Greenbelt
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GreenbeltParticipantCouple things, if you go up another block (to M street) you can take a ramp up to the MBT rather than climbing it up those stairs.
Here’s a thread I started on getting from DC to Greenbelt (mostly) via trails. If you take the NW branch trail left (instead of right, the way I go) from 38th or 37th street, you’ll head toward Sligo Creek trail I think. There’s a crude google map and a sped-up video of the route section from DC to the NW branch down a litte ways in the thread.
http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?553-Commuter-route-from-Greenbelt-College-Park-Hyattsville-to-DCOK — need to go hit those trails now myself.
GreenbeltParticipantWe are blessed with a bike rack in an underground parking area where I work. Is there a way to move the rack at your building from the upper floor to a more sheltered area of the garage (ideally within view of a parking attendant if you have one, or a security camera)?
There are a surprising number of otherwise unusable nooks and crannies in garages in our garage where bike racks could be located — I’ve been scouting sites in advance because I predict we’ll need more racks this summer at our office. If they have underground parking for cars, are buildings under any obligation to also provide underground parking for bikes?
March 25, 2011 at 1:35 am in reply to: Commuter route from Greenbelt/College Park/Hyattsville to DC #925365GreenbeltParticipantSo after some experimentation with video editing software, I was able to figure out how to compress the length of the video route examples, and also add in captions for the turns.
Here’s Greenbelt to DC by my scenic route (in HD even):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-04RId3JAjcAnd here’s my usual return:
GreenbeltParticipantSave the plastic from the dry cleaners and roll or fold your work clothes up in that. Helps avoid wrinkles.
I use a backpack, so the plastic also avoids soak-through on rainy or sweaty days.
GreenbeltParticipantI’ve gradually switched to wider and knobbier tires for my cx bike. A little slower, but fewer flats and better traction on the potholes and road creases and gravel or sandy or muddy spots along the trails and DC streets. I’m more comfortable bailing off the trail or on to a sidewalk if necessary. I figure even if the commute takes a little longer, that’s a good thing, right? More bike time is better. (Now I need to find a longer route…)
I also think the fit of the bike is probably more important than the dollars spent on it. A good bike fitter very helpful for avoiding injury, getting a really comfortable setup in my opinion.
GreenbeltParticipantGreenbeltParticipantSo looking at my county, and assuming I’ve got the arithmetic right, we’ve got:
429,597 total commuters, and275,220 commuting by car (drive alone)
74,562 by transit
9,038 by walking
and 1,264 by bike.That’s a total of 360,084, which leaves a remainder 69,513 who commute either by car (not alone) or multi-modal?
I’d guess carpooling in Prince George’s county is a relatively small share of the remainder, but I don’t know. Perhaps bike/transit and walk/transit would be the remainder of the remainder? Or maybe the survey just got lots of non-responses to the question?
GreenbeltParticipantI’d be happy to, on weekends. In fact I’d be open to other suggestions for weekend video rides. However, I’m not familiar with other trail systems than the ones I take to work, so I’d appreciate really specific advice on start and endpoints, and other suggestions for how best to record a route. Also happy to collaborate on a ride, so that “regulars” on particular routes could narrate certain sections or add caption comments, or otherwise “lead the way” so to speak.
March 4, 2011 at 2:12 am in reply to: Commuter route from Greenbelt/College Park/Hyattsville to DC #925191GreenbeltParticipantI’m not very good with Google (or any technology really), but here’s an attempt to show the link to the map. So suggestions on how better to do this appreciated. Even if this works, these directions aren’t perfect — they got a little jumbled in spots. But is basically the route I took in the video. If this doesn’t work, please feel free to suggest how better to create a map.
March 3, 2011 at 10:43 pm in reply to: Commuter route from Greenbelt/College Park/Hyattsville to DC #925185GreenbeltParticipantThanks — wil do. As I figure out how to use the editing software, I’ll add narration or text captions. The mic on the camera doesn’t seem to capture much other than bike noise. Which is OK, I think, since you can’t hear me swearing when I crunch a gear change or panting trying to get up a hill.
GreenbeltParticipantI’m sorry, but this camera thing is just way too much fun.
Here was my commute tonight:
Part 1: DC PA Ave NW median lane, up the MBT, through NE DC to the Anacostia Trib trails.
http://www.vimeo.com/20540043
Part 2: Trails to Greenbelt
http://www.vimeo.com/20541071
Just a beautiful night for riding and a great sunset. I’m impressed that the camera does pretty good even in low light.GreenbeltParticipantAll cleared this morning — fast response by the trail crews much appreciated!
GreenbeltParticipantI’ve been riding it virtually every day since last August with no trouble.
GreenbeltParticipantThat Bikewashington.org route hasn’t been updated for the MBT. From the Taylor street bridge (or even better the Monroe street bridge), it’s a straight shot down 8th street NE to the MBT, which drops you just north of Union Station. I can’t say enough about how much the MBT helps us living NE of DC. They even had crews chipping ice near the NY Ave metro this morning.
GreenbeltParticipantThanks. If you Google bike map “Greenbelt MD Cherrywood Lane to Washington DC” you’ll get a close approximation, though I deviate from their recommendations here and there. Note that Google bike maps has some flaws in my opinion in the Greenbelt area. Using any other start/end point than “Cherrywood Lane” in Greenbelt can get some poor results — Google sometimes directs cyclists on to Greenbelt Road (193) or Kenilworth Ave. (201), both of which are very bike hostile and easily avoided. From anywhere in Greenbelt, I think it’s generally best to use Cherrywood Lane for the west side of town (near Greenbelt Metro), cross 201 at Crescent Road (there’s a path down from Ivy Lane), use Crescent Road for Old Greenbelt area, and use the pedestrian/bike overpass to cross the BW Parkway to get to east Greenbelt, or “Greenbelt East” as we call it.
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