[jnva]

@UrbanEngineer 30753 wrote:

On L street, the left most lane has many left turn only lanes. If your plan is to go straight, don’t ride there. If you plan on turning left and you see that the 2nd most lane is also a left turn lane, I wouldn’t trust it, because many drivers go straight from the left turn only lane and will pancake you. Wish I had time to do a study on the number of cars in the left turn only lane at 18th and L that go straight. Here it’s especially dangerous because there are two left turn lanes.

My advice about lane splitting. Don’t do it. Just because you can fit, doesn’t mean you should. More of a courtesy issue than a legal issue in my mind. Everybody else is waiting, who am I to skip the queue and go to the front. Lane splitting also tends to place you within the crosswalks while you wait at the light (or not wait, depending on your scofflawiness), which is not a place for vehicles. You’re better off just riding with the traffic and queueing up with them at the lights.

Then I might as well drive a car if I’m going to be sitting in traffic. Might as well be comfy with the radio on and texting at the same time too. Nobody except for the idiot beemer drivers like the one above, ever passes me after I filter through to the front of the queue.

Thanks for the input, I actually expected more people to say don’t split lanes, but this is my way of staying sane in traffic that is insane. I swore to myself I would never get stuck in another DC traffic jam after spending 9 hours in my car during snowmageddon.

[jnva]

@Tim Kelley 30702 wrote:

Just curious about your setup–is that an electric bike? At :07 it sounds like you can hear a motor winding up. And what are using to record the video? The vertical positioning makes me think iphone.

Yes, electric bike. You can hear the motor as its accelerating but it’s pretty quiet otherwise. Camera is just iPhone mounted in a topeak waterproof case on the handlebar. Trying to justify buying a gopro or similar camera but iPhone seems to be working good enough.

[jnva]

This is why I prefer going down the middle of L street. This happened to me this morning – double whammy Maryland driver and a BMW!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF8qLbIwBPY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[jnva]

It’s funny how a comment bothers me when I’m biking compared to driving. I guess it’s more personal because your not in a metal cage. I was yelled at last week by a spandex king for riding an electric bike on the W&OD – dude was going twice my speed, not calling passes weaving around people on the busiest section in Vienna and he had the balls to complain about me breaking the rules. It still angers me thinking about it.

[jnva]

M street westbound through Gtown in the afternoon can be strange. I have ridden completely by myself on the road all the way to key bridge, but most of the time it’s total gridlock.

Thanks for the responses everyone, I am going to try some of the alternate routes.

[jnva]

@zanna_leigh 30559 wrote:

A person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard or scooter, or moped shall not travel between two lanes of traffic moving in the same direction,

So is it legal to travel between lanes of traffic that are NOT moving?

I do this all the time, and the other day I passed a MPD car stuck in traffic. Just wondering if I can be ticketed for doing this.

[jnva]

@rcannon100 30547 wrote:

It’s not much better on a weekday. Ah, those noobie joggers are just so cute. When is the first freeze that causes them all to migrate south?

I predict Oct 29, the day after the marine corp marathon.

[jnva]

I’m on L around 9:45. I go across key bridge, M them left on L to vermont ave. L is usually backed up because of street work and there are constantly cars turning off on both sides to get into garages.

I thought bike lanes were going in soon, wonder what happened to that.

[jnva]

So I used the opportunity to wheel suck the offender

I hate it when people tailgate me, in a car or on my bike. Passive aggressive behavior won’t change people, and most likely it just makes the situation more dangerous. Just take a deep breath and let it go!

[jnva]

@consularrider 30278 wrote:

In all the years I’ve been riding through this interesection, I’ve never seen the pedestrian light come on except when the button has been pushed. I complained about that on this board when I first joined. Especially for west bound traffic is extremely dangerous because that’s the only light facing westbound trail traffic. If I remember right, the traffic engineer’s response was basically too bad, bikes should push the button and wait another light cycle.

Hmmm, that’s strange. I used to never push the button and would get the walk light until recently. I roll through that intersection around 9:30.

[jnva]

This guy also has some skills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ-8jVlaYb8&sns=em

[jnva]

@Tim Kelley 30230 wrote:

Reports suggest the WOD/Lee Highway signal hasn’t been changed at all.

It used to be (a few months ago maybe) that you would get the walk signal automatically. Now you have to hit the button for the walk signal.

[jnva]

@bobco85 30203 wrote:

While I’m glad there wasn’t an accident, I see that you entered the crosswalk with a flashing red hand showing 10 seconds left as that car was starting its turn. At that point, you shouldn’t begin crossing because you don’t have right-of-way (according to Virginia Code § 46.2-925). I’m not trying to be mean, but I don’t see the law on your side had you collided with the car.

The video shows a need for better balance at that intersection so that drivers get their chance to pass through the intersection and don’t have to resort to aggressive maneuvers. I think a bike signal is necessary here.

Your right about the flashing hand, but I started crossing when the light turned green and I was in a line of people crossing. Agree there needs to be a bike signal.

[jnva]

@ShawnoftheDread 30089 wrote:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1675[/ATTACH]

Stone crossing on fairfax cct?

[jnva]

I had a close call this morning at this intersection.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIrboQajxN8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

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