it looks like the work on Klingle road has stopped. Does anybody have news on that?

[BrettVA]

So it all depends on your comfort level and strength as a rider. Take the Custis/Mt Vernon trails to one of the Bridges–Key, Roosevelt, Memorial, or 14th. Cross over and pick up trail on other side. Get on K street under the Whitehurst Freeway. Go to end and pick up CC trail–its the paved one. the gravel one is the canal path and that takes you to Cumberland MD which is a bit out of your way. Note there are lots of crowds and an enforced speed limit on the CCT, better to go uphill rather than down. Take trail through Bethesda and pick up dirt version on other side of Wisconsin Ave. At the intersection of Beach Drive–if you cross the trestle you’v e gone too far–you have a four choices.
1) go left on beach drive/jones mill road and follow it out to Viers Mill and come back
2) go right on beach drive and take it into town through the blocked off segments –closed 7 am saturday to 7 pm sunday and holidays. Once you hit Broad Branch Rd/Pierce Mill another choice a) if you are a strong aggressive rider stay on beach drive/rock creek parkway back to Georgetown. b) if you are conservative slow rider get on the crappy trail that they will NEVER fix and dodge walkers, runners, etc all the way to Georgetown–avoid going through tunnel at zoo take bypass trail to the right.
3) go left on crappy trail just beyond Beach Drive to Viers Mill and back.
4) go right on crappy trail to where road is block off pick up beach drive to pierce mill and pick up crappy trail to Georgetown.

Note Beach Drive North of Pierce Mill is either blocked from car use or drivers are so used to the plethora of weekend cyclists on the road that it is pretty safe. Only use the trail if you are a very slow/cautious bicyclist. South of Pierce Mill Drivers are less used to and forgiving of cyclists on the road so unless you are a confident cyclist you should stick to the crappy, busy trail segment. this is a short part of your overall trip so it is a tolerable distraction.

[BrettVA]

Sorry not the Metal Band. Just more Idle Threats from DDOT, FHWA, and NPS about fixing this trail. I have commuted on the trail since 1988. It sucked then, it sucks worse now and I doubt they will fix it before I retire.

[BrettVA]

@DCAKen 135388 wrote:

There’s another meeting tonight about the project. Again, I’m astounded about the lack of information about the project on the NPS website and any advanced notice about these public forums. It’s as if they don’t want anyone to know about the project.

WABA sent this out yesterday

Once again I missed this. any update? Has it been put back again to 2020 or some such time? I noticed some construction activity surrounding the Klingle road area is that separate work or has it all been combined into one project?

[BrettVA]

@chris_s 128038 wrote:

http://www.nps.gov/rocr/learn/news/beach-drive-public-meeting.htm

Public invited to learn about Beach Drive and multi-use trail reconstruction

Date: November 13, 2015
Contact: Wayne Campbell, 202-619-7186
WASHINGTON– Beginning next spring, the National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration will begin a multi-year project to reconstruct Beach Drive and the multi-use trail through Rock Creek Park. The National Park Service, Councilmember Brianne Nadeau (Ward 1), Councilmember Mary M. Cheh (Ward 3) and Councilmember Brandon T. Todd (Ward 4), invite the public to learn more at a meeting on Tuesday, November 17, 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Rock Creek Park Nature Center, 5200 Glover Rd NW, Washington, D.C.

“Rock Creek Park is a retreat within the city, and thousands of people travel through it on their way to work, school or play every day,” Tara Morrison, superintendent of Rock Creek Park said. “Undertaking a project of this magnitude comes with enormous benefits, but it will inevitably cause inconvenience. The National Park Service wants to minimize the hassle by providing as much information and planning time to people as possible.”

Other public meetings will be held closer to the start of construction. The meeting will cover the project timeline, detours and the work to the road and trail.

Is there any posted information on what was covered in the above mentioned meeting? I have been commuting to work on this wretched trail since 1988. I suspect I will retire before this gets fixed. In the nearly 30 years I have been biking in DC the only two crashes I have had have been on this trail. The trail is too narrow and the surface is poorly maintained not to mention the total lack of maintenance after winter snows and creek flooding. Get a bobcat with a rotating brush attachment and you could clean up in a jiffy. The zoo uses one. Why can’t the rest of the park?

[BrettVA]

It is now the fall of 2015. I see no information that they are starting the threatened work to repair rock creek trail. Is this more empty threats from the park service?

[BrettVA]

I have commuted on this trail year round since the late 80’s. Years ago in the 1990’s there was some crazy attacking folks with an Ice pick. I believe he was caught and I haven’t heard anything since then. the real danger is large number of runners who feel it is appropriate to run in the dark wearing all black. Make sure you have a really good light to illuminate this. I also recommend a helmet mounted bright light. It has two good uses. One, if you are nervous, shinning it in someone eyes usually stops them in there tracks long enough for you to put some distance between you and them. Two, there are numerous places where the trail crosses an on or off ramp. Shining the light into the drivers eyes will surely get their attention.

[Author]

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