[chris_s]

Folks might want to specifically call out bike trailers and cargo bikes for their “pedestrian permeable security barriers”. So many bollards are placed so close together that you can barely get a mountain bike through let alone a double trailer. I made my comments this morning.

Chris

[chris_s]

Riding THROUGH Butler Holmes park? What a remarkably obvious solution that seriously never occurred to me. Sometimes I wonder about myself.

I think that route is the bee’s knees. Patrick Henry playground isn’t really visible from Highland but whatever. With young kids riding their own bikes I’d rather play it safe and stay off Walter Reed as you have indicated.

[chris_s]

Just throwing out an alternative. It loses the coolness of the community gardens, but is much flatter. Still starts at a playground (Alcova Heights Park) and still ends at the Columbia Pike Farmer’s Market. It’s kind of a tour of South Arlington playgrounds (including a brief jaunt down a dead end so as to get to Butler Holmes Park because it has the biggest, coolest climbing structure I’ve ever seen at a playground).

I could extend it to hit more playgrounds but it is already 3.4 miles.

Also it’d be shorter and pass one more playground if it came down Walter Reed Drive to the Farmer’s Market but I wasn’t sure how folks would feel about Walter Reed. It has a bike lane until around 9th Road, but getting over to the Farmer’s Market would be a little squirrely – probably do a pedestrian style left turn.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3168626

[chris_s]

@mstone 61678 wrote:

Edit to add: part of the problem is the federal minimum walk cycle based on the speed of a little old lady crossing the street. There’s a good reason for that (and I don’t think the safety aspect should be discarded for expediency), but it does lead to a lot of empty crosswalk/wasted time if the crosser is on a bike. I think there was some consideration at one point about adding different buttons so people could indicate whether they needed a slow or fast cycle, but that seems impractical (what if there are multiple people, how to set expectations, etc.).

HAWK signals avoid this issue. When the pedestrian signal starts flashing don’t walk, the car light goes from solid red (stop and stay stopped) to flashing red (treat like a stop sign) so if the pedestrians/cyclists are no longer in the crosswalk cars can continue on through.

[chris_s]

I finally caught up on logging my rides. Sorry for the delay!

[chris_s]

There are HUNDREDS of parking spaces sitting empty and unused within a quarter mile of that church on Sunday…for instance the parking garage next door to the church which appears to currently be closed on Sundays. If there is such a desperate need for parking there I’m sure at least one of those nearby garages would be happy to take their money, rather than endangering cyclist lives.

[chris_s]

This is in theory supposed to include a bicycle stairway.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[chris_s]

Just wanted to reiterate that this contractor is building a cheap and temporary connection. Arlington will be coming back in a couple of years to build a permanent and likely much better connection.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[chris_s]

@dasgeh 58490 wrote:

I can’t wait to see people’s pics and videos. We did get some video — we need to clean it up a bit. (On that note, the camera was turned ~120 degrees. iMovie will rotate it in 90 degree turns — any thoughts on how to get it upright?)

My Mac buddy says that this iMovie plugin will spin video 180 degrees.

[chris_s]

@dasgeh 58079 wrote:

In fact, if you want to swing by Cherrydale, you’re welcome to borrow it for the ride on Sunday. (Or any time we’re not using it, and we’d even be willing to chat about it when you pick it up. Though Sunday would be best ).

I’ve been planning on coming Sunday, but then again I planned to come to Father’s Day also – this seems like the the right extra pop of motivation to overcome any dumb excuses that float into my head.

I’ll plan on Sunday being DS’ last hurrah in the iBert and check out / chat about Weehoo. See folks there!

Note to self: investigate options for mounting bubble machine on back of Weehoo.

[chris_s]

@mstone 58058 wrote:

I’ve been very happy with the weehoo.

How awkward is it to safely get your kid on and off by yourself?

[chris_s]

Will give the weehoo some more investigation – thanks for the heads up on that.

I’ve heard good things about the Burley, but I’m really wedded to my current rack. Hmm…

Biggest concern I’ve got with the trail-a-bike is many reports of major wobble in the hitch.

[chris_s]

Speaking of bridge/viaduct demolition…

“The Four Mile Run Joint Task Force cordially invites you to a ceremonial start of bridge demolition at Four Mile Run as part of the Four Mile Run Restoration Plan on Monday, July 22, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. The event will be held on the north side of the westernmost bridge between Route One and Potomac Avenue. Please park along Potomac Avenue and walk to the event site. This event will be held rain or shine.”

http://www.novaregion.org/index.aspx?NID=216

Progress!

[chris_s]

Some updates to that thread that bobco linked:

When the railroad viaduct comes down this year, the contractor will be installing a temporary connection. The temporary connection will, I understand, definitely involve a ridiculous and convoluted set of ADA-compliant ramps and may also include a bicycle staircase. *crosses fingers*

The actual, permanent, for reals trail connection is beginning design and won’t be built until probably 2016.

[chris_s]

There is some hope that the Boundary Channel Drive Interchange project will get the trail far enough away from the Pentagon that they’ll allow it. We’ll see.

[Author]

Posts