TheWashCycle

DinoDirect Cycling

Saturday Morning Ride - Boxing Day

As part of the Klingle Valley Trail project, GGW calls for simplifying the Porter-Klingle intersection to create more park space.

At least one guy wants bike sharing in PG County

"I'd like to see county bike-sharing programs," Brian Lentz, a Laurel resident and student at the University of Maryland, College Park, said to his group, which included county Planning Board Chairman Samuel Parker. "Biking is not a carbon-intensive mode of transportation, and it gives us a sense of community."

At least he gets the health benefits

For a while I lived in probably the safest village in America, Scarsdale, NY. One day, while driving my fourth-grader to school, I saw a rare thing, a 9-year-old riding his bike, his books in the front basket. Then I noticed, right behind him, his mother driving the family Mercedes, making sure he got to school safely.

More old photos from John Kelly

This International News Photo is from 1956. The caption: Arlington, Virginia...Under a new vehicle program, the Post Office Department is purchasing 1,000 scooters; 6,000 golf caddy-type carts and 2,000 more bicycles to speed mail carriers on their appointed rounds.

Christmas Morning Ride

Several Ideas that matter to cyclists made the New York Times list of Best Ideas of 2009. This includes Bicycle Highways:

The bicycle highway — no red lights, no cars — is every cyclist's fantasy. There are now signs that infrastructure is catching up with the dream. In October 2008, an association of U.S. state-highway officials approved the concept of a national Bicycle Routes Corridor Plan — the first step in potential American bike Interstates. But this amounts to little more than a go-ahead for states to put bike-route signs on existing roads.

Copenhagen, however, began last month to create the real thing: a system of as many as 15 extra-wide, segregated bike routes connecting the suburbs to the center of the city. These are not bucolic touring paths; Copenhagen's bike highways are meant to move traffic. Nearly 40 percent of Copenhagen rides a bike to work. On Norrebrogade, a two-mile street in the center of the city, 36,000 cyclists clog the bike lane every day.

Artificial Car Noise:

Unfortunately, it turns out that the sweet silence of 21st-century technology has a serious downside: pedestrians and bicyclists are less likely to hear hybrids and electric cars coming their way and are more likely to be clipped or run over.

Data derived from thousands of accidents revealed that there was no difference between hybrids and conventional vehicles on straightaways. But at intersections, interchanges, parking lots and other places where cars traveled at slow speeds, hybrids proved far more hazardous, with pedestrians and bicyclists getting hit at up to twice the normal rate.

And, of course, Virginia's cul-de-sac ban:

"There are pros and cons," says Kaid Benfield, the director of the Smart Growth Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Residents like walkability and they like not having to be forced onto an arterial road where the traffic jam is. On the other hand, there is a sentiment out there that cul-de-sacs are safe" — though Benfield says research actually shows fewer traffic fatalities occur on connected roads.

So, in reality, there are pros and perceived, but inaccurate, cons.

Rails to Trails' Western Regional Office just released the California Rails-with-Trails Survey, adding new evidence that trails along active rail corridors are safe and feasible. Silver Spring Trails brings it into context for the CCT/Purple Line. By my count, the CCT/Purple Line combo would become the third rail with trail within the beltway. Quick, name the other two...

Snow Emergency Routes

Yesterday, someone asked me how to get to the 14th Street Bridge's active transportation lane (ATL) without using the snow and ice covered Mt. Vernon Trail (MVT), and I realized you can't. Same goes for the TR Bridge and Memorial Bridge. Having the CCT or Rock Creek Park Trails basically closed might be inconvenient, but there are, at least, on road alternatives. But you can't just hop on I-495 or the GW Parkway if the trail isn't safe. The only place you safely and legally really cross the Potomac without using the trails is the Key Bridge.

Richard Layman wrote recently about treating some sidewalks as snow emergency routes because they approached schools or hospitals. So, where are the key pieces of bike infrastructure that can't be replaced? The pieces that should be treated like snow emergency routes and cleared?

