TheWashCycle

Friday Morning Commute - He was picked before Hardaway, if you can believe it

Good morning

• Capital Bikeshare will release more data to the public. "The data will break down CaBi usage by individual trips, listing when and where each trip starts and ends. It'll also identify which bike the trip used".
• Arlington's CaBi expansion map is now available. And they're already expanding. The Courthouse station at Wilson and Uhle went online yesterday. The one at Wilson and Edgewood opens today. And there's been more expansion in DC: 4 more docks at Park and Holmead NW. The new stations come with new bikes, and the new bikes have some modifications from what you're used to - primarily baskets with fronts to them and different lights to deal with this.
• The good news is that a project to reduce MLK Highway from 3 lanes to 2 in the Seat Pleasant area may get re-funded. The bad news is the bike lanes added to it will only be 2-feet wide (though, it isn't alongside parking, which means no door zone). "The fully designed SHA project between Hill Road and the Washington, D.C., line to reduce lanes from three to two on both sides of the highway, add two-feet-wide bicycle lanes and build handicapped-accessible sidewalks has been on hold for approximately two years due to lack of funding, according to the SHA." This would go a long way to connect the Marvin Gaye Park Trail to the WB&A Trail.
• The Montgomery County Planning Board will discuss the new cost of the Purple Line/CCT tunnel and a M-NCCPC staff report on it on November 17th. The staff report recommends waiting to see if the cost comes down after more study, and if not to abandon the trail in the tunnel. It then recommends three alternative surface routes, and modifications to make them work. Though a longer route, it might not be so bad.
• Can't we all just get along?
• Apparantly not
• Falls Church has a new bike shop.
• Charles County has a bike and pedestrian plan. From the article: "One mile of trail costs about $195,360 per mile at a cost of $37 per foot. One mile of road costs $1.58 milion or $300 per foot."
• With the opening of the complete ICC, a temporary ramp from eastbound Md. 200 and the traffic signal will be removed to allow for construction of a section of the ICC trail among other things.
• Herndon’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee needs volunteers to fill vacancies on the panel. The committee advises the Town Council on safety and transportation issues related to walking and bicycling in Herndon. It works to promote the health and recreational benefits of walking and cycling. It generally meets four times a year. “Talent Bank” applications are available at the clerk’s office. 703-435-6804, town.clerk@herndon-va.gov, www.herndon-va.gov.
• Streetsblog highlights the good news about the Senate's Transportation bill - including the fact that just this week the bill was changed so that HOT and HOV lanes would not compete with bikes for TE money.
• Shawn Bradley's ginormous Trek mountain bike was stolen and recovered. "A random search of a residence by state probation and parole officials turned up the bike Thursday afternoon in the town of Murray, where Bradley has a home, police said. Joshua Carter, 34, was arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property and felony theft, Murray police Sgt. Brian Wright said....Bradley took up cycling because he needed to get healthy again. He had taken time off following his NBA career to let his body recover, but also packed on the pounds, ballooning from his playing weight of 275 pounds to 335....He's shed about 30 pounds of fat after making bicycling part of a daily routine. He's logged several thousand miles, including many "century rides" -- rides of 100 miles or more. Bradley also rode from Logan, Utah, to Jackson Hole, Wyo., last year.  "It's changed my body (composition) and when I ride the bike in the morning, I want to eat healthy the rest of the day. It's a mental game I play with myself," he said.
• WTOP reports that "Folks who bike to work are even worse off [than people who take public transit]" based on a study in Men's Health. The thing is, it doesn't say that. In fact, it says the opposite "if you’re one of the 3.5 percent of people who, according to the latest census figures, walk or bike to work—congratulations, you have a new reason to feel smug."
• "Disgraced American cyclist Floyd Landis was convicted by a French court Thursday for his role in hacking into the computers of the anti-doping lab that caught him cheating at the 2006 Tour de France. The court in Nanterre, west of Paris, handed Landis and former coach Arnie Baker 12-month suspended sentences."
• The 2012 Rails-to-Trails Sojourn will once again be along the C&O/GAP route from DC to Pittsburgh.

Wednesday Afternoon Commute - Unanimity

OT: I noticed that one of the Executive Producers of The Walking Dead is named David Alpert. Where does he find the time?

