TheWashCycle

Guided Bike Ride

This Saturday, Sept 2, about three hours, led by a National Park Service ranger, with stops to view and discuss landmarks. Bring a bike and water. Helmet required. 1 p.m., meet at the base of the steps of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Tidal Basin just off Maine and Independence avenues SW. Free. 202-619-7222.

Green Arlington Parks

This is a good article, though hardly bike related. I only mention it for this part...

At some parks, workers started mowing the grass less often and tried "to create a new aesthetic, one that doesn't require the same amount of maintenance," Gilbert said.

I've often felt that we overmow our parks and this has the impact of making trails that pass through them less shaded (since only the planted trees grow). Sometimes, like with PG County's Anacostia Trail, this is because the Army Corps of Engineers sees trees as an impediment to water flow in flooding (a policy they should rethink - at least to allow a line of trees along the trail). Other times, like the W&OD, it has to do with powerlines (but according to the Post, the W&OD is a death trap anyway, so who cares ;)) But I think there are a few places where a more au natural approach is better - places along the Mt. Vernon and Bluemont Junction come to mind.

Robberies on the B&A Trail

This is a disturbing article about a large number of robberies on the B&A Trail (which otherwise is a great trail to ride).

Since June 20, there have been seven robberies - four involving weapons - on the B&A Trail.

The most recent robberies occurred on three consecutive nights in early August, in the same vicinity, with similar suspect descriptions.
"It is unusual for incidents of this type to occur on our trails and it is a shock to realize that crime can occur even in our own backyards," county officials wrote.

The statement said the B&A Trail has similar public safety incidents as other trails in the country, and that while they are not magnets for crime, they are not immune from it either.

County officials said the trail system is as safe as the Department of Recreation and Parks can make it. Park rangers and TrailBlazer volunteers said they conduct daily patrols and safety inspections to ensure a safe environment.

Volksmarch!!!*

From the Friends of the W&OD Trail site

Pre-Register for the NVV/Friends Volksmarch!!! September 16-17, 2006 - Vienna, Virginia
The Northern Virginia Volksmarchers and the Friends of the W&OD Trail are teaming up for a volksmarch on September 16-17, 2006, starting and finishing at the Vienna Community Center. You can participate either day (or both days) and you can start at your leisure between 9 am and 1 pm. You must complete your trail and return to the finish by 4 pm. Several trail options are available. You may walk or run a 10-kilometer/6.2 mile trail (with shorter 5-kilometer/3.1 mile option) or you may bike a 25-kilometer/15.5 mile trail. You may also rollerblade.

Please bring water with you. Restrooms and vending machines are available at the start and in certain places along the trails. There are some excellent coffee shops and restaurants in the vicinity of the Vienna Community Center.
You may participate in this event for free, but EVERYONE who participates must sign in at the start. If you want to purchase an event patch, then you probably do want to pre-register. See the attached brochure for more information about the event and how to pre-register.
We hope you will take this fun and healthy opportunity to enjoy the trail and to learn more about the W&OD trail and about volksmarching, NVV, the Friends of the W&OD, and the W&OD Trail Patrol! We look forward to seeing you in Vienna!
To retrieve the brochure for the event, right-click here for the PDF version or here for the MS Word version.

*when I wrote for the school paper in college, our editor once said we should use exclamation points as though we only get three for our whole life. I just used mine.

Velocipede in Baltimore

This is a facility not too unlike ones in the DC area

Right now, the shop has its doors open to the public on Wednesday, and Thursday nights from 6 to 10 when anyone seeking a fix can ride — or roll — in their two-wheelers. Would-be bicyclists also can pick out a used bike on-hand and learn how to love and care for it.

“I just moved to Baltimore from Boston, and I usually rely on a bicycle to ride to work,” said Dylan Hay, 23. He carried in his dad’s old Schwinn and arrived with Miranda Bushey, also looking for a bike for her commute.

“Bikes Not Bombs in Boston is just like this,” Bushey said. “They have programs after-school for girls and Big Brother programs, and it works really great together.”

