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@Steve O 127734 wrote:

I’m glad you got out okay.

Me too!

It’s safe to say most of us have gotten disoriented at one point or another. DC streets with traffic circles, lanes that switch direction, darkness, headlights and horns…. it’s a challenge.

The trick in those situations is to stay safe. Bail out to a sidewalk or somewhere you can take a breath and strategize your next move.

Then, when you get home, stare at a map until you figure out how exactly it went wrong. Give yourself the confidence that the next time you try that route, you’ll know exactly what to do. Once you’ve done it a few times, it will become automatic.

Circles as large as Washington Circle are notoriously confusing. I often route around them.

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Valid point, it could be attempted theft or worse.

Mile 26 is in Ashburn, is that correct? Not to say they couldn’t turn up anywhere.

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I took the survey yesterday, and will be curious to hear more about secure bike storage options.

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Solidly “Appreciation and Real Fear of Death” with aspirations to achieve enlightenment and become Dirt. “Dirt” should perhaps be a category.

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T​hermal coffee mug that fits snugly in a bottle cage, FTW!

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Wanted to be at work early, which necessitated skipping Kindred Coffee today. Instead I was sipping at every stop light. Missed the company, but enjoyed the ride!

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@Brendan von Buckingham 126764 wrote:

Key is worth a try at least once to see if it’s your each? Your own? Whatever.

So while I’ve been more routine using the TR bridge, I tried Key bridge – M Street – Penn one day last week on my way into work. And it was awesome! The right lane through Georgetown was almost clear, and what little traffic there was moved at a speed I could merge in easily. I failed to get over three lanes in time to take a left onto L Street, so I stopped at 25th (where I usually cross Penn anyway) and used the light to cross. Also there were very few pedestrians on the bridge. Overall it was a smooth commute, and seemed much less hassle than taking that route the opposite direction in the evening.

Now I know I have options.

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Eek. My friend Peter actually did break a crank arm yesterday. He was lucky it happened under circumstances that didn’t cause a wreck, but required a long walk home.

Also in the past week I discovered my headset had come loose, and the entire front fork was wobbling.

Do a thorough check, and never ignore the squeaks, rattles, or other odd noises!

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@dasgeh 127064 wrote:

Please, #crashnotaccident.

+1

​I have long believed that what local bike advocacy groups are lacking is hard data. If we’re to make any headway with the legal/policy side of our arguments, we should have real numbers that illustrate what we all suspect and can’t prove — that the penalties for conflicts between vehicles and cyclists are usually paltry and lame, and do nothing to change driver awareness and behavior.

After Tom Palermo’s death last year, I proposed to WABA that they should have a case tracker database that follows up on every crash/incident reported to them. Statistics on the final outcomes — court convictions and sentences, civil suits, whether or not someone’s driver’s license was revoked or restricted — ​​​could be tallied over time, and the rollup would likely paint an indisputable picture.

Although I think the WABA leadership was 100% with me philosophically, I was told my proposal would require legal research and staff time — ballpark $20k/year — that they just couldn’t afford at the time. Grants and other funding possibilities are minimal. What they’re left with is their Crash Tracker database that mostly collects anecdotal evidence.

I’m not against putting up a new forum topic that collects more anecdotes, and separates those from other threads. Agree a public forum is probably NOT the place to post details about conflicts that are reported to authorities or go through any insurance / court process — but those should absolutely be reported through Crash Tracker.

I’d love to hear ideas about how to close the gap, and turn stories into data that could actually help the cause.

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And if local exploring isn’t enough, the new Virginia Capital Trail takes you all the way to Richmond.

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This is really hard to read. The Baltimore Brew has done an excellent job reporting on this story from the beginning.

Notable point:
“In addition to the seven-year prison sentence that Doory ultimately imposed, he specified also that Cook is to serve five years probation, that she must only drive with an interlock device and that she must participate in any alcohol treatment program specified by her court monitor.
(Only the Department of Motor Vehicles is empowered to take away driving privileges, he noted.)”

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Madison Manor has a bonfire?!? I’m new in Dominion Hills, and the only Halloween-y thing mentioned in our newsletter is some kiddie costume parade.

I will definitely try to stop by for an adult beverage (and I’ll walk, I’m only two blocks away).

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Where I draw the line is, when she’s eventually out of jail, she should never ever be allowed to drive again. If this isn’t a case for permanently revoking someone’s driver’s license, then we’ve simply gone off the deep end. Given her past record and obvious disregard for human lives, she should have to use public transit or self-powered transportation and be forced to live a car-free existence for the rest of her life, forever, end of story.

FWIW, members of her church lined themselves up on the sidewalks during Tom’s memorial ride, holding lit candles, passing out water bottles, anything they could do that seemed appropriate expressions of condolence as hundreds of cyclists rode by in silence. The congregation is not to blame.

@Subby 126871 wrote:

all I can do is feel completely despondent

I can’t even go there, but yeah. This was too damn close to home.

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@baiskeli 126813 wrote:

You work at the Natty G?

Yup…. at least this week! Many of us may be working for 21st Century Fox come mid-November.

Great, great bike culture there. I moved to Arlington this summer and started riding to work, and was instantly grateful for all the nice things they offer bike commuters (lockers rooms with showers, plenty of decent bike racks in the secure garage, air pump and tools, etc.).

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I knew Tom Palermo. We worked together at a dreary government contracting job way back when, but he also connected me with the crew at Proteus where he worked part-time and was starting up his frame shop. Nothing could ignite the sparkle in his eye like talking about bikes. He was over the moon telling me about the bike he’d just built for his girlfriend Rachel, who became his wife and mother of two beautiful kids.

Seven years is not enough, but what number would be? Though I’m glad there was a guilty plea and jail time, nothing will bring Tom back. Justice feels hollow.

I hope that we as a cycling community take all the lessons learned from this one, and persevere for better infrastructure, tougher penalties, and culture changes that may keep us safe.

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@brookeewhite 126753 wrote:

The L street cycletrack looks great! It’s marked for one-way. Is there a similar path nearby for the return commute?

Yes….. M Street is its counterpart, one block north with a cycletrack going the opposite direction.

I commute to NatGeo using the TR bridge to L Street route. I like to take 25th Street to cross Penn and get onto L Street as quickly as possible. There’s a curb cut and beg button to cross K Street, a very calm intersection.

However, I haven’t quite worked out the return route as to where to get off M Street and down to Virginia Avenue circle. 25th and 26th are one way the wrong way, I’d prefer to avoid Washington Circle, and 24th is usually a mess of traffic (generally I opt for this one anyway). Anyone have a favorite way to get back to the TR bridge from M Street?

Sometimes I just brave M Street all the way through Georgetown and onto Key bridge, but it does take some grit.

And I totally concur with Tania’s etiquette on the TR bridge.

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