TheWashCycle

Tuesday Afternoon Commute - Wolves

Good Afternoon

• FoxDC an NBC4 cover last week's hit and run injury in Bethesda. Jodi Grant, the victim, looks as badly injured as you'd imagine. And lest you think the driver just didn't know about the crash "According to witnesses, the driver stopped briefly and drove away."
• Follow up on NYC's defensive cycling class. Better police enforcement is part of the solution, but so is the Idaho Stop. 
• Lance Armstrong noticing early on that other cyclists seemed to be doping. “I’ve only experienced one Tour de France and it was very, very difficult,” he said. “I’m certain this year’s going to be as difficult, if not more. It seems to be much more difficult this year for some reason. There’s a lot of guys that go much faster this year. I’m just as fit and feel just as good as I did last year, but my strength within the peloton has sort of gone down. A lot of riders are stronger.”

DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

Cyclist Injured in Hit and Run in Bethesda

If anyone has any information on this, that would be great

A woman was struck by a car while riding her bike on Massachusetts Avenue in Bethesda Friday morning, officials said.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue personnel responded shortly before 10:30 a.m. to Massachusetts Avenue and Cromwell Drive, where the woman was struck.

She was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver fled the scene, leaving her bleeding and unconscious in the road. She had to have facial surgery Friday and will require major oral surgery and further reconstructive surgery.  In addition she has a neck and back fracture.

Police are describing the vehicle as a "newer model mini-van, dark blue in color, [with] damage along passenger side." The van was last seen heading south on Massachusetts Avenue towards Washington, DC.

Anyone with more information is asked to contact Montgomery County police.

I can't believe that there isn't some camera that caught the van somewhere along the route. If you know anything, it's case number #12041932.

Friday Morning Commute - Jan Ullrich wins three Tours in one day

Good morning.

• Now registration is open for the 50 States & 13 Colonies rides. If you've never done it, it is a fun - albeit surprisingly difficult - ride that will take you all over the city and back again. It is ride that has you doubling back and riding loops all so that you can ride on all 50 state-named streets (or the 13 originall colonies for those who want less riding).
• Details on today's crash in Gaithersburg "At 6:54 a.m. Thursday, Nicole Marie Polen and a 16-year-old friend were crossing Woodfield Road at the Airpark Road intersection when Polen was hit by a 2004 Nissan Sentra traveling through the intersection on a green light, Montgomery County police said. Police said Polen was wearing a helmet and was in the crosswalk but was crossing the street against a pedestrian signal." And here too.
• The VBF's annual meeting is scheduled for September 16th in Richmond. 
• Homemade dress includes reflective piping for biking.
• Declaring "enough is enough," Lance Armstrong said he will not fight charges brought by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and has let the deadline to contest them pass. As a result, he is reportedly being stripped of all 7 of his Tour victories and being banned from cycling for life. But Armstrong plans to sue if the sanction him. "You are on notice that if USADA makes any public statement claiming, without jurisdiction, to sanction Mr. Armstrong, or to falsely characterize Mr. Armstrong's reasons for not requesting an arbitration as anything other than a recognition of UCI jurisdiction and authority, USADA and anyone involved in the making of the statement will be liable,"