$%#@ Cyclists

Recently there was a discussion on this blog about "why so many bikers are so bad about basic traffic safety". In addition, I've seen some recent letters to the papers complaining about cyclist running stop signs, passing on the sidewalk without giving warning, not registering their bikes and (oddly) not pulling over when they're holding up traffic. Some excerpts below:

Based on my observations at the stop signs I encounter on my walk to the Union Station metro station, virtually all of them blow through the stop signs, endangering pedestrians all the time. All I can say is, if you, Mr./Ms. Bicycle Rider, show me a complete lack of respect and courtesy when I am walking, I will return the favor when I am in my car.

Another:

On many occasions, a bicyclist has silently come up behind me on the sidewalk, startling me and once almost running over my dog. The biker never acknowledged his presence by saying “on your left” or ringing a bike bell.

I have discovered that there are no clear regulations for riding bicycles on city sidewalks. One police precinct says it is permissible; another says no, a bike is treated the same as a motor vehicle and is not allowed on the sidewalk. Further, bikes do not have to be registered in D.C. but if they are, they are required to carry a light and a horn.

I recommend legislation allowing bikes to be ridden on city sidewalks, but all should be registered and equipped with a horn and front and back lights. Hopefully, they will also be used with a little courtesy.

And a response to the one above:

In Arizona as well as in other states, cyclists riding on the city streets are required to have registered tags for a nominal fee.

They must obey traffic laws, i.e., if there are more than five cars behind them, they must pull over and let them pass.

D.C. should not permit cyclists to ride on the sidewalks since this is a tourist city, but with all the revitalization going on, one would think that bike routes would have been included in the planning. Especially since many cyclists are couriers throughout the city.

Let me clear up (as best I can) some facts here.

1. There actually are clear regulations about biking on the sidewalks. Cyclists cannot ride on the sidewalk in the Central Business District (refer to map) and must yield the right of way to pedestrians when both are on the sidewalk.

2. From DDOT's website..."DC residents are required to register their bicycle(s) with the District government. This will aid in recovering your bike in case of theft." Though this is being changed in light of questionable enforcement of the rule.

3. Bike routes have been established and the District, at least, is doing a good job of putting up signs that tell you where you're going and how far it is (see my banner for example).

Now for my opinions.

1. While cyclists run stop signs with more frequency than drivers do, I doubt that "virtually all of them blow through the stop signs" or we'd have a lot more dead cyclists.

2. I'm not sure about horns on bikes (or bells). Taking your hands off the handlebars to use them might be more dangerous than doing nothing. A good, loud "on your left" should suffice. Though I'd still like a one-syllabal word I could yell. Something in German perhaps?

3. This is the first time I've ever seen Arizona held up as a cycling example.

4. There is no way I'm pulling over because five cars are lined up behind me. How will I know? Am I supposed to turn around and count periodically?

5. Riding on the sidewalks in general is less safe than riding in the streets and should be avoided except in certain situations. For example, little kids riding around their house. Or when climbing a steep hill next to a crowded high-speed road with empty sidewalks. Or when pulling in to stop. But in general yes, off the sidewalks.

6. DC has tourists, but it's not a tourist city. The Mall is a tourist sub-city maybe, but I never see tourists on Bladensburg Road.

It's true that cyclists break the law while cycling. They (myself included) often run red lights and stop signs. They ride on sidewalks when they shoudn't. They occasionally ride the wrong way down one way streets. So if you're a law and order type, I can see why this would bother you. But it's not as though cyclists are alone. Drivers routinely speed, run red lights (The District's red-light cameras have generated more than 500,000 violations and $32 million in fines over the past six years) and stop signs, talk on their cell phone while driving, tailgate, fail to use turn signals and park illegally. Pedestrians jaywalk.

I'm not saying that two wrongs make a right, or advocating anarchy, my point is that I don't understand the anger, bordering on rage, that I seem about this.  I don't think it's envy - as I've heard suggested, I just think that cyclists do it rather brazenly and they get away with it. Some people can't stand to see people get away with something. In History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters an angel tells the main character that everyone gets into Heaven, she thought that would make everyone happy, but that to some people, Heaven just isn't Heaven if others aren't punished.

