TheWashCycle

Tuesday Morning Commute - spoken utterance

Note: this was supposed to run this morning, but clearly did not.

• WABA is once again asking cyclist to Resolve to Ride Responsibly.
• Dana Milbank thinks a ban on driving while talking on the phone is "an absurd overreaction to an unrelated problem." And he cherry picks a part of a sentence from the Brain Research study to say that they don't know if talking on the cellphone while driving is more distracting than "listening to a radio, eating and drinking, monitoring children or pets, or even conversing with a passenger." The full quote is more revealing (emphasis mine). "it is incorrect to conclude that using a cell phone while driving is no worse than engaging in one of these other activities. First, it is not known exactly how much each of these distractions affects driving, and it may indeed be interesting and important to compare the various effects, and try to find ways to decrease their negative impacts. Second, talking on a cell phone has a special social demand, such that not attending to the cell conversation can be interpreted as rude, insulting behavior. By contrast, a passenger who is a conversation partner is more likely to be aware of the competing demands for a driver's attention and thus sympathetic to inattention to the conversation, and indeed there is recent experimental evidence suggesting that passengers and drivers suppress conversation in response to driving demands (Crundall et al., 2005). Third, the processing of spoken language has a special status by virtue of its automaticity, such that one cannot willfully stop one's processing of a spoken utterance (Newman et al., 2007), whereas one can willfully stop tuning a radio. These various considerations suggest that engaging in conversation while concurrently driving can be a risky choice, not just for commonsense reasons, but because of the compromised performance imposed by cognitive and neural constraints.
• Use a U-Lock signage. Needed at many local universities and Metro stations.

Legalize Changing Lanes to Pass a Bike in Maryland's No-Passing Zones

‘Tis the Season to Help Motorists and Cyclists:  A “Change Lanes and Pass” Rule

I am thankful for all the polite drivers who wait behind me as I ride on two-lane MD-953, which has double yellow (no passing) lines the whole way.  I am usually in the center of the 10-ft lane, pulling a trailer with my daughter.  Even when I don’t have the trailer, 95% of the drivers wait until the oncoming lane is clear, change lanes, and pass (unless I'm on skates).  And when I am riding toward the right side of the lane for some reason, the vast majority still change lanes to pass. 

Countless drivers have probably done you the same favor on another road.  But they are breaking the law.

So in the spirit of the season, what might we give back to all of those nice drivers?  I think Maryland should legalize changing lanes to pass a bike riding in a no-passing zone.[1]  Not only are these drivers being safe, they actually enhance safety. [2]

The Golden Rule is the most fundamental guideline to vehicular transportation.  On this blog we have discussed many “rules of the road” that make sense for motor vehicles, but that do not enhance safety when applied to bicycles.  We would love to see those laws reformed.   But we often lack the political power to make it happen.   Let's treat drivers how we would have them treat us.  We probably do have the political power to secure for motorists the right to change lanes and pass a bike when there is a double yellow line.   I think we should.    And if we do it right, it might encourage “good will toward men” [and women] on bikes.[3]

 

The Scrooge in me says “Let’s Not Go Too Far”: The “Partly-Cross-the-Line and Pass” Rule

Until last week, I thought that I had come up with the perfect gift to the motoring public.  The motorists would like it and we should like giving it.  But then some friends suggested an even bigger gift, which is making me feel like Scrooge in comparison.   They're giving my gift—and then some.

Their idea is to allow drivers to cross the double yellow line to pass bikes, without the requirement to change lanes.  This “partly-cross-the-line-and-pass” rule seems to be motivated by the observation that some cyclists ride far enough to the right so that a car barely has enough room to squeeze between the bike and the yellow line, and some drivers try to thread that needle.  This rule would allow motorists to move into the adjacent lane by whatever distance makes the driver feel safe, to pass the cyclist in this case.

I’m sure that the proposal would help with drivers who would like to pass with a safe distance, but feel that it is even more important to not wait for a safe opportunity to pass and to stay right of the yellow line.  But I am afraid that in more cases, this rule would make cyclists less safe without significantly helping motorists:

1.  The drivers at which "partly cross the line and pass" is aimed are more likely to drive safely if they change lanes and pass.  Motorists frequently report difficulty in gauging the three feet of space they are required to leave when passing, so why not apply the normal requirement that motorists change lanes?  That is an existing behavior with clear rules and expectations; and it's easier to do.  There is no need to encourage drivers to pass while occupying parts of two lanes.

