[S. Arlington Observer]

I really like the holistic model. On some days I get around by bus, bike, metro and walking (four modes). Having such options is what makes living here special. Bus availability really does encourage me to bike. (for example, I might have forgone it yesterday morning if I was not assured I could put the bike on the bus in the evening when the showers arrived.) And the combination of the two (buses and bike paths) keeps me out of my automobile for weeks at a time.

Also, in pondering this, I realized that, for those whose alternative is a motor vehicle, each day of cycling does reduce the pollution footprint on THAT DAY.

[S. Arlington Observer]

@TwoWheelsDC 127679 wrote:

I’m not sure I understand…are you saying you feel guilty because you’re creating a “need” for the bus system because you use it occasionally, and you’d prefer that we didn’t have to have a bus system at all?

I definitely love the bus system, which I used in various capacities weekly. It was just a sad realization that bicycling most days does nothing to actually reduce the need for other modes of transportation. I do think that multiple modes of transportation are an important lifestyle and well being tools for a community.

[S. Arlington Observer]

This is a bad proprietorial decision and sets a bad precedent. As one person’s comments to the main article said “If the only penalty for driving unsafely around a cyclist, even if you hit and kill them, is a point on your license, there is no deterrence or compelling reason to exercise care”.

Fortunately, the much maligned civil side of the legal system may help some here. Civil liability should be easy to establish here and I hope there is a significant insurance payout. Not for the money sake itself, but as a deterrent. When people complain about civil damages they need to realize that the prospect of civil liability is sometimes all there is to deter bad conduct.

Now is the time for Maryland to criminal strengthen its laws. I certainly hope the criminal law result would not be the same in Virginia.

[S. Arlington Observer]

@dasgeh 126583 wrote:

2) Under semiautomated, the pedestrian signal only goes to walk if a pedestrian is detected (usually involves pushing a button), even if a vehicle is detect and the corresponding traffic signal gets green. The reason is ostensibly that, if there’s only one car on the side street, the green cycle for the one car to get through is a lot shorter than it would be for a pedestrian to cross.

The problem with requiring pedestrians to push the button is that many do not understand that dynamic. I’ve seen dangerous situations at the intersection of Walter Reed and Arlington Mill Drive where pedestrians realize in mid cycle that the walk sign will not come on and proceed anyway, even though they really don’t have time then (since they stood there for part of the cycle waiting for the walk sign to come on.) The mix of systems means that people accustomed to the walk signal being automatic don’t realize that they MUST push the button in some places. (There is no signage to indicate that an intersection is such a place — one figures it out over time by experience.) Many simply assume the walk sign is broken.

When the walk sign comes on automatically there is a timer letting people know how much time they have. When it does not (and pedestrians don’t understand why it did not) they are essentially walking into the intersection blind as to the time they have to get across. This happens all the time and is a danger actually created by bad design.

As for your specific question about trails, it has been my experience that the signal where the W&OD crosses Columbia Pike does not activate unless the buttons are pushed. (Or, to put it another way, sometimes it does not activate at all with the light change.)

[S. Arlington Observer]

@DismalScientist 126410 wrote:

How are you people going to survive when it actually gets cold?:rolleyes:

Agree. It was not actually that cold today. A light jacket, light gloves and ear muffs sufficed for me. (My ears do get cold easily). But these transition seasons can be sort of challenging. At least in the middle of a polar vortex one knows how to dress.

Sort of cold – but not really cold — takes a lot more thought. How warm will I be when I finish? And how much do I want to strap on my bike on the way home when it will be warmer? In summer there is little danger of under dressing and in winter little danger of over dressing. But this time of year it is possible to err either way. Experience helps.

[S. Arlington Observer]

@TwoWheelsDC 125729 wrote:

In the cases of Ballston and Rosslyn, the Metro stations are also major hubs from buses coming in from non-Metro accessible locations, so adding bikeshare there increases choice. When I was in grad school last year, I often took the bus to Ballston and then bikeshared from Ballston to Virginia Square. It was generally faster, cheaper, and germ-y. Rosslyn also gets a lot of people who then head into Georgetown and vice versa.

So there’s a bit of logic to it, but I do agree that Arlington needs to focus on reaching the peripheral neighborhoods…like, say, the bulk of north and west Arlington that are within pretty easy bikeshare distance to EFC, but have been totally ignored by the County/CaBi.

Lord, I did not mean to question the planning process, etc. as I know people are very defensive about that. I was only stating my own user end observation. I work literally atop an Arlington Metro station. When Bikeshare first came to Arlington I thought it would expand my options. I was already a Metro and bus person (I hate to drive) but I found that Bikeshare basically (then) only gave me a chance to go where the Metro went anyway. Without arguing history (which, after all, is history) I do like being able to go places that Metro (and sometimes convenient buses) CAN’T take me.

I bike daily, but rarely ride a CaBi bike now. But it was the expansion of CaBi to Shirlington that got me on a bike in the first place and which lead to my current daily bike commuting — and regular bike trips to Crystal City venues and a gym on Glebe Road. And I still appreciate the ability to hop on one and grab a beer in Crystal City when I suspect that riding home (due to the hour or perhaps more than one beer) might not be the best option. I only wish Fairfax was on board (so I could go to Bailey’s Crossroads) and Alexandria realized there is more to the city than DelRay and Old Town.

So, to end on a positive note, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE Arlington bringing bikeshare to south Arlington. It literally changed my life. I hope the branching out from Metro corridors continues.

