[lordofthemark]

@creadinger 66811 wrote:

You wait for the jogger to pass the peds, then pass the jogger afterward. I HATE IT when faster cyclists pass me just as I’m about to pass peds or a jogger. I’m more likely to run a faster cyclist off the trail by passing the peds wide than to brake hard just so he can keep his speed. That’s a dick move to pass someone just as they’re about to pass slower people. This is similar enough that I’m sure the jogger in your scenario would be cursing you with each breath if you try to pass them all at the same time.

PS – my frame of reference is of the MVT because it’s what I ride most. Maybe it’s possible to do double passes on the W&OD since it is so luxuriously wide, but still.

I hear you, I am trying to clarify why. The difference between passing a jogger passing some peds, and a faster cyclist passing a slower cyclist passing some peds, is that the Nbound jogger can pass the peds within the Nbound lane. IF (as has been stated above) its safe for a Nbound ped to walk on the left edge of the Nbound lane, while a cyclist passes Nbound in the opposite lane, why is it dangerous to pass a Northbound jogger staying in the nbound lane while a ped swerves to the right edge of the Nbound lane? The distance from the left most non cyclist trail user to the passing cyclist is the same in both cases. Is it a matter of being spooked while passing, quite apart from the geometry?

[lordofthemark]

@mstone 66806 wrote:

I’m not about to take safety advice from the pointless stop sign nazis at NVRPA. I don’t think it’s unreasonable for two people walking to want to talk to each other, and to walk side by side in order to do so. It does not make it any less safe for me unless I’m trying to pass between them and oncoming traffic, which would be a stupidly unsafe thing for me to be trying to do in the first place.

Dont take what Im about to say as advocacy of anything, but as musings and questions

1. A single ped is walking southbound. A cyclist is riding northbound, and is behind a pair of peds walking northbound. The southbound ped is staying to HER far right (the westernmost part of the MUT). If the folks walking Nbound get single file to the right, its possible to bike up the center line of the MUT. Do you consider that dangerous? I understand you can wait, but if there are LOTS of peds in both directions, you are going to wait a long time. Its similar to some sidewalks.

2. The peds are not walking but standing. Or the ped on one side is standing.

3. There is a cyclist going Nbound, behind a runner going Nbound, behind two walks going NBound. If the walkers stay two abreast, the runner will need to go to the opposite lane. At that point should the cyclist to go to the opposite lane, and pass the runner within lane? Or wait (which is always a solution but depending on traffic, can impair the utility of the trail). In that case if the walkers went one abreast, the jogger could pass in lane easily, while the cyclist could pass in the opposite lane.

Again, as a walker, I will routinely walk two abreast, but when there are lots of cyclists around, or when there is one coming up right behind, I make it a point to switch to single file. It just doesn’t make sense to me to come closer to faster traffic. Perhaps I am not enough of a “vehicular hiker”?

[lordofthemark]

@KLizotte 66794 wrote:

I’m rather surprised Alexandria got silver since I don’t find it particularly bike friendly in terms of bike specific infrastructure. Perhaps the start-up of Cabi is what pushed them into silver. On the other hand, I do ride the back streets of Alexandria a lot and find them easy to ride.

I think a lot of it is the City’s commitment, programming, etc (iincluding, but not only, CaBi) – and also the mode share. I think infra is only one part of what LAB uses for the ratings.

As for the infra they have the MVT, Holmes Run Trail, a growing scattering of bike lanes, and a lot of sharrows (I’m not completely clear on when a road with a sharrows becomes a bike boulevard). Though not nearly as many bike lanes as ArlCo.

[lordofthemark]

@mstone 66772 wrote:

you should be leaving your lane to pass them, so it doesn’t matter if they’re taking the whole lane. if there isn’t enough room to take the other lane (due to oncoming traffic) you should just slow down and wait.

One reason I like it that someone takes a step to the right, is that way I know they know I’m coming, and they arent going to make an unpredictable and dangerous move. Kind of like when I’m riding, and some faster cyclist calls “on your left ” I try to respond with “go ahead” or at least a nod, if not actually moving to the right (though I will do that too, where appropriate) – they still of course should go to the opposite lane to pass.

[lordofthemark]

@Occasional rider 66761 wrote:

I’m 58 and I’ve just started riding my bike again after a gap of several years ….
However, it has taken me a while to get comfortable riding – in part because I have lousy balance and I’m finding it hard to make tight turns and in part because of other bikers and the overcrowded hiker/biker trials. I am scared to ride on roads unless we go way out of MoCo and out into the countryside, so that means using the hiker/biker trails.

Congrats on getting back into riding. I am 53 and also got back to riding after a long (slightly broken up) gap. As you ride will likely gain both ability and confidence.

As for the trails. I also find it confusing. On the one hand, the consensus IIUC is that trying to pass in the same lane on them is dangerous – there isn’t enough room to pass. Its better to pass in the opposite lane. The usual complaint is about fast cyclists who “thread the needle” – of course they are even more dangerous doing that because of their speed. As a slower cyclist, OTOH, its easier to wait for a suitable gap – though of course losing momentum can be a very big deal for a newbie cylist.