Thursday Afternoon Commute - I'm ready for my close-up

Good afternoon

• Through August of 2012, CaBi has surpassed the number of rides for all of 2011. Currently they're at 1,293,431 rides for the year. CaBi had a glowing report in businessweek as well. "Better yet, the program pays for itself: Maintenance and operating costs totaled $3.5 million in 2011, while fees collected were $4.1 million." Though I think they're wrong on this "Most people opt for the $75 annual membership." I think most people opt for the 1-day memberships, but I know what they're trying to say. And, in preparation for the 2 year anniversary, they're having T-Shirt design contest. 
• "the D.C. Department of Transportation has announced a pair of community meetings to discuss what parking in D.C. might look like in the future...DDOT is asking for citizen input to develop strategies and recommendations to better balance the parking needs of everyone -employees, residents, and visitors - who competes for a share of the limited curbspace." One goal is "Ensuring the safety of all transportation users including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and motorists." and they're seeking comments on bicycle and scooter parking accommodations. "The first discussion will happen next Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Old Council Chambers at One Judiciary Square (441 Fourth Street NW). The second will happen on Tuesday, September 18 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Ora Glover Community Room (1800 Good Hope Road, SE). More meetings might be added to the schedule."
• The DC Best Buddies bike challenge will feature a chance to ride with George Hincapie. 
• Bladensburg Waterfront Park - through which the Anacostia River Trail passes - will be home to the War of 1812 Visitor Center. Grand opening tomorrow. 
• A 15 year-old Gaithersburg cyclist was taken to the hospital with life threatening injuries after being struck on southbound 124 near Airpark Road. "Police say she was on a bicycle. The striking vehicle reportedly stayed at the scene."
• A positive review for PR. "But is cycling ready for its close-up? "Premium Rush" arrives with some timeliness, a kind of victory lap for the country's growing cycling culture and New York's increasingly bike-friendly streets. Wilee's Wild West and his trusty steed are in some ways behind the curve, as Mayor Bloomberg has largely tamed the Manhattan grid with color-coded bike paths."
• "Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong faced a deadline Thursday to formally challenge sweeping doping allegations from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency or accept sanctions that could include a lifetime ban from the sport and potentially strip him of his titles."
• Kickstarter bike gear. 

Friday Morning Commute - Gotta love the Drake

Good morning

• Bike-bike crash. (scroll down a bit)
• Herndon's Town Council has endorsed a plan to create new bike routes through the town. "Taking a more reserved approach, the council’s motion endorsed adding 17 potential bicycle facilities within the town to Fairfax County’s bicycle transportation plan, but opted not to include them in the town’s master plan. The facilities could include trails; on-road bike lanes; bike-only lanes with a barrier, called a “cycle track;” or “sharrows,” on-road markings that guide cyclists where in the roadway to ride and help alert motorists that there could be bicycle traffic on that road." But alas, support was not unanimous "Councilman Charlie Waddell, noting he is an avid cyclist, advocated removing many of the roadways from the list because of safety concerns." It's OK, as long as you're an avid cyclist. 
• This might be overdoing it. 
• On second thought, the major national bike advocacy organizations won't pursue unification. Does this mean we get our wedding gifts back?

Thursday Afternoon Commute - Faranwalia

Good afternoon

• A bicyclist was injured early this morning when two other men, who were fighting in the street, ran into him. "The man on the bike was [taken] to GW [hospital] but is expected to be fine."
• It might be that the Caffritz property in Riverdale - that straddles a future gap-closing section of the PG County Trolley Trail - is closer to being reality. 
• The Silver Spring Transit Center, and it's section of the Met Branch Trail, are further delayed. ""We're still pushing to have this, whatever we do, done before the cold weather sets in," Dise said. Though he would not commit to an opening date, he suggested the possibility of opening parts of the facility while continuing to repair others."
• If not New York City, what is DC like. Alan Sunderman argues Faranwalia, Guinea where many people bike despite being 99.99% black; and Alex Baca argues Montreal - because we use the same bike sharing system and we both have a lack of dedicated funding. Although I think Baca is wrong to worry that CaBi might go bankrupt or lack for necessary funding. 
• Fairfax County Parkway Trail still closed at Fair Lakes Blvd
• Bike tours of Virginia wine country. 
• This was to be the summer of bikeshare in NYC and a huge victory for the 40 year-old Transportation Alternatives non-profit. But software delays have halted deployment. "Any stumbles could call into question the wisdom not only of bike share itself, but of its underlying premise: that bicycles are a key part of the city’s transit system, an argument the group has made since the 1970s." Nonetheless, much of what the group once promoted as pie-in-the-sky has come to be. 
• Converted bike-advocate, Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-OH), has suddenly decided not to run for re-election this fall. 
• Choosing a bike to match your outfit (future project runway theme)
• In Milan, Italy a parking garage sued the city over the new congestion charge, which was working, but costing them revenue. "The ruling, which eliminated a charge of 5 euros, or about $6, to drive into the city’s core, was embraced by many businesses in the affected area. Environmental groups and cycling lobbies reacted angrily, saying that the ruling suspended what had been a strong effort to improve the air quality and livability of one of the most traffic-clogged and polluted cities in Europe. ...During the six months when the charge was enforced, traffic within the zone decreased by 34 percent and overall traffic in Milan by 7 percent, Mr. Maran said, noting that the point of the fee was to diminish the use of private cars. The money raised was tagged for more public transport, bike lanes and parking lots outside the city center." Maybe giving parking garage operators a cut of the revenue - at least for a few years - is a solution. 