Here are some I identified (and they're all bridge related)

1. The ATL for the Wilson, 14th Street, Roosevelt, South Capitol, 11th Street and East Capitol Bridges.

2. The MVT from the Crystal City Tunnel to 14th Street Bridge.

3. The MVT from N. Lynn to the TR Bridge

4. The Washington Boulevard trail from the Pentagon to Memorial Bridge

5. The C&O Canal towpath from Chain Bridge to the CCT and from that point on the CCT into Georgetown.

What did I miss?

CWL 2009 #9 Complete

Complete Streets - One of the big pushes in bicycle and pedestrian advocacy nationwide is the Complete Streets program. From the federal level all the way down to local communities, the Complete Streets Coalition is trying to get everyone to adopt some form of Complete Streets legislation.

Complete streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities must be able to safely move along and across a complete street.

Creating complete streets means transportation agencies must change their orientation toward building primarily for cars. Instituting a complete streets policy ensures that transportation agencies routinely design and operate the entire right of way to enable safe access for all users. Places with complete streets policies are making sure that their streets and roads work for drivers, transit users, pedestrians, and bicyclists, as well as for older people, children, and people with disabilities.

While Virginia doesn't have Complete Street legislation, they do have a 2004 policy within VDOT to routinely accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists in all road construction or reconstruction projects.

This is a major turnaround because under the former policy, the Virginia DOT would include accommodation only if it was identified in an adopted local plan, requested by the local governing body, and substantially funded with local tax dollars. Now VDOT is committed to building complete streets as a matter of routine, which provide safe and convenient travel for people on foot and bicycle.  The policy also allows standalone retrofit, ends the practice of requiring 50% local match for bicycle and pedestrian projects, and considers non-motorized travel in a variety of Department activities.

California has complete streets legislation

As of 2011, the law will require cities and counties, when updating the part of a local general plan that addresses roadways and traffic flows, to ensure that those plans account for the needs of all roadway users.

At the same time, the California Department of Transportation unveiled a revised version of Deputy Directive 64, an internal policy document that now explicitly embraces Complete Streets as the policy covering all phases of state highway projects, from planning to construction to maintenance and repair.

As the result, California became the second—and by far the largest—state to implement Complete Streets policies covering every public street, road and highway.

Locally the DC Bicycle Advisory Council is working to push Complete Streets legislation through in the District and there is also a push to get Maryland to adopt Complete Streets legislation.

Advocates for pedestrian safety held a news conference Monday [Nov 9] at which they endorsed a concept called "complete streets," in which roads are built or rebuilt to accommodate pedestrians and bicycles as well as motor vehicles. Many cities and states, they said, have made walking safer by investing in infrastructure that protects pedestrians.

However, it reported, Maryland has spent only 0.6 percent of its federal highway money on pedestrian and bicycle projects - one of the lowest percentages in the nation.

Bicycle Friendly community Rockville, MD passed complete streets this year. Virginia, Maryland and DC (as well as the U.S. Congress) should pass complete streets legislation.

Cul-de-Sac - Along the same lines, Maryland should follow Virginia's lead and strongly discourage Culs-de-Sac.

Virginia, under the leadership of Gov. Tim Kaine, became the first state to severely limit cul-de-sacs from future developments. New rules require that all new subdivisions attain a certain level of "connectivity," with ample through streets connecting them to other neighborhoods and nearby commercial areas.

I don't think DC has any culs-de-sac, but this policy wouldn't hurt. Unfortunately, most of the DC area is built out, so this won't help too much in the area, but there is always the process of redevelopment.

Trails open - Finally, we don't close roads or sidewalks at night and we shouldn't close trails or bridge bike lanes at night either. M-NCPPC should remove this restriction. It basically makes winter commuting illegal. I always point this out as the law I most often break.

