Rumble Strips Removed from the CCT

Last summer, Montgomery County took some steps to try and improve safety on the CCT. A couple of these, namely the speed limit and rumble strips, did not go over well with cyclists. The rumble strips at Dorset Avenue were removed some time ago, but the ones at Little Falls Parkway were just removed. The speed limit remains.

Comments

[Mark]

Didn't they--the National Capitol Park & Planning Commission--first install the rumble strips, then call the public meeting to talk about trail safety?

I believe that was the order. It was all to make the dog walkers and the drivers happy (same groups, really).

I stopped riding the CCT when they imposed the speed limit, so maybe someone can tell me if anything has been done to the roadway at those trail crossings in terms of slowing traffic and improving driver yield behavior.

[Washcycle]

In mid-May they announced plans to close the trail in early June for "improvements". They made the changes and then a month later had a meeting about them. So you're correct on the order.

[ANon]

Before they can ticket, first they have to catch you... :-)

[JeffB]

The rumble strips were a bad, bad idea. It may be okay to slightly shake a four wheeled vehicle but on a bike those strips could cause a rider to lose control altogether and crash.

Some might argue that one shouldn't be going so fast over the strips but I'd counter with:
1) I found the vibration actually worse the slower I was going over them.
2) Not everybody is aware that they are there.
3) You also had to go over them exiting the roadway. So picture yourself trying to sprint away from some car refusing to yield and bearing down on you only to hit the rumble strips and shake the fillings out of your teeth.

Right after they were first installed I had a bizarre incident where this lady in an SUV deliberately left the roadway, came up on the shoulder, slowed right in front of me (I was in a track stand waiting on the traffic even though I had the right of way) and shook her finger at me.

I guess the yield sign for the crosswalk meant nothing to her.