[Kolohe]

Suitland road from the base is challenging but doable (though I’ve never done it personally). The Morningside portion isn’t too bad, as the local police force has some semi-famous speed traps through that stretch, but between where Suitland Road crosses Suitland Parkway up to Silver Hill Road can be somewhat of a speedway. (they have widened the road somewhat recently, but right around the time I stopped working at suitland the area immediately around the parkway was under construction)

Once you get to the Suitland Federal Center, it’s more amicable, trafficwise (however my commute to Suitland Federal Center was always a reverse commute, so I didn’t have to dodge as many cars) – but hilly. From the crossing at Spring Hill Rd, just go all the way past the cemeteries and Southern Ave and up to Alabama, where you make the left. (depending on the traffic, the sidewalk may be better than the road, esp to pass the stopped cars at the light at Branch Ave). Then a right onto Branch (down a fairly steep hill) which puts you on Pennsylvania. (again, sidewalks maybe your best choice here with the traffic). Alternatively, go past Branch Ave to Skyland and get on Naylor Rd (if you still want to cross the Penn Ave bridge – go all the way to the end then make a right [edit- follow the wayfinding signs to take you through some of the one-way streets to get back to Penn]. This path also avoids most of the shenanigans of the I-295 interchange, though it’s much better now that Penn Ave isn’t the 395 to north 295 connection) or Good Hope Rd (if you want to take the 11th st bridge)

[Kolohe]

“My brave little neighborhood of King Street in Alexandria, Va., has calmly met the challenges of the Revolution, the War of 1812 and the Civil War,”

Calmly, in the sense that in the last two, they really didn’t put up a fight at all?

[Kolohe]

@dasgeh 79333 wrote:

The tourists on the Mall were bad TODAY, so I’d say you’re best bet is the 14th St Bridge. I’m sure you’ll get lots of help on the rest of the route.

I found last year that tourists aren’t really an issue on the morning commute, but certainly on the afternoon. Though the worst of everything is right at the Jeff Memorial and 14th bridge ingress/egress during Cherry Blossom season.

[Kolohe]

What always frustrated me about taking that route to the Suitland Federal center (and why I rarely did it) is that one has to climb in and out of the Oxon run valley at least three times (down from Wilson, up to Oxon Hill, down through Indian Head highway, up to St Barnabas.) (or alternatively, an even more convoluted way up through Congress Heights than back down to the Suitland Parkway, then up to Skyland, then back down to the DC border and up through the cemeteries)

My dream would be a spur from the bridge before the beltway crossing right down into the cove, then a trail that continues along Oxon run all the way to the Suitland Parkway. (and of course, a Suitland Parkway trail that continues to Andrews, but that is more or less in the planning books already)

[Kolohe]

@ShawnoftheDread 77825 wrote:

I’m pretty sure binary is his first language.

I’m really looking for someone who understands the language of moisture vaporators, though.

[Kolohe]

that makes perfect sense, and basically the way Alexandria did it. (one at each metro and few along the downtown ‘strip’)

Hopefully, though, it won’t take an additional two years to expand beyond the initial rollout.

[Kolohe]

In my observation, having been a member since the Alexandria stations opened up, balancing got a lot better in the second half of 2013. I would frequently encounter full stations a Braddock Road metro and at the corner of George Mason & Wilson (bracketing a frequent dock-hopped trip I do) when I first became a member, but toward the latter half a year, I don’t ever remember needing the ‘more time’ option.

Even 15th & P is rarely dockblocked in my recent, every couple of week excursions, to downtown DC.

[Kolohe]

I presume Mr. Krall knows further details; he’s a member of this forum, is he not?

edit: but he should know that we (in Alexandria or any other participating jurisdiction) can’t do sponsorship because Arlington prohibits it. (pdf:page 6-4)

[Kolohe]

It’s worth pointing out that you have to make a probably-not-legally-binding* agreement to vote the Democratic ticket in the general election to vote in this caucus. So, it’s a matter of honor, at least, if your political preferences lean Green, Libertarian, or Republican (or other).

*ianal

[Kolohe]

@cyclingfool 74753 wrote:

It’ll be nice when they finish and open the trail all the way down to Braddock Road. I take Monroe over a few blocks to get home, but for other riding, it’ll be nice to have the added connectivity, especially for getting to the western part of Old Town from, say Crystal City, without having to hop over to the MVT and then back over.

It’s kinda open, if one is willing to cyclecross/portage from the cul-de-sac at the end of the paved trail to the GW jr high parking lot.

[Kolohe]

The last time I checked (over a year ago) the water taxis did not allow bikes onboard.

[Kolohe]

These grates: http://goo.gl/maps/wzsyx at Lynn & 19th are a persistent hazard for anyone in the Lynn Street bikelane, and made worse by the bus that is frequently parked there. (because it makes the only path between the traffic and the bus go right over the grove at the edge of the grate).

[Kolohe]

At the corner of South Glebe Road and Potomac Ave, make a better way of exiting the Cabi station to the north along Potomac Ave. (as illustrated here:http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?6209-Crystal-City-Above-Ground&p=69894#post69894) The ped signal call button that exists is way far away from the curb cut and in any case there’s no way to call to cross Potomac (as there’s no ped crossing there). And bikes, even Cabis are too light to trigger the traffic light.

[Kolohe]

@peterw_diy 73294 wrote:

That’s in Alexandria, right? Would you mind creating a request via http://request.alexandriava.gov/CCC/?h=tab=Find&keyword=Park&service=RPCA_PRKMAIN with the location? I haven’t ridden HR enough to confidently report it for you.

That part of the stream is in Fairfax county, I think. It’s upstream of the new Chambliss street stream crossing, which is approximately where the City of Alexandria/County of Fairfax border is for Holmes Run.

[Kolohe]

His name is mentioned in this http://www.thinkoutsidethecar.org/pdfs/Handbooks/Handbook_2013/APP%20I%20%20NVTC%20CHRONOLOGY.pdf as one time acting executive director of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission in 1974. So i presume he was a senior staff member of the commission throughout that decade, when most of the groundwork for the W&OD*, Mt Vernon, and Custis trails were done.

*though of course, W&OD efforts started in the 60s, as the link also details in part.

edit – actually strike that, the W&OD efforts in the 60s were an attempt to keep the W&OD as *a rail line*, it wasn’t until the 70s, according to that timeline, where the commission made a concerted effort to keep the W&OD right of way intact as a multi use trail.

[Author]

Posts