TheWashCycle

Monday Morning Commute - BART

Today might be your last, best chance to see the Pan Stars comet with the naked eye. Around 7:40 pm in the western sky. 

• Tomorrow, cyclists riding from Newtown, CT to ask for comprehensive gun control legislation will stop at Proteus Bikes where they hope other like-minded people will join them for the last few miles into DC. 
• The 11th Street Bridge's 16-foot wide sidewalk should open in late May or early June. "Walkers and bikers will have access to several scenic overlooks under construction in the middle of the span." As a statement to the sad shape of the old bridge, even the temporary set-up they're using now is better than the old facility. 
• Two new bikeshare locations have been approved in Georgetown. " One station will be located next to the CVS on O Street NW at Wisconsin Avenue and the second will be located on what is currently an empty lot where 34th Street intersects with Water Street, NW "
• During the bike summit, bicycle industry leaders toured DC's protected bike lanes.
• DCBAC testimony at the oversight hearing.
• Matt Yglesias responds to AAA's claim that the new parking regs are dangerous. 
• Spring 2013 adult cycling classes
• Lots of MSM coverage of the 26% increase in reported bike crashes in Fairfax County in 2012. "According to the records of the 15 accidents involving bikes in January and February of 2012, bicyclists were determined to be at fault in seven of them. Of those seven incidents, only one biker was given a citation. The offense was riding on the wrong side of the road." I suspect the uptick is, in part, the results of better reporting. 
• Conservatives and liberals agree - taxing bicycles for GHG emissions is stupid. 
• San Francisco is going to try another round of bikes on BART, allowing bikes in all stations and on trains at all hours on every Friday. "We heard from countless bike riders on both sides of the Bay that the August pilot opened up regional commuting by bike for both experienced bike riders and those wanting to give it a try for the first time,” 
• Less federal transportation funding could be coming down the pipe. 
• London planning to become more bike friendly.

Thursday Evening Commute - Girls Gone Broke

Good evening

• Union Station Plaza is complete. Construction included a block of bike lanes and a section of the MBT of a length shorter than Marquis Goodwin can jump. Still, that's progress.
• There were 126,398 CaBi trips and 135,458 miles traveled in January 2013. The number of trips increased by 2% from December 2012.
• LAB helps fund WABA's Women and Bicycles initiative.
• The Post has a lenghty piece on the future of professional cycling. I haven't read it yet.
• Some advocates think a bike fee may make sense. I would argue that cyclists already pay a sales tax on all their bicycle, accessory and service purchases. And sales taxes go to paying for infrastructure. So cyclists already pay a bike fee. The question is, should they pay a larger one.
• At this link, check out the photo of the "Rough Riding Contest" at Meridian Hill in 1895. It's a bunch of cyclists on penny farthings. I think I see the next Dandies and Quaintrelles ride theme. Seriously, I want to know more about this, and does anyone know where the actual photo can be found?
• Maryland's bicycle symposium coverage.
• Rockingham County, VA could get a county-wide bicycle and pedestrian plan.
• It's funny I was just in a conversation yesterday about this issue (in advance of the Bike Summit). At AASHTO’s annual Washington conference, DOT Secretary Ray Lahood said that U.S. DOT was getting into the business of issuing its own design standards, instead of simply accepting the AASHTO guidelines. "Cycling advocates have long criticized the AASHTO guide, and the FHWA’s adherence to it, since even the most recent version doesn’t incorporate the latest thinking in bicycle and pedestrian safety treatments." They will still work with AASHTO, but they should also get more input from NACTO which has it's own set of standards (Which CaBi GM Eric Gilliland helped develop). This has the potential to be an enormous win for cyclists and cycling.   
• "Hell on wheels" + Pope
• This bridge would be the coolest. We could do the same thing on the Bay Bridge.

 

Tuesday Afternoon Commute - My bicycle and I were best friends.

Do you think Sunday night at the Oscars will be the last time William Shatner plays Captain Kirk? If so, it's an odd performance for the character to go out on. Like ending Star Wars with the Christmas Special.