Monday Morning Commute - Stick the Landing

Good morning

• MAP-21 (the new federal transportation bill) will no longer mandate that money be spent on biking. So the advocacy push moves to the states - and DC. Spokes (page 20) contacted Maryland, DC and Virginia officials to see what they planned to do starting Oct 1.  So far, all three plan to keep their Safe Routes to Schools Coordinator, continue funding Recreation Trails Programs and fund Transportation Enhancement programs. 
• It's official: treating red lights as stop signs, and stop signs as yield signs is ethical - even when not legal. [An ethisist says so]. The column also has a local tidbit " Uninterrupted motion, gliding silently and swiftly, is a joy. It’s why I ride. And it’s why Stephen G. Breyer says he rides, sometimes to work at the Supreme Court: “The advantages? Exercise, no parking problems, gas prices, it’s fun. An automobile is expensive. You have to find a place to park and it’s not fun. So why not ride a bicycle? I recommend it.” I don’t know if he runs red lights. I hope so." BTWD speaker!
• Human rights bike rack.
• Many MoCo neighborhoods are closing their street grid to reduce traffic. This is a bad idea, and bad for cyclists who would like to avoid traffic sewers. A better option is to "turn streets like Ellsworth Drive into "neighborhood greenways," also known as "bike boulevards," designed to give people on foot or bike priority over drivers. That's sort of what currently exists on Second Avenue between 16th and Spring streets in Silver Spring, which allows bikes and buses during rush hour, but not cars. And if we're going to turn a street into a dead-end, we should at least make it passable for pedestrians and bicyclists, like on Middleton Lane near downtown Bethesda."
• Real estate executive Mark Schneider, a man who was "instrumental in the development of Heinz Field, PNC Park and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh died Sunday from injuries he sustained after crashing his bicycle near Thurmont" two weekends ago during a 100 mile charity ride. "Schneider was at the rear of a group of nine riders near the 8300 block of Ramsburg Road when he took a left turn down a hill and lost control of his bicycle."
• UConn basketball coach Jim Calhoun injured in a bicycle accident for the 2nd time in 4 years.
• Austin is getting bike sharing. 

Friday Morning Commute - We are trying to get people out of automobiles

Ok, so here's my thought on the Olympic badminton scandal. The players got screwed. They were trying to win gold. They thought losing a game would help them do that - and the system seemed to be set up that way. It's illogical to expect them to do something that would make it harder to win gold. If it it's "unsportsmanlike" to not play to win, then any swimmer or runner who goes out and just tries to qualify during the heats, by going at 95%, is guilty of the same thing.  This could have been so easily fixed. Just let the game's winner decide which teams gets the "win" for tournament purposes. If you win, but wanted to lose, you can't just decide to have the win assigned to the other team. Then you still get competition, but without forcing players to work hard to undermine their own strategy. 

