[Dan K]

Appreciate your comprehensive response.  Pretty much what I expected, but thought I’d give it a shot.  This too shall pass!

[Dan K]

Many thanks. Message sent, hopefully they act promptly.

[Dan K]

I do my cycling workout here 5 days a week, and strongly agree that this is as much a looming disaster as it is wholly unnecessary. Rather than spending a big pile of bucks on this ill-conceived project, it would be great NPS would spend a much smaller pile of bucks on the faded/absent double yellow lines that keep the left turners exiting the Jefferson Memorial in the proper lane. Wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve had a vehicle coming toward me head-on, as they drive the wrong way in the WEST-bound lane as I travel from East Potomac Park to West Potomac Park (just west of the 14th Street Bridge overpasses). Now THAT would be money well spent!

[Dan K]

https://beyer.house.gov/

https://www.kaine.senate.gov/contact

https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm

[Dan K]

@Judd 211562 wrote:

It just so happens that we are working on that area next week and are in need of a lot of volunteers still. The heaves between the power plant bridge and marina towers are likely going to be cut out and patched which is much more labor intensive than using the concrete planer. Full details and registration are at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/trail-bump-repair-near-marina-towers-tickets-179586075787

Awesome! I’ll be there. Is it rain or shine?

[Dan K]

@JorgeGortex 211559 wrote:

What can we do to put pressure on those in charge of the MVT trail and other areas to get real fixes done in a reasonable amount of time?

JG

JorgeGortex: I share your frustration.

NPS is far less responsive than the various localities that govern the other NOVA trails. In fairness, I think this is at least in part due to the fact they they are part of the far, far bigger federal (as opposed to local) bureaucracy and are therefore less resourced, both financially and in terms of manpower. This causes them to generally respond with the same old “humma, humma, wuzza, wuzza” non-answers, non-actions.

To your question, something I’ve been contemplating is filing formal congressional complaints with Beyer’s office in the House, and with Warner and Kaine in the Senate. I would highlight the overall disgraceful (and therefore dangerous) condition of the MVT relative to the other local trails and ask them to take action with NPS.

There are some additional “infrastructure” resources out there at the federal level these days. So the more of us who get this on their radar screens, the more chance this squeaky wheel may get some grease.

[Dan K]

@Judd 211558 wrote:

I wish FoMVT could take credit for marking the trail heaves with spray paint. This was done by a trail user on his own. I have met him and he did volunteer with us once.

We are doing trail bump fixes now and looking forward to fixing as many as we can. https://twitter.com/mtvernonfriends/status/1451951265999691778?s=21

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Judd: Appreciate you recognizing the anonymous good samaritan who is marking the heaves. So whoever you are — thank you!

Regarding the upcoming work of the FoMVT, please allow me to nominate what I think might be the currently most dangerous spot: the asphalt right at the north end of the short concrete stretch directly behind the power plant.

There are several very high root heaves that southbound cyclists encounter at the bottom of a steep downhill stretch that then leads right into an already dangerous blind curve (dangerous enough to warrant the mirror that is thankfully there). The root heaves significantly increase the hazard there.

Similar to the effort described in my OP regarding 4MR, three years ago I repeatedly badgered NPS to fix this spot. They finally did, but it’s bad again, perhaps even worse. I respectfully suggest you good folks make this spot a priority in your upcoming efforts.

[Dan K]

You can absolutely cycle on Hains Point. Yes, the gates are locked, but the police have zero problem with cyclists going around them and using the roadway. A few weeks ago, I actually asked a cop parked adjacent to the gate if it would be OK, her response — no problem. Been doing laps there ever since, including in full view of police parked in the parking area down near the “tip” — again, no problem.

@zsionakides 200249 wrote:

Hains Point is closed. The road is blocked from past the golf course all the way around. You can walk/run there as the seawall path is open, but the road entrances are blocked off.

It’s unfortunate that they closed it to bikes as all the parking in the area is closed so it wouldn’t be hard to partially open the gates to bikes a’la Beach Drive.

[Dan K]

@dasgeh 192621 wrote:

To whom did you persist? Methinks we need to focus a new persistence on getting the root heaves on the TR Bridge ramp shaved again.

GW Memorial Parkway HQ: (703) 289-2500

Rangers (Arlington Cemetery Office):

Brent O’Neill (Supervisory Park Ranger); (202) 438-6614

Jeff Long, Seasonal Ranger (Apr-Oct); (703) 235-1530

[Dan K]

Passed thru out and back today. Work crew was just doing brush work in the trees.

Speaking of this location, They also sure do need to fix that collection of root bumps on the trail just east of the detour. As is common, they dealt with them a couple of years ago, but they’re back big time.