2.  The State of Maryland will soon start erecting signs that say “Bicycles May Use Full Lane”.  I think that “change lanes and pass” better reinforces the message of those signs.  Partly crossing the line and sharing a narrow lane actually contradicts that message.

3.  Finally, the requirement to change lanes before passing would better discourage “squeezing” between a cyclist and an oncoming motorist, while partly cross the line and pass might encourage such squeezing.

We do not know all of the impacts of these two approaches. (I can think of a few roads where partly crossing the line to pass would not bother me.[4])  But even change lanes and pass is a significant change in the law.  If it proves to be too little we can come back and further liberalize the passing rule.  (Legislators will always go along when cyclists ask them to give motorists rights that potentially imperil no one but cyclists.)

It would be more prudent to take the smaller step first, and see how it goes. 

When you buy a child a toy, don’t you take a pass on some of the accessories, at least for this year?

(Jim Titus is a member of WABA's Board of Directors from Prince Georges County.  The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of WABA.  See the WABA blog for a post that does represent WABA's view on the same topic.)

Bikes Should Take the Lane, says AAA

The American Automobile Association's latest commentary on cycling says that "a major issue is that many bicyclists feel they are not respected by motorists and must fight for their place on the road."  AAA continues:

• Did you know bicyclists can ride on all roads, except where restricted? Bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists, including the right to ride in the traffic lane.
• It is illegal and unsafe for bicyclists to ride against (or facing) traffic. Bicyclists should ride on the road, and must ride in the same direction as traffic.
• Motorists must maintain at least three feet of clearance when passing a bicyclist.
• When a road is too narrow for cars and bikes to ride safely side by side, bicycles should take the travel lane, which means riding in or near the center of the lane

The AAA post also links to a memo by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that discusses the divergent expectations that cyclists and drivers have when they see a yellow diamond shaped "[bicycle symbol] "Share the Road" sign:

Motorists’ perspective:

• Bicyclists need to stay off the roadway and ride on the sidewalk where they belong.
• If bicyclists want respect, they need to show respect and follow the rules of the road.

Bicyclists’ perspective:

• Bicycles are vehicles – just like cars, motorcycles and trucks. I have the right to ride on the road.
• The "Share the Road" sign means it’s okay for me to ride on roads. Vehicles are supposed to make room for me.

These articles come on the heels of a heavily criticized blog post by DOT Secretary Ray Lahood announcing a collaboration between NHTSA and AAA on National Bike Safety Month, which ignored most key points of safe cycling while recycling old canards.  Apparently they listened to the feedback posted on the DOT web site.

(Jim Titus is a member of WABA's Board of Directors from Prince Georges County. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent the official view of WABA.)

CCT Trail Outreach

Photo by M.V. Jantzen

"Daniel at the Georgetown entrance to the Capital Crescent Trail, giving away free bike bells to help improve trail safety, courtesy of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA). Washington, DC."

Monday Morning Commute - You're not going to like this

It looked like the Masters was going to be exciting, but then it wasn't.