Arlington Picks a Builder for Long Bridge Park

I just mentioned this was out to bid, and now Arlington has chosen a winner.

Donohoe Construction beat out three other bidders for the construction contract for Arlington County's Long Bridge Park. Donohoe was awarded the contract by Arlington earlier this month, with adjusted costs bringing the award to $26 million for work on the 46-acre property. County documents indicate work will start by early 2010 with a completion date set for summer of 2011.

The first phase of development will include three full size, lighted athletic fields, trails, Esplanade (a broad, half-mile long, raised walkway), overlook, picnic areas, restrooms, and on-site parking for 180 vehicles. Additionally, the county will begin improvements to Old Jefferson Davis Highway, which will change from being a simple two-lane road to include up to 100 spaces of on-street parking, painted bike lanes and, of course, fewer potholes.

The real payoff for cyclists comes in a later phase with a direct connection to the Mount Vernon Trail.

Christmas Eve Morning Ride

Cyclists in Brooklyn, NY threatened to ride in the buff to protest bike lanes that some believe were removed to keep scantily clad women out of the neighborhood [I can't believe there aren't a rash of stories about young men everywhere painting bike lanes on their street in an act of cargo cult behavior]. Unfortunately, the protest was scheduled to occur the same time Mother Nature scheduled the Great Blizzard of '09 and so attendance was bare (get it?).

A new report shows that Safe Routes to Schools programs work.

1. Santa Rosa, CA--pedestrian safety education increased children's crosswalk use 63% over crossing at unmarked locations.
   
2. Miami-Dade County, FL--WalkSafe™ decreased the number of children ages 0-14 hit by cars 43% .
3. State of Maine--bicycle safety education helped drop bicycle crashes 51% for children aged 10-14.
4. Springfield, MO--special roadway signage reduced 85% of motorists' speeds by a crucial 3-5 mph.
5. Portland, OR--infrastructure improvements like crosswalk refuge islands cut crashes near schools by 25% and pedestrian injuries from those crashes 32%.

The conclusion? Safety improvements at relatively low costs to communities and schools can have profound effects on keeping children safe while also improving physical health and the environment.

The Nation's Triathlon Registration is Open

Registration is open for next autumn's Nation's Triathlon. This event has sold out for the last three years so sign up early if you know you want in. This year they feature a wider bike course, with two lanes in each direction.

Photo by Joe in DC

CWL 2009 #8 Watching for and Yielding to Cyclists

This category has a few simple requests.

Safe Passing Distance - Since 2008 in DC drivers have been required to give cyclists at least three feet when passing. In Virginia it's two feet. Maryland has no required minimum, though laws have been introduced to bring it to three feet.

Cyclists don't get hit from behind very often, but when they do it is often deadly. Virginia and Maryland should raise their minimums to three feet, which is happening nationwide. Or maybe even five. That's what Iowa is trying to do (along with some other common sense laws). 

Opening Doors - DC has a law that places the responsibility on avoiding doorings on those who are in the car.

2214.4 No person shall open any door of a vehicle unless it is reasonably safe to do so and can be done without interfering with moving traffic or pedestrians and with safety to such person and passengers.

In fact, WABA's pocket guide to DC Bike Laws - which was made in conjunction with DDOT and the MPD, has this exchange.

A cyclist has been "doored". Who's at fault?

The person in the car.

No qualifiers. Not sure if the courts have seen that way yet.

Maryland's law only protects cyclists from intentional doorings.

A person may not open the door of any motor vehicle with intent to strike, injure or interfere with any bicyclist.

Virginia has no law on the subject.

Again, both Maryland and Virginia should strengthen their laws to match DC's.

Code Scrub - Finally, these changes from Senate Bill 428 (which would add the three foot passing distance) should be passed. It changes this passage

Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any bicycle being ridden by a person. [WC: which provision would allow the lack of due care?]

To this

Exercise due care to avoid colliding with any bicycle being ridden by a person

And it requires drivers to yield to cyclists in bike lanes or on shoulders.

