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Viewing 15 posts - 166 through 180 (of 370 total)
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  • in reply to: October 2017 Road and Trail Conditions #1077367
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    @bentbike33 167179 wrote:

    After seeing it in the daylight, and having it pointed out by a dog walker, the “veer right” trail seems to be the official detour.

    Not surprising since it is also the official W&OD trail.

    in reply to: Weekly Coffee Gatherings #1077278
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    Nice to meet Lordofthemark and SpaceJockey. If anyone intends to go to the Velo Café, note that as of now it only opens at 8 AM and then only the window where they sell. The inside doesn’t open until 9 AM. I assume this will eventually change.

    As is typical for me I got there early and tested the bikeometer before the others arrived. It only registers if you go in front of it. If you go behind it or cross the street at that point you will be missed, so if the object is to figure out how many people use the LBP, it is badly undercounting and should have been placed slightly northwest of where it is. It will be a better indication when the LBP continues southeastward..

    in reply to: Weekly Coffee Gatherings #1077235
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    @lordofthemark 167017 wrote:

    If I get there, I will probably be wearing a Crystal Ride jersey.

    If it is anywhere near as cold as today, I will be wearing a Performance Bike jacket which looks like it needs cleaning. Also I will probably be wandering around trying to figure out where I can lock up my bike (probably a 2014 Trek Domane 4.3) in sight of the café, and I will be just as short as and slightly older than today. :D

    Is anyone else thinking about being there?

    in reply to: Weekly Coffee Gatherings #1077200
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    I’ll probably be there on Friday.

    in reply to: Maine Avenue is Combat #1077182
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    @lordofthemark 166904 wrote:

    I rode Maine eastbound this AM, taking the lane. With the pavement so smooth, and with two lanes now open eastbound, it was a pretty comfortable place to take the lane. Seems like the PBL will be used by the least confident riders (including bikeshare riders) and those actually going to and from the Wharf, but the more confident through cyclists will mostly take the lane.

    I agree that Maine Avenue is fine for some, e.g., those wanting to go north on 12th Street. If I am heading to Haines Point, I find the left turn quite difficult to make.

    in reply to: Maine Avenue is Combat #1077179
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    They are stenciling bike symbols and arrows on the PBL and adding a dashed line in the center. They started on the SE end have progressed quite far. Of course the pedestrians and more so the construction workers are ignoring it. Now if thet could do something about continuing past the fish market it would be wonderful. I also went into the District Hardware and Bike store. The bike part seems quite small. Lastly the bikeometer was above 140 when I went by at about 2 PM.

    It doesn’t pertain to Maine Avenue, but I see that the center lane of 4th Street, north of M, which was mostly filled with illegally parked cars and trucks is now full of bollards. A great improvement.

    in reply to: Missed connection #1077125
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    @lordofthemark 166900 wrote:

    Possibly misunderstanding the two minute rule?

    Otherwise very odd – we at BPAC are still tossing about the idea of requsting the City ask the General Assembly to legalize bikes proceeding through on leading pedestrian intervals (as is legal in the District).

    I didn’t realize that was legal in DC. Good to know.

    in reply to: Weekly Coffee Gatherings #1077103
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    Is there going to be a gathering at the Velo Café or have I already missed it?

    in reply to: Maine Ave #1076977
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    in reply to: Maine Avenue is Combat #1075325
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    @Judd 166674 wrote:

    They also look like they were placed there by a tactical urbanist.

    That’s a better explanation than mine.

    in reply to: Maine Avenue is Combat #1076910
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    There are now at least one small sign per block indicating with symbols which is the sidewalk and which is the PBL. They look temporary. :)

    in reply to: Maine Avenue is Combat #1076890
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    @lordofthemark 166593 wrote:

    I rode the PBL west bound on the way home. Figured a Friday evening would be a particular challenge. Lots of pedestrians, if still not enough to render it unrideable for me. There was one cyclist going the other way on the PBL. But there was also a cyclist riding on the actual sidewalk (IE NOT the PBL) Which I think indicates a problem as big as that inherent in the infrastructure – there is nothing present indicating to anyone that there is supposed to be mode seperation between bikes and peds. Unless you are aficionado of Dutch style bike infra, or you have been combing this forum for references to the PBL, you would have no idea that there was a PBL there. Also does not help that one of the apt buildings has its leasing sign in the PBL. My suggested solution is that we maybe ask DDOT to put in a cycle track on Maine Avenue. That might get their attention, maybe?