• Good news, HB363 made it to the Senate floor with only a minor change. It still needs to be approved there and then back in the House to become law - and all by the end of the day. "Surprisingly, there are still some people who don’t want the law and they are lobbying hard, so we are asking everyone affected to contact their groups to generate support emails to their senators."
• At least one Capital Bikeshare employee is saying that alta's VP took a trip to the Bahamas with company/DDOT money shortly after operations started, but that now they're forcing some employees to become part time (32 hours a week) instead of full time (as they promised) so that they can deny them health care and paid vacation. Welcome aboard Eric Gilliland.... (tip)
• Keith Berner is back, and you may not like this. You should read the last part first, but still..."The cycling community is very tight-knit, hypersensitive to insult or incursion, resistant to giving benefit-of-the-doubt to drivers, and so intensely ideological as to be unable to separate friends from enemies: if you are in a car, you’re bad; if you’re on a bike, you’re good." But then contradicts this with "Just the same, I think reasonable cyclists and reasonable drivers could come together to find ways to reduce inbred hostility and to recognize that at least some of the warfare going on is due to misunderstanding and ignorance, as opposed to ill will." Either we're all unreasonable or we're not. It can't be both. I also think he's wrong about this "Many cyclists seem unwilling to consider the possibility of flaw among their own, just as they seem unwilling to accept any driver as a potential ally." Cyclists constantly find flaw among their own - bring up sidewalk cycling sometime - and often talk about how most drivers are polite and Conscientious, but for a few bad apples. But in this case, he's asking us to accept that the cyclist faked a collision with the car, which the cyclist denies. The "innocent until proven guilty" rule as well as the "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" rule both work against Berner in this case. Anyway, he sounds generally interested in getting along and being safe, so I don't want to beat him up here, it's just not as "let's all put this behind us" as I'd like. I suspect more angry email is heading his way.
• So much for "One City."

Marshall Brown, a longtime D.C. campaign strategist whose son Kwame is the council chairman, worries that the shift in population will result in a racially polarized electorate. “The longtime white population, the people who got involved in statehood, civil rights and environmental causes, thought of this as a black city,” said Brown, who is black. “But the new white voters aren’t involved like that. They want doggie parks and bike lanes. The result is a lot of tension.

“The new people believe more in their dogs than they do in people. They go into their little cafes, go out and throw their snowballs. This is not the District I knew. There’s no relationship with the black community; they don’t connect at church, they don’t go to the same cafes, they don’t volunteer in the neighborhood school, and a lot of longtime black residents feel threatened.”

I thought bike lanes were a civil rights and environmental cause..

Cyclist overreacts, or doesn't

Keith Berner, who writes a blog called Left-Hand View that is part of the Post's local blog network, was recently involved in a confrontation with a cyclist. Right off the bat, he's kind of offtrack when he entitles the post "Bike assaults car". Now, I'd pay good money to see something like that (you know PETA would shut it down) but I'm pretty sure that's impossible. But it gives a good idea of how he sees things.

I was driving along River Road this evening when I rolled to a stop at an intersection where a bicycle was waiting for the light to change. I was in the middle of my lane – the rightmost through lane — and the bicycle was partway into the lane. There was plenty of room to its right, in an unoccupied right-turn-only lane.

Here again, he sees "a bicycle" and what was to "its" right. Was this bicycle lying in the street? And he seems miffed that the cyclists was not in the right-turn only lane, even though the cyclist wasn't turning right and so it would be illegal to be in that lane.

The bicyclist started pounding on my window and screaming that I had come closer to him than permitted by law. I was taken aback by his fury, but didn’t engage. Nonetheless, his message had sunk and, as I approached the next intersection, I was as far left as I could go, with my tires just about touching the dotted white line. The bicyclist had also moved leftward, well into the lane. As I stopped, he threw his bike against my car and started screaming that I had hit him.

Sigh, I want to take Berner's side because I'm not a fan of pounding or screaming, but when the cyclist moves left to take the lane (something I do when I feel like my kindness is not returned) Berner misses the message and pulls up beside him again, instead of waiting behind him. But Berner, I guess, doesn't get that he is supposed to stop behind the cyclist. I'm sympathetic to the fact that he's ignorant, not malicious. And then in does sound like the cyclist goes berserk on him - something I'm also not a fan of (though, I've Hulked out a time or two myself).

Anyway Berner gets out of the car, there is some shouting, Berner shoves the cyclist and the cyclist ends up throwing Berner onto the hood of the car and then onto the pavement. A woman threatens to call the police, Berner decides to leave, the cyclist blocks his path for a few minutes and then it's over, leaving Berner feeling very shaken and dismayed.

So Berner (who is a cyclist himself he notes, the equivalent of "some of my best friends are black") is a bad driver, but not a bad person who had a cyclist lose his cool with him - the shoving we are led to believe was self-defense. This is a story that probably plays out, to some degree, daily in the metropolitan area. It is not the high point of civilization, but its not the end of times either. It's more the byproduct of current road design.

