TheWashCycle

Wednesday Morning Commute - Joshua

Good morning.

• Sad news - A 15 year old in Chevy Chase died on a bike ride during Monday's storm when a falling tree hit him not far from the Rock Creek Park Trail. 
• An interview with the 20-something entrepreneurs behind UrbanDelivery, the iphone-enabled, bike messenger-powered delivery service. They met playing kickball - see, it's good for more than drinking and hooking up. 
• One video from a previous bike party ride. And before I get accused of hating on the ride - because I'm not and I'm really happy that it is such a success and that people are having fun with it and I get how hard it is to manage these things and not block traffic at times- but my point of the previous post is just that people should always be asking themselves "am I being as courteous as I can reasonably be?" or maybe - in a large group like this and aware of how their behavior reflecs - "am I being more courteous than is even reasonable." If so, carry on. But no "sticking it to the man." 
• K Street bike lanes go the way of the ICC Trail. 
• DC submitted a TIGER 2013 grant application, but for what, I do not know. 
• Get a rope "According to a federal court charging document, Reel rigged his Jeep so it crashed into a light post, bike rack and security bollard near the guard post around 3 a.m. Sunday. It caused more than $1,000 worth of damage."

Thursday Afternoon Commute - You'll be hated for 6 months, then they'll love you

Good afternoon

• The New Belgium Tour de Fat comes to DC on June 1
• Cyclists helping each other on the W&OD Trail
• MWCOG considering a Green Streets Policy which has as a goal making biking easier. 
• "Sharing is for commies, and so is cycling." CaBi should sell a T-shirt that says that. I'd buy one. 
• Urban Delivery seeks to revive messenger culture. Needs more Bacon (Kevin). 
• More on NYC, Citibike kiosks and controversy."Jane Browne, 42, who initially supported the program, said she had recently seen mice scurrying in the “corridors of trash and water” that formed between a nearby bike station and the curb." And to tie it in to DC: “Washington had at least one fistfight at a community meeting,” he said. “We haven’t had that.” (An official with Washington’s Transportation Department said she did not recall any contentious community meetings or significant opposition to the program.)" I think they're referring to this - which seems so bizarre now - and is so eloquently reduced to “Why is everybody so mad about this? Why is everybody so crazy?”
• The Boston Cyclist Safety Report. That's no typo, cyclist were cited for speeding more than twice as often as drivers. And on the helmet issues, between 44-53% of cyclists in EMS response crashes wore a helmet. "It is unknown how the relatively low rates of helmet use among cyclists involved in Boston EMS incidents relates to the overall rate of helmet use in Boston. Convenience sampling of Boston cyclists observed at selected sites throughout the city by Boston Bikes and other researchers has yielded average helmet use rates ranging from 48-72%, although observed rates were significantly lower in some neighborhoods." Earlier in the study they cite the 72% rate as coming from a peak-hour study. This means primarily bike commuters. I suspect commuters are more likely to wear helmets, but I could be wrong.

Tuesday Morning Commute - SOTU

Good morning

• DC Bike ambassadors to hit the L Street cycletrack today. 
• Look, it's the Penn Ave cycle-track bollards. 
• Montgomery County DOT has finished mapping the “Montgomery Mall to Downtown Bethesda route”
• Who would have thunk that Reston would have bicycle delivery service before DC or Arlington. [Though to be fair, a pizza guy in my neighborhood delivers by bike. I call him the ninja delivery man because he dresses all in black and rides without lights. I say a prayer to the Madonna del Ghisallo for him every time he rides by.]
• Sign a petition asking President Obama to participate in the Ride of Silence. He'd probably ride in DC's/ 

Tuesday Afternoon Commute - Ribbon Cutting

Good afternoon. I went to today's ribbon cutting on a downright balmy December morning and I'll have some video on the Green Lanes blog at some point in the future, after I learn how to edit and splice video. (Photo by WABA)

