[GovernorSilver]

‘Pokemon Go’: Crimes, Robberies, Deaths & Other Problems

I’m sure some of you heard about the bad news, but there’s some good news in there too.

[GovernorSilver]

@JanaeBixby 143134 wrote:

pardon me for being stereotypical: Two days in a row, car full of asians, half pulled on the sidewalk/still sticking out into the street, stopping in the middle of moving cars, all on their phone. SAME SPOT BOTH TIMES. All I can imagine is there is a pokemon there? If I catch it, will it go away?!?!? HOW DO I MAKE IT STOP!

Pokemon hunters are Asian? I guess this girl is Asian then

https://twitter.com/fairfaxparks/status/753027447491297280/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[GovernorSilver]

I love how Strava referred to the Long Bridge segment as a “sprint” – for me it was more of a crawl, in defiance of that very warm headwind that hit me as soon as I pulled out of the little parking lot onto Boundary Dr. and kept blowing nonstop.

I tried continuing from Long Bridge Drive onto S. Clark. That bridge climb on S. Clark, after the intersection with 12th St, was a challenge to my exhausted body. Fortunately, motorist traffic was very light, so I had some leeway as far as guessing where the Crystal City planners wanted me to ride, as the bike lane I was on disappeared before the bridge and was not to reappear for a while. Despite the bridge, I’ll probably keep on riding there, as it’s lot less busy than Crystal Dr. at that time of the evening. Just have to watch out for the occasional car shooting across the street to get to Rt. 1 – but even with that, this still beats the hazards of Gravelly Point/DCA.

[GovernorSilver]

@JanaeBixby 143132 wrote:

Yeah, but the areas circled in the photo below are difficult. Having to wait in a line of 10 cars behind a stop sign to turn left onto S Clark is frustrating (inch forward 2 feet, stop, inch forward, stop, inch forward……), and cars go fast on that route at S Clark, then the intersection near the Hyatt to get back onto S Potomac is even more difficult, I feel like I almost get hit there every time. How do you deal with that part of it?
[ATTACH=CONFIG]12132[/ATTACH]

By the time I roll through the area (after 6:30 PM – maybe 6:45) the car traffic has died down a bit so I just wait behind – at worst – a handful of cars at the stop sign.

I usually skip the 27th-S. Clark intersection and just cut through the parking lot, south of the Hyatt, then cross Crystal Dr (usually next to dead by then) to get on 29th, which in turn takes me to Potomac Ave.

@JanaeBixby 143132 wrote:

I am going all the way south to Del Ray.

Ohhh….

In that case you could take 4 Mile Run Trail like you did before, except skip the switchback – ride it all the way to the Rt. 1 connector. From there, ride on the sidewalk to cross the bridge, then use 4 Mile Run Park Trail to get to Commonwealth.

https://goo.gl/maps/7MvJagFbNAz

[GovernorSilver]

News like this makes me feel lucky to live and bike commute in this area, despite the imperfections.

http://www.bicycling.com/culture/advocacy/anti-cyclist-parade-float-incites-anger-debate

[GovernorSilver]

Northbound Crystal Drive – in the morning! – between 26th and 27th is ok. 27th and Crystal occasionally has a shuttle bus of some sort blocking the bike lane, forcing cyclists into a bit of lane splitting – I may just stop there sometime and take a photo, then report the company if it’s the same company that keeps doing that – I doubt it’s ok to just park your shuttle bus right at the corner of 27th and Crystal like that. The only other issue I notice is the metal grating beneath parts of the bike lane.

I thought the bus lanes on Crystal Drive there were forbidden to cyclists, but I’ve seen people riding there without penalty. If cycling there was legal, it’d be a lot easier to get to that Behind The Building service road.

Southbound Crystal Drive after 6:30 PM seems a bit messy as there are enough errantly driven taxis to add stress, plus drivers jockeying for parking because of the restaurants and such along Crystal Drive. This is where having Behind The Building and S. Clark as alternatives is much appreciated.

[GovernorSilver]

Fairfax County weighs in

[GovernorSilver]

@JanaeBixby 143078 wrote:

I avoid Crystal City at all costs. I will take the rude bikers over the ignorant drivers. Especially along parking areas, where people double park to go to Chick-fil-a, or pull into or out of those parallel spots without even checking. There are just too many places you have to stop for drivers, lights, or stop signs through Crystal City on your way south.

I hear ya, but if you take the Behind The Buildings route, you avoid a lot of that – on most days it’s just you and your bike, blissfully cruising behind buildings with virtually no cars, no people for that matter other than perhaps a worker or two taking a smoke break. After you emerge from Behind The Buildings (if you’re northbound), you’ll find the connector to Mt. Vernon Trail to your right, unless of course you choose the Boundary Channel route.

Going Behind The Buildings southbound is a bit trickier, as the southern end is 26th St. and Crystal Dr, and Crystal Dr is one-way northbound, south of that intersection. But while you’re on it, it still delivers the same benefits – no errant taxis, double-parkers, etc.

S. Clark coming from Long Bridge Drive southbound looks fairly deserted by the time I typically arrive in Crystal City. Traffic is significantly lighter at that time of the evening there than Crystal Dr – usually its the 6:30-7pm timeframe.