Of course even if you are going into the opposite lane to pass, I think its a good idea for walkers to go single file and to the right edge. Thats what I do as a walker on MUTs when I hear a cyclist coming. But many walkers (esp non-cyclists) seem to not do that, and AFAIK since they have the right of way, they are not obliged to. So sometimes you just have to put up with the frustration. One choice (aside from biking on quieter roads, which you may not feel ready for) is to seek out less heavily used trails.

I find the ped behavior particulalry annoying on the C&O towpath, where the terrain can make my choice of where to pass much more limited than on a paved trail.

Also note – if the worst behavior you have observed is peds walking two abreast on the correct side of the path, you are fortunate. There are much worse ped behaviors many of us have seen.

[lordofthemark]

Loved this film. I shared it on FB with a High School friend who now lives in the Netherlands, and is always going on about America’s weak cycling infra and culture.

[lordofthemark]

@Rod Smith 66601 wrote:

http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/data-confirms-it-dc-is-the-new-u.s.-bike-city-to-watch
According to the graph, the number of bike commuters in DC has more than doubled since 2007!

I can’t seem to work the PDFs/links found here which might provide more info. Links to Census Bureau stats not available because of the gov’t shutdown. The article mentions that Minneapolis is second, I don’t know who’s first. Probably Gainesville, Florida. Or Arlington, VA. :confused:

Ok this is probably a dumb question, but does this stat include all DC workers or only the small % of commuters who both LIVE and WORK in DC? I’m going to assume the former.

Anyway, congrats to DC bike commuters for doing what you do! DC with over 4% bike commuters is ranked as a Silver City for biking by the League of American Bicyclists (LAB). All other city with more than 3% meet the Gold standard. I’m not sure what that says about DC or LAB. 3 and 4 are small numbers, but the numbers should continue to grow, 4% is 1 out of every 25 commuters, not bad for a start! We were below 2% in 2007!

I’m pretty sure that A. the 4% is the percent of total employed DC residents who report biking to work as their primary mode, regardless of where they work. If you were to look only at DC residents working in DC, I think the % would be somewhat higher (despite the hardy folks who bike out to Arlington or even Tysons, I think reverse commuters are less likely to bike) and it you looked at all who worked in DC, the % would be lower. B and that Portland is first.

[lordofthemark]

The main difference between this and CCT/C&O is that being northeast of the C&O canal itself it would be more accessible from several neighborhoods in NW DC (I confess to not knowing that area well.)

I don’t see anything about it on WashCycle, which is surprising if David Cranor is involved – though he hasn’t been doing as much with that blog lately, I guess.

[lordofthemark]

It was just as bad westbound. It’s basically the stretch between 3rd St SW and South Cap.

[lordofthemark]

They said it would be a “light” rain.

So.

6th commute in.

First time on back to back Fridays. (IE first time I commuted after commuting only 7 days earlier)

First commute in what I have to call miserable conditions.

I really need to get one of those nifty yellow biking jackets.

I do not think I will bike commute more often than once a week till I get a better bike.

[lordofthemark]

Looks like other people have noticed the urbanism/bikeablity/walkability issues with the Pentagon.

http://dc.streetsblog.org/2013/10/09/arlington-strikes-walking-gold-in-a-river-of-highways-and-pentagon-sprawl/

[lordofthemark]

@JorgeGortex 66324 wrote:

LoM,
PS- no need for the dislikes (a feature I, uhm, dislike). It seems petty in an arena of open discussion and sharing of ideas amongst bike happy people.

Fine I will undislike your post. But I still intensely dislike the piece, and I do not think your reading of it is accurate.

[lordofthemark]

@JorgeGortex 66324 wrote:

LoM,

Well, to each their own. I didn’t read the piece that way, and didn’t see any reason to take great offence over it. Its easy to read a lot of things into it that aren’t there. With respect… I think you take the piece way to seriously, and sorta make his point. Its just riding a bike. Everyone does it for their own reason and in their own way.

If thats his viewpoint, why make a big point of describing how other people bike, and how he does so (with many mentions of how law abiding and polite he is?).

Try this on

“I’m not a Black. I don’t wear an afro, I don’t sit in at lunch counters, I don’t smoke ganga, I don’t ask for affirmative action welfare. I wear a suit, go to work politely, speak standard English, attend a and I refuse to go where I’m not wanted. I am a good negro. The tide is turning, there are more and more people like me”

One can call that a mere self description, completely tolerant of all views one likes. I can call that reading BS though.

(and yes, I know the difference between cycling and race)

[lordofthemark]

@JorgeGortex 66324 wrote:

LoM,

I don’t think anywhere did he disparage anyone doing these other things,

I think he clearly meant to disparage people doing those other things. He just chose to write it in a way that he couldn’t be directly called out for it. It would have been less cowardly to just be more direct. But someone who won’t go where he is not wanted, is not likely to show that kind of courage. Its an unfortunate kind of style that is too common these days, that won’t make a judgement, but does so by innuendo and implication.

[lordofthemark]

@PeteD 65911 wrote:

^– Truth… And Bicycling. Or.. Bicycling is Truth…

The Master is a Master, because he will die to retain the privilege of being a Master. The Slave, is a slave, because he will not die to cease being a slave.

–half remembered Nietzsche.

But no, I don’t bike suicidally. I don’t think thats the point though.

edit – this may actually be half remembered Hegel.

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