So then, why do cyclists break the law? Mostly we're talking about running lights and stop signs. And I think they do this for three reasons. They often can do it safely, without getting a ticket and it saves them time (same reasons drivers speed and pedestrians jaywalk). I don't buy anything like this

The cyclist, on the other hand, sees himself as some kind of athletic hipster/environmental messiah: since he isn't burning fossil fuels or producing greenhouse gases (except by exhaling), he figures that he has a free pass. He can break/reinvent the rules of the road.

I found this great paper on the subject. Some items...

The average commuting rider is unlikely to produce more than 100 watts of propulsion power. With only 100 watts’ worth (compared to 100,000 watts generated by a 150-horse-power car engine), bicyclists must husband their power. Accelerating from stops is strenuous, particularly since most cyclists feel a compulsion to regain their former speed quickly. They also have to pedal hard to get the bike moving forward fast enough to avoid falling down while rapidly upshifting to get back up to speed.

These problems are compounded at uphill intersections. Even grades too small to be noticed by car drivers and pedestrians slow cyclists substantially. For example, a rise of just three feet in a hundred will cut the speed of a 150-pound, 100-watt cyclist in half. The extra force required to attain a stable speed quickly on a grade after stopping at a stop sign is particularly grating.

One way cyclists conserve their energy at stop signs is to slow down, but not stop.

A cyclist who rolls through a stop at 5 mph needs 25 percent less energy to get back to 10 mph than does a cyclist who comes to a complete stop. Blasting through a stop sign is a bit dangerous (though less dangerous than it seems because visibility at most intersections is good from a bicycle, and if the cyclist has slowed to some reasonable speed, there’s typically plenty of time to stop.) Of course a sensible cyclist will always slow substantially at a stop sign if there ’s a car anywhere nearby. But the car-bike protocol at stop signs is not clear. Drivers (and bicyclists) are unpredictable. Will drivers take turns with bikes in an orderly way as they do with other cars? Will they start to go, notice the bicyclist, and suddenly stop again to wait, whether the cyclist is stopped or not? Will they roll through the stop without seeing the bicyclist? Will they roll through the stop even though they see the bike? An experienced cyclist knows anything is possible. For example, if she guesses correctly that the car will wait for her, she’ll want to start pedaling again as soon as possible, preferably without having slowed much, thereby conserving energy and inertia. Indeed, traffic flow is improved where cyclists do not come to a complete stop, for drivers need not wait long for the bikes to clear the intersection.

As an admitted stop sign/light runner I have rules that I follow. I never run a light unless 1) it's absolutely safe, and 2) it won't impact anyone else (no car/pedestrian has to wait on me to clear the intersection) - I usually do it at an empty intersection. I think most other runners do the same (Social contract?). This can't really be the great scourge that people make it seem like, I have yet to have heard of an accident in the DC area where a pedestrian was killed by a cyclist. In fact I read somewhere that in New York City there were only 3 such deaths in the 90's (sorry I don't remember where, so take that fact with a grain of salt).

Streets were designed with cars in mind and so cyclists have to fit into those rules. It's not always a comfortable fit. I would prefer to see DC go to a rule allowing cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs as is true in other jurisdictions, rather than aggressively ticket cyclists; just as I'd like to see speed limits rise to the "natural speed" for most roads.

So, I don't think cyclists are "so bad about obeying traffic laws" and certainly no worse than any other party. When they break law, I think it's usually safely, and caused - in part - by laws not designed with them in mind.

Iron Girls

A report on the Columbia "Iron Girls" Triathlon ran in the Examiner yesterday. I still think that I'd like to see a Women's Tour de France. Assuming they can clean up the sport.

Guys weren’t allowed in the competition, but plenty among the 5,000 spectators came pushing strollers and carrying blankets — some even with flowers in hand — to cheer on their wives, daughters and moms.

