TheWashCycle

Arbor Day

Today is National Arbor Day. Though somewhat eclipsed by the more media savvy Earth Day*, which was last week, it's still a good time for tree planting. As cyclists we should be natural fans of trees. While the weather is perfect for biking right now (seriously, today was insane), it will soon get hot in the DC area. And when it gets hot, nothing is better than finding yourself on a tree lined street (but not the sidewalk) or trail, comfortably in the shade. Trees also reduce temperature through something called transpiration and clean the air that you suck in climbing hills, both made possible by something called "science" (though transpiration sounds like black magic to me). Even in the winter trees, help bike commuters by taming the wind. So we should all be thankful for the tree activist over at Casey Trees.

Not only have they put together this seriously cool map, but they're out there planting trees and teaching people to care for them. The reason I bring this all up is that Casey Trees prefers to plant in coordination with other community groups - community groups, like WABA, to which you may belong or even be a leader of. So get your group together, contact Casey Trees, plant trees in your hood (along bike trails and bike routes) and ride in the shade.

Mayor Anthony Williams launched the Casey Trees Community Tree Planting Program on Arbor Day 2003. We planted 23 disease-resistant American elm trees in a southeast Washington neighborhood that day along G Street off Minnesota Avenue. We continued planting last fall and by year’s end had planted a total of 313 trees with projects in each of the city’s eight wards. 

This spring, we increased our efforts, planting 252 additional street trees, 396 small trees and seedlings for a season total of 712 new trees. Reaching this goal required many new volunteers. This spring we had over 500 volunteers including 155 Citizen Foresters and 330 first timers help us achieve this goal. Thank you to all who came out this spring to help us RE TREE DC. 

Jim Woodworth leads this program. You can e-mail him at [email protected]

Addendum: I just saw this in the Examiner.

In 2005, the city’s Parks Department, which has oversight of 800 acres, spent only $47 per acre on tree management — less than $40,000 total. By comparison, Seattle and Philadelphia each spent more than $270 per acre. The amount does not include spending by the Urban Forestry Administration, an arm of the District Department of Transportation, which plants and manages the “street trees” between the curb and sidewalk.

So, Casey Trees may only be picking up some of the slack.

*See what I did there with "Earth" Day and "eclipsed"? My high school English teacher would be so proud.

Are you a curb hopper?

This article, that I first saw on Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space was hard to find, but I found a cached version so I've put it here in it's entirety.

Revelations of a curb hopper.

As long as transportation costs continue to increase, the ranks of bicycle-riding voters will grow.

ALBERT HOWELL

Now that spring is here I'll be riding my bike more. I want to explain my bike-riding habits: I am a curb-hopper, which means I occasionally ride my bike on the sidewalk or travel the wrong way on one-way streets -- I've even run red lights. I don't like doing these things but as long as current traffic laws put cyclists in harm's way, I'll do whatever I need to so I don't end up crushed under a truck by a driver who didn't see me. No cyclist wants to ride on the sidewalk; it's slow and full of obstacles but when the alternative is being injured or killed by a car, I go where I have to. And to those who yell at me "It's called a sidewalk!" let me say this: if you have ever jaywalked you've given up your right to be upset. Nine times out of 10 a cyclist is on the sidewalk to avoid danger but all jaywalkers knowingly put themselves in danger for the sake of convenience (I have yet to see a cyclist yell at a jaywalker "It's called a road!"). I've even had pedestrians stand in front of me on the road, not moving, looking for a break in traffic and forcing me to swerve deeper into that traffic just to avoid them. Another reason I curb-hop is that I am riding a bike. There's a mistaken attitude that a bike is the same as a motorized vehicle. A person on a bike has far more in common with a pedestrian than with the driver of a car. You put someone on a bike and you've increased their weight by maybe 40 pounds, given them a top speed of 30 kilometres and hour and added no protection except for a helmet. You put a person in a car and you've increased their weight by some 2,000 pounds, given them a top speed of 120 km/h and encased them in a steel frame.

