[DrP]

Has this detour been started yet? I know a bunch of folks who are planning a ride tomorrow that goes through there and it would be great to know if they are being detoured or not. Thank you!

[DrP]

Update: I have heard nothing further from the county, but I have noticed that a covered pedestrian walkway has been installed. Not the best for a bike, but one could get through there slowly if need be. At least the pedestrians, the most vulnerable of users of the area (and I am one there at times too), are protected and do not need to cross the road during the remainder of the construction period.

[DrP]

@DrP 146704 wrote:

Clearly there was a car crash at the intersection of Fairfax Drive and Randolph Road in Ballston. Northern part of the intersection so in the west bound bike lane. Glass and other sharp items there and it continues west on Fairfax drive a bit. Be careful.

I will be reporting this shortly – need to figure out if VDOT (I think it is) or Arlington County first.

Update: Reported to VDOT.

So, today I received an e-mail from VDOT saying they completed the job. Um, not sure what they did since it is two weeks later and the natural process of decreasing the size of the debris and moving it elsewhere had already taken place, which I have noticed with each ride past the area. So, I am not overly happy about this response. Perhaps, since it was at a cross street with an Arlington road I should have told them about it?

[DrP]

Just missed seeing a fall yesterday (Monday, 10/3, while boards were still quite damp after the past week of rain) and since there is not another report of it, I figured I would report it. Southbound. Guy had passed me on the paved straight-away along the parking lot. When I got to the boards, I heard the fall and saw the cyclist on the ground. He was on the Roosevelt bridge exit, just after the split but still on the boards. Another cyclist had stopped, as did a jogger (possible he was attempting to pass the jogger). Took a while to get up. Possibly injured his shoulder as each time he tried to get up using that arm, he winced and stopped. After several minutes, he got up, then held on to the bike a while (likely taking stock of himself) and then walked the bike back towards the parking lot. He didn’t say a whole lot. I think he had come down the hill from Rosslyn (rather than having parked in the lot), so perhaps he was close to home? No apparent damage to him and bike, aside from the aforementioned possible shoulder injury, but hard to know for sure.

Addition: should have stated that the location was Trollheim and at about 7:35am.

[DrP]

@bobco85 146719 wrote:

Heads up for those riding between Alexandria and National Harbor on Sunday as reported by Alexandria News https://www.alexandrianews.org/2016/09/road-closures-2016-woodrow-wilson-bridge-half-marathon-6k-on-october-2-2016/

Thank you VERY much!

I keep forgetting to look for races before my Sunday ride and thus frequently come across them. I have yet to see one where they actually close a path, however, so this is a first. It would be better if they did detour folks for most. Last Sunday was a 20 mile run on the C&O canal. In this case at least, the runners were generally aware that there were others on the trail and kept to one side. The people at the race start/stop were not (“bicycles coming through, please share the path!” were frequent calls there). Other locations, they have been less understanding of sharing the trail.

[DrP]

Thank you both Rootchopper and Klizotte for your suggested routes to get to the trail. From other messages on the forum, some of those streets do not sound all that pleasant, but maybe on a Sunday they are fine. I’ll get over there sometime.

[DrP]

Clearly there was a car crash at the intersection of Fairfax Drive and Randolph Road in Ballston. Northern part of the intersection so in the west bound bike lane. Glass and other sharp items there and it continues west on Fairfax drive a bit. Be careful.

I will be reporting this shortly – need to figure out if VDOT (I think it is) or Arlington County first.

Update: Reported to VDOT.

[DrP]

@bentbike33 146681 wrote:

A driver performed some interesting auto-batics this morning leaving the GWMP and crossing the MVT just south of Trollheim. Police and a flatbed truck were figuring out how to extact it from the bushes when I went by just after 7:00. You may wish to seek an alternate route this morning.

I was wondering what had happened at that spot. I went by about the same time as sjclaeys and saw vegetation on the trail that looked like it was dragged around and then the tire tracks. I was surprised at how little the grass was messed up if they had recovered the car (other option, I suppose, was that it was in the river). Thank you very much for posting.

[DrP]

@consularrider 146655 wrote:

Yep, reported it before I posted here. See, you can teach an old dog new tricks.

And it was all cleared out this morning (likely during the day yesterday given how wet the cut ends looked).

[DrP]

@jrenaut 146596 wrote:

I’m generally opposed to these processed things (My sister is a nutritionist) and prefer to head towards more natural stuff like the Feed Zone Cookbook.

