Good morning
- Phase I of the Wharf, the SW Waterfront project that includes a new section of the Anacostia Waterfront Trail and other bike-friendly components, announced the approval of its Phase 1 Planned Unit Development (PUD) by the District of Columbia Zoning Commission.
- Very old photo of the C&O Canal (and the towpath).
- Wearing a facemask while biking in the winter makes you a scofflaw cyclist. You're giving us all a bad name.
- Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) will speak at the Bike Summit.
- Following MAP-21 funding.
SW Wharf renderings look nice--but devil is always in the details.
Anyone know what the Maine Ave "bike lanes" will be in practice (striped lanes vs. separated cycle-track)?
Should we assume the actual boardwalk will be a mandatory dismount/walk zone similar to the Navy Yard's section?
Posted by: JFMAMJJASOND | January 24, 2013 at 09:35 AM
That Virginia law appears to also make niqab or burka wearing a felony as well, if I haven't missed something.
Posted by: Lucre | January 24, 2013 at 09:52 AM
The renderings I've seen have been of a two-way cycletrack. Here and here.
Posted by: washcycle | January 24, 2013 at 10:05 AM
Pictures like the C&O one remind us just how bleak things were in the "good old days". We have our own environmental issues today, but at least we have trees and grass and a bit less uncontrolled mud.
Posted by: Mike | January 24, 2013 at 10:46 AM
Yes, the canal-building era was one in which forests near cities were denuded for building materials. OTOH, I wonder what they would think of our willingness to kill people at 3-4 times the European rate just because we can't be bothered to tame our cars?
Posted by: Jonathan Krall | January 24, 2013 at 01:10 PM
Wow after this mornings commute I was actually thinking of buying something.
Maybe not now....
Posted by: Ben | January 24, 2013 at 01:11 PM
Given how long it took for things like worker safety laws, I'd guess that they wouldn't see the problem. People weren't as worried about death in the good old days, it was just a background constant.
Posted by: Mike | January 24, 2013 at 01:14 PM
Lots of plans for the waterfront but no plans to stop the dumping of raw sewage into the river.
Posted by: david | January 24, 2013 at 03:24 PM
Aren't they building billion dollar subway sized tunnels for just that purpose. That's more than plans.
Posted by: washcycle | January 24, 2013 at 04:09 PM
They are building tunnels to keep the sewage form flooding the streets and out of peoples homes. There is nothing being done in regards to the sewage dumps along the river.
Posted by: david | January 24, 2013 at 06:03 PM
@washcycle
Those new tunnels lead to the Anacostia river. Even if they did go to blue plains blue plains has been inadequate for many many years.
Posted by: david | January 24, 2013 at 06:21 PM
Where is WillH when you need him? The tunnels go to Blue Plains. And Blue Plains is being upgraded to handle the additional water.
Posted by: washcycle | January 24, 2013 at 06:50 PM
http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52071-dc-water-breaks-ground-on-clean-rivers-project-anacostia-potomac/
Posted by: washcycle | January 24, 2013 at 06:51 PM
@washcycle
The storm drainage and the human waste run though the same system in DC . When ever there is a major storm it is to much for the system. The new tunnels may keep it out of the streets but not the river.
Posted by: david | January 24, 2013 at 06:54 PM
David, that is the problem now. The new system will fix that.
"During periods of heavy rain, the system overflows with a distressing mix of untreated stormwater and sewage. The excess pours through outfall points directly into the Anacostia River, Potomac River and Rock Creek. It also overwhelms the advanced wastewater treatment plant at Blue Plains.
Now, overflows in the District of Columbia are about to meet their match.
If all goes as planned, an enormous machine will begin drilling its way under the city in 2011. Chewing away earth hundreds of feet below the city and the Anacostia River, it will create the first of three massive tunnels designed to move urban sewage safely toward the treatment plant and away from D.C.'s rivers.
The tunnels are designed to catch this rush of water and release it in an orderly way to the treatment plant. They are the most dramatic and costly element of the District's multipronged effort to counter the water quality problems from polluted stormwater and meet its requirements under the Clean Water Act."
Posted by: washcycle | January 24, 2013 at 06:59 PM
@washcycle: stop with all your crazy "logic"! the poop is going in the river and that's all there is to say about that.
Posted by: Mike | January 25, 2013 at 07:07 AM
If anything, the upgrades will take some of the load off Blue Plains. Before, at least some of the runoff was being mixed with sewage and undergoing the same expensive water treatment as sewage.
Posted by: Crikey7 | January 25, 2013 at 01:15 PM