[rcannon100]

Well, it looks like decisions have been made. Still, probably what would be good is if we thanked both NPS, Moran, and Norton (this is in DC) for the efforts. I will say, I have regularly contacted Moran about this – so maybe things do slowly move.

Hey WABA and BAC types: Were you consulted?

Twitter: @Jim_Moran
@NPSGWMP
@EleanorNorton

Email Moran https://moran.house.gov/contact-me/email-me

Email Norton https://forms.house.gov/norton/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm

Email GW NPS http://www.nps.gov/gewa/contacts.htm

Does anyone have a personal contact for GW NPS? We should build a POC database.

Moran Announces Safety Improvements for Memorial Circle, GW Parkway, Mt. Vernon Trail
Jun 8, 2012 Issues: Transportation

Fixes include rumble strips, better roadway signage

Washington, DC –Congressman Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat, today announced the National Park Service will begin to install a series of safety improvements along the GW Parkway, Memorial Circle and Mt. Vernon Trail. Moran requested the safety improvements following concerns from constituents regarding numerous accidents involving cars, pedestrians and cyclists in recent months.

“The health and safety of those commuting to work or simply exercising along the Potomac River should never be threatened due to poor infrastructure planning,” said Rep. Moran. “I am pleased the National Park Service has agreed to put needed fixes into the trails and roads surrounding Memorial Circle. With the scheduled improvements, tourists, commuters, pedestrians, and cyclists will be able to truly share the road.”

The safety improvements, set to begin installation next week and completed by fall of 2012, include:
replacing many of the directional and regulatory signs in the Circle and on Memorial Bridge;
installing rumble strips bumps to alert drivers before each of several specific crosswalk areas;
painting directional arrows, information, and symbols directly onto the pavement to help drivers select proper lanes early; and
moving one crosswalk area from where there are two lanes to where it is only one lane wide.

A runner and cyclist, Congressman Moran is a longtime advocate for running and biking trails across Northern Virginia. Moran has obtained funds to maintain, extend and improve the entire length of the Mt. Vernon Trail, which stretches 18 miles from Rosslyn to historic Mt. Vernon. Recently, Moran secured $37 million to reconstruct and widen the GW Parkway roadway over Humpback Bridge.

To view a map of dangerous trail-roadway intersections, please visit: http://moran.house.gov/sites/moran.house.gov/files/documents/MemorialCircle_MtVernonTrail.jpg

[rcannon100]

@dbb 21618 wrote:

I am sure that the NPS and FHWA reached out to the logical participants for input, such as ABAC and WABA. Yeah, sure!

If NPS is going to contemplate changes, I would suggest we motivate immediately and create input. At minimum, we need a chorus of voices hitting NPS saying “This is great! Consider bikes.” I am sure that WABA and BACs have been interacting – but let’s create a solid input as to the situation.

* Identify the problems
* Identify high level / functionally what is wanted (ie we want to safely cross from the MVT across the bridge into DC)
* Make specific suggestions

Bike Forum Overlords: Didnt there use to be an advocacy table to the forum? Could we create an advocacy tab?

I have been thinking about how we might crowdsource advocacy and work with WABA and BACs. My problem is I have a few hours to give, and I really really dont want to give those few hours to sitting in yet another meeting. If we could crowdsource this, each doing a bit, we could probably pump up the volume. For instance, here, we could come up with input, we can transmit the input, and we can create an echo chamber for any of the work that WABA or BACs are doing. Yes, WABA and the BACs have the lead on these things…. but maybe thru crowdsourcing, orchestrated through online media, we can get more foot soldiers.

[rcannon100]

another way in which motorists are disadvantaged by the status quo

It is my car commute into work. Talk about a MOTIVATION to get on a bike! Yes, as a car, it sux too. SB GW merges up to the circle back west near the cemetery. The cloverleaf ramp is a major choke point. Then going east bound into the circle going to the bridge, there is an INSANE merge of east bound traffic and south bound “Washington Blvd” traffic to east bound bridge. Insane. Ten years ago I was witnessing one accident per week. Insane. I am not sure why the accident rate appeared to go down – but it is dangerous, and there are two different ways of doing the merge – the two different way conflict with each other causing accidents – and which car is doing which approach is anyones guess.