I'm not saying cyclists can ride on a sidewalk the same way they do on a road; they have to be respectful of the people walking. But there's also no reason for pedestrians to treat bicycles like they are some huge danger, the most recent statistics that I could find show that in Canada, vehicles kill one pedestrian every day, on average. Bikes are not killing you, cars are; either quickly by running you down or slowly by fouling your lungs. Governments, in the meantime, keep advocating bike riding as a fun and cheap alternative but refuse to build proper bike lanes to make it safer. It's the equivalent of telling people to go walk in traffic, but wear a helmet. What cyclists need is one uninterrupted lane that is physically separate from traffic and pedestrians. I wish painted lines were enough but drivers either don't see them or don't care. Unfortunately, cycling gets only lip service from governments. So I've thought of three things cyclists can do to that might help light a fire under the seat of politicians: Stop calling bicycles "alternative" transportation. It makes cycling sound weird and dangerous. From now on refer to a bike simply as transportation or non-polluting transportation. Always wear a pollution mask. Not only is it good for your lungs, it's a nice visual reminder to drivers about how bad the air is. Take a picture of yourself in your mask in front of a local landmark and send a copy to your city's tourism board and let them know you'll be sending this photo around the Internet. Since the government won't listen to cyclists maybe the local tourist industry can encourage them to make cycling safer. (While you're at it, get an air horn; it makes people think you're a car and noise is the only offensive weapon cyclists have.) A lot of cyclists are involved in an event called Critical Mass, where a large group of people ride bikes together. Drivers don't take this seriously; they see it as a temporary nuisance. If we really want to build an appreciation for what bicycles do then let's consider changing Critical Mass from bike-riding to car-driving. On the first workday of every month, every cyclist would drive a car into the city, to show the government how many cars aren't on the road when people ride their bikes.

One press release I read estimates there are more than 930,000 cyclists in the greater Toronto area. If only 10 per cent of those were willing to participate, that's still 93,000 cars being added to the traffic -- that should attract some attention. This, I hope, would get commuters screaming and governments seem to listen to commuters more than to cyclists. To really illustrate the point, you might put a sign in your car window that says "When you build a bike path then I'll ride my bike." A lot of people think that cyclists make up a small minority and don't deserve much attention. Well, there are more of us than you think, and as long as gasoline, insurance and parking costs continue to increase in price the ranks of bicycle riding voters will continue to grow. I'm not anti-car, I drive a car; cycling is simply an easier way to travel through my neighbourhood. I just don't think I should have to take my life in my hands just to get around and until the government makes it safer, I will do whatever I need to avoid being added to an already too long list of cyclists killed in traffic. Just a side note: Drivers, when a cyclist is eyeballing you it's not an insult or a challenge, we're simply watching you to see what you're going to do. If you make a mistake in traffic it's an expense; if a cyclist makes one, it's a lot of pain and possibly death. And pedestrians, when a cyclist rings a bell, we're not giving you attitude we're just letting you know we're there.

The op-ed brings up a lot of good points.

First, that bikes just aren't welcome a lot of times. Drivers get angry when cyclists are in the road. Pedestrians get angry when cyclists ride on the sidewalk (which is illegal in downtown). I've even seen people complain about bikes on the CCT (they go too fast and are too aggressive). It's well documented that it's dangerous for two vehicles to travel on the same road at widely different speeds (So cars and bikes, bikes and peds, cars and peds) and while there is space for cars, and often sidewalks for pedestrians, there are few places just for bikes. There are occasional bike lanes (or bus/bike lanes), which cars pull into without shame and which have their own issues, but no bikeways - and by bikeways I don't mean "trail," I mean space for bikes and bikes only. I think it would be great if the Met Branch trail became a bikeway, at least during rush hour. It might seem I'm being hypocritical since I always complain about Metro's rush hour restrictions, but my concern is one of safety - not convenience. And let's reserve the term "bikeway" for bicycle only facilities.

Second, I also don' t like the term "alternative transportation." Every transportation choice is an "alternative." For some people it's their primary transportation method and it should be treated as such.

Third, Montgomery County has a "Bikes and Sidewalks" department. Since bikes do not belong on sidewalks (and I agree) putting these two together makes as much sense as a "Trains and Sidewalks" department. Split the two up.

BTW, I'm a curb-hopper. Do we need a support group?

"My name is Albert, and I'm a curb-hopper."
"Hello Albert!"

Four Mile Run plan adopted

I posted about the Four Mile Restoration Plan back in February, and in March Arlington and Alexandria officials adopted the plan. It still has many hurdles to overcome and will take decades to complete, but in includes some bikeway improvements and additional bicycle crossings.

One problem will, of course, be cost.

The $261 million figure was received with gasps at the Alexandria City Council meeting [in March]. [But] the cost of some components of the plan, such as a new bridge at South Glebe Road, should be covered by state transportation funds. Estimates are that the restoration effort for the stream will cost $70 million, the majority from federal funds, officials said. The local portion of stream restoration would be $29 million, split between Alexandria and Arlington.

