dbb
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dbb
Participant@ShawnoftheDread 202837 wrote:
Silly design. Everyone in DC knows traffic circles need traffic lights.
And a Wendy’s!
ParticipantThe design appears to have been developed with no actual consideration of the likely traffic patterns (almost all under the interstate and almost none continuing up the trail). SteveO suggested a longer island that would have permitted a clean left turn when heading east. Instead the cyclist staying on the right side gets to make a shallow right to get into the circle, a left in the circle and then a right to leave the circle. Three turns rather than one.
ParticipantWould be nice if they had done something about the fire hydrant and sign posts just off the trail. Lurking there, waiting to strike.
ParticipantI went up to the circle today and watched a cyclist just ride to the left of the circle and go under 66. I think that is likely to become the route for most cyclists that ride this often.
ParticipantObserved along the bike lane on Potomac Ave this morning.
Don’t see a cake along the trail often (ever?)
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ParticipantThe PBL along 4th SW/NW is progressing. Now partially complete on both sides.
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ParticipantFor those who haven’t been out the W&OD, be advised that the bike/ped overpass is progressing nicely. VDOT says the bridge (less landscaping and improvements below the bridge) will be done in Fall 2020.
A couple of pics from today
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A park bench along the trail, with a nice setback to reduce conflictsParticipantSome shots from today. Work was occurring, apparently to lower the utility boxes to grade. As can be seen, the turn for the current detour continues to challenge the construction team (and their vehicles) as well as cyclists.
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The second photo show the geometry failure. Instead of having cyclists heading east executing a 90 degree left turn with a clean (straight) exit entering the underpass under I-66, the current approach is going about 135 degrees around the circle and then a right turn off the trail to the underpass. For that right turn, cyclists would need to avoid the fire hydrant.
I fear my concerns will play out when the underpass reopens.
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Work is progressing on the cycle track on 4th Street NW & SW across the Mall.
The District seems to be continually beefing up the barriers between the track and the traffic.
ParticipantI was particularly impressed that the Post used snot rocket correctly in the sentence “There’s such a thing as a “snot rocket,” which — well, look it up.” Kudos to Angela Haupt, the journalist, who probably consulted the AP (About Phlegm) style guide.
Likely the first use of the term in the Post in, well, all time.
Participant@Steve O 202308 wrote:
I’ll have to check it out, but I think a circle seems like a round peg in a slightly ovalized hole or something.
I can imagine something that functions like the circle but is not shaped like it, more like an elongated triangle. What the designers missed was that 90%+ of the traffic is the Custis and only a small fraction will use the south-side detour route. That’s just a neighborhood connector, really.
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Steve’s sketch would have allowed eastbound riders to make a fairly clean left turn to go under the interstate. The installed circle abandons that 90 degree opportunity and instead gives something closer to 135 degrees. Alas, we have something else.
I fear that most westbound riders will just salmon that short segment. Great chances for chaos.
It will be interesting to look at the corner of the exit heading to the current detour route. The mud there will show the number of riders that didn’t stay on the asphalt.
Participant@Judd 202310 wrote:
How many laps of the new traffic circle do you guys think I can do in a single day? #NewHainsPoint
Remember to pause your Garmin when you stop to puke!
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Here is a shot from Friday morning. This is the uphill exit from the circle and evidence of folks cutting the corner (I’m of the position that these are inadvertent).
Not sure any cyclists were consulted in the design. If Arlington only had some group that would offer advice on such matters. Maybe they could call it a Bicycle Advisory Group, or something like that.
ParticipantIt might be good for the County to look at their policies for those types of signs. The sign in question could have gone up 50 yards further west on the grass.
The crew putting it up declined to show the MOT or identify the project they were putting up the signs for when I spoke with them.
Participant@consularrider 202273 wrote:
There’s been the W&OD mm0 traffic circle forever, hardly anyone follows traffic circle etiquette there.
When the trail is tangent to one side of the circle, it isn’t likely that it will get treated like a circle. Most riders (myself included) see the area to the left in the photo as an off-trail paved area.
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