Friday Morning Commute - Hit and Stab

Good morning. It's it uncool to say TGIF now, because that's what I'm thinking? Also, this photo keeps showing up at the top of my search because it is labelled as being from the year 2038. 

• Capital Bikeshare set a new record for one-day ridership on Wednesday. They had 6313 rides, crushing the old record of 6044 recorded on the 4th of July last year. I don't think this record will stand very long. Only 16% of those trips were by short term members. And no wonder it's doing so well, it's the fastest way to get around downtown according to science. 
• Trail use is way up on the Custis Trail too.
• The Post does a Q&A with Tim Johnson on his bike ride to DC.  
• A nonprofit group, made up mostly of lawyers, judges, and business leaders is asking DC to ban the use of all electronic devices by pedestrians (when crossing the street), cyclists and drivers. I can't say I'm opposed, but you know which groups this law will be easiest to enforce on. And does this mean that drivers need to turn off the radio?
• I will be in Puerto Rico when Arlignton's bike share transit plan meeting occurs. If you went and wrote something about it I would post it.
• A petition to end the Metro rush hour bike ban.
• Purple Line proposal modified near Lytonsville. It doesn't appear to change the future Capital Crescent trail that will parallel it.
• Delmarva business owner indicted in cyclist hit-and-run. "Marshall Meredith Romeo, 70, of Eastville, was indicted by a grand jury on two counts, including a felony charge of not reporting an accident with an injury, said Cape Charles Chief of Police Charles Sambo Brow"
• Trails can be a catalyst for exercise in children. "Children in a neighborhood with an extra-wide walking/bicycle trail were three times more likely to get vigorous exercise than those in a neighborhood with regular sidewalks, a new study shows."
• The Mandatory Sidepath Rule on federal lands stays in the Senate-passed transportation bill, albeit weakened a little. 
• Craziness. Much more appropriate for the Ides of March.

Comments

[Froggie]

Playing Devil's Advocate, I don't think you can call CaBi being the "fastest way to get around town according to science" (emphasis mine), based on just one analysis. Proper scientific method would have done multiple analyses plus put controls in to minimize the amount of variables.

That said, the empirical evidence certainly points to such being the case.

[Wayne Phyillaier]

The CCT alignment is changed by the new Purple Line proposal, to put it closer to the neighborhood again. Overall the change is for the good, with one issue to be watched - a crossing under the transit tracks near the Grubb Road access path.
I'll detail that at my blog shortly after the new concept sketch is made available on the MTA website.

[washcycle]

Froggie, it was more than a bit tongue in cheek.

[Greenbelt]

Thanks for the TJROW link wash. There's an extended thread at the WABA/BikeArlington forum with info for cyclists wishing to join the final leg to DC here: http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?1809-Tim-Johnson-s-Ride-On-Washington-Come-Ride-With-US!!!!-HOLD-THIS-DATE!

[MM]

Re: the metro bike ban...Is it realistic to have designated Metro bike cars? Like have one car in each train, or even every other train, be a designated bike car, maybe with racks or something. I imagine it would displace some seats, but I bet a lot of people would go multi-modal if they had better options. Some people just can't afford/don't want to get a folding bike, or their homes are too far from CaBi, so they drive to/from Metro. I know it's rare (or maybe even non-existent) on subways, but I seem to remember Caltrain having train cars on their commuter trains and I think other systems do it as well. Also, Amtrak needs to get on this. I would love to take my bike up to NYC for the day and do sightseeing that way, but no way am I disassembling that thing and buying the ridiculous travel box.

[Greenbelt]

I think Metro should experiment with allowing bikes during rush hour, but only on the first (front) car and only at the operator's discretion. That is, when the operator opens the window, the cyclist asks permission to bring the bike on board. Could be very useful especially in the burbs and reverse commute directions, where the trains aren't crowded. Area cyclists would "get it" pretty quickly that certain times and trains are fine, but others not. Tourists could potentially be an issue, but the experiment would be worth trying I think.

[Michael H.]

Even a designated bike Metro car would be problematic. It's not just the trains that are crowded at rush hour. Many downtown stations are packed. I don't know how you would even walk a bike through many of those stations at rush hour.

In some stations (Gallery Place?), it could even be dangerous. There isn't much space to walk along the tracks when transferring from one line to the other. Having bikes on the platform would only make things worse. While I'd like to see the area become more bike-friendly in general, bikes on Metro at rush hour is not a good idea.