As someone who enjoys food and cooking, I have never understood the drinks and gels and other “sports” stuff people seem to like to consume. I mean really, what is the point. Enjoy what you consume. Then again, I am riding to get to work or just have fun/exercise rather than beating some time.

On my first really long ride, ~85 miles, I consumed water and a couple of kind bars (only the ones with nuts and dried fruits (and likely puffed rice or some such ingredient), none of the chocolate or other candy bar like items (note that I am a big lover of chocolate, so that isn’t the issue)). And it worked great. Occasionally I now stop for actual food – sandwich or soup (Green Lizard has some good soups in the winter), but otherwise water and kind bars are great. And cheap and easy to locate. My riding buddy, a big sugar fiend, brings dried fruit (usually something fun from Trader Joes – mangos, mandarins, blueberries, etc.). I like those too.

If you like maltodextrin, great, otherwise find what works for you. It might not be the engineered “foods” companies want you to spend your money on. But maybe it is.

[DrP]

Especially after my ride on the canal Sunday, I figured I would need to wash my biking shoes. Not the case now. They look clean and bright now!

[DrP]

For those of us in VA who haven’t been to the Anacostia River Trail, what is the best way to get there? I have never biked to the waterfront before, although I do go to Hains Point. It isn’t entirely clear on Google maps the best, i.e., safest way there – it looks broken into pieces until east of the Navy yard and I haven’t a clue the best way to get there. It looks like a nice change to routes I do regularly (Rock Creek Park, Capital Crescent Trail, C&O canal, MVT, W&OD).

(Similarly, getting to the MBT).

thanks

[DrP]

@dasgeh 146016 wrote:

How did I forget the DUMPSTER on Quincy?!?!?!!?! I will update my list above…

I forgot that one too! That stretch of Quincy from Fairfax to Wilson is just bad going all around – but mostly for the condition of the road itself (and the grates on the northbound side), including the dumpster that has been there for years. Around the pizza place, there are frequently double parkers in the evenings (northbound between 9th and Fairfax).

[DrP]

I agree with all said about Crystal Drive. And with the blockages in front of the Renaissance and cheaper hotel on Potomac Ave at Crystal Drive. The south bound Potomac drive between those hotels and the 4MR access switchback isn’t great either – the bike lane is a defacto sidewalk full of walkers and joggers and car doors. I always take the lane there. They need a sidewalk.

Fairfax Dr in front of the Ballston Metro station (and leading up to it and from it) is crap. No matter which day of the week, it is a rare occasion that there isn’t a metro bus partially in the bike lane, however, at rush hour, many cars are aware of this and allow me in. Buses frequently leaving the Udrive pull right in front of cyclists – not sure if they do not see us or figure that they have the right of way. Especially with safetrack, but bad otherwise, the bike lane on the eastbound side is regularly full of cars dropping folks off and shuttle buses dropping off/picking up or people trying to make right turns and just sitting across the bike lane because they had no idea that pedestrians might be in the cross walk until they start to turn. This is the case from about Taylor to Randolph. Westbound, during the work day, the block between Stuart and Stafford regularly has trucks blocking the bike lane and folks double parked (including a cop on Wednesday! Maybe he was responding to a call about the alley – at least that is where he walked to – which is fine then). During evening rush, it seems that there are some non-metro buses that park in front of Chinese restaurant for a long time, as well as people dropping off/picking up people. The cab stand in the next block occasionally has issues, but they are in general pretty good. THe block between Taylor and Utah not infrequently has double parkers.

This metro station needs a kiss-n-ride (both sides of the street – or maybe on the island in the middle). And then ticketing everyone not using it.

And there is my recent pet peeve, the construction site at Fairfax and Glebe. Trucks regularly block the bike lane during the day and they use off-hours for other blockages of the lane.

[DrP]

Okay, I was given a permit number, PWT1603150. However, I cannot find it on the county permit search page, perhaps because it is now complete (?).

I was also told:
“Kalos Construction should have posted signage that to advise cyclists and drivers that bicycles may occupy a full lane of traffic during construction. They also report that construction should be complete. “

And that it sounded like they were not inspected for compliance. This will be brought to the attention of the county construction managers.

However, this didn’t make them have a way for pedestrians or ever have the signs when they blocked the bike lane only. And they are still constructing a building, so it is likely it will continue to happen.

[Author]

Replies