Another issue is the waterway's role in flood control.

Redevelopment of the flood-control passage hinges on an Army Corps of Engineers study on whether the area can be turned into a natural streambed and still provide enough flood protection for homes and businesses. Claire D. O'Neill, project manager for the Corps, said that updated flood models show that the conversion probably could be done without endangering nearby homes, but that the agency won't know for sure until the study is complete in 2008.

Still work should be visible by this time next year

The first real change residents will see will be a $3.3 million pilot stream restoration project to be designed over the next 12 to 18 months. The pilot project will be in the tidal area of Four Mile Run between Mount Vernon Avenue and the Potomac, visible to drivers on Route 1. [It will] add soil berms and native plants, add seating areas and benches and restore and add to wetland areas that border Four Mile Run Park. Planners also hope to add a pedestrian walkway between South Eads Street in Arlington and Commonwealth Avenue in Alexandria.

Ten for Tuesday - Nice Rack

1. Some projects restored to the Montgomery County Budget - $145k has been added to repair the E/W highway trail and $160k added to the overall bikeways budge and other projects proposed

• Repair and resurfacing of .5 miles of the Capital Crescent Trail
• Adding One Half of a Full Time Staffer to MNCPPC
• Increased funding for bikeways maintenance, including snow removal
• Adding One Full Time Staff to DPTW Bikeways Program
• Installation of Bikeway Signage

2. Silver Spring Transit Center does not properly address bike access issues. It has inadequate bike racks and lockers, poor connections to streets and no bike station.

3. Fairfax County is considering funding several major bicycle initiatives in its upcoming budget.

• Hiring a full-time bicycle coordinator.
• Producing a county-wide bicycle map.
• Creating on-road bike routes.
• A bicycle pilot program. 

4. Abandoned parking meter poles turned into bike racks in Arlington.

5. The Nation's Triathlon is coming this fall. DC finally gets its own triathlon (if they can get permission to swim in the Potomac, otherwise it will be a duathlon).

6. Local Eagle Scout is collecting bikes for Pedals for Progress (similar to Bike for the World) May 6 and 7. It's a good cause.

7. I couldn't find anything else about this beyond the email (couldn't find Joe Goddard or his thesis, but it's interesting)

I looked into comparative bicycle usage since 1945 in the U.K., the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark in a 1995 Masters' thesis. At the time my naïve hope was that if bicycle infrastructure was provided, people would ride. By the time I had completed it seemed a reasonable proposition that researchers would have to look beyond structural explanations for why people choose certain modes of transport. Broadly comparable cities within and between the countries studied exhibited increasingly different transport mixes during the half-century to 1995, even where their cycle infrastructures (bike-paths, lights etc), topography, size, and climatic conditions were similar and governments often supportive. Consequently,cultural factors would have to be factored in. Moreover, countries and cities with still-high levels of bike usage may well show internal differences in transport choices among and between different demographic groups.

Joe Goddard
University of Copenhagen

8. A couple dozen injured veterans are scheduled to make a 110-mile bike ride from Gettysburg, Pa., to Washington April 29 and 30th. For a $75 entry fee and a minimum fundraising effort of $600, you can join them.

9. Is Chicago a bicycling haven? This article covers a lot about what they're doing there and includes good photos of the bike station, a bicycle trough and a trail that has the right of way over a road.

10. There was a ribbon cutting at Tryst this past Saturday to celebrate the installation of over 40 bike racks in Adams Morgan. I had intended to go and provide photos, but...you saw the weather.

GWU's Potomac House - bike storage

Earlier I wrote about how small design considerations like showers were critical to encouraging, or even allowing, bicycle commuting (I assume we're all in agreement that bike commuting is a good thing). Another piece of the puzzle is parking (nice alliteration, huh?).

George Washington University is building a new freshman dorm, Potomac House on F Street, set to open this fall with

...a common room, a television lounge, the building's laundry room, a bike storage room and a yet-to-be-determined food venue.

I would've loved a bike storage room when I was in college. I had one bike stolen, one back wheel stolen and always had to deal with my bike being exposed to the elements 24-7. Not that bikes can't be stolen from the storage room, but I suspect crime will go down.

The U.S. Green Building Council includes bicycle storage as a means to get 1 point in their rating system.

Alternative Transportation - Bicycle Storage & Changing Rooms - 1Point

Intent

Reduce pollution and land development impacts from automobile use.