• This Sunday, you can bike or walk the newest section of the ICC and raise money for Special Olympics Maryland at the same time. As I recall, they did the same thing with the section of the ICC opened earlier this year. 
• With the transit benefit set to expire, will this be the year that non-drivers will be able to cash-out of parking? (probably not). "States like California have tried this, and, as it turns out, the program really does lead to fewer people driving work. As Shoup discovered, a “parking cash out” program motivates more workers to carpool, take public transit, bike, or walk."
• In a rare sign of agreement between the parties, the US House and Senate unanimously passed the Ski Area Recereational Opportunity Enhancement Act which makes "it easier for ski resorts on federal land to receive permits for activities other than skiing. It is expected to boost mountain economies in the summer with the expansion of bike trails, Frisbee golf courses, zip-lines, rope courses and more." Enjoy mountain bikers - it looks like we're counting on you to singlehandedly put America back to work.

First leg of ICC Bike Trail opens on Saturday

No ceremony I guess

The 2.5-mile section, which will run from Needwood Road to Emory Lane with a connection to Muncaster Mill Road, is part of what will eventually be a network of 11.5 new and 3 miles of reconstructed 3d trails through the ICC corridor. The road itself is open from Georgia Avenue to Interstate 370.

The SHA said it will open more miles of trail as sections of the ICC east of Georgia Avenue are completed. The agency said the bike trails will eventually allow bicyclists to ride from the Shady Grove Metro station in Gaithersburg to the Muirkink MARC station in Laurel.

Sunday Morning Ride - Everything is new

Some things can't wait for Monday

• Work has begun on the half mile Redland Middle School Trail, which is part of the ICC project (but not the ICC trail). "Project officials say it will provide a safer way for students traveling between school and the Winters Run Community."
• The last bridge path of the Wilson Bridge project is open. No ribbon cutting I guess. "A new bicycle and pedestrian path on the ramp that connects northbound Telegraph Road with Eisenhower Avenue in the Telegraph Road interchange work zone along the Capital Beltway. It opens access to the Eisenhower Valley for bikers and walkers who live south of the Beltway."
• I've heard, but not yet seen, that the DC underpass of the Humpback Bridge is now open. The other underpass won't go anywhere for a long time.
• There's even a new Capital Bikeshare station downtown - at 4th and D NW/Judiciary Square.

Thursday Morning Ride - Discovery

The last launch of Discovery is scheduled for today. This is the only shuttle I saw launch in person [I used to work on the shuttle program, and this was also the first shuttle who's software I checked. It was OK as I recall.]

• The ICC trail is not built yet, but in the photo to the right, you can see where the bridges include the ICC trail sections.
• There will be a design workshop on Chevy Chase Lake Sector plan on March 12th. Register here by the 6th to participate.
• Richard Layman has several posts from the Maryland Bike Symposium. On setting an agenda, dealing with aggressive driving, and tourism.
• Mayor Gray's transition team has issued an Economic Development report. The transportation section focuses on "making it easier for people to drive in and out of the District." It doesn't mention bicycles.
• With TBD experiencing massive cuts, will that mean a loss of TBD on Foot, which did a great job of covering cycling issues?
• Jacque Patterson, candidate for District Council, was in a live chat on GGW. He has his appointment to the Bicycle Advisory Council on his resume, but I never remember seeing him at a single meeting. Nonetheless, on the design of the Giant in ward 8 he says "We could have done a much better job in the design of the Giant to make it more pedestrian and bike friendly. In the future, we need to ensure that we take those thoughts into consideration." And on bicycling in general he talks about "Connecting Anacostia Park with bike lanes along Suitland Parkway" and "The putting in of bike lanes to this point haven't had great community outreach. To that point, I don't believe residents and businesses don't want bike lanes, they want to be included in the discussions of where and how they will be put in. I think that's true East of the River and anywhere that bike lanes are planned....We move forward by having DDOT reach out to ANC's during the planning phase and take into considerations the "great weight" that is afforded to ANC Commissions to set the tone of the conversations."
• Last Friday, CaBi set a new one-day ridership record of 2927 trips, half of them 1-day riders. So much for the Stewart/Colbert Rally record (2343 trips) never being broken.
• A profile of one member of Frederick, MD's Bicycle Ad Hoc Committee.

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.