• Sustainable DC = Agenda 21. Someone should open a bar on 21st street called Agenda 21. 
• Phoenix Bikes will hold its annual bike show and fundraiser on Thursday, March 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. at 251 18th St. South.
• Bikeshare can do this better. 
• New DC bike maps are in. 
• The Fairfax County Bike Trail has finally reopened. 
• The Boston Globe blames anti-cyclist bias for the failure to indict a driver of vehicular homicide in a hit-and-run case in Massachusetts. It puts this month's Cooper case into some context for why a plea deal might seem appealing to prosecutors.
• Again with the old chestnut about "the time I rode my bike into East Berlin."

Wednesday Afternoon Commute - altruistic punishment

Good afternoon. 

• The WeMoveDC Idea Exchange was last Saturday. There is some coverage from the BAC, WABA and GGW. 
• The Navy Yard section of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail is open again. Biking is still not allowed. 
• Mayor Gray won't rule out a congestion tax. "It's a possibility. I wouldn't rule it out," Gray says. "I haven't considered it yet. I know they do that in London where you can't go into certain areas of the city with a car without paying. But I don't think we're at that point yet." Such a move could really make bicycling a more appealing option to a lot of people. 
• I failed to mention this from the helmet article yesterday " This session, another bill would open up sidewalks to cyclists to give the road-shy a place to pedal, said Del. Aruna Miller, a Montgomery Democrat. But cyclists oppose that measure, too, in the name of promoting driver awareness of cyclists." Whoa. Did not know about that. Which cyclists oppose making sidewalk cycling legal? Is that a WABA or BikeMaryland position?
• "Completion of the last missing piece of a trail network connecting Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., will be celebrated at a June 15 event in West Homestead and at the Point in Downtown Pittsburgh." So I definitely think this should also be celebrated here in DC. Perhaps in Georgetown. I don't know who should organize it (WABA or the C&O Canal group or DDOT or who?) But they didn't just celebrate the Chunnel opening in England.
• Why driver's hate cyclists (one theory): they're perceived as rule-breaking free riders "Then along come cyclists, innocently following what they see are the rules of the road, but doing things that drivers aren't allowed to: overtaking queues of cars, moving at well below the speed limit or undertaking on the inside."
• "the League does not support mandatory helmet laws because of the many potential unintended consequences". And MoBike weighs in on the law as well.
• National bike advocates want the President to appoint a secretary of transportation who supports cycling as much as Ray Lahood does. 

DDOT Invites Public to Transportation Idea Exchange to Get DC Moving

Washington D.C. – The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) today announced the moveDC Idea Exchange, a family-friendly public event, held to share ideas about how District residents, workers and visitors can have convenient and reliable multimodal options that connect them to economic and quality of life opportunities. Anyone who drives, walks, bikes, rides a bus, or takes a train in DC should attend to help shape the plan to develop a bold, new transportation vision for the District.

 

The public is invited to drop in anytime or stay throughout the day to hear information, participate in interactive activities and to join a panel discussion.

 

What:                   moveDC Transportation Idea Exchange

When:                  Saturday, February 9, 2013

                              9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Transportation Fair, drop in anytime)

                              10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (City Leader Welcome)

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Future of Transportation Panel Discussion)

Where:                Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library

                              901 G Street, NW            

 

Get there:           Bicyclists:            Bike racks are available outside the main entrance on G St.

Bikeshare:           Kiosks at G and 12th Streets, NW and H and 8th Streets, NW

Circulator:           Georgetown-Union Station Route at K and 9^th Streets NW

Metrorail:            Metro Center Station (Blue, Orange and Red Lines)

Gallery Place/Chinatown Station (Green, Red and Yellow Lines)

Metrobus:           Visit www.wmata.com

Parking:               Handicap-accessible: G Street in front of the library in designated spaces.
                              Off-street: 997 G Place NW, 720 10th Street NW, and 701 8th Street NW

Agenda:              City Leaders’ Welcome (10:30 am – 11:00 am)

 

Future of Transportation Panel Discussion (11:00 am – 12:30 pm)
Interactive discussion focused on transportation and...