[S. Arlington Observer]

@PotomacCyclist 125717 wrote:

The CaBi jurisdictions do look to add stations at or near busy Metro stations, but the process has not always been smooth. When Montgomery County joined CaBi, there were notable gaps in coverage at the MD Metro stations. The negotiating process gets drawn out. I’m not sure why.

There are bike stations near many Metro stations in DC, Arlington and Alexandria, but not always on official Metro property. It doesn’t appear that there is an established coordination process, although there should be. With all the recent issues and criticism of WMATA recently, I don’t know if bikeshare arrangements are going to be high on their list of priorities. But I hope the area jurisdictions can improve on their communication and coordination with WMATA.

It is crucial to have stations near Metro stations so that bikes can augment the Metro ride (and vice-versa). CaBi certainly makes it more feasible for me to Metro into the District and bike to non Metro friendly parts of the city.

BUT… The jurisdictions also need to fan out to other destinations. For some reason Arlington placed many of its original stations ALONG THE METRO ROUTE, not just at the stations. As a result, the Bikeshare bikes were largely redundant with the Metro system, not an expansion of possibilities. This has gotten better with further expansion, but I never understood the concept of mimicking the Metro line route between stations instead of allowing people to ride to a station and then go “sideways” on a bicycle. To me the best part of the bikes is being able to go where Metro does not go (albeit using Metro to get to the jumping off point) — not riding a bike along the same well worn route that buses and Metros are already serving.

[S. Arlington Observer]

@Steve O 125531 wrote:

The more relevant metric is what is your marginal time. If your metro ride is 45 minutes and your bike is 1:05, then your marginal additional time is 20 minutes. Investing 20 minutes to get 1:05 of exercise is a very efficient use of time.

Another person was complaining about Metro in today’s Washington Post Letters to the Editor.

That is an excellent point. Biking costs me about 30 minutes more a day than simply taking the bus. But I get two rides (good for mental sharpness) and “70 minutes of exercise for the price of 30”.

[S. Arlington Observer]

@lordofthemark 124550 wrote:

This is not some 19th century street in DC. This is Shirlington, with lots of loading docks and alleys designed in particular to keep deliveries off the main commercial sidewalks, AFAICT. And that appears to be a residential moving truck. Not sure why they were there, but I would bet it was not a good reason.

Agreed,

There really isn’t any reason for this vehicle to be parked illegally in Shirlington at all, much less in a bike lane. It is not parked at or near a residential building for immediate unloading.

I wonder if the police and parking officials would be more proactive if it was blocking a lane of vehicular traffic? Arlington cannot claim to be bike friendly or to be creating a system of bike lanes if the bike lanes are just nice suggestions to drivers with no practical reality.

[S. Arlington Observer]

@dasgeh 124368 wrote:

First post:

Sometimes that gets lost in all the follow up conversations. I should have seen that. Thanks for the reminder. Messages going out today.

[S. Arlington Observer]

This seems like a travesty, but at least keeping the bus lanes car free 24/7 seems viable. Who should we write? I know the County Board is an obvious place to start. But who, in which County department, should also receive feedback?

This only marginally affects me personally as I use Eads Street to go north to 18th and the water park (where I board a bus.) I am on Crystal Drive for only a block. But it is simply wrong to take away a bike lane and regress like this. It’s bad enough to take away a bike lane for another form of non auto transportation. But to hand it over to automobiles? I don’t understand how County planners can so obviously miss the hypocrisy and PR issues involved. Car Free diet indeed.

[S. Arlington Observer]

@Tim Kelley 123909 wrote:

Why doesn’t WMATA have their Bike on Bus video on their Bike on Bus web page?

http://www.bikearlington.com/pages/biking-in-arlington/bike-on-transit/

See right around the :43 mark.

Thanks, all. I note that in both videos (one from MetroBus and one from ART – Arlington Transit) they show loading the lone bicycle in the back. And that makes sense as it allows another bike to be added without moving the existing one (or trying to slide one in sideways.) I’ll just hope that this (being blocked from either loading or unloading) does not happen very often. But, given the growing popularity of biking, I can see it happening more and more.

Not to mention when the day arrives and both slots are taken!

[S. Arlington Observer]

@GovernorSilver 123478 wrote:

I rode one for the first time last night. I didn’t see a bell. Maybe I didn’t look in the right place. I do appreciate the dock holding the bike in place so I could adjust the seat height.

I was supposed to ride in today, but I overslept.

According to Cyclemeter GPS, I rode for a combined time of about 1:20, about 20 min. over my usual ride time to get to work. Did a test ride at an LBS, then rode a CaBi to a house concert. On the way, the plastic cover over the left side of the handlebar fell off with a loud clatter. Took me a few minutes to figure out how to snap it back in. Later, I rode another CaBi to the metro station.

I have ridden many CaBi bikes and never had one without a bell. It can twist all the way around the handlebar so sometimes it is “underneath” and not obvious. Facing forward it should be on the left side of the handlebar. One odd fact, they don’t ring well in the coldest winter months but recover in the spring. Not sure why.

[S. Arlington Observer]

As I have now learned, the temperature in the morning in the summer is not very relevant. It is the dewpoint that hurts. Dewpoint of 74 this morning and was ringing wet after just two miles. So grateful for drier air on the way!

[S. Arlington Observer]

ArlNow has an article up about the Custis Trail work. No real detail but a good chance for users to weigh in on the comments section if you like:

https://www.arlnow.com/2015/08/12/sections-of-curtis-trail-closed-for-repairs/

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