Tuesday Morning Commute - rushed

No time for chit chat

• This year's Congressional Bike Ride will be in honor of Gabby Giffords. Maybe more than two congress members will show up.
• The Montgomery County Planning Department is backing bike sharing for traffic mitigation as part of the White Flint Redevelopment Program. "We recommend that development of a bike sharing system in the White Flint area be incorporated in this project. This system would be similar to, or an expansion of, the Capital Bikeshare system in Washington DC and Arlington. The County has explored development of such a system both independently and through participation in the unsuccessful MWCOG TIGER II grant application during Fall 2010. We believe that such a system would also be appropriate in Bethesda and Silver Spring, where we already have higher levels of bike usage. Bike sharing stations could become a logical component in transportation mitigation programs for developers in these areas, although the County must first establish a basic and successful system upon which the private sector could expand. While the project budget would likely not be sufficient to actually implement a successful bikesharing project (estimated at about $300K for any one of the three candidate areas), it can provide the functional, legal and administrative groundwork for the project."
• Comparing year-to-year count data on the Custis trail shows either a 1.8%, 8% or 11.2% increase, depending on how you do it. "the highest ridership day of all was actually Saturday, Oct 30, 2010 with over 1,600 cyclists. This number was clearly an anomaly; ridership was skewed by the Stewart/Colbert rally on the mall."
• The ICC will open on Feb 22. If there is a schedule for when the ICC trail will be built and opened, it is a well kept secret. There is almost no mention of the trail on the ICC project site. 
• The three feet passing bill was unanimously approved in the Virginia Senate. One of the House members who voted against it in the 5-4 vote that killed it on that side has said he will vote FOR the Senate version. Things are looking good.

2011: A Look Forward

Though we're well past the time when people are saying Happy New Year's to one another, here is a look at the facilities and projects we are scheduled to (or may) happen in 2011.

Sometime

• Work begins on the section of the the Washington Boulevard Trail towards Ft. Myer and also the completion of the Shady Grove Access Bike Path. 
• The 11th Street Bridges project will continue with the two new freeway spans under construction between the old bridge spans completed in the fall. We'll see if work on the local bridge results in any closures of the bike/ped path.
• The first segment of the ICC is going to open - I don't know if the trail will too.
• The Eisenhower Avenue Bike Trail opens- about one year late - the last bicycle element of the Wilson Bridge Project.
• It will be a big year for the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. Work is underway on two bridges over the railroad tracks (one on each side of the river), a section on the east side between Pennsylvania Ave and 11th Street and a section of the trail in PG County from Bladensburg waterfront park. These could all be finished in 2011.

March - As part of the BRAC process in Bethesda, work begins on a new bike path on the south side of West Cedar Lane between Old Georgetown Road and Rockville Pike. It should be complete by June.

Spring - Completion of the Humpback Bridge with a wider MVT and trail tunnels underneath. Work begins on the Art Walk development and with it a one block section of the Met branch trail between Monroe Ave and the CUA Metro.

May - Capital Bikeshare expansion in Arlington and DC. Also work begins on the bike path on the north side of Jones Bridge Road from Rockville Pike to Connecticut Avenue - another BRAC project - to completed by December.

Summer or Fall - Work begins on the Washington Boulevard Bridge - to be renamed the Freedman's Village Bridge - over Columbia Pike. One part of the project is to widen Columbia Pike under the bridge, which will make more space for pedestrians and cyclists.

Summer - Muncaster Mill Road Sidepath, part of the ICC project. 

July - The MacArthur Boulevard bikeway's middle section, a13,800-foot segment from Oberlin Avenue to the Interstate 495 underpass, begins. Work also begins on the upgrade to the east-side Rockville Pike path - also part of BRAC - to be finished by September.

Fall - Last I heard, this was the target date of the Rhode Island Avenue Bridge on the Met Branch Trail, but the Design was supposed to be done by now and I haven't heard that it is, so I suspect this is not the target date anymore.

October - The Rock Creek Park Trail Bridge over Vier Mills Road

November - Completion of the Silver Spring Transit Center. This includes the northern trailhead and a temporary section of the trail. The section will be finalized when the Purple line is built through the center.

By the way JTS, you owe me $1.



WABA Alert: Show Your Support for the Lake Frank Trail

An important proposed trail that will connect the Rock Creek Trail to Lake Frank in Rockville is in jeopardy due to aggressive homeowner opposition. This paved hiker-biker trail will be a key link in a five-mile long future trail that will link the Rock Creek Trail to Olney. The trail will be a superb park amenity that will improve access to the park, provide recreational and health benefits and serve as an important upcounty bikeway, benefiting the environment by supporting bike trips instead of driving. But there is a group of neighbors who live adjacent to Lake Frank who are vociferously opposing the trail, a problem we face all too often when new trails are built. The Lake Frank Trail needs your support!

What You Can Do
There is a public meeting on Tuesday May 11th at 7 pm to discuss the trail. The opponents plan to attend to express their opposition. It's imperative that park and trail supporters make their voices heard.  Please SEND EMAILS soon to the officials listed below, and attend the meeting if you can. You can find meeting details with location info at http://tinyurl.com/2w4g2ox.

