[zsionakides]

Hit and run with over $1000 in damages is a felony in Virginia. The police should be taking that more seriously, especially if there is video evidence of the incident or the driver.

[zsionakides]

@Harry Meatmotor 167264 wrote:

FTFY.

(if it was around 4:15-4:25pm, it’s the same dude I see every day…) He wears actual moto leathers. And he really doesn’t like getting held up behind ped traffic on the 14th St. ped bridge.

Has anyone ever gotten video of him to turn over to police. I’ve seen this guy a couple times before and he’s going very fast on the MVT.

There’s another guy I see on the 4MR trail who rides a motorized bike who is similarly dangerous.

[zsionakides]

@dasgeh 166979 wrote:

I know plenty of roadies that have rides where 22.4mph is their 75 percentile

The only way a roadie is doing that speed on a trail is if the trail is empty. This is the type of speed you would do at Hains Point or on a road. Trails are way too winding and full or people to go that fast. An e-bike OTOH, could quite easily, as they can push speeds on hills and out of turns most road bike riders can’t sustain.

[zsionakides]

@TimeBobby 166924 wrote:

The trail at that intersection was open again when I passed through this evening.

I saw the same today. The contractors were sodding some grass in around the new sidewalks.

It would have been nice if the county had taken this opportunity to change how the light signals work to give multiple crossing opportunities for getting across George Mason. If they changed the lights at 4MR Minor to flashing red when 4MR is green, then the pedestrian signal could be on when 4MR has a green, and not just when 4MR Minor has a green. Lost opportunity, but perhaps in the future.

[zsionakides]

@TimeBobby 166924 wrote:

The trail at that intersection was open again when I passed through this evening.

I saw the same today. The contractors were sodding some grass in around the new sidewalks.

It would have been nice if the county had taken this opportunity to change how the light signals work to give multiple crossing opportunities for getting across George Mason. If they changed the lights at 4MR Minor to flashing red when 4MR is green, then the pedestrian signal could be on when 4MR has a green, and not just when 4MR Minor has a green. Lost opportunity, but perhaps in the future.

[zsionakides]

If it’s for a road bike, you need something like this – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ELNGTC0/ref=twister_B00GOU3796?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1. Road bike handlebars don’t easily take most bells.

[zsionakides]

Does anyone know what those artistic fish decals they installed are made of and whether they are slippery or have grip. Two of them are located around curves, including one in the chicane at Eads road. Without knowing how much grip they have, I’m concerned about sliding out, particularly when it’s wet out.

[zsionakides]

@semperiden 165050 wrote:

Guy on a modded bike with a motor decided to tail me eastbound on the W&OD just after Route 50 at around 6pm. I couldn’t discern quickly what was going on until he was right on my wheel and I was just about to pass a man with a child on his trailer and I realized the danger of it all. I let him pass and he then proceed going 25mph+ on a crowded trail leaving behind lots of exhaust. I reached him at Columbia Pike when he crossed to Four Mile Run without stopping and took the street instead.

I may have seen this guy on the four mile run trail near bluemont park a couple weeks back. It was either a modded bike or a moped and was ridden pretty fast the part where I saw him.

[zsionakides]

@elbows 163764 wrote:

https://www.nps.gov/rocr/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?event=A03C554A-1DD8-B71B-0B96C3463BC84C76

On Sunday, August 20, Rock Creek Park and Rock Creek Conservancy are hosting a block party for residents and neighbors to experience the brand new Beach Drive before anyone else. Featured programs include a hike and a ranger-led bike tour, hands-on activities for kids, and information booths.

The party will begin at 1 p.m. at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo entrance on Beach Drive (by Harvard Street NW) and last until 4 p.m. During the party, guests will be invited to walk, as well as ride bicycles and other non-motorized vehicles, on the fully reconstructed roadway and the wider, smoother multi-use trail.

It would be great if they would close down that part of Beach Drive and have a biking/walking “party” every weekend like they do on the northern section.

[zsionakides]

@dhs1963 163766 wrote:

Yesterday (Sunday, 8/6) my daughter and I were riding the trail in Vienna. We were riding slowly. At the Mill Street entrance, I watched a family exiting the path. Some MF was booking down at 30+ MPH, and nearly hit a guy carrying a baby, then proceeded to curse him out. He was on a road bike. No motor. He was more of an A-hole than any ebike rider I have seen.

When you see someone on an ebike doing the same thing at 28mph, you’ll understand why there is so much consternation at allowing ebikes on the trails. Riding 25-30mph on even a road or TTbike is very hard, and only a few can do it. Giving anyone that kind of power under them completely changes the dynamics of the trails from being recreational to being mini highways.

I personally don’t have issues with low speed ebike riders on trails, but that’s not what is being pushed and advertised. The promotions are for high speed ebikes that can get you to work or where you’re going fast.

