[Steve]

@dasgeh 71057 wrote:

So for the stop-and-run-the-red-if-the-coast-is-clear people, do you do that in a car? Why on a bike and not in a car?

I stop almost all the time, with only a few places that I think it makes sense to stop-and-run.

That being said, why on a bike a not a car? Because they aren’t the same (which I think you agree with), and so applying laws universally doesn’t always make sense. I think people do it for the same reasons that people support the Idaho stop (benefits video), which is to say the utility of a bike increases if it doesn’t have to overcome stops so often.

[Steve]

@OneEighth 68777 wrote:

It looked even better from on the water.

Were you out this a.m.? Time? There were two people out this morning when I was riding down Ohio. I love seeing the folks out when it’s dark, with the lights shining out over the water.

[Steve]

Sometimes I wonder if Arlington is hurt by being good early. The major trails have been here for a while, and have provided a great cycling opportunity. The county was probably out ahead of many of the other local areas in terms of putting in some bike lanes and accomodations to connect people to those trails. For a while, it has been the best place to ride. The other localities seem to have accepted that challenge. DC has made so many more efforts, and I think has gone far ahead of Arlington in terms of its on-street network, Alexandria is improving, and something tells me that Fairfax (Tyson’s especially) will outperform Arlington sooner than later. It seems to me that Arlington is just stuck where it is. Most of the cycling infrastructure is either trail (much of which isn’t Arlington’s) or bike lanes on roads where they seem very easy to be. But those appear to be exhausing themselves, so now the county is in a hard spot. Does it actually take transportational cycling seriously, or does it just do it when convenient? So far, it seems to be mostly out of convenience.

I wonder also if the early success hurts us from an advocacy standpoint. WABA doesn’t appear to have Arlington high on its priority list, because things have been ok here. It’s similar to how the top kids often get the least attention from teachers because of priorities. The BAC has its role, but that is not really advocacy. Fairfax is going to see results soon, and I’m sure that is largely because of FABB, and we don’t have that here. I don’t know what the right answer is for Arlington, but it just looks like the county is maxing out its easy ways to increase cycling. The next step has to be something more dramatic, because there aren’t that many small steps left to take.

I’m done rambling.

[Steve]

Mornin’ Sunshine.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4030[/ATTACH]

[Steve]

@oldbikechick 68754 wrote:

It was my evening commute that reminded me how much I love my normal commute on the MVT and Custis. Today, I needed to go to South Arlington – Walter Reed/Columbia Pike area from the 14th St bridge. On Google maps, it looked simple. In the pitch dark, it was a bit creepy going under the GW Parkway, trying to find the deserted path through some sort of park to the little bridge leading to the Pentagon. Would have helped to have seen it once in the daylight. Or have some much bigger light than I have. Then on some sort of sidewalk next to Washington Boulevard, crossing a no-man’s land of on-ramps and off-ramps to get to Columbia Pike. I didn’t see a single other cyclist on this route. How do folks normally commute from that area?

Different folks will take different ways on this one, all of which have some problems. I go thru Crystal City/Pentagon City. I’ve done this either by exiting at CC Waterpark on MVT, or going under the Humpback Bridge and taking Boundary Channel Dr (?) up by Long Bridge Park. I then take 15th to Joyce and under 395 via the new wide sidewalk. If you have access to Ft. Meyer, you can then go up Southgate into base and exit on 2nd Street (Over Wash Blvd), and get to Col Pike/W Reed.

[Steve]

Zero. Elevators. Elite.

[Steve]

@Dirt 68367 wrote:

As a side note, we will likely not have a how2 session on riding no hands through the snow on your fixie with 22mm slick tires.

How else would you ride it!?

[Steve]

@ronwalf 68116 wrote:

What ominous weather this morning! I managed to shoot the gap in the radar, but it felt like the eye of a storm.

You know what they say…..”November: In like a lion…..”

[Steve]

@rcannon100 67980 wrote:

Where did yousse guys buy your caps from?

Mine are Walz. I like them. Others have their preferences, some of which are in this thread.

[Steve]

Huge problem for me on my morning commute, going south on MVT from Memorial Bridge to 14th St. Enough so that I take Ohio Drive sometimes instead, despite the crazy long light you get sometimes trying to cross RCP.

Anyways, one thing that can help a little bit is a visor or cycling cap. The bill can do a lot to block the light and still allow you to see out far enough on the trail that you feel safe. I got a lighter moisture wicking one this year, because it seemed like the dark came much quicker than the cold weather.

[Steve]

@dasgeh 67925 wrote:

There’s a sign hanging from the same wires as the stop light in Tim’s picture above. That sign (according to both my memory and google street view) says no right turn on red. I’d go with the ArlCo roads engineer on this one…

As Liz said, we are talking about people heading south on Viecht, and making a right on red to head west on Lee. That part of Viecht (the Northwest corner of the intersection, I suppose), is a sort of odd double lane that is unmarked. Lots of people use that part of Viecht after exiting the Custis to head into Courthouse.

[Steve]

Looks nice! And a track stand for good measure!

That being said, part of me wishes they would do a green dotted bike lane thru the intersection on the other side of the street. It seems to me that people making the left turn onto Lee Hwy that the SUV pictured above is about to make is actually the most dangerous part of that intersection for bikes/peds (for those heading toward Courthouse).

[Steve]

Looks like it’s getting closer. Funding has closed and shipments are scheduled for next summer. I’m interested to hear the reviews: http://www.hammerhead.io/

[Steve]

@cyclingfool 67294 wrote:

Me: Riding my bike to work, trying to follow the law and no salmon by the Jefferson Memorial.

You: The Park Police cop (tag number I412263) who parked in the crosswalk along E Basin Drive, adding one more obstacle to the legal path, even when there was TONS of space along the curb in the street.

I particularly dislike that parking spot when heading west. It’s the most common place to merge into traffic, but pretty hard to look over your shoulder for cars when there’s a car parked there.

On the plus side, it looks like your commute was dry! Mine was some cold cold rain.

[Steve]

Essigmw would have never stopped riding!

Seriously though, I don’t think you should ever ride when you don’t want to. It’s not work after all! Making choices to balance out life is always hard, and making the choice to spend more time with your family is probably always the right choice. If you caught the Manning family’s 30for30 on ESPN, I though Archie had a pretty good line that, “I’ve never regretted time that I spend with my kids.” Seems like that’s about the right idea.

[Author]

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