• They made the opening of the Gallaudet U CaBi station into a real event. Next time they open one, I might show up with a small podium and make a speech. “We are trying to get people out of automobiles, and certainly bikes represent a good way to get people around the city without the environmental consequences,” says Mayor Gray.
• Park Police have released sketches from two sexual assaults along Georgetown trails over the last month. The descriptions don't match, so it probably isn't the same guy. 
• It appears they have started to survey the location for the new crossing of the GW Parkway near Memorial Circle.
• A cyclist was seriously injured in Clinton, MD. "A man riding a bicycle on Branch Ave westbound rode into the path of a southbound car at Surratts Rd. and was struck, according to Maryland State police. The accident took place at about 8:48 p.m Thursday, on Route 5 (Branch Ave ) near Surratts Road."
• One cyclist explains why he rides in the road instead of in a bike lane on Wildewood Road. "At some point, either going out or coming into Wildewood, remaining in that lane compels bicyclists to ride against the flow of traffic." Others respond to the same original letter complaining about a group ride (perhaps BikeMS), but I can't find the original letter they're responding to. Here's the original letter.
• A Montreal cyclist and driver got into an argument and moments later the driver hit the cyclist - sending him to the hospital. Police are investigating. 

Monday Morning Commute - Wiggins

Bradley Wiggins became the first Briton to win the Tour de France. It was quite a day for Great Briton, with Brits Christopher Froome coming in 2nd and Mark Cavendish winning the final stage. American Tejay Van Garderen became only the 3rd American to ever win the White Jersey for the Young Classification (best rider under 25) and George Hincapie set the record for most Tours participated in at 17. 

• New bike parking at the Brookland Metro. DDOT urban forestry maintains the Met Branch Trail. Better parking in buildings. All at RPUS. 
• WABA now has office hours EOTR. 
• Longtime anti-nuclear war protester's 31 year vigil interrupted after she was hit by a taxi on her bicycle and broke her clavicle.
• Wolf Trap, now easier to get to, but still with cruddy bike parking. [Maybe they should hire Richard Layman]
• The city of Richmond, VA will buy land owned by a cement company and use the rail line that accesses it to build a section of the Virginia Capital Trail from Williamsburg to Richmond. The cement company will lease back the rest for two years and then will vacate. "The trail also got a boost last week from the Commonwealth Transportation Board, which awarded a $7 million contract to Henderson Inc., a Williamsburg firm, to design and build the New Market Heights trail section. That segment of trail will extend more than 10 miles from Kimages Road in Charles City County to Long Bridge Road in Henrico.Construction already has begun on the Sherwood Forest segment of trail from the Chickahominy River to Charles City Courthouse." Meanwhile, the Cannon Creek Greenway that connects to the Capital Trail got help from the National Guard. The Guard cleared more than a half-mile of trail for the greenway as part of its Innovative Readiness Training program.
• Rails vs. Trails in the Adirondacks (answer: both?)
• Help Rails to Trails win $30,000 from Pacifico.
• "Vulnerable user law" not being enforced as expected in Oregon. 
• Bicycle infrastructure from Vancouver. 
• Tyler Hamilton may have his gold medal from the Athens Olympic games stripped because of his doping admission. Bobby Julich would move up to Silver as a result.

Monday Morning Commute - Smell the roses

Good morning. We're supposed to get a break in the heat today.

• The DC BAC's Safety Committee discussed traffic safety benchmarks and bike theft.
• NPS revises a rule so that it now "gives park superintendents the authority to allow bicycles on roads that are closed to the motoring public – like fire roads and roads used by park maintenance vehicles. Bikes are already allowed on park roads that are open to vehicles."
• More on the mountain biker who was seriously injured on Seneca Creek Trail. 
• Bike commuting is a great way to get time outside. The author, a New Yorker, even mentions DC and how easy it was for him to get around by bike even though he didn't bring one. 
• Lance Armstrong's lawyer has accussed the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency of a "lack of transparency and due process in charging Armstrong, which he said included the agency coercing other athletes to testify against Armstrong, and refusing to have their conduct reviewed by an independent auditing committee."