Then on SB Washington BLVD getting to the circle is that insane ramp up to Washington blvd from the GW, and the insane ramp down under the memorial bridge that leads you to 50. That ramp is a form of roulette.

And then there are those insane cyclists who think they own the road…. oh yeah. Bike forum. I am a cyclists. Have cyclists hat on. Then there are those insane cars who fail to yield to the bikes Seriously, its bad for both when there is an accident. I would never, as a car driver, want to hit anyone. Then there is the impact on your insurance costs. Then there are potential lawsuits.

The social welfare gain by making that a safe intersection is tremendous.

[rcannon100]

What would be the fun of a rain storm if you didnt get wet and get to go splashing through the puddles??

[rcannon100]

If you post the contact information, I will certainly throw another wave of citizen petitioning the government. Those bollards are terrible.

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30% chance of rain today. Best not to risk it; recommend taking the bus :rolleyes: [getting the bike bag ready]

[rcannon100]

You guys see how to hack the old krypto locks with the O keys?

[video=youtube_share;t8XxcOj3Seo]http://youtu.be/t8XxcOj3Seo[/video]

Knocked Krypto out of the market for a while as I recall. OnGuard got the opportunity to grab market share. Now they all have those little flatish keys.

My key jammed on my OnGuard. I went back to krypto and the lock has been solid. I have a long narrow one, that makes it easy to lock front tire and frame to an inverted U bike rack.

[rcannon100]

Seriously, we’re on the same team here.

I know what my reaction to all this is. As much as I have been avoiding yet another meeting, I know its time for me to step it up a bit more. Put my hand to the plow. Show up at the BAC. It is an effort led by bike advocates with squadrons of volunteers.

I have lived here all my life. I was born in 7 corners. I grew up in MOCO. Got my first bike when living in Glen Echo. Had my first accident on River Road. When I graduated college, with my esteemed diploma, I became a courier (that was good money – and fun). My first professional job was a DC Super Court; I biked to work and they had some showers down in the dungeon. I went to the first Bike to Work Days – back when the whole thing was just at Freedom Plaza.

Things are so much better than they were. Not all the Bollards are gone; but some are. The 4MR extension under 395 – that thing is incredible. It’s safer on the roads. The police at least have a clue. In DC its a political controversy to park your car in the bike lane. In Arlco your bike cred is part of your election platform. In MoCo there is serious debate about bike infrastructure. The MBT has opened. The Baseball stadium has a bike vallet (I mean, really?? I love that). The 14th St Bridge EIS is seriously considering a bike bridge. The hump back bridge is a massive accomplishment. The C&O Canal tow path goes way west. The W&OD has had a number of dangerous crossings become bridges.

I will be the first to grouse; I have crossed Lynn St and Lee Hwy for 25 years. But I will also be the first to thank WABA, Arl BAC, Arlco, DDOT, and the other BACs – for the tremendous accomplishment that is #bikedc I am stunned and amazed to sit, as I did tonite, in a cafe having tea…. and watch bike after bike after bike traverse the streets. It did not use to be this way – it couldnt have been bc back in the day, you had to be an insane nut courier to bike in DC.

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I rode on Friday and Saturday. I was in first place for about 15 minutes :p That wont happen again any time soon. My personal goal is to stay with the second page peloton (riders 11-20). I like the days where the weather dude forecasts the end of the world as we know it; cheap way to pick up a few spots on the leaderboard :rolleyes:

[rcannon100]

So I was pondering my reaction to Mark….

Mark is one of those saints that walks amongst us. I mean that. We do not say thank you enough. To Mark, Tim, Shane and all the other drum majors in the cause of cycling. I want to be clear that my frustration is not at Mark or any of them.

