lordofthemark
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lordofthemarkParticipant@ShawnoftheDread 43048 wrote:
They did at Braddock. Lat time I went through Gallows and LRT, though, construction was still going on so I don’t know how it will be in the end.
The bridge at LRT seems to be done. There are sidewalks on both sides, and I walked across on the north side of LRT (long story) this weekend. That’s four ramps to cross, with crosswalks, each “protected” by yield to pedestrians in crosswalks sign that seems bizarrely tiny. Crossing the four ramps is something of a harrowing adventure.
I sometimes see cyclists riding in the lanes on LRT across the bridge, and I don’t think many of them will find the sidewalk crossing a preferable alternative, given the high speeds at which drivers take and approach the ramps. For me, I will say that the 29k bus is probably the best way to get a bike across the bridge.
lordofthemarkParticipantI used to live in Jacksonville, Florida and a “cracker”, as I understood it, specifically referred to a rural white of limited means and education. IE someone who certainly would not ride a high end bike (or probably any human powered bicycle at all). Perhaps the usage is different in these parts.
lordofthemarkParticipantThe Queen of the Mark was (is?) volunteering on the Mall, so rather than go myself, I decided to weave the day’s events into a ride. Took the 3A bus to Cherrydale, rode down the Quincy bike lane to Clarendon, and then east to Whitlow’s, where I locked up and had brunch, and watched the inauguration on TV. Waved my bike helmet when climate change was mentioned. After the speech was done, walked around Clarendon (including browsing at Revolution) and then biked to Rosslyn, and took the 3A back.
I hadn’t ridden for about a month, and could feel it but I’m very glad I rode. It was a bit colder then my last ride, but still a good step to real winter riding, I think.
lordofthemarkParticipant@mstone 40883 wrote:
The legal protection thing is a crock. Putting in a yield sign wouldn’t satisfy the Loudon Sheriff’s desire to harass cyclists. The correct option (a yellow sign explaining why this intersection is different than any other intersection, if it is) doesn’t seem to be on the table.
I am assuming that NVRPA is more reasonable, and would switch to yield signs, and that this legislation does not allow local PDs to override NVRPA’s choice of signs. (it would still allow PDs to harrass some W&OD cyclists even if NVRPA switched to yield signs, – but is it worth giving up the dooring bill and the close following bill to stop that? Im troubled at the possibility that fighting this will endanger some really good legislation that will effect cyclists everywhere in the Commonwealth)
lordofthemarkParticipant@sjclaeys 40875 wrote:
I have concerns about both how the bill is drafted (what is meant by “complete stop”) and the likelihood that it will be enforced in an abusive manner. However, I am also concerned that opposition from the cycling community will be viewed as hypocritical in light of us pushing for the bills against dooring and following too closely. I know that there are significant differences in the merits and implications between the W&OD stop sign bill and the dooring and following too closely bills, but your average legislator will see some balance in passing all three because they will think that they are creating both rights and responsibilities for cyclists. Overcoming this view will be challenging.
I am confused. Is everyone in the cycling community agreed that that the appropriate cyclists behavior at these intersections is to yield, but not necessarily come to a complete stop? Would it be possible to ask NVRPA to replace the stop signs with yield signs (and to eliminate signs where a s signal controls trail users)? That way we would be encouraging the correct behavior. And it would still provide NVRPA with legal protection if someone failing to even yield was hurt.
January 9, 2013 at 4:24 pm in reply to: Va. transportation plan: no gas tax, higher sales tax #959477lordofthemarkParticipant@baiskeli 40059 wrote:
I wish reporters would explain whether gas would be subject to the sales tax! If so, that would be the same as indexing it to inflation, and would continue to collect taxes from road users, including those passing through the state.
http://blogs.roanoke.com/dancasey/2013/01/your-thoughts-on-mcdonnells-abolish-the-gas-tax-scheme/
‘From the governor’s email:
“That’s right, no more gas tax at the pump. No sales tax at the pump either. When this plan passes the price of gas will go down, and Virginians will spend $3.5 billion LESS at the pump over the next five years.’