Send emails and letters to:

Neil Pedersen. Chief administrator of the State Highway Administration at npedersen@sha.state.md.us
Montgomery County Planning Board - mcp-chair@mncppc-mc.org
Montgomery County Council - county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov

If you know your elected statehouse representatives, you can send it to them also.  To determine your state senator and delegates go to http://mdelect.net .

Sample Letter -
(it's helpful to add your own comments and personal perspective, for example you take your kids on trails, you bike to get around, you live near Lake Frank, etc.)

Dear Neil Pedersen: (or other recipient)

I strongly support construction of the hard-surface trail connecting the Rock Creek Trail to Lake Frank. I ask that it be built as soon as possible, and that it use environmental stewardship funding as currently planned. I am a park user and will certainly benefit from this trail. The trail will be an important link of the planned trail from the Rock Creek Trail to Olney. These trails are among Montgomery County's treasures.

(signed... your name and city/community)

Additional Background
Opponents of the Lake Frank Trail first sought to reroute the trail to a much inferior location that would be farther from their homes. Since they failed to do that, they are now seeking to take away state ICC stewardship funding.  They're pushing to implement a parking lot removal project with the same funds so that no funds will be left for the trail. The parking lot project is worthwhile but is already slated to be done later and is not at risk. The trail is very much at risk due to opposition.
  
Thank you for your support!

ICC Trail-Related Stewardship Projects II

Earlier in the month, I wrote about the trail-related community stewardship programs that were being done in conjunction with the Intercounty Connector (ICC) Project. These are trails in addition to the ICC Trail itself.

Since writing that post, I've talked to Rob Shreeve, of SHA's Environmental Management Team on the ICC project and have more details and up-to-date descriptions of those projects.

Paint Branch Trail Extension - Originally there was to be a trail along Old Gunpowder Road and they even went as far as drawing up sketches of it. But Officials within M-NCCPC asked to build a path along Cherry Hill Road instead, in part because they think they can get developers to build the trail along Old Gunpowder. This project would continue the Paint Branch Trail from its terminus to the Beltsville Community Center on Sellman Road (it's one of two "proposed" trails on the old ATTS map - going off the top of the map). Shreeve told me it was a sidepath, but since the community center is pretty far from Cherry Hill Road, but right along Paint Branch, I wonder if the path just uses Cherry Hill Road to cross the Beltway and then follows Paint Branch for 1.5 miles to the Center. Because they were so far along in their Gunpowder Road planning, and have done very little with this; they're negotiating with the county on how to proceed. They could either pay the county what the trail would cost (a plan I do not like, for I fear that money would disappear) or start from scratch and build the trail in a couple of years.

Lake Frank Connector Trail - Originally, this project involved removing two parking lots around Lake Frank that are no longer used and rebuilding the Lake Frank trail through that area, but they have since been directed to build a connector trail instead. The new trail - which paves an existing billygoat trail - will run about a half a mile along the edge of Rock Creek Park parallel to Lake Terrace Drive and will connect on the south to the Rock Creek Park Trail spur near Norbeck Road and on the north to the Lake Frank Trail. There is some local opposition to this as at times trail users would be able to see into the back yards of people who live on Lake Terrace Drive. 

Muncaster Mill Road Sidepath - This project extends a sidepath on the south side of Muncaster Mill Road (MD115) about 1100 feet from Applewood Lane to Olde Mill Run Road, so that it connects to Redland Middle School. It's currently under design. The right of way is narrow, so they're working with neighbors to deal with those issues. The hope to be finished with this project by summer 2011.

[This trail will eventually become part of the ICC trail. The ICC Trail will follow Needwood from the intersection with the ICC north to Muncaster then west to Applewood (which includes this piece) then south on Applewood where someday it will meet up with the Midcounty Highway Extended, along which it will follow straight to the existing intersection of Shady Grove Road and the existing Midcounty Highway

At the ICC/Needwood Rd crossing, a westbound ICC trail user would also be able to turn south onto the Needwood Road sidepath instead of north, and then to the Shady Grove Metro Station on Redland Road. Thanks to Jack Cochrane for the bracketed information.

Layhill Park Spur - The ICC crosses Layhill Road just south of Layhill Park (or Layhill Local Park on the picture). This project will build a short spur from the ICC trail to the Park. Not sure where on the map it would run.

Wayfinding - They're working with Montgomery County Parks and  the Anacostia Trails Heritage Area to define a signage system to direct users to various trail heads.

All of these trails will be built 8-10 feet wide - to current AASHTO standards I was told. They'll all have a storm water management plan, and they're looking at pervious materials they can use. They doubt they'll have to cut down any big trees, and will avoid it wherever possible.

It's a little over two miles of trail and about 50 signs, altogether.