BTW, I was riding on Potomac Ave. Trail a lot, coming from the switchback in the evenings too. But one stormy night, I saw a cyclist lying on the road looking unconscious. She had been hit by a car while crossing on the crosswalk to get to the other side of the trail. I then realized Potomac Ave. Trail north of Glebe is just a glorified sidewalk, with all the dangers of sidewalk riding – especially in driveways and crosswalks. I decided to just ride on the road after that. I feel like I’m a lot more visible to the drivers there.

Anyway, the reason I prefer riding through Crystal City in the evenings is the Gravelly Point/DCA portion of Mt. Vernon Trail. There’s been some accidents there lately due to the blind curves, on top of the usual hazards (people walking on/off the trail gawking at planes instead of checking the trail traffic, heavy food/cycling traffic in general). Now we’ve got this Pokemon mobile thing going too.

[GovernorSilver]

@CaseyKane50 142981 wrote:

Minor nit. Your photos are of the LBJ memorial – Texas granite monolith.

The Navy Merchant Marine Memorial has waves and seagulls.

I read the map wrong. The fact that we circled two memorials should have clued me in. :p

[GovernorSilver]

Man, I love the Boundary Channel Drive -> Long Bridge Drive -> S. Clark St. route through Crystal City.

No more Gravelly Point/DCA mess in the evenings! So refreshing… 😎

I did get fooled by the fork where S. Clark is on the right and 14th Rd. S is on the left. No biggie – I recovered by turning onto Crystal Drive then turning left to access our beloved Behind The Building route.

[GovernorSilver]

@JanaeBixby 143066 wrote:

On my afternoon commute: Was passing a guy walking his puppy under the bridges on 4 mile run, just after exiting the MVT and before the switch back that brings you up behind Potomac Yards.

That was my evening route when I first started bike commuting. I don’t like that switchback, and most of the people who I encounter on it are rude.

Thanks to this awesome forum, I learned about this route, which goes behind the buildings in Crystal City – then takes you on 26th to S. Clark St.:

https://goo.gl/maps/usfSDZ2egUw

This is the 2nd half of the route to get to Potomac Ave. Ignore the very beginning of the route – you will actually be on S. Clark St. – continue to 27th where you’ll make a left and end up on Potomac Ave.

https://goo.gl/maps/EHTtgVEdDer

Optionally, you could instead enter a parking lot from S. Clark/27th, ride through it to get to 29th St, then from 29th St. turn right on Potomac Ave. This way you can avoid the traffic light at 27th and Crystal. Google Maps seems to think 29th is a one-way street but it’s not.

Even better – for me anyway – is the Boundary Channel route.

[GovernorSilver]

@ginacico 143055 wrote:

“Within the CBD, bicycling is allowed on lands under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service including places like Lafayette Park, Farragut Square Park, the National Mall and Dupont Circle. However, if cyclists do ride on the sidewalk they must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians.”

Is Independence technically part of the National Mall, or not?

I’ve learned something today. Didn’t know before that these NPS sidewalks are exceptions to the CBD rules. I use them often, and now I know I’m right to do so if they seem safer than road conditions.

And I really want to smack a self-righteous woman who yelled and I mean YELLED at me once as I was enjoying a lovely, slow, peaceful cruise down the Mall at night when no one else was around. It was awhile ago, but whoa, the attitude!

I’m with you there.

CBD vs. NPS sidewalks is not well explained in the official literature, imo.

[GovernorSilver]

You guys just reminded me of one reason I gave up on riding southbound on the First St NE protected bike lane, on my evening commutes.

At the intersection of First and K, there are too many northbound drivers that are all too willing to turn right from First to K, cutting in front of southbound cyclists trying to cross K on that unprotected segment of the bike lane, even though in theory the cyclists have the green light and the right-turning drivers have the red light. Some cars did their right turn less than 3 feet in front me as I was crossing.

Since DC is all about making money off of traffic cam tickets anyway, maybe they need to install a camera there. The money from the tickets could help finance more protected bike lanes.

It’s kind of ironic that I feel safer riding southbound on N. Capitol St. – which has no bike lanes at all – on my evening commute.

[GovernorSilver]

@Judd 143021 wrote:

It is! This is a great route for avoiding the MVT in the evening when mixed use traffic is really high and for avoiding Gravelly Point.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Have you found much of a difference between continuing down Clark St, or going back down Crystal Dr. to try to get to our beloved “behind the building” service road?

I love riding the behind-the-building road both ways, but have been trying to figure out how to cross Crystal Dr. at the south end of the road. The traffic light doesn’t seem to sense cyclists. I usually end up riding behind a car coming out of the service road (rarely happens though) or treating the intersection like a stop-sign intersection. I usually end up on Clark St.

[GovernorSilver]

@KWL 142989 wrote:

Hey! That was my route after CCCC this morning. I should have waited a few more minutes and joined the crowd.

It would have been even more fun with you!

I’ll try the same route in reverse this evening. I rode the same route again this morning but forgot to check if Boundary Channel Dr. and Long Bridge Dr. are both two-way roads. Google seems to think the reverse route is ok for cycling.

I also learned this morning why it’s not a bad idea to share the lane w/ cars on 3rd St, heading towards Louisiana Ave, while waiting at a red light. I waited behind all the cars instead and nearly got hit by a car turning left from the opposite direction. I had my headlight on, in blink mode too.

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