    Also of course one other reason there is little bike traffic is that there is really nowhere to go at the west end of the PBL – the connection to fish market sidewalk is worse than ever.

    On a side note, if I cross Maine in the crosswalk on the west side of 7th, and then turn west on the PBL, the bike counter will not capture me, right? For now at least the entry to the woonerf is closed, so its either that, or use the crosswalk on the east side of 7th, which is hard to get to because of the construction east of 7th.

    I think that you are correct in saying that you won’t be counted.

    I have yet to see the bikeometer read over 100 in about 5 trips past it in each direction. Because of its orientation I cannot see if it is working, and I have twice gone past it and then turned around, and it indeed is.

    I hope that chris_s is correct about his interpretation of bikepedantic’s tweet. The only one which I saw just read that it was not painted to indicate it is a PBL, not that it was going to be painted. We will see.

    I also walked from home, walked by the entire Wharf on the river side and then returned on the Maine Ave side (on the sidewalk, not the PBL :) ). There is really not much open there yet. It looks like stores, restaurants, etc., will be opening about weekly through the next few months. That actually is good as there will be a gradual increase in usage.

    in reply to: Maine Avenue is Combat #1076840
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    @lordofthemark 166593 wrote:

    I rode the PBL west bound on the way home. Figured a Friday evening would be a particular challenge. Lots of pedestrians, if still not enough to render it unrideable for me. There was one cyclist going the other way on the PBL. But there was also a cyclist riding on the actual sidewalk (IE NOT the PBL) Which I think indicates a problem as big as that inherent in the infrastructure – there is nothing present indicating to anyone that there is supposed to be mode seperation between bikes and peds. Unless you are aficionado of Dutch style bike infra, or you have been combing this forum for references to the PBL, you would have no idea that there was a PBL there. Also does not help that one of the apt buildings has its leasing sign in the PBL. My suggested solution is that we maybe ask DDOT to put in a cycle track on Maine Avenue. That might get their attention, maybe?

    Also of course one other reason there is little bike traffic is that there is really nowhere to go at the west end of the PBL – the connection to fish market sidewalk is worse than ever.

    On a side note, if I cross Maine in the crosswalk on the west side of 7th, and then turn west on the PBL, the bike counter will not capture me, right? For now at least the entry to the woonerf is closed, so its either that, or use the crosswalk on the east side of 7th, which is hard to get to because of the construction east of 7th.

    I suspect there will be more foot traffic when the offices, hotels, and apartments are all populated. They certainly have to identify the PBL for what it is.

    in reply to: Maine Avenue is Combat #1076828
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    @Judd 166538 wrote:

    The bikeometer is sort of in front of the District Hardware. It’s also oriented so that the display is facing the street instead of facing the path so you’ll have to turn your head to the side to figure out what number you are.

    Thanks I saw it today. Since it is sideways one doesn’t know if one is actually counted. Assuming I was, I was #37 at about 7 AM heading west and #62 returning about 10:30 AM. Certainly not many riders.

    As an off topic comment, it is great that for the first time in the 42 years that I lived in SW DC, there is now a hardware store which I can walk to.

    in reply to: Why Do Spammers Like This Forum So Much? #1076777
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    @Vicegrip 166530 wrote:

    Might be ease of access. I buddy manages a local car forum. I asked him about spam and bots and the like. He said they are probing the board all the time and he has to stay on top of them. Seems that it used to be bots posting random word groups and a link. Now there is some almost coherent post and then the link. I say lock the ability to include hot links to more than 50 posts. If someone with less needs to post a link they can send the post to a mod and have it approved. This won’t stop the type like today as it does not have a hot link. Give some forum members the ability to temp block posts and posters to increase the speed that the posts are pulled down. When the spammers see they they only get one or 3 views before the spam is pulled they will go elsewhere.

    Maybe it is time to repaint the white bicycle. ;)

Viewing 15 posts - 166 through 180 (of 370 total)