[theakston]

@Justin Antos 8372 wrote:

I second the recommendation to avoid going southbound on the MVT after nightfall. You’re frequently blinded by oncoming headlights – exquisitely calibrated to be just at eye level for an extra special dose of blinding-ness. I’ve yet to figure out any kind of light setup or visor that’s very effective against it. At times I’ve had trouble even seeing the trail, let alone ninjas on it.

Just imagine how those “ninjas” must feel when you blast them with your 5000 lumen lights! Seriously this is a bit off topic but I hope fols are aware that these bike lights can seriously blind runners – even the ones using reflective clothing. I run on the trail before hopping on my bike to go to work in the morning and only one of the bikes I see frequently has the courtesy to cover his light when he gets within blinding range. It is much appreciated! (I run with a feeble LED headlight enough to see and be seen – that is until I get blinded)

[theakston]

@baiskeli 7271 wrote:

Crossing today, I thought of the best fix for this crossing.

Reduce the road to one lane. That would eliminate the two-lane stopping problem, narrow the crossing, and slow traffic down all at the same time. I don’t think it would cause car congestion, there isn’t enough traffic to do that.

The car people would go insane when they heard about it, but they always do that. The Park Service would probably reject it anyway. But it would work.

After they just spent several millions of dollars widening the hump back bridge to prevent a back up from where the lanes merge from the 14 st bridge – I don’t share your optimism that it would not cause congestion. They had to add a lane to prevent a back up there.

[theakston]

@Usern Ame 7020 wrote:

Well think of it this way – how would joggers take it if bikers were in a “jogging” lane? They wouldn’t take it at all.

Is there such a thing as a jogging lane? where?

[theakston]

@DaveK 7010 wrote:

The difference is cyclists are supposed to ride on the road. Pedestrians are required by law to be on the sidewalk and out of the road.

so if a cyclist gets run off the road by a car on say the GW parkway near Mt Vernon that’s OK? (given that by law Cyclists are not supposed to be on the road there). and to lump runners in with Peds is the same as drivers who insist that bikes should be on the sidewalk and trails. I don’t run in the bike lanes but running someone over if they do is not the best way to promote biking. It’s the same attitude drivers have to bikes – they are too slow and don’t belong here so I’ll buzz them for fun.

[theakston]

@CCrew 6999 wrote:

All the more justification as to why I play chicken with them.

Seriously, I do. They can have the W&OD, I give them right of way. The bike lanes? Not so much. Not when there’s an empty 10 foot wide sidewalk beside them.

Come on…don’t act like the worst of the drivers around here. I see comments like that about cyclists in the road all the time. It doesn’t help when you start acting like them.

[theakston]

@JeffC 6975 wrote:

That intersection scares me, it’s worse than a frogger video game. ….. Meanwhile cars exiting from the GW parkway are steaming mad trying to turn right onto Lynn Street but have to wait until the last second when bikers flying down from Fort Meyer Street finally stop crossing.

Not trying ot be a pedant but isn’t it traffic coming off of i-66 not the GW Parkway – or have I got this location wrong?

[theakston]

@StopMeansStop 6077 wrote:

@txgoonie

As you can tell there is a difference of opinion about this. My advice on the GW is to not stop for people waiting to cross, and be prepared for someone else to pull a bonehead move and slam on their brakes.

By “Bonehead move” you mean being courteous and obeying the law. It’s the speeding and tailgating that is the bonehead move. Drivers should be prepared to stop. Problem is the speed even if they stuck to the posted limit 40MPH is probably too fast for that section between all the bridges where there are multiple crosswalks.

[theakston]

Here is another quote from the law regarding crossings for those that seem to think that the car has the right of way unless the pedestrian is alwady in the crosswalk:

C. The governing body of Arlington County, Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, the County of Loudoun and any town therein, and the City of Alexandria, may by ordinance provide for the installation and maintenance of highway signs at marked crosswalks specifically requiring operators of motor vehicles, at the locations where such signs are installed, to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians crossing or attempting to cross the highway. Any operator of a motor vehicle who fails at such locations to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians as required by such signs shall be guilty of a traffic infraction punishable by a fine of no less than $100 or more than $500. The Commonwealth Transportation Board shall develop criteria for the design, location, and installation of such signs. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any limited access highway.

[theakston]

@StopMeansStop 5993 wrote:

It was at a designated crossing, which like the trails have STOP signs for the trail users. The problem is that drivers either don’t realize the pedestrians are required to wait, or they want to be nice and allow them to cross. While I applaud their civility to their fellow man, they are really making the situation far more dangerous.

No good deed goes unpunished….

There is a lot of confusion over these signs. I personally think that the Stop signs need to be removed. Traffic is supposed to yield to pedestrians in (or attempting to enter) the crosswalk. From what I was told the Stop signs (which usually are combined with a “Dismount” sign – the ones on the GWParkway do) are to instruct the cyclists to stop and dismount at which time they are to be treated as a pedestrian and have the right of way.
There is clearly a need to clarify this set of laws. And to enforce them. People are getting hurt and killed too often.

[Author]

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