• In the meantime there is plenty of video and photos on the internets. WUSA9 has both. DCist has coverage, as does FOXdc. I take this line from a WaPo story as a sign of progress 'He said that “not all cyclists, but some cyclists” disregard traffic signals and the rules of the road.'
• Two laws had their first readings before the District Council today. The Motorized Bicycle Amendment Act of 2012, which would govern things like electric-assist pedal bikes (motorized bicycles) which it would separate from faster motor scooter-type vehicles called "motor-driven cycles". "The third category would be that for motorized bicycles as determined by pedals, a post mounted seat and not capable of traveling more than 20 mph.  It is recommended that motorized bicycles have no DMV related requirements and would be able to park on the sidewalk.  This is a change from the current requirements for these cycles to be licensed, registered, titled, insured and inspected.  However, operationally, very few of these cycles currently meet these requirements, so this recommendation will not negatively impact current motorized bicycle owners." The other law to get a reading today was the Access to Justice for Bicyclists Act of 2012
• Making a city that's easier to bike and walk in is good for low-income citizens argues one person. This in response to Courtland Milloy's article asking that we get as serious about creating jobs as we are about making bike lanes. So, assigning one overworked DC employee to handle the whole jobs program (while also handling other responsibilities) is his solution? I'm not saying that DC isn't serious about bike lanes, but I'll agree that it isn't something we spend a lot of money on. 
• Rockville has plans to redesign Rockville Pike but that isn't the only reason they were named a Bicycle Friendly Community. 
• I don't know if I linked to this story about bike messengers before. 
• The Virginia Bicycling Federation will pursue the following legislative goals this year
  • Following too close — banning motorists from tailgating/intimidating cyclists
  • Three feet to pass cyclists (current law is two feet)
  • Vulnerable road user protection, and/or due care
• Will the fiscal cliff deal give us a better bike commuter benefit? Personally, I'd like to see the whole thing modified to just be a parking cash out. Employers who offer free parking have to offer a tax free parking cash-out of identical value to those who don't drive. That's it. Then let the market decide. Ideally there would be some way to encourage people to bike or walk or take transit some days instead of making it an all or nothing.

Tuesday Evening Ride - There's a little black spot on the sun today

Good evening

• The American Planning Association is hosting a presentation on Cycle Tracks and Other Improvements to Accomodate Increased Levels of Bicycling in Urban Areas next Tuesday at 5:30pm. "This presentation will highlight trends and innovations in bicycle-friendly communities throughout the U.S. It will include a discussion of design and safety considerations for cycle track facilities, which are bikeways that are physically separated from motor traffic and distinct from the sidewalk. The presentation will conclude with lessons learned in designing and implementing cycle tracks as well as observations on the role of bicycling, and more broadly complete streets, in creating sustaining places."
• Perhaps bike shops can sell used bikes as long as they are "rebuilt or refurbished merchandise"?
• A movie about DC's bicycle couriers will be shown at the New York's Bicycle Film Festival. 
• Even when rail trails don't connect cities, they can still generate economic benefits. "The trails attracted an estimated 125,244 people in 2011 and pumped $875,320 into the local economy, according to the study." This is from an article about trails in Lancaster, PA which is not a long drive from here. This also caught my eye "Last year, Amtrak built a 16-foot-wide crushed stone trail surface the length of the corridor, making it more amenable for bicycle riding." Amtrak's building bike trails now. 
• Sarah Goodyear argues that when more people get on bikes - as will happen with bikesharing, cyclists should start to behave better. I think that's inevitable. She also argues that if the police are going to crack down on cyclists, then they have to crack down on drivers too. 
• DC needs more of this. 

Wednesday Morning Commute - Mugabo

Good morning. The DC Council hearing on Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety is today at noon, in case you want to watch online.

• The cyclist injured yesterday is a bike messenger who goes by the name of Mugabo. His injuries are reportedly very serious, with possible brain damage. "Friends of Mugabo add that he was a teacher at a school in Adams Morgan, and a father to a one-year old-baby." The news report shows the SUV being towed away - is that for evidence?