Margaret Shapiro, 29, of Annandale, Va., won the competition...captured the world amateur triathlon world championship last year, turned pro and took first in the Columbia Triathlon earlier this summer.

Shapiro raced while husband Brendan followed along with their two kids, William, 5, and Molly, 3, both of whom were smiling in the afterglow of mom’s victory.

“They’re just happy because now they get to go the playground,” joked Shapiro.

I too love the playground.

You don't need a car at the University of Hawaii-Manoa

This article at Insidehighered.com talks about how schools can no longer provide enough parking to meet all the demand and are trying to encourage them to get to class by some other method.

At Michigan, officials have also worked with city planners to make sure the campus and the city at large is accessible to students who wish to ride bicycles.

And to bring in the local angle.

At the University of Maryland at College Park, campus officials have found that a new partnership with the car-sharing company Flexcar has helped ease some traffic and transportation complications for both students and staff. The campus is one of several – including the University of Portland, Emory University and three University of California campuses – that are participating in the company’s new “ Flexcar for Undergrads” program. Zipcar, another car-sharing company offers a program that several colleges and universities also use.

St. Elizabeths West Campus Master Plan

If you did the 50 States Ride this weekend you went right past St. Elizabeths West Campus (it was on your right during the first big hill in Anacostia). GSA is preparing a Master Plan for the development of the West Campus as a high security campus for federal agencies.  Now DC needs another high security fortress like it needs more politicians, but I'm not going to comment on how nice it would be to have more streetfront retail or public green space.  Instead I want to look at how the Master Plan includes cycling. The Master Plan isn't done yet, but a lot of information is out about it.

First I found this statement in the introduction

Bicycles will be allowed access to the campus at each of the entrances following screening.

That's good and one map I found showed a special gate for bicycle and pedestrians. I suspect the gates will be for employees only and not for people who want to get through the campus; which isn't a big loss since the facility is bounded by the I-295/Anacostia Freeway/Shepherd Parkway on one side with the Air Force base beyond that, and is not likely to get a lot of through traffic anyway.

There was a transportation presentation put together, but sadly it didn't mention bicycle commuting as part of its plan. There was this in the minutes from the meeting where the presentation took place.

The presentation included a potential new access route to St. Elizabeths that the consultants are studying. The proposed new route connects Firth Sterling Avenue and Malcolm X Avenue. Its course moves through part of the St. Elizabeths campus near Interstate 295 and part of Shepherd Parkway. The necessity of acquiring land for this new access was noted.

David Murphy, National Park Service, indicated that NPS would have very strong environmental and aesthetic concerns with the effect of the proposed new road on Shepherd Parkway. The road would affect the wooded ridge, the topographic bowl, and the shoreline. He pointed out that Shepherd Parkway is listed in the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites.

The first part of this road would follow the old rail spur to St. Elizabeths (photo is of the rail spur circa 1920), and then connect to Malcolm X Avenue. DDOT was considering this rail spur as a possible bike trail giving access to St. Elizabeths (see recommendation 1.9 of the bike plan). I'm not going to argue with David Murphy at NPS, but I will say that if a road is built, it should be safe for cyclists (perhaps with bike lanes) and if a road is deemed to have too large an impact the same corridor might be better suited for a bikeway - which would still serve a real transportation role for the facility (sitting at a very bikeable 1 mile from the Anacostia metro station), if they include adequate shower and bike storage facilities.

Childhood Liberty

There was an article in the Post this weekend about how few parents allow their kids to roam unsupervised. As one who left the house in the morning and often didn't come back until the street lights went on (that was the rule) - I find it all a little weird. That kind of freedom was made possible by my bicycle and my parents willingness to let me ride where I wanted. RPUS has a great post on the subject that refers readers to another article from the Post (back in 2003) and another good one from the WSJ.

The organization surveys 10,000 households annually on biking participation among people ages 7 to 17. It found that about 20.4 million children in the United States rode a bicycle six or more times a year in 1991, and 16.8 million did so last year. Experts blame suburban sprawl, concerns over safety and bike-unfriendly neighborhoods as the reasons behind the decline.