Requirements

Provide secure bicycle storage capable of serving 5% of all building users (measured at peak periods) and provide convenient changing/shower facilities (within 200 yards of the building) for 5% or more of the maximum full time equivalent shift occupants.

Potential Technologies & Strategies

Design the building with transportation amenities such as bicycle racks and showering/changing facilities

The LEED Rating Systems are based on a point system.  LEED for New Construction is based on a 69 point system and projects earn points for incorporating green features, which will determine the level of certification the projects will receive. There are four progressive levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

Certified = 26-32 points
Silver = 33-38 points
Gold = 39-51 points
Platinum = 52 or more points.

This has extra importance since a bill was introduced in Montgomery County that would require large office buildings there to get a score of 20 using the LEED rating system.

Buildings near public transportation earn one point, supplying bike storage and cyclists' changing rooms another. Composting toilets, which involve no flushing, earn points, as do fume-free paint and carpet, ample natural light and using wood from forests where trees, and tree harvesters, are well managed.

While I too prefer incentives to mandates, I think it's a good idea to use the national standard and allow the developers to decide how to get their 20 points - or 24 if they want an energy tax rebate. The system should be fluid so that developers rewards are in line with their score, otherwise we're going to get a lot of buildings that just do the minimum and do we want to be the kind of people who just do the minimum? I mean look at Brian; he has 38 pieces of flare on.

Met Branch Trail: DPWT recommends no bridge no tunnel

While it appears that things are going well with the District's portion of the Metropolitan Branch Trail, the news is not so good in Maryland. As covered so well at the Silverspringtrails.org website,

Montgomery County DPWT has released the report describing the results of their Phase I design study for the 0.6 mile section of the Metropolitan Branch Trail between the Silver Spring Transit Center and Montgomery College at Takoma Park. The report recommendations go against the public input from two public workshops that strongly support "Option 1" with a new trail bridge over Georgia Avenue and a trail tunnel under East-West Highway. A decisive Planning Board review is tentatively scheduled for May 18.

Instead they're recommending Option 5, the "no bridge, no tunnel" option that would create an at-grade crossing at East-West highway and force cyclists to dismount and walk their bikes across the narrow pedestrian walkway over Georgia Avenue. I hate to just copy and paste, but the sie has it covered so well:

The chief reason DPWT gives for favoring Option 5 over Option 1 is cost. Yet DPWT does not give any cost estimates in the Phase I report, and that information will not be developed until the Phase II study. Therefore DPWT is asking the Planning Board and the public to make a decision now to abandon the preferred Option I because of cost, even though the cost information needed for an informed decision will not be available until the next phase of the study.

We should urge the Planning Board to consider another approach - to take Option 1 into the Phase II study, and to develop a phased construction plan if the Phase II study affirms the costs are too high to build the entire Option 1 immediately. This approach will develop the cost information essential for an informed decision, and will also provide options to spread the cost out over time if necessary.

A very logical phasing of Option 1 construction would be:
1) Build the trail Option 1 from the Silver Spring Transit Center south to Georgia Ave., INCLUDING THE NEW TRAIL BRIDGE OVER GEORGIA AVENUE.
2) IF cost and right-of-way issues make the tunnel under East-West Highway too difficult to build now, then complete the trail connection on an alignment similar to Option 5, but WITH AN ON ROAD BIKE ROUTE DOWN PHILADELPHIA AVENUE.
3) Complete Option 1 when funding becomes available and/or when opportunities occur with redevelopment in Fenton Village.

Steps 1) and 2) above would create a much better trail than the Option 5 trail, even if funds never become available to complete the third step. The trail would include a good bridge over Georgia Avenue, and would not waste scarce trail resources building a totally disfunctional "sidepath from hell" down Philadelphia Avenue.

DCist discussed the Met Branch Trail today as part of it's transit on Earth Day items, but they seem unaware of the construction going on north of New York Avenue and fail to mention the battle being fought in Silver Spring.

Living without a car

I grew up in a town where living without a car meant you were poor. My hometown had five bus routes and it was not bicycle friendly in the least. I don't know how people did it. In DC, it's almost the opposite. Living without a car means you can afford a place in a walkable neighborhood.

RPUS has a post about Alan During whose car broke down and, as a sort of experiment, he's trying to see how long he can go without a car. He's been keeping updates on a blog. He concludes that a mile is about as far as people are willing to walk (I'll believe that - I think Metro determined that few people that walk to their stations walk more that a quarter mile). He doesn't discuss bike range or the "bikeshed" to expand on the "walkshed" but I put it around 5 miles.

