Good afternoon
- NPR reports on DC's plans to use the piers from the old Officer Kevin J. Welsh Memorial Bridge (aka: downstream 11th Street Bridge) to create a recreation area. The project is far from a done deal and will require $25-$35 million to be finished by 2016.
- A look at trail typology.
I've ridden the Matthew Henson Trail a couple of times and would beg to differ with the "EXCELLENT QUALITY" classification. Yes, it's wide enough and doesn't have many at-grade crossings. But much of it is treacherous boardwalk (as pictured), and it has a lot of blind turns. I avoid it. It's great for pedestrians, but sucks for cycling, IMO. I think the classification system may need to factor in surface materials and safe speeds.
Posted by: antibozo | September 05, 2012 at 05:09 PM
Another useful factor would be the designation of pedestrian lanes on bikeways. It's relatively scarce in the D.C. area, but useful.
Posted by: antibozo | September 05, 2012 at 05:14 PM
trails wide enough for designated pedestrian lanes are very hard to find in the D.C. area.
Posted by: Mike | September 06, 2012 at 07:06 AM
Welsh Bridge should get a canopy of solar panels along its entire length and call it a day.
Posted by: Brendan | September 06, 2012 at 09:06 AM
Any trail classification scheme will be of limited value when so many trails change in type and quality several times over their length. The CCT holds to a fairly uniform standard over its 7 miles between Bethesda and Georgetown. But most trails are more like the Bethesda Trolley Trail, which changes many times over its length.
Perhaps planners could be required to use the lowest classification found along the trail as its "official" classification. Then planners might be more motivated to not severely compromise a trail to make it easier to complete the trail through a tough spot.
Posted by: Wayne Phyillaier | September 06, 2012 at 09:07 AM
+1 Wayne.
It's as though the idea of standards has not trickled down to bike/ped planning.
Posted by: xmal | September 06, 2012 at 11:44 AM
Mike, i said that.
The point is that, in a generally useful classification system, a MUP with a segregated pedestrian lane should be of a higher classification than one without.
Posted by: antibozo | September 06, 2012 at 01:31 PM