At least, that's how Berner tells it. Someone claiming to be the cyclist has a different take.

Mr. Berner, you were wrong, from start to finish.I obeyed the law at every single point here. I stopped in the right half of the through lane of traffic. It would have been unsafe for me to pull out of the travel lane and into a lane that ended in a few feet, nor does the law require it.

I did not bang on the window to let you know you were closer than the law permitted, for the simple reason that the window was open. And I was not hostile, as your wife well knows. I simply moved up and out of your way, avoiding confrontation. I know many people are not aware that DC and Maryland law require a motorist leave 3 feet of separation when overtaking or passing a bike, so there’s no point getting snippy about it.

You chose to harass me at that point, for reasons known only to you, by pulling up alongside, again, inches away from me, only now you knew you were breaking the law. I did shout at you–being put in physical danger tends to do that to me–and I moved out a little, and paid the price. I bumped you and I fell.

You got out of the car, I didn’t approach it. You screamed obscenities. You shoved me. Did I give as good as I got? Yes. But you started it at each point.

I feel bad for your wife. She clearly suffered, and I’d like to apologize to her. But you, sir, are a bully and a menace, and had the cops showed up as I’d asked, I’d have pressed charges.

So what we got here is an old fashioned "He said, bike said." My first grade teacher Ms. Shaw would make them hold hands throughout recess.

But the only things they both agree on is that Berner twice pulled up too close to the cyclist, and that Berner initiated physical contact. I don't think it's bias that makes me lay the blame in Berner's corner.

Tuesday Morning Ride - Madness

Light blogging as I was busy filling out brackets last night

• Many posts from GGW, first up DDOT has completed its "livability" study for the upper Northwest and it includes bike boulevards and sharrowed lanes.
• CaBi is introducing 5 day passes for $15. Just in time for spring.
• One commenter mentioned some anti-bikeshare comments at the Alexandria City Council meeting. It wasn't that bad. Video not available yet. Still, it might be a good idea for any Alexandria residents to contact their council-member/
  
  • "Jack Sullivan, 4300 Ivanhoe Place, requested that Council use caution when expending City funds to institute the Capitol BikeShare program. Mr. Sullivan noted that even though the program would initially be funded by a TIGER Grant from the U. S. Department of Transportation, the City would be committed to a 20% match and would be picking up the cost for the program in the future indefinitely. Mr. Sullivan suggested that the City instead invest in improving the current and potential bike routes in the City, creating less hassle for all riders." Alexandria is not using TIGER funding.
  • "Poul Hertel, 1217 Michigan Court, spoke about the cost benefit of instituting the Capitol BikeShare program in the City of Alexandria and gave Council a cost benefit analysis of the program. Mr. Hertel requested that COG explore the program further before instituting the program." Not sure what that analysis included or why it would be more accurate than COG's which showed the benefit far exceeded the cost.
• One couple have found that bikes help them live a car-free lifestyle in Silver Spring.
• "Cyclists passing thru Ft. Myer: do NOT climb the fence to get around Wright Gate. When caught, you will be prosecuted"
• Another sign of spring - anti-cyclist letters to the editor "I was astonished and appalled at the number of bicyclists who flew around me, almost none of whom gave any kind of warning." The only commenter (as of this writing) notes that everyone can do more to keep the trails safe.
• The Sun Gazette thinks 300 bike parking spaces is too many at Wakefield High School "We’re dubious that even a fraction of those spaces will find themselves filled on any given day, once the new school is constructed.  Cut out (or print out) this item and save it for 2013 or 2014, when the new school will be up and running. We’ll see how this prediction turns out." OK, I choose Bike and Walk to School Day, 2014. Already on my calendar. [Wakefield H.S. students and faculty, I'm counting on you].
• It was a busy week for BikeArlington.

Wednesday Morning Ride - Trail/Path

We've had some nice weather this week. I was biking in short sleeves on Monday.