Friday Afternoon Commute - Big pumping

Good afternoon

• It's hard out here for a messenger. "the bike messenger is not dead yet. Shawn Blumenfeld, a local cycling racer and past courier, tells me he estimates that there are still about 100 to 150 bike messengers today in the District because many messengers he knew from a couple years ago are still at work in the industry today — although he emphasizes that this is just a guess."
• It's hard out here for a pedicabber. " Two days ago, one Park Police officer issued Mosco four citations that "appear to be retaliatory in nature for my shooting this footage of his interaction with another pedicab operator," he told me."
• It's hard out here for a bike rebalancer - "Accommodating the increasing number of users is a delicate balancing act. Lisle points to areas such as Columbia Heights, where many cyclists use the network to cycle downhill to get to work. Fleets of Capital Bikeshare vans gather up the bikes at central docks downtown 25 at a time, and truck them back up to these kinds of neighborhoods so another wave of riders can use them within the same rush hour."
• I've saved far less than $4.6 billion. I must be doing it wrong. 
• A record number of people biked to work today (I'm not surprised) and exceeded WABA's goal of 12,500. Photos from BTWD in Rosslyn and Bethesda. "It turns out that people not only want to be reassured that bicycling is safe—they may also want to be convinced that it’s normal. "
• NYC to start a new bicycle crash reporting system. "Prior to the new initiative, police only filled out a brief card describing any accident involving a bicycle. Now, police must fill out a complete accident report, just as they would for an accident between motor vehicles. This change in policy demonstrates the seriousness with which the NYPD now aims to treat bicycle accidents."

Tuesday Afternoon Commute - Did you see the Space Shuttle

Good afternoon

• Bike trails bring business. "The newest thing that has affected it is the opening of the bike trail," English said. "People ride their bicycles from as far away as Atlanta, spend the night and ride back. That is a big thing."
• Finally, a crash test dummy for bicyclists. It could help settle the Great Bike Helmet Debate (or at least part of it). 
• New business model for bike messengers (religion might get in the way for some, although sometimes it appears that messengers worship the Speed Force, and I'm unclear on that religion's position on things.)

Wednesday Morning Commute - urban menace

Includes some lost links from the last two mornings.

• WABA calls on Capital Crescent Trail supporters to demand that in the absence of a trail through the tunnel, there should be "a well-designed, functional, and safe alternative." And that they should not support an at-grade crossing of Connecticut Avenue. Here's one vote for letting the light rail have the tunnel. And Silver Spring Trails points out that it was only recently that MTA, unfortunately, promised to keep the trail in the tunnel. They would have been better off had they continued with their more cautious tone.
• Dr. Gridlock discusses the right hook. I think the cyclist has the right of way, but in that situation, I let the car go first.
• BicycleSpace's soft opening. By the way, they have this cool bike stand with tools chained to it that anyone can use. Something like that, under a covered area, would make a great addition to any bike trail. 
• A green car dealership? "The list included clean, energy-saving touches such as a reflective roof, bike racks, a shower for cyclists..."
• This article about bicycle deliverymen in New York City reminds me of this article. And what's up with New York City banning electric bikes?
• Uh-oh. "Young people who travel to school by independent means (on foot, bicycle, bus or train) are more likely than those who are taken to school by car to stay out at night."

Saturday Night Ride - Big brother to the rescue (not the TV show)

Good Morning

• A possible solution to violations in Downtown DC's bike/bus only lanes. "San Francisco, with its long-running (if imperfect) "transit-first" policy, has come up with a way to address all these problems at once. By early next year the city's entire fleet of 819 buses will be equipped with forward-facing cameras that take pictures of cars traveling or parked in the bus and transit-only lanes. A city employee then reviews the video to determine whether or not a violation has occurred — there are, of course, legitimate reasons a car might have to occupy a bus lane for a moment — and if so the fines range from $60 for moving vehicles to more than $100 for parked cars."
• Montgomery County's Met Branch Trail funding could be saved by the county council, a meeting of stakeholders or both. Of course, there would be plenty of funding if the county just deferred some highway expansion not needed until 2025. 
• Route 450 in Bladensburg could be more bike friendly in the future (which is a low bar to cross). 
• Gail Tait-Nouri, the bicycle coordinator for the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, has retired. Except that now, she's working for WMATA, which is an odd retirement, but good for cyclists. 
• Local business delivers healthy snacks by bike.
• Gas is Expensive $3.50 edition part III (parts I and II). But this one has a lot of local shots and cyclists. 
• US DOT on why transportation enhancements matter, and Bikeleague on stopping the mandatory sidepath rule.
• Indy Bike Hub lockers look sweet. 
• Mountain bikers in Milwaukee are soft.