That said… I think there can be only one emotion that comes from cyclists when discussing Lynn St and Lee Hwy, and when discussing the GW Parkway crossings: Exasperation. So the problem is hard. So the problem involves multiple jurisdictions. Tough! That is what government is for, to face and solve the hard decisions. They have had decades, literally decades to solve these problems. And they have not. They have rebuilt portions of these roads – and still refused to acknowledge our concerns. Every interaction we have with govt officials at this point should reflect exasperation. So you have to comply with NEPA; so you have to comply with historic preservation. So Do I! And my agency gets it done. It may take some hard work. So Get To It! Do something! Anything! Sitting back and bemoaning the fact that the solution to Lynn St and Lee Hwy involves ArlCo, VDOT, NPS, and DC – doesnt solve Lynn St and Lee Hwy.

If we want politicians to respond to us, there are basically two paths: (1) money or (2) making so much noise that they will solve the problem so we go away.

Every chance we get, every interaction we have, every time there is an incident, every one of us should contact Jim Moran, Elenor Holmes Norton, Arlington County Board, and the GW NPS and tell them: “this is not okay.” Every one of those has email, a twitter account, facebook, and telephone lines. Steve Offutt got some serious traction recently by showing up, I think it was, one of those monday evening talk to the ArlCo board things and talking to them about bollards. We need to be in their ears.

[rcannon100]

The Lynn-Lee and GW crossings are different problems bound up in different bureaucracies.

I have lived in Arlington for 25 years. During that entire time, cyclists have approached Arlington and jurisdictions to fix this intersection. At this point, everything is just a lame excuse.

There are low hanging fruit solutions that are not employed. Why is there not an Arlington police officer at this intersection on a regular basis facilitating traffic flow. Arlington is an urban environment. Big grown up cities station police officers at their traffic problems, that they cannot structurally solve, so that the police officers can keep the traffic safely moving (the old dont-block-the-box efforts). There is not a single reason why this easy solution could not be employed on a regular basis.

But its not.

Lame excuses.

[rcannon100]

Got Frogs yesterday from REI.

First, I installed them backwards. :rolleyes:

Boy are they different! In terms of causing pain to an old sprained ankle – none. There is none of that snapping motion that is required to release the SPDs I had. You just float off the pedal. Slide off.

Second, knees. Again, the float is tremendous. I really dont think my knees were enjoying having my feet stiffly clamped to the pedal. The saleswoman said she didnt like Frogs because they had too much float. I can see what she means!!! For me, that’s going to be a feature. But it is a tremendously different feel. It is going to take some time to get confident with them.

And for those keeping track, I dropped another $200 at the bike store. New pedals, new yellow shirt, cog brush, grease. Just love how much cycling saves me money (and before anyone takes me two seriously, we are a one car family —- yes, that saves a tremendous amount of money!)

[rcannon100]

I work in SW. I went from crossing Memorial bridge (which I liked) to crossing the 14th St bridge (which is blustery). This removed FIVE GW and other nasty road crossings (2 GW, 2 at Lincoln Circle, one on the mall at 17th St near the WWII). This was a good thing. The GW is an insane asylum; the NPS should be held criminally negligent. We have been approaching them for decades and even when they recently redid memorial circle they did nothing to make it safer.

And its not safe for cars either. When I use to drive, I witnessed an accident a week up on memorial circle on the virginia side of the bridge. The merge there is…. silly.

So I also got to talk to a NPS guy about all this. His excuse. The hump back bridge took 10 years. These things are all tied up in Historic Preservation and NEPA concerns. OH BS! Same BS for Lynn and Lee Hwy. Accident after accident after accident. Approaching govt officials for decades. And nothing.

As for the W&OD, there is always dropping down on to 4MR. Its more fun and it cuts out like what, 10 street crossings??

