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@KWL 192695 wrote:

Really? I will obey this sign when I see one that tells the drivers on Mt. Vernon Avenue to get out and push their cars over the bridge.

I ride through there fairly often and, like you, I had not seen any reason to dismount and was wondering what the deal was… until the middle of the day the other day when there were suddenly a lot of workers under there blocking most of the trail doing construction of some sort (unclear what). And then, a few hours later… gone again!

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@arlrider 192639 wrote:

Saw it for the first time this morning; caught my attention while riding – can only hope it does the same for drivers. Seemed to perhaps be motion activated? It was on and then off and then on again, and I didn’t see anyone stop to activate anything.

Now if we can only get them to remove the stupid crash barrels at that on-ramp because, you know, priorities – more important for a 2-ton death machine operator to be safely cushioned in a negligent impact than for hundreds of pedestrians and cyclists to have more than a three-foot gap through which to pass. Sigh.

Relatedly, I’m sure this has been beaten to death, but I can’t find the right thread – has anyone made any attempt at pursuing sanity with respect to the monster electronic sign parked on the south-side M St sidewalk between the NE corner of the Key Bridge and 34th? I get that it must be sooo important for drivers to know that 31st is closed, but do they really need to take what is essentially a bike/ped on/off ramp down to 2 feet wide for a full year?

It’s really only a matter of time before someone gets seriously-but-not-deathly injured at that little 34th/M/Key corner, and there’s about 120120120121 ways it could happen (to a ped, a cyclist, a scooter user, a motorist, a wheelchair user, someone pushing a stroller, etc.). That placement makes no sense.

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This morning, on the path along Constitution Ave NW going east from Lincoln before 21st, some guy on a CaBi decided to pass me on the right without warning … and then completely lose control and smash into me. I got some nasty road rash on my leg but thankfully no broken bones. He stuck and was concerned until I got up and was clearly not too badly hurt, then quickly rode off. Total jerk. I’d watch out for that guy — he was wearing a Cava (the fast casual lunch place) string backpack and no helmet.

FWIW, I had my yellow rainproof slicker and lights on

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A member of Pi Kappa Phi appears to have dropped the fraternity manual in the middle of the road in West Potomac Park near the softball fields. I picked up the manual and put it on the side of the road. I feel like there’s a joke here but I’m too tired to make one.

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@DrP 165906 wrote:

I think your tweet worked. No more lime bikes today. Thank you!

And the ones by the airport are gone too! #magic

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@Oldtowner 165756 wrote:

There were four Limebikes (two upright, two thrown on ground) just off the MVT at the entrance to National Airport maintenance lot early this afternoon. Not a good look.

Huh, that’s two more than were there 24 hours earlier…

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The light timing at 20th/Virginia/E has been tweaked slightly in cyclists’ favor and it’s glorious.

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I really hope it’s a broom drone.

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@EasyRider 161391 wrote:

On the Friday commute home, I was pleasantly surprised – an asphalt path just north of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial has been converted to gravel. There are quite a few old lamp post bases along the path there, and they really blended in with the black path surface. Now they stand out nicely against the bright gravel!

Agreed, just glad I survived the shock of the first ride onto it at speed not knowing it was gravel

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THREE!! on the way to work today:
-onramp to 27 north from the Pentagon, just north of the construction, going full Mario Andretti while I was in the crosswalk crossing the onramp
-red light runner at 20th & Constitution NW
-right hooked by (what I think was) an Uber in Foggy Bottom

And, aware of my potential bias for the “if everyone you meet is a jerk, you’re the jerk” method of thinking, I can happily say that I had great, safe interactions with drivers at the other trail crossings, including both sides of Memorial Bridge. So I guess it’s just a high standard deviation day…

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@lordofthemark 159062 wrote:

Me: cyclist in yellow jacket on hybrid, coming down from 14th Street bridge into DC
You: cyclist wearing pink jacket, I think, following me toward the end of the bridge

You called “passing” I saw the nasty lamp post ahead, and then a couple of cyclists headed uphill on the narrow trail, so I called “not yet”
You continued following me till I had turned onto the sidepath that goes around the Jefferson. You then called “on the left, now” and I responded “good, thanks”

THAT is how a pass is supposed to happen. You were a PAL. You appropriately called, enabling a verbal negotiation of the conditions, during rush hour bike congestion, and then you passed at the first safe spot, with another call.

In striking contrast to some of the behavior I saw on the W&OD on Sunday.

This is the good stuff!!

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Dude on blue cruiser on New Hampshire Ave this morning who cut in front of me at a stop sign, then proceeded to go through three separate intersections with four-way stops around GW where there were cars and pedestrians waiting without even slowing down: dude!! Don’t do that!!

But I am trying to maintain a positive outlook, so let me also say that I was grateful for several other friendly riders this morning, including my new friend who commutes SB on the MVT whom I’ve seen a couple of days in a row who always says hello!

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@bobco85 154817 wrote:

I’ll try and be quick about these since there are multiple missed connections, all interesting in their own way.

MC #2 – Eads St in Arlington
Me: Riding southbound in the awesome protected bike lane just south of Fort Scott Dr
You: ARTBus driver, parked in the bike lane, completely blocking it
Me: Having to ride around into traffic with a couple of cars that I had to merge into just to get around you.
Stop parking in bike lanes!

This is a real problem. There’s an ART facility there and I feel like every time I pass there (esp. around 8 AM) there’s a bus blocking the bike lane. Probably 9 days out of 10 for the last few weeks.

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Last night, coming home along 27 next to the Pentagon just south of that construction site around 6:30, I heard yelling. To my surprise, a guy was standing behind a smart car (I think it was a Car2Go) with its flashers on on the opposite (southbound) side of 27. After some gesturing and shouting I figured out that he was stuck, had no cell phone, and couldn’t figure out how to walk to get help. I called the Arlington non-emergency line and they said they’d send someone, although they were more than a little confused about what happened and where it was (“so you’re on 395? on your bike?” “no…”). The guy gestured for me to go ahead and that he was ok after a few mins, which I did because I have a little one at home. Hope they showed up quickly… though I’m sure the Pentagon Police would have got him sooner or later.

It was also an interesting opportunity for an informal survey of how many people would ask if everything was ok, given that I was standing by the side of the road with my bike laid down. Five cyclists and one runner passed by; three of the cyclists and the runner asked to help. Good karma, everyone

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Hi everyone,
So nice to meet you all and jazzed to be on the team with you. The HH fell on a work trip, so I was sorry to miss it, but I’ll be back to my daily round-trip bike commute this morning.

See you out there…

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