§  The Competitive City

§  Neighborhood Vitality

§  Shared Prosperity

§  The Sustainable City

 

Transportation Fair (9:30 am – 3:00 pm)

§  Transportation information booths

§  Fun, interactive activities:

o   My Transportation Wish

o   Transportation Activity Book

o   The Great Transportation Debate

o   Transportation Innovation Station

o   Choose Your Move

o   How's it Moving?

o   Street Dreams

o   Last Call

§  Giveaways

 

With a rapidly-growing population and the increasing demands on the whole system, it is essential to take steps to keep DC moving.  The Idea Exchange will introduce moveDC, a collaborative transportation planning effort to incorporate all methods of transportation in the District of Columbia into a single Multimodal Long Range Transportation Plan.

 

“This planning effort will help shape the future of transportation in the District,” said DDOT Director Terry Bellamy.  “This plan will focus on bringing together transit, vehicular, bicycle, pedestrian and freight recommendations to create a seamless, convenient transportation system for the District.”

 

moveDC is led by DDOT's Policy, Planning and Sustainability Administration (PPSA) and is expected to be completed by early 2014. After the Idea Exchange, there will be workshops, public meetings, surveys, and other ways to stay engaged in the process. Follow the project online at www.wemoveDC.org, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/WeMoveDC) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/wemovedc).

 

Wednesday Morning Commute - Strut

Good morning

• WABA now has crash apps for iphone and android.
• A look at CaBi's 4th quarter 2012 data. Ridership is up 54% over 2011. The Lincoln Memorial station, which only opened in October, is already the 17th busiest.
• The Obamas make the Pennsylvania Avenue Cycle-track Strut. OMG, I have biked in that exact spot!!!
• "The Mount Vernon Trail just south of Ford's Landing is closed due to damage to a small wooden bridge. Both sides of the bridge were damaged and is unsafe. Trail users are advised to use Royal Street is the alternate route for the Mount Vernon Trail."
• Montgomery County votes to spend planning money on BRT, instead of planning for "creating pedestrian and bike improvements and Park and Ride studies connected to the rapid transit"
• Frederick, MD may be going from an ad hoc bicycle advisory committee to a formal Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee after a vote on Feb 7. "Projects slated for 2013 include designing a path under U.S. 15, connecting existing bike paths and supporting the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government's efforts in the Complete Streets project, which encourages shared-access roads for pedestrians, bicycles and cars. The mayor and Board of Aldermen appeared pleased to hear that the committee would sponsor another penny-farthing race."
• So far, LaHood is planning to stay on as SecTrans. He's enthusiastically supported bicycling, and outside of Oberstar or Blumenauer, it's hard to imagine an alternative that would be more supportive.
• A study done in Portland using GPS-equipped cyclists found that
  • Separated bike paths are equivalent to reducing trip distance by 26 percent, bike boulevards by 17.9 percent.
  • Cyclists are willing to detour 16.2 percent of their trip distance to avoid a left turn at a busy intersection without a traffic light.
  • Each additional turn is equal to adding 7.4 percent of the trip distance.

Wednesday Afternoon Commute - Uphill

Good afternoon

• If you want a bike friendly DC, getting involved in the DC's effort to create a comprehensive transportation plan will give you a chance to make that happen. "residents who support improving transit, walking, and bicycling will have to speak up. We'll have to participate at the February 9 meeting and at future events in person and online. "
• CaBi is options: “I’m looking forward to the bike share coming to Bethesda,” he said. “Then I don’t have to deal with the delays of the Red Line. I’d rather pay bike share than Metro. At least I can get to work on time.”
• Picture of the Met Branch Trail at Silver Spring Transit Center from above in this post by antibozo.
• One BRAC transportation success: the construction of new bike paths and sidewalks. "I know that doesn't sound like much but it is a lot," Montgomery County BRAC Coordinator Phil Alperson says. "There are hundreds of people who are now commuting to the Navy by bike or walking who didn't do that before." 
• Lance, Lance, Lance, Lance, Lance (I used to work in the hotel where that interview happened, BTW). 
• Biking uphill is satisfying and connectivity does boost mode share. 

