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@dasgeh 146552 wrote:

I could see a video (less snarky than the NY one) that demonstrates why someone would bike in the travel lane when there’s a bike lane. It could demonstrate the door zone, the blocked lane, the bike-lane-is-about-to-end-and-I-can-safely-get-over-now, passing another cyclist (or jogger, grrr), bad pavement, and the left turn [others?]. For the why-not-bike-on-the-path question, it could demonstrate the crowded path, the that’s a really big hill and the road is pancake flat (I’m thinking of you, beginning of the W&OD), the I’m going somewhere on this block.

This is good stuff.

Two more big reasons I often use a travel lane in lieu of the bike lane:

1) to keep a safe distance from oblivious pedestrians (who are CONSTANTLY stepping into bike lanes without looking)
2) better visibility at intersections / driveways, to minimize risk of right-cross, right-hook, left-cross, etc. (If not well-designed, many bike lanes are more dangerous than the general travel lane.)

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While I was stopped at a traffic signal yesterday evening (headed south on 17th, at M), I noticed four cyclists exhibiting dangerous behavior. First I was passed by a southbound rider who ran the red signal one-handed while talking on his phone who then almost hit the pedestrians crossing on the opposite side. Then a northbound rider ran the signal the other direction; he was more careful at least. Then a female salmon crossed through the intersection eastbound in the M St cycletrack. Finally a northbound rider on 17th decided to use the oncoming lanes for about 100 feet to avoid stopped traffic so that he could turn onto M before our light changed.

All in the span of maybe 45 seconds.

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@Sunyata 146530 wrote:

This morning, I was shocked to see the majority of the eastbound lane of Pershing Drive between N Kenmore and N Jackson covered in steel plates (seriously, it is almost a block long). Since the plates were very wet, I chose to take the very outside of the lane between the plates and the yellow line. I know I might be a minority of people that use that as a commute route, but be careful out there. The plates looked REALLY slick.

Yes, I noticed this last night, although I was heading the other direction. I hope this is remedied soon because it looks very dangerous.

I would advise either avoiding that block or else adopt ride on the left edge as Sunyata describes. Traction on steel plates is usually poor even when they are dry. There is just enough space between the plates and the yellow line, but I would be a bit concerned that some driver may try to squeeze past on your right.

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I have not seen such a visual.

The few instances of driver harassment I have experienced seem to have occurred disproportionately when I was taking a general lane on roads that also have a bike lane. The most recent example was on S Joyce in Pentagon City, when a driver honked multiple times and gestured angrily at me to use the bike lane. (I won’t ride in those bike lanes if there are parked cars, because they are too narrow once you eliminate the door zone, and they invite close passes if you ride on the left edge.)

@Erin Potter 146492 wrote:

realized that quite a few stemmed from the (incorrect) belief that the bike rider had to be in the bike lane, and that the rest of the road is only for people driving cars

That may be true in some cases. However, others may well know the law but just feel like bullying someone. Certainly they’re not going to admit that if called out for their behavior.

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This is a great idea. Then, all riders should backtrack via the “official” detour so they can do laps. If we can get enough people to do multiple laps every morning, drivers will soon be begging for bike lanes on Glebe.

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“No-right-on-red” will not generally solve this problem. There are far more unsignalized intersections than signalized ones, and the majority of the unsignalized intersections are designed in such a way that drivers cannot see traffic without blocking the crosswalk. Usually because of parked cars.

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@bikesnick 145365 wrote:

I am happy that bicycle lanes are showing up in Tysons, but this is rather an abrupt end.

That looks really dangerous. Imagine encountering it under darkness on your first-ever ride along this road. I’m guessing that there is neither paint nor signage giving any prior indication that merging left is required?

I thought Tyco Road was up for a diet. So hopefully it won’t be an issue for long.

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@dasgeh 144973 wrote:

Question: would it have been better to have only a southbound protected bike lane v. the two paint-bike lanes that we got?

No.

A protected bike lane might reduce the number of double-parkers, but it would exacerbate the other problems. Many more pedestrians would mindlessly step into such a lane, and riders would have less reaction time and no extra space to avoid them. Interactions with turning drivers would be much worse. With bikes hidden behind parked vehicles, right hooks and left crosses would become more likely at every potential conflict point. Drivers would not reliably yield to thru-cyclists while exiting any of the many driveways and garages along Crystal Drive, and they would then block the PBL while waiting for an opening in traffic.

A sharrow, on the other hand, would either completely solve or at least minimize all of the problems that bobco85 experienced.

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@Tim Kelley 144861 wrote:

http://bikes.oobrien.com/washingtondc/#zoom=13&lon=-77.0200&lat=38.9000

Thanks for this link. It’s a nice visualization that I hadn’t seen previously.

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CabiTracker shows EFC only having one hour all month so far where the dock was full (which was last Tuesday evening).

The date range is selectable if you click on the calendars.

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@creadinger 144806 wrote:

IMHO – Never EVER use the bike lanes along Crystal Drive. Just take the right lane. Drivers there aren’t quick enough mentally to process all of the stimuli that they’re confronted with and often (almost always) do stupid things.

The bike lanes’ only purpose now is for double parking, and allowing a buffer for pedestrians wanting to jaywalk across the street. Besides, given all the traffic lights and randomly turning cars, buses, jay walkers, etc… speeds are low enough to justify taking the lane as well.

This advice also applies to some other bike lanes in the area. Lynn St in Rosslyn and Joyce St in Pentagon City, to name two.

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Totally confused. These lanes are not single-directional?

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@brainstormerus 144446 wrote:

The driver made contact with my rear tire (I was on a bikeshare bike at the time) and attempted to push me into the intersection with the front of her car.

Did you report this incident? Pushing someone into an intersection is an extremely dangerous thing to do.

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@Crickey7 144385 wrote:

34th Street/Reno Road is not advisable

Not questioning this advice, but curious as to why. Are motorists bailing off Conn/Wisc and trying to make up lost time here? Insufficient opportunities and sightlines for safe passing?

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@Judd 144281 wrote:

Just wait until I convince Bobco to make his historical sites by bike videos. See the secret spring off of the W&OD trail!

Already done, though it doesn’t show every turn like his recent SafeTrack videos. I had the pleasure of riding with him one day last fall while he shot this one.

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