CCCT website has a new look

The Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail gave their website a facelift to make it easier to use. It looks much better.

They also have a letter in which Peter Gray talks about 2009. They remain hopeful that the Purple Line will meet their goals for the extended CCT. They're happy with the progress they've made on the new rest area, they point out that they've replaced many of the mile markers along the trail this year, they continue to follow the plans for the Georgetown Boathouse and they've given out bells and whistles to cyclists along the trail (the latter of which are illegal in Maryland). If you're a fan of the CCCT, it never hurts to send a little money their way.

Oh and the County finally replaced the Georgetown Branch signs through Rock Creek Park. Some of these still directed cyclists through the temporary route from before the trestle was open.

Those old signs gave directions to follow the old and circuitous trestle bypass route via. the Rock Creek Trail. They had remained in place for the over six years since the Rock Creek trestle opened, and their continued presence only served to confuse trail users.

Integrating Bicycling and Public Transport in North America

The Bike League has a link to the study Integrating Bicycling and Public Transport in North America from the latest issue of the Journal of Public Transportation. John Pucher of Rutgers and Ralph Buehler of Virginia Tech perform case studies of San Francisco, Portland, Minneapolis, Chicago, DC, New York, Vancouver and Toronto.

Much progress has been made over the past decade in coordinating cycling with public transport, but the demand for bike and-ride far exceeds the supply of facilities in some cities. More funding, in particular, is needed to provide more secure, sheltered bike parking at rail stations and to increase bike-carrying capacity on rail vehicles.

in only eight years, from 27 percent in 2000 to 71 percent in 2008

For Washington they write

Bike parking is available at almost all of Washington’s 86 Metrorail subway stations, with a total of 1,800 bike racks and 1,300 bike lockers. The parking facilities are popular, with usage rates at most stations ranging from 50-100 percent. In October 2009, a new bike station with spaces for 150 bikes will open next to Union Station, providing convenient connections to Metrorail as well as suburban trains leaving from Union Station. The bike station will also offer bike rentals, repairs, and accessories as well as storage lockers and changing rooms.

In 2008, a new bike-sharing program began in Washington, similar in technology to the Velib system in Paris, but on a much smaller scale: only 120 bikes compared to over 20,000 bikes in Paris. It facilitates bike-and-ride because 8 of the 10 bikesharing docking stations are at Metrorail stops. The short-term rental bikes can be used to get to and from Metrorail stations, thus serving as feeders and distributors for transit.

Bikes are allowed on Metrorail trains except during morning and afternoon rush hours on weekdays. All 86 Metrorail stations have elevators (271 in total) and are ADA accessible, which facilitates access to platforms for cyclists as well, who are, in fact, required to use the elevators and are not permitted on escalators. In contrast to Metrorail, MARC suburban trains never allow full-size bikes on board, and VRE allows bikes only on certain trains. Both rail systems allow folding bikes at any time. All 1,450 WMATA buses have bike racks, but some buses run by suburban agencies do not.

In theory, bike plans for the Washington area establish the goal of coordinating bike routes with transit routes, but, in fact, nothing has really been accomplished in this area except by accident.

Ouch.

For Challenges they list restricted bike access hours on WMATA, no bikes on MARC and restricted bikes on VRE.

Conclusions include:

in North American cities with overcrowding of rail vehicles during rush hours, the focus should probably be on providing improved bike parking at rail stations. Not only is more parking needed, but it should be of higher quality, with more sheltered and secure spaces. Major transit terminals should include multi-service bike stations, such as those in northern Europe. Similar to the concept of “complete streets,” an appropriate goal of transit systems in North America should be to provide “complete stations,” which fully accommodate the needs of cyclists.

Transit systems should shift their focus from park-and-ride to bike-and-ride, which is more cost-effective as well as more environmentally friendly.

The league has a short quiz about cities, bikes and transit.

Photo by M.V.Jantzen