[chris_s]

JorgeGortex, if you pop across at Mt. Vernon Avenue and switch to the Alexandria side of the Four Mile Run trail then cut through the parking lot between the ball fields it saves about 2 minutes vs going all the way over to the Route 1 bridge (see my route map if you want detail)

[chris_s]

My recommendation: http://g.co/maps/zw2fq

Others may suggest staying on Four Mile Run all the way to the Mt Vernon Trail and taking that south – I prefer Commonwealth Ave as it is more direct. It’s got bike lanes for about 70% of it and sharrows elsewhere – traffic is fairly slow and used to cyclists -I’ve been commuting on it for two years and have been honked at on it only once.

[chris_s]

I don’t have personal experience with them, but International Auto Repair is extremely well rated on Consumer Checkbook and very close to Shirlington.

International Auto Repair
3800 S Four Mile Run Dr #F
Arlington, VA 22206
703-671-4385

[chris_s]

Here’s a smattering:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]1026[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]1027[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]1028[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]1029[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]1030[/ATTACH]

[chris_s]

It looked to me like it was just that choke point on Marshall Dr due to those metal plates in the road. Once a big pack of people started funneling in there it started backing up. Looked like a lot of the family ride folks were pretty tired out by that point also – lots of folks walking bikes. It definitely caused confusion for folks coming back around into DC on the full ride.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[chris_s]

Four lights out when I rode through yesterday – should we keep funneling this through you Tim or is their somewhere more direct we should be reporting to?

[chris_s]

@rcannon100 18379 wrote:

If you signal within 10′, that could be why you are startling people and why you are getting negative reactions.

That’s been my experience as well; I’ve been getting lots of “thanks” and acknowledgements ever since I started dinging the bell farther back. It’s less startling and gives people more time to react. Requires a nice loud bell though (or some serious vocal cords)

[chris_s]

@Tim Kelley 17869 wrote:

There has been some recent movement on this.

Staff has been looking into “warranty” options with the Four Mile Run trail settling in multiple areas and requests have been put in to have it fixed.

Glad to see this – I hit the bump so hard today it knocked my phone out of its mount. That bad boy is definitely growing.

[chris_s]

As promised, a tiny bit of additional information. Arlington County applied for a grant for “preliminary engineering and right of way” for a Four Mile Run Trail to Potomac Avenue Connector as part of the FY2013 Transporation Enhancements program of VDOT.

From what I can see on VDOT’s website, FY2013 awards haven’t been decided yet. Last year’s awards are dated June 15, 2011 so I guess June of this year is when we might expect to see them awarded this year.

Here’s the pull quote from the grant application:

Four Mile Run Trail Connection: The bicycle element of Arlington County’s Master
Transportation Plan calls for creating a link between street level in Potomac Yard and the
Four Mile Run Trail at the stream level. There is currently only a rough unpaved path that is
completely inadequate, but that indicates a public desire for the connection. The County has
received developer funds to help implement a trail connection, and as the final parcels are
built out, the increasing residential and commercial activity is increasing pressure to decide
on a solution. The request envisioned in this application is for Preliminary Engineering and
Right-of-Way phases.

I’m not sure how this squares with the information I pasted above from Carrie in Alexandria.

Sources:
http://arlington.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=2241&meta_id=96025
http://www.virginiadot.org/business/prenhancegrants.asp

[chris_s]

There was a conversation about this on the Alexandria BPAC list today as well and Carrie Sanders from the city government staff posted this:

To clarify, the area where the informal trail is located is owned by Potomac Yard Development LLC. As the trail reaches the top of the bank, the property is within Arlington County. The most recent plan submittal this month from Potomac Yard LLC shows a new asphalt trail that addresses the current safety issues of the informal trail there now. This trail plan is in response to requirements from Alexandria and Arlington when we met with Potomac Yard LLC last fall to ensure that a future formal connection is created there.

[chris_s]

I can dig you up more detail when I get a few more minutes, but the short answer is “yes, but it’ll be a while”

One of the bridges is bring torn down soon to make space for a connection and Arlington has devoted some State Grant money for preliminary engineering. It won’t be cheap thanks to the large elevation change.

[chris_s]

@PotomacCyclist 12661 wrote:

Interestingly, an Alta/CaBi representative said that Arlington is only going to install about 20 new stations this year. Earlier announcements stated that Arlington could end up with 70 total stations by the end of 2012. There are 23 Arlington stations as of today. Not sure who is correct.

This map shows 23 new stations coming this Spring (probably what the Alta/Cabi rep was referring to) along with 26 existing stations. I believe more stations are supposed to come online this Fall bringing the total to 70 stations – the Fall stations having been funded with a more recent CMAQ grant. I imagine it is possible that the Fall round of stations has slipped into 2013 at this point. I know Arlington has had delays getting VDOT to sign over the CMAQ money in the past.

[chris_s]

@MCL1981 16476 wrote:

This would only apply if you were in a controlled turning lane.

Just wanted to point out, there are places where even the “go straight” lane is sensor activated (southbound Commonwealth Ave at the intersection with Mt Vernon Ave in Alexandria for instance)

[chris_s]

Also – incandescent bulbs? Seriously?

[chris_s]

Redeemed my helmet & light coupon yesterday at the Shirlington Commuter Store – 30 seconds, in and out, nice and easy. They appear to be keeping them in the…boiler room? I guess they don’t have a lot of storage space.

Props to the county for the classy covered bike parking at the Shirlington Station.

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