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An update from ArCo Parks and Rec

“The schedule update is that the on-call contractor is not available until the week of October 12”

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I rode it in the dark, for the first time, this morning and was a bit surprised by the sharp corner coming out on the uphill side (following the detour). Initial impression is that many cyclists are likely to go through the circle on the wrong side when heading eastbound after the bridgework is complete. That may get exciting.

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Giving this a bump. If you haven’t completed the survey and would like to, please do so by the 10th.

Thanks

@dbb 202130 wrote:

The text below was lifted (shamelessly) from the Crystal City Civic Association following a web meeting on a proposal to bring Route 1 to grade between 23rd and 15th Streets. If you have a dog in this fight, please complete the survey. You don’t need to live in the Crystal City area (zip 22202). Many cyclists ride through the area for one reason or another.

Note this is really early in the process and no decisions have been made.

If you want to complete the short survey, it will be open until 10 Sep.

Thanks

“The meeting was recorded and is already posted on the Crystal City Civic Association Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/crystalcitycivic if you missed any part of the meeting. The meeting begins at 5:40 minutes into the recording, so you need to be patient or jump ahead. It will eventually be posted on the Livability22202 http://livability22202.org/ and Crystal City Civic Association https://www.crystalcitycivic.org/ websites as well, along with the slideshow.

As promised, here is the link to the Route 1 survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdvmLFNa1cTEh-mLBPKdnOc7NZw35mjqLyUnksNKZXZnUNHzw/viewform which we would ask you all to fill out and send to us. This is our way of doing community outreach as broadly as possible. If you missed the meeting, you might wish to view it on the Facebook page before responding to the survey since a lot of information was shared during the meeting which might address your questions or concerns.

Finally, a reminder that our next meeting will be on September 30. We have invited the BID to share a study that they have prepared on ideas for Route 1, and we will also share with you the analysis of the survey we are currently conducting. It is possible that VDOT will have launched its own website by that time about the VDOT Feasibility Study they will conduct this year. We are told that the County will ensure that VDOT utilizes the Pentagon City transportation data to inform the Route 1 analysis: https://projects.arlingtonva.us/plans-studies/pentagon-city-planning-study/pentagon-city-planning-study-transportation-analysis/“

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I got to know Pete about 10 years ago when he was commuting into the District and I was just starting as a bike commuter. A much stronger rider, he would roll up on me and then slow down to my pace to socialize for a few minutes, and then ride off. It seemed if you were on a bike, you were one of Pete’s peers without regard to your abilities. Always gracious, he would volunteer time and expertise with WABA and BikeArlington and I would often see him there. He would help out with community rides, providing encouragement to younger cyclists and generally have a good time. Every time I’d see him, he was always open and giving. I will value the bike Pete recently helped me pick out at Bikenetic.

A few shots to illustrate Pete’s enthusiasm and whimsy from happy hours, the Ride on Washington fundraiser (Boston to DC in about 5 days), a Phoenix Family ride, and in support of BikeArlington and WABA.

Always in our thoughts Pete!

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Don’t you love the dedication of transportation planners in their efforts to protect individuals in vehicles by their efforts to move poles and posts away from the roadway? This one, on US 1 in Crystal City, is further enhanced by the cheesy workaround to provide an accessible sidewalk.

In the future, please advise motorists to drive in a way that they stay in the roadway and don’t treat sidewalk users as if they are some lesser form of mobility consumer.

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So I took a look at the Apex drainage this morning.

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The sidewalk that is higher than the trail and the planted/mulched beds sloping down to the trail are delivering stormwater and mulch to the trail. This is compounded by a slight hump between the trail and the grates that has plants (second pic) and the stones that collect the mulch and prevent drainage.

On the downstream end, the swale appears to be bringing rainwater from the interior of the project to trailside. It may also be picking up water from the parking lot of the elevated building between the Apex and the townhomes as well.

I’m seeing a strongly worded letter to Arlington construction permitting folks before the project gets final approval in my future.

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What a difference a day makes. The entrance to the culvert was almost completely clogged with mud and debris and the exit seemed unimpacted from the rain yesterday and ready for more. I put my stormwater designer hat on and offered suggestions to NOVA Parks. First step is to identify responsibility for the culvert. Under a NOVA Parks trail but carrying water from Arlington.

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The culvert was clogged again today. I’ve let the NovaParks folks know, with pictures.[ATTACH=CONFIG]21605[/ATTACH]

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I think Steve O took a swing at this a while back but now its my turn.

The newly repaved FMR trail behind the Apex apartments just upstream of Ridge Road/Mount Vernon Ave isn’t working. The water on the trail was several inches deep and wasn’t making it to the three upstream drainage grates. The grates seem to be too high (so little water makes it in), mulch is washing from the beds onto the trail, the one that works (a dome shaped inlet) gets clogged with mulch, and a swale from the property seems to be directing the water onto the trail. Aside from that, it is working, well, swimmingly.

A hard rain in cold weather will likely result in an ice rink.

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I rode the FMR and bottom part of W&OD about 0800. Trail was clear but there was a lot of water over the trail at the Carlin Springs underpass

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I think the NOVA Parks folks and Arlington are going to, wait for it, have to work together to get the culvert just upstream of the underpass improved. It seems to clog with just about every rainstorm.

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I think the reason for the separate bike/ped bridge was security for the rail bridge (although I don’t recall they used the term “scofflaw cyclist”). They concluded a separate structure would have fewer security concerns. As a result, reattaching it to the rail bridge may be more difficult.

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Any chance it could be some form of ratchet for a strap to hold something bulky on the rack?

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A look at the County parcel records suggests that the Army owns Marshall down to the turn into the Cemetery, then the Cemetery owns a bit of it before it becomes VDOT property. NPS property line is to the north of Marshall, so they may not be involved at all.

I fear that may not be totally accurate as there is no property tax revenue to be had, so Arlington may not be paying too much attention.

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Any chance we can get a bit of scope creep? The portion of the trail just north of Wilson where you emerge from under the roadway and then reconnect to the W&OD could use some help. Maybe 50-75 feet of asphalt.

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