Regarding root bumps, won a victory this week after dogged (8-week!) campaign with NPS. Extremely hazardous and huge root bumps on the MVT, right at the mirror, where the concrete meets the asphalt behind the power plant, finally fixed. Bumps were at the bottom of a hill (southbound) and a blind curve (hence the mirror there).

Last week I was northbound there, and nearly got hit head on by a southbound guy who hit the bumps and lost control of his bike. He missed me by a couple of inches and crashed into the fence (he was just scratched and bruised, his bike fared worse).

Duly reported all to NPS, perhaps that was what finally got them to do the fix. They also fixed some bad bumps on the straightaway just to the south as well. Bottomline: sometimes persistence pays off, other times sadly, it takes an accident.

[Dan K]

Many thanks to responders providing useful perspective.

Gut feeling I had was borne out — I’ll pass on the event.

[Dan K]

@Boomer2U 190197 wrote:

I, too, prefer the West Columbia Street crossing of Lee Highway because it has a traffic light for a safer crossing.

The official detour on West Jefferson means that you have to cross 4 lines of high speed motorized traffic to exercise 2 of the 3 options (go straight or make the left). And the 3rd option (make the right) takes you up to the Columbia Street traffic light anyway. It’s a tad longer, but you get to avoid riding alongside Lee Highway (not my favorite bike route).

However I do like that the West Jefferson Street detour passes by the Bikenetic shop, which has a tool rack outside, and Acme Pie inside;-)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

To clarify from my OP, when westbound, the “straight ahead” detour option crosses Lee at Fairfax, which is also controlled by a traffic light.

[Dan K]

Did the a round trip through the detour yesterday and found it to be a non-event.

Westbound, offered 3 detour choices at Lee Hwy: left, right, straight. Chose straight, took the sidewalk down Fairfax, where I encountered neither a single pedestrian, nor another cyclist (this was during latter part of morning rush hour). Left on Little Falls, then a right back onto WOD. Total piece of cake, all of it less than .4 miles.

One caution: be careful when entering the intersection at the end of the sidewalk on Fairfax as you make the left onto Little Falls. Northbound cars on Little Falls who are turning right onto Fairfax will be most likely roll through (i.e., not stop) at the stop sign — and will be looking LEFT for oncoming traffic on Fairfax. They won’t see you entering the intersection from their right.

Eastbound was even better, as riding on Fairfax itself rather than the sidewalk was no problem at all. I’m not a fan of street riding, but that short stretch was truly benign.

Bottomline: IMHO, very little pain for the ultimate payoff of one less big intersection to deal with.

Now if only Arlington would pony up the bucks for a bridge over the “hell on wheels (and foot!)” that are the Custis crossings of 29N (Lynn) and 29S (Ft Myer)! Knowing that ain’t gonna happen, perhaps things will be at least a bit better when the ongoing “improvements” are complete.

[Dan K]

Follow-up call from Arlington Parks. Contractor “owns the site” until 31 October. Still has work to do including installation of public art and some fencing. Could re-open earlier, but worst case should be NLT 31 October.

Should be nice when finished though, and agree with a previous post — while the worst part of the detour is the ramps and bridge over 4MR on Mount Vernon Ave, the rest of the detour is kinda nice!

[Dan K]

Judging by responses so far, I appears I’m in a small minority on this. Fair enough, but a couple of responders asked me to further explain my objection.

I would boil it down to these three things:

1. The logic behind the rule. The prohibition of motorized vehicles on the MVT is the same as on all of our local recreation trails, as well as all the others I’ve been on in the US, Canada, and Europe.

In each case, I’m quite sure the logic behind the rule is what I alluded to in the OP, “the inherent danger of motorized vehicles operating on a narrow, twisting, undulating path among pedestrians, cyclists, strollers, children etc.”. That logic makes unambiguous sense to me.

2. If a line isn’t “bright”, it’s not a line. One response mentioned a debate between the “letter” and “spirit” of the law. I get that, and fully accept that in real life, we often dwell more in a world colored grey, rather than black and white — but not always.

The problem with grey, is each person can now believe that they are individually empowered to define where the line is, or ought to be So with respect to this issue, who gets to say which motorized vehicles are OK on the trail, i.e., which ones conform to the “spirit” of the law, if not the “letter”?

Are hoverboards okay, but not segways — why not? Mopeds? How about those miniature dirt bikes that kids ride? Who decides?

3. Finally, for me, this flunks the “what if everybody did it” test. I alluded to this toward the end of the OP. If we’re willing to accept this one guy, because he is just one guy, and OBTW he’s not hurting anyone — then conversely, how many would represent “a problem”?

Like you, I don’t have an answer to that rhetorical question. It’s for that reason I feel accepting the presence of even one prohibited motorized vehicle represents a step down a “slippery slope”.

Looks like most folks disagree with my take on this. As I said up top — fair enough.

[Author]

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