• And that nice weather resulted in higher trail use, according to counts from the Custis Trail. 
• The CCT's River Road trail plaza seems like, after a decade of false starts, it is finally ready to break ground. "The project is estimated to cost up $150,000 and the coalition has committed $75,000, Tripp said. The other half of the money will be raised from donors....An adjacent business owner offered to fund improvements to the trail near River Road in exchange for free parking on the county-owned land, Gray said. The owner never followed through with his offer and has since relocated his business.....Once a stormwater management permit is obtained, a hearing with the Planning Board will be scheduled."
• WABA Board Member Mark Blacknell writes about the importance of sharing the road. "You know that’s who’s in the car behind you, the bike next to you, or crossing the street in front of you, right? A human being. It could be your neighbor, your lawyer, or the guy that makes your sandwiches at lunch."
• Maryland might make it illegal to read a text while you drive.
• When the ICC opens, it will include a section of trail according to Melinda Peters, ICC Director. I'm guessing it's the 3.3 miles of "path" in Contract A or the "2.7 miles of new bike paths, with additional bike facilities located along MD 182 that will improve access to Layhill Local Park and Northwest Branch Parks." in Contract B.  Has anyone seen this trail/path or been on it? We should go and ride it on opening day.
• Last night was the "inaugural" Alexandria Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) meeting.

Friday Morning Commute - Tear down this fence

Good Morning

• GOOD spotlights DC's "new" Bikestation in their Good Design Daily feature.
• A call to give a cycling a human face. I like some of the ideas, even if I find them a bit naive. I think the opening, fake quote is unfortunate as is the reference to "blowing through lights without slowing down" which never actually happens, but otherwise I think the article has some good intentions. One of the comments calls for a regular "Ask a Cyclist" column, an idea which I like.
• Some university's are talking about bike rack-to-bed ratios instead of bed-to-car ratios.
• As part of a deal to close a section of Lincoln Street in Bethesda, Suburban Hospital would be expected to "maintain pedestrian and bicycle paths in that area." This is across the street from the Bethesda Trolley Trail
• Alice Swanson's mother will attend today's hearing on bicycle and pedestrian safety in DC.
• Local trails are mostly clear of snow and ice.
• Two years after Montgomery College built a fence that limited bicycle and pedestrian access to a path used by nearby residents, the College Gardens Civic Association has met with school officials and plans to meet with the Rockville City Council to get the path opened.

Wednesday Morning Commute - What humanity requires

Not as much snow as previously predicted is good news for bike commuters.

• Alexandria City Staff want the proposed Complete Streets ordinance downgraded to a policy. Staff also had concerns regarding the added time and cost implementing an ordinance would have, namely updating their street design manual (more on this later), as well as the added time and cost of reviewing projects after the ordinance is implemented. They also felt that a resolution instead of a policy would give them more "wiggle room" in the event of a project with limited right-of-way, especially in regard to "Alexandria's narrow streets".
• WABA also has concerns about the St. Elizabeths EIS and the South Capitol Street Trail. Where the document is required to discuss the “environmental consequences” to transportation infrastructure (Section 5.7) it only discusses vehicles and does not disclose its potential impacts on the South Capitol Street Trail.
• Last week I mentioned all the new on-street bike parking that went in downtown (50 new spaces at 5 locations) and now WABA has a list of where it all is. Including one in front of the E Street Cinema - now when I need a baby sitter to go to the movies. Like the fireproof film in "Cinema Paradisio," it arrives just a bit too late for me.
• Creigh Deeds introduced a bill to make reckless cycling illegal in Virginia. So get your reckless cycling in now, while you still can. 
• Arlington County is putting together plans on how to improve pedestrian safety, bicycle access, ADA compliance, lighting, and other factors on the Meade Street Bridge.
• The C&O Canal National Park turns 40.
• Some good advice on cycling etiquette from 1896. Never pass by an accident without dismounting and inquiring what the trouble is and whether you can be of any assistance, but remember that any service you may render to a wheelwoman does not entitle you to her aquaintance without the usual formal introduction. It is always proper to speak to a wheelwoman who may be in need or assistance. Humanity requires this.
  
• The same article calls for building a bike trail to Great Falls, gives information about gearing, how to bike to New York from DC (the roads between Baltimore and Washington were in a "disgraceful condition") and - in one of those "we've come a long way" moments - about the establishment of a new bike club of "colored wheelmen." Their headquarters were at 11th and Q and they were led by Dr. Charles I West.