zsionakides
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August 31, 2020 at 7:51 pm in reply to: Four Mile Run Trail debris on trail in Barcroft Park area #1106389
zsionakides
ParticipantThis happens anytime there is serious rain. It’s basically where the water runs through and debris always comes with it.
zsionakides
Participant@Judd 201544 wrote:
Design document is here: https://projects.arlingtonva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2017/06/Cemetery-Expansion-DES_Columbia_Pike_Multimodal_Segment_A.pdf
This was a win for the folks that provided comments at the last public meeting which led to a dedicated cycle track. It was a surprise to see the plan changed based on the dismissive staff member that Arlngton provided for the open house.
The prior plan called for a shared use sidewalk (10 feet wide if I recall correctly) that would have been challenging in the spring and summer with tour groups walking from the Pentagon to the Air Force Memorial. I wouldn’t want to be a ped with someone bombing down the hill on the sidewalk.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This design document doesn’t have a separate bike path. Have they updated it since.
zsionakides
ParticipantGet in touch with Weehoo and check on their website. I had a couple Weehoos before and the company was really good about spare parts.
May 19, 2020 at 11:21 am in reply to: Strava Cuts Off Ironman Virtual Club: An Explainer To Sports Tech Drama #1105871zsionakides
ParticipantI never really understood why Strava gave away so much in the free version. I think they would better thinning out the free version more and making a lite version at say $2/month with most the current free features and keeping the premium staying where it is.
April 27, 2020 at 12:20 pm in reply to: Potomac River bridges open for bikes (Roosevelt, Memorial, 14th)? #1105647zsionakides
Participant@JustinW 200384 wrote:
Not sure about the FDR bridge (!)
New bike/ped path from Columbia Island to West Potomac Park. Nice alternative to the Memorial and 14th St crossings.
zsionakides
ParticipantBig missed opportunity to have done this on the original 495 HOT lanes expansion. Though highway corridors aren’t the most pleasant place to ride, they are efficient locations to get where you need to go.
April 19, 2020 at 8:36 pm in reply to: Tidal Basin, Memorial Bridge, Lincoln Memorial Street closures #1105752zsionakides
Participant@Dan K 200279 wrote:
You can absolutely cycle on Hains Point. Yes, the gates are locked, but the police have zero problem with cyclists going around them and using the roadway. A few weeks ago, I actually asked a cop parked adjacent to the gate if it would be OK, her response — no problem. Been doing laps there ever since, including in full view of police parked in the parking area down near the “tip” — again, no problem.
Per NPS, Ohio Dr to Hains Point is closed to all traffic including bicycles – https://www.nps.gov/nama/planyourvisit/temporary-facilities-closure-advisory.htm. Just because some park police look the other way doesn’t make it legal or advised.
April 18, 2020 at 7:13 pm in reply to: Tidal Basin, Memorial Bridge, Lincoln Memorial Street closures #1105757zsionakides
Participant@Henry 200018 wrote:
Appears to be open. Can someone pls confirm?
Hains Point is closed. The road is blocked from past the golf course all the way around. You can walk/run there as the seawall path is open, but the road entrances are blocked off.
It’s unfortunate that they closed it to bikes as all the parking in the area is closed so it wouldn’t be hard to partially open the gates to bikes a’la Beach Drive.
zsionakides
ParticipantDespite the light traffic on the parkway, I wouldn’t recommend riding it as cars are going fast and aren’t going to expect to see bicycles.
I do recommend that the Parkway or at least the northbound side of the parkway be shutdown to facilitate everyone who is out getting exercise and crowding the MVT.
zsionakides
ParticipantRode the northern part of the MVT for the first time since the shutdown has occurred. It wasn’t too bad busyness wise, but I literally saw significantly more people on the MVT than the GW Pkwy, and this was during rush hour. I don’t see any reason why the GW or at least half of it couldn’t be shut down to car traffic and made bike/ped only to open up more space for people to distance while getting exercise and fresh air.