But seriously, sorry to hear its been a bad week. It is about the joy of the ride, and sometimes that joy can be hard to find.

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I’m glad CABI is there. I dont have a CABI membership. First, there is no station convenient on either end of my commute; but more importantly I would rather ride my own bike.

Bikes have changed a lot in 20 years. I just replaced a 25 year old steal frame fuji hybrid. Loved that thing; but the new bike is sweet.

What you need

* Bike. Think about a used bike to start with. Phoenix bike is a source for rebuilt bikes. WABA has bike swaps. Look in yardsales. There is craigslist, but as many here will say, its a safe bet a lot of the bikes on CL are stolen. A used bike will give you time to look at what other people have and develop ideas before dropping $1000
* Gloves – its more than grip and comfort. Gloves protect against nerve damage to your hand from the constant banging against the bar. I wear two layers of gloves, and have foam raps on my bars.
* Lights. Rear and front. On always (at least I always have my headlight on, and on flash). During the darker seasons I use two planet bike 3-LED lights on the front bar.
* Side reflectors – usually in the spokes
* Clips or clipless pedals. If you are not ready for clipless, at least put clips (cages) on your pedals. Even if you dont strap them (I never did) they will dramatically increase your efficiency.
* Bike shorts.
* Hi viz bike top – summer time that is a shirt, winter that might be a jacket / shell. Hi viz means bright yellow, orange, or lime green.
* Windshield, ie glasses. I carry clear glass and sunglasses. You can get cheap clear glass at the hardware store – look for safety glasses. They will sell them for a fraction of bicycle glasses cost.
* Sunblock
* Helmet – I choose one that is well ventilated, is white to reflect at least some solar, and is Mount bike style (flat back protecting more of the back of your head, not those stupid aerodynamic point fins on the back, which are not aerodynamic and can cause your head to torque if you land on your helmet there)
* Bags – I use panniers. I dont like backpacks on my back. People say using one pannier makes the bike unbalanced. Reality is its just a different balance. Its no big thing. What bag you choose depends on how much you carry.
* Bike rack to carry the panniers (look for a bike that is built for a rack)
* Lock. A good U lock. If you dont ever stop during your commute you can leave the U lock at work and not carry it with you. I like to stop on my ride so I lug the damn thing around with me.
* Multitool or equivalent. This is a pocket knife type thing with various tools: allen wrenches of various sizes, screw drivers, some other things. I use mine all the time to adjust my seat which never seems to want to stay put.
* Bell for signalling – see other thread on curmudgeons
* Water bottle – for me this is a must – even on a relatively short ride – with pollen and pollution, its good to have some water
* Tools – tire irons, patch kit, spare tube, tire boot, spoke wrench. I dont carry these; I have them at both ends of the commute and my commute is such that if I had a problem, I would just hop on a bus. Many people carry these.
* Quick link – can put the chain back together in case the chain busts on the trail
* Oil and chain cleaner – keep at home. I think I read its good to clean your chain every 100 miles. Interesting to see if people chime in on that.
* Pump – get one with a nice readable gauge on it. Optional is a mini pump that goes in your bag.
* Camera – if you need it, you will need it. Hopefully you wont. Taking pictures of an accident scene is the best way of dealing with insurance and any further problems. Fortunately most phones have cameras built in. Oh, and carry your phone.
* ID – always carry an ID. See bullet above
* Trash bag (optional). I has almost no weight, and if you get caught in a rain storm, you can wrap your laptop or whatever in it.

Now repeat after me: “bicycling saves you money!”

Be patient. Be predictable. Watch what other experienced cyclists do.

Enjoy the ride.

[rcannon100]

Seriously, the best way to react is to enjoy your bike ride.

Or in the words of the mighty prophet Dirt, with expectations completely low, dinguses will never ruffle you; when angels ring their heavenly bells, you can rejoice.

Enjoy the ride knowing that great is the reward for the cyclists that calls their passes.

[Author]

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