Of course, if you didn't have a car, how would you get your bike to Shenandoah?

Two items from Bicycling Magazine

There were two good items in the January/February issue of Bicycling Magazine. Unfortunately, neither is available online. The first was about local mechanic Santiago "Pinky" Gonzalez and the second about bike commuting.

Gonzalez is one of the founders of Revolution Cycles and runs the tech center at the 11,000 square foot Clarendon store. The article mentions how he's built bikes for the Secret Service, National Park Police, Lance Armstrong and Presidents Clinton and Bush. He points out that Secret Service agents ride their bikes hard (our tax dollars at work) and have ruined numerous rims and cracked a few frames.

The second article is about the value of bike commuting. A 29 mile bike commute (the amount the average American commutes each day) would save $12, reduce auto emissions by 24 pounds and burn 1315 calories. Then they have advice: get a comfortable bike, put slick tires and lights on it, use a backpack or seat post pack instead of a messenger bag (it can hurt your back), go slow if you have no shower, turn your commute into a workout (mine already is) by doing intervals at traffic lights, map several routes - some that are direct and some that are pleasant, and finally some stuff about rolling over storm grates. Of course I've had that "is biking cheaper?" argument and while I'm sure it is, people who I respect are adamant that it isn't.

WalkingTown, DC SPRING EDITION

This weekend, is both Earth Day and the weekend of WalkingTown. In addition to numerous walking tours there are 3 bicycle tours. The first one is hosted by Michelle Pourciau who replaced Dan Tangherlini at DDOT. If you were worried that there would be a drop off in bicycle support at DDOT after Dan was gone, this is a good sign that there will not be. Everything I've seen indicates that Michelle is a real supporter of bikes and a capable director. So this is a good opportunity to pepper her with questions and suggestions. 

Anacostia by Bike
Saturday, 9 am – noon
Meet at the entrance to the Washington Fish and Seafood Market Place, 1100 Maine Avenue, SW.
Reservations are required at 202-661-7581.
Experience the Anacostia River by bicycle with Michelle Pourciau, director of the District Department of Transportation. Ride the route of the future Anacostia River Walk Trail to see Anacostia Park and RFK Stadium. You'll also learn about the many projects that will soon transform the Anacostia waterfront. Presented by the District Department of Transportation.

Anacostia by Bike: The River and the Ridge
Sunday, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Meet at the Harbor Police parking lot at the south end of Water Street, SW.
Reservations required at 202-661-7581.
This 26-mile ride combines a tour of the Anacostia River Walk Trail with the spine of the Potomac Ridge. Go up Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, visit its palisade neighborhoods, and return via historic Anacostia. Along the way you will see the Anacostia Museum and Frederick Douglass Home. Participants should expect rough pavement, hills, and traffic, which will be heavy in spots. Helmets are mandatory. Bring water, food, and ID. Locks will be useful, but not necessary, since we will take turns watching bicycles at stops. Led by volunteer John Fleming and presented by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association.

The Mall's Hidden Treasures by Bike
Sunday, 2 – 5 pm
Meet at the rear plaza of the Old Post Office Pavilion (12th Street, NW, between Pennsylvania and Constitution avenues, NW).
Reservations required at 202-842-BIKE or [email protected].
Explore the amazing monuments and sites of the National Mall on this easy, guided bike tour. You'll learn some of the history and stories behind the famous sites, and even discover some lesser-known spots you didn't even know existed! Bring your own bike or rent bikes from Bike the Sites, www.bikethesites.com or 202-842-BIKE. Presented by Bike the Sites.

DC Snacks

Before bike messengers get to ply their skills as pedicab operators, there's another new revenue stream for them in the DC area. DC Snacks, which has actually been around since 2003, is - well it's Kozmo.com from the internet glory days,

It sells convenience store items such as ice cream, pizza, frozen dinners, drink mixes and health aids, and bikes them to customers' doors within 35 minutes.

but over a much smaller area.

Its boundaries are now loosely defined as Rock Creek Parkway to the west, Q Street to the north, 13th Street to the east and Constitution Avenue.

There's talk of expansion to other cities, but caution that DC may be unique

The whole bike thing is a part of DCSnacks' homey, friendly neighborhood appeal. "It's perfectly Washington," Mandell says -- if you define Washington as within a mile of the White House. Adams Morgan is still a little far for the riders, as is Howard University. Never mind the rest of the city -- at least for