Friday Morning Ride - Wish List

Good morning

• GGW recommends creating a 2nd bridge to the RI Avenue Metro from W Street just west of the Met Branch Trail. While not a bad idea, it is highly unlikely to happen any time soon. We're still more than a year away from the first bridge connection being completed.  And, there isn't the same space available as for the bridge to the north of the station.
• Shane Farthing of WABA recommends, in response to the bike lane shortfall, an update to the DC Bicycle Master Plan "it is also time for cyclists, advocates, and officials to think about the next five to ten years and the projects and deliverables we want to see.  Much has changed since 2005, and it is likely time for an update to the Bicycle Master Plan to reflect the growth and development of bicycling."
• Emergency pedicab regulations were allowed to expire late last month due to an oversight, but they are reinstated today, and now they're "permanent." Despite concern from operators, the rules were unchanged, so the cost of pedicab rides will likely go up. 
• There's another new Capital Bikeshare station. This one is in Congress Heights and it appears to have been installed Batman-style.
• Coming this March, the Crystal City Diamond Derby. "The derby will allow “competitive, casual and chic cyclists” alike to ride around an obstacle course in a massive parking garage under the Bureau of National Affairs building (1801 S. Bell Street) in Crystal City."
• Mark Blacknell puts out a cyclist wish list for Arlington. As my new job has me too busy to do one myself this year, what do Washcycle readers want to see in the coming year(s)?

Comments

[Crickey7]

Sharrows as far as the eye can see.

[Greenbelt]

The non-trail sections of the East Coast Greenway marked and painted with green lane paint from NoVA to Bmore. (Plus some route improvements along the way.)

[Purple Eagle]

I think expanded sharrow installation might also require more public education about what the markings mean. A friend told me recently he was on a road where the bike lane seemed to be the entire lane and he could not figure out where he was supposed to drive. Pretty sure it was a sharrow marking.

[freewheel]

Wish for 2012:

15th St. cycletracks extended south past the National Mall to Ohio Dr.

This would clear up a number of problems: get cyclists off sidewalks crowded with clueless tourists, provide a safe avenue for pedicabs, provide safe passage for Virginia-D.C. bike commuters

[antibozo]

Congrats on the new job!

[Kolohe]

For that matter, all the Potomac River crossing are suboptimal in one way or other other (and on one side (e.g Key bridge) or the other (e.g Mem Bridge) - or both(e.g. TR)) in their connections to the broader network. 14th street is not perfect - both a 15 st sharrow and finishing the under humpback and/or long bridge park connections would help but right now it's best in class.

[Jonathan Krall]

My wish is for a cycletrack pilot project on a major arterial road in suburbia, such as Duke, Seminary, Braddock, or King St (for all of these I'm thinking of Alexandria west of Old Town).

[Froggie]

Probably not gonna happen, Jonathan. It was a fight just suggesting bike lanes on Duke St during the transit corridor meetings, let alone something grander.