Drivers of cars and light trucks (diesel is another matter) will no longer pay anything (other than the car tax) directly for the roads they use (except where they are tolled) they will pay the sales tax on items OTHER than gasoline, same as any non motorist.
lordofthemarkParticipant@mstone 39987 wrote:
People with bikes, fine. People spandexed up and playing into anti-bike stereotypes, is just not a winning strategy. I think there’s a lot more chance that a message that ordinary people just want to ride ordinary bicycles and not die will go further than putting on a special bike outfit and emphasizing “the other”.
I don’t even own any spandex – unfortunately I probably will not be be able to get to Richmond.
lordofthemarkParticipantI have emailed my delegate and state senator about this, and also delegate Comstock.
lordofthemarkParticipantbiking, on training wheels, on the sidewalk in front of this building
while the retirees and SAHM’s sat on lawn chairs in front of the building, brooklyn style.
And yes, I am DELIGHTED to see a bike locked up in front of the building, over 45 years later.
My first transportation ride was on this still heavily used facility
lordofthemarkParticipantI rode at about 11AM, and no, it was not THAT cold.
Shawn- do you use the wakefield chapel bike lanes? If so, do they work well for you?
November 14, 2012 at 1:56 pm in reply to: Cyclist Killed in Falls Church: Collision with a vehicle #955481lordofthemarkParticipantThis hits close to home – in that I’ve biked there, and struggled to find a safe route. I suppose its too soon to discuss the infrastructure.
So I will just say how sad this makes me feel.
lordofthemarkParticipant@bobco85 34053 wrote:
Sounds like a good trip. Do you have a map of the route? Whenever I’m in that area, I tend to be heading east on Columbia Pike (I go north from Old Columbia Pike to Columbia Pike until getting on the south-side service road at the Braddock Road intersection, then using the path until crossing at Blair Rd and going through that neighborhood via Lake St), so I’m interested to see good routes west from there (I usually take Sleepy Hollow Rd from around Seven Corners to get to Columbia Pike). Looking at the map near the Harris Teeter there, it looks like you could take the service road on the north side of Columbia Pike and use Maplewood Dr to get to the next service road, but you’d need to first cross Columbia Pike at the Aqua Terrace light.
I’ve only been on the northern section of the Holmes Run trail once (my road bike does not like to “ford the river”), as I usually take the southern section (it starts on the eastern side of Holmes Run at the end of N Chambliss St and runs all the way to Eisenhower Ave).
going east I was on the south side of the Pike and stayed there – and rode in the travel lanes where I needed to. On the way back west, I considered crossing but was not sure if Maplewood went through so I stayed on the south side till near the Mason district park, and crossed there and stayed on the north side till the Episcopal church (too bad they don’t provide a back way around like their Methodist friends on the south side of the Pike) I did not like the look of the west bound travel lanes there, so I crossed back to the south side (patiently and carefully, there being no traffic light).
I currently ride a beat old mountain bike, which makes riding in the road more challenging, but does make the water crossings a breeze.
lordofthemarkParticipantThis was saturday morning (yesterday) on Annandale Road, and there were definitely sections where there were enough parked cars to deter me from the shoulder. Sleepy Hollow may be better in that regard.
lordofthemarkParticipant@eminva 32855 wrote:
There is another option, which is to dismount, walk the bike to the crosswalk and walk the bike across like a pedestrian. Not intimidating, and within the letter of the law.
I sometimes do that in Fairfax, where there are some pretty intimidating intersections – do I actually have to move the bike onto the sidewalk first, or is it okay to ride to the edge of the crosswalk (out of the flow of traffic – shoulder say, with or without parked cars) and dismount there?
lordofthemarkParticipantmetro is generally less crowded on Fridays, I think due to the folks with 4 day/10hour work weeks, the folks who telecommute on fridays, etc. Seems to me like allowing regular bikes on metro at rush hour on Fridays only might work.
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