Saturday Morning Ride - Unenforceable

Good Morning

• DDOT is looking for photos of people moving about the city by any means possible for their moveDC website. 
• Why is a 3 feet passing distance less enforceable than 2 feet (and how Virginia wound up with a 2 foot passing distance law to start with)?
• The next community meeting on the Landover Metro Area and Route 202 Corridor Sector Plan is on January 17th at 7pm.

Friday Morning Commute - The Others

Good morning

• Three very good suggestions for making the connection between the George Mason Bridge and the 15th Street cycletrack.
• DDOT's Capital Bikeshare Manager Chris Holben is named one of the people who are shaping Washington by Washingtonian magazine.
• Wow, "Who's parking in the L Street bike lane" reallyblew upyesterday. 
• The commuting method "Other" is way up in Georgetown, which means either more bike commuting or more segway commuting. 
• Vote DC? There's a jersey for that.
• Thanks to some good police work, three men who allegedly attacked and robbed a jogger on the Custis trail are in custody.
• Maryland is the process of updating its 2035 Maryland Transportation Plan, a long-range blueprint that will outline transportation goals and priorities. During a recent workshop on the new plan, Frederick city Alderman Karen Young (D) — who was recently elected chairwoman of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, a regional planning board that looks at transportation, economics and the environment — suggested that bike paths be installed in communities where people live and work. “A lot of people say ‘Bike paths are nice things to have, but are not necessary,’” Young said. “I would disagree with that.... We need to move toward anything that gets people out of their cars.”

Thursday Morning Commute - incessant desire

Good morning

• Numbers are out for CaBi usage in November. While the numbers are down ~25% in both miles and trips from October, that's pretty normal. But the year-to-year numbers are up 48% and 53% respectively. Oddly in 2011, the busiest month was June but in 2012 it was September.
• WABA wants cyclists to turn out for MoveDC and the update to Maryland's Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. "Both plans present significant opportunities to alter how people get around, and in subsequent posts we’ll provide more detailed information on each. What matters most right now is that both processes are being designed to maximally integrate public input into the planning of our transportation future. While WABA will be actively involved as an organization, it’s also critical that people—like you!—who value biking as a way of getting around and want to see it encouraged in the future participate."
• WABA is also looking for bike ambassadors.
• Who's blocking the L Street bike lane today?
• More new bike parking.
• Traffic fatalities in DC were lower than they've been since at least the 1920's and there were no bicycle fatalities. In fact, there was only one - Diane Whitman in Maryland - were two in the whole DC area. (There was also a fatality involving a pedestrian hit by a cyclist on a bike trail). That's the lowest number of DC area bike fatalities since 2006 (and my numbers are probably incomplete that year).
• Construction-related changes to the CCT crossing of Bethesda Avenue have made the crossing less safe argues one letter writer. 
• The flier for the Little Paint Branch Trail extension.
• To the long list of projects that Maryland has identified but can't afford, add the Gov. Thomas Johnson Memorial Bridge, which would include a walking and bike path on both sides. Don't expect gas taxes to go up in Maryland to pay for it any time soon either. “Everybody’s taxes just increased,” said [House Minority Leader Anthony J. O’Donnell (R-Calvert, St. Mary’s)], adding that a gas tax would implement effects, including higher prices, across the board. He said there is an “incessant desire” to raise taxes to create more revenue. “It’s unbelievable,” he said as he pushed the microphone away at the podium and walked back to his seat...[Del. Mark Fisher (R-Calvert)] said in a testimony made to the Ways and Means Committee, they were told “Maryland has enough money to take care of its roads,” without increasing the gas tax....Fisher said, during his concluding remarks, that there are ways to raise money for transportation, such as privatizing some roads, toll roads and rest centers, selling welcome centers and naming rights to roads, “instead of going into pockets of citizens.”  WC: Doesn't money for tolls come out of the pockets of citizens? Look, I think toll roads can be useful, but let't not pretend that it isn't just a different tax. 
• Meanwhile, in Virginia, some people are focusing on the drop in gas tax and ignoring the increase in sales tax, but not bike store owners (aka Small Business owners, aka Job Creators).
• Sapphire.
• New West Virginia rail trail built on a short spur would cross the Potomac at Hancock and connect to the Western Maryland Rail Trail and the C&O Canal.