[zsionakides]

@bentbike33 163699 wrote:

While a reconfigured TR bridge along these lines would be superior, it would take at least an order of magnitude more funding than a Virginia connection to the south sidepath. It does not look like the sidepaths could be converted to roadway anyway as they are not at the same level and are cantilevered outboard of the main beams.

You’re correct, you wouldn’t be able to build out roadway over the south sidepath. The best you can get is removing the shoulders and re-striping to get about 2-3 ft of additional sidepath on the north side, which still would be an improvement over what’s there now. At least passing would be a little less harrowing.

Ideally, one of the travel lanes would be eliminated and used to expand out both sidepaths to about 9′ each. This would involve cutting the lanes to a 4-2 configuration during rush hour and 3-3 during non rush hour. It would require a traffic study, but may be feasible with the traffic levels.

[zsionakides]

@lordofthemark 163676 wrote:

IIUC the thinking is for an underpass that would take the trail under Shirlington Road. Meanwhile there would be some kind of bike accommodation on the road itself, as part of a rebuilt bridge, as well as a wider sidepath (which will be especially necessary if the current industrial area becomes more an arts/recreation/makerspace/mixed use area as seems to be envisioned)

I actually continue northbound on Shirlington Rd on the bike lane, but this little connector is needed to get to 4MR. I’d like to see better markings such as green paint along the sidewalk, and fixing the crossing with the cement factory entrance, since it’s not marked and they do have a green light there, which can confuse right-of-way.

@chris_s 163678 wrote:

Unfortunately it seems that staff is leaning toward the OTHER option which is a flyover bridge between the W&OD and the Shirlington Connector that would go over Shirlington Drive. That option is arguably better for the long-haul cyclist who is just passing through but worse for the local who is just trying to get across the damn street safely. I think you can probably tell where my preferences lie.

A flyover bridge would need to be a pretty steep incline going westbound, in addition to the incline coming from the current 395 underpass to Shirlington Rd., unless they have a really fancy long overpass starting back by 395.

[zsionakides]

@bentbike33 163647 wrote:

How about connecting the pedestrian/bike facility on the SOUTH side of the TR bridge (raise your hand if you knew such a thing existed) to something, anything, on the Virginia side, like maybe the MVT (which should be inside the red box). Now if you get on that path, easily accessible from the DC side, it dumps you into a wilderness on the wrong side of the GW Parkway. With better access, making the TR bridge bike/ped crossings one-way corresponding to the flow of cars could be considered as a way to reduce mid-bridge conflicts and encourage more use.

I would rather see one the pedestrian paths re-purposed as space for the highway and the other side doubled in size. If you took away the “shoulder” space as well, you could probably fit about a 9-10′ wide trail across most the bridge. Raise the barriers up on either side and it’s a comparable facility to the 14th st bridge. If we’re going to spend money on an approach to the south side, which isn’t cheap, it would be better to get a better trail instead.

Having one-way facilities doesn’t deal with passing pedestrians on such a narrow path.

[zsionakides]

@Dewey 163630 wrote:

You are talking about the performance of Class 3 speed pedelecs and high power/over-volted electric motors that turn bicycles into mopeds or motorcycles and I agree these are not suitable for bike trails/MUPs. But there are also Class 1 pedal assist and Class 2 throttle ebikes limited to 20mph on the flat with performance similar to pedal bicycles. I converted a bicycle with a Class 1 pedal assist motor limited to 20mph on the flat because I need pedal assistance going uphill, towing a child trailer, and carrying groceries. I don’t have a throttle, and the motor is capable of assisting my pedalling up to 14mph unloaded going uphill from Rosslyn on the Wilson Blvd PBL, with child trailer and groceries I’m usually going 10mph uphill. I agree 20mph is too fast going uphill on the Custis Trail, it’s also 5mph over the trail speed limit, lower powered Class 1 and 2 ebikes typically don’t achieve those velocities uphill.

The issue is that the same conditions that allow a class 1/2 ebike on the trail with a heavy trailer, also allow class 3 bikes at 28mph and even class 2 at 20mph with little to no effort needed from the user. 20mph on most parts of the trail is fast and 28mph is very fast even for someone on a road or TT bike. The ebikes allow sustained riding at high speeds and are specifically advertised that way to commuters.

The trail speed limits are meaningless, except as advisory speeds, as they aren’t enforced and are probably not enforceable. Even if the limits were enforced, convictions would be challenging.

[zsionakides]

@dasgeh 163619 wrote:

Ebikes that have the power but are programmed to meet the FTC regs can do 20mph uphill and on flats.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

With pedal assist the rider can go 28mph, which I’ve seen riders do on the MVT and 4MR. This is dangerous and not something a non ebike rider can easily do.

20mph is very fast for riding uphill. If you look at the Rosslyn hill on the Custis trail on Strava (https://www.strava.com/segments/12543956), only 9 out of over 7500 riders have ever averaged 20mph up that hill. Putting ebikes out there means that anyone can spend a couple grand and be faster than basically every rider on the trail, simply by twisting the wrist or flicking a switch.

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