April 15, 2020 at 12:06 am in reply to: Lynn Street Esplanade and Custis Trail Improvements – 2018/2019 #1105720zsionakides
ParticipantJust rode through here this evening and the pedestrian signal on the NE corner is literally right in the middle of the eastbound part of the path (didn’t get a pic). I don’t know who signed off on that location, but they’re going to get someone seriously hurt or worse, particularly riding at night when it’s harder to see that kind of obstacle.
zsionakides
ParticipantI would be ok with this Medium article if it was presented as a theory and not a study. As was noted in the Vice article, this hasn’t been peer reviewed and some of the comments in the Medium article about the efficacy of the simulation are really harsh and need to be resolved in a typical peer review. For the individual conducting this study, to go straight to the media without peer review or journal publishing is wholesale irresponsible. Too many people will take the simulation as fact (which it could turn out to be in the end) without any context leading to second, third order effects such as panic or poor policy development.
This Medium article is the equivalent of a miracle cure promotion. Sure the medicine may actually work, but absent actual trials and peer review of the methods, it’s little more than advertising.
zsionakides
Participant@Harry Meatmotor 199964 wrote:
Spokes Etc. is operating with limited hours per location (12-5pm for most). They’re encouraging online ordering and curbside pickup. They’re limiting the number of customers in-store per location and staffing by locking all entrances. Trek is getting ready to roll out Buy Online, Delivered by LBS, but I’m not sure when that will be available. I’m sure Specialized (and other top tier brands) will start to make the option available, too. Most brands are starting to roll out some enticing sales, too.
I wonder how Trek will do versus Canyon et al that already operate in the buy online space. I’d imagine the average Canyon buyer is a more educated buyer than someone at a LBS, since the LBS staff can fill in knowledge gaps for the buyer (note: I’m not implying there aren’t a lot of knowledgeable buyers at LBS, just that the low knowledge buyer probably isn’t buying a brand like Canyon and are shopping at the LBS). I’d imagine this would force Trek, Specialized, etc. to be more price competitive as they lose showroom sales from the shutdown.
zsionakides
Participant@mstone 199887 wrote:
It’s a ridiculous ask to have DOT people out putting up cones so people can play outside right now. I’m sorry, I don’t believe that the sidewalks anywhere in the region (that is, not desirable destinations that people are flocking to and causing the closures) are so crowded that they are life-threatening.
Advocacy is great, but at some point it’s counterproductive. Making “needs more bike space” the answer to every problem just makes that solution less credible when it actually is appropriate.
Putting out cones for areas that people could walk/bike safely during this pandemic would be a great use of DOT personnel’s time. They are not nearly as busy operationally dealing with accidents, breakdowns, etc. as in normal periods.
What is a ridiculous use of resources is having police blocking anyone from walking/biking around the mall and tidal basin, including going to/from work, when simply shutting down the roads and parking lots in the area removes the vast majority of visitors and makes social distancing easily feasibly for the rest.
zsionakides
Participant@mstone 199875 wrote:
There is already plenty of room for people to spread out, even if they simply don’t like the room that’s available. I don’t understand your apparent fixation on making sure everyone can have an epic bike ride in the middle of a major pandemic which is causing massive disruptions to global civilization. This is really simple: if you can’t make riding your bike work within the current parameters, just do something else. I personally think is a great time for people to explore their neighborhood and try new trails and routes they wouldn’t normally pick, but regardless of that it’s unreasonable to complain about the measures various parks are taking in the interest of public safety specifically in response to problems they are seeing at those parks.
The issue is safe social distancing on all those routes, not having epic bike rides. One of my main running routes is along 4MR, which before had very light traffic most any time of the week. Now it’s packed every day and very hard to maintain social distance. Going onto Glebe or George Mason which are hardly a walker’s paradise and now there’s people every block and no way to safely social distance from them when going by on the narrow sidewalks.
This is a problem created by the policies put in place. People need fresh air and exercise to maintain health, but the solutions have made the social distancing problem worse, not better.
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