Public Meeting on Crescent Trail Safety Plan Tonight

The Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail will be holding a public meeting tonight, July 14th to discuss the recently adopted safety plan for the trail.  Contrary to what was said in previous emails on this subject, the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission has NOT called for a public meeting on the safety plan.  MNCPPC staff will, however, be in attendance to answer questions.  WABA is still urging all cyclists to attend to let their concerns be known.  The meeting will take place from 7-9pm at the Bethesda Library at 7400 Arlington Road.  We need your help to encourage MNCPPC to develop a true safety plan that addresses all users.

WABA would like to thank everyone who wrote in in support of a better safety plan for the trail.  Your letters of concern are helping turn the tide.  For more information visit www.waba.org/takeaction/CCT.php.

Update: Here's an article on WTOP about this with some actual facts

police are concerned about safety after 20 reported incidents since 2005.   

Incidents along Capital Crescent Trail include a collision between a cyclist that put a jogger in the hospital with a concussion, and a fight between bikers -- two grown men in their 40s -- who decided to punch each other on the trail.

At a July 14 meeting of the Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail, the newly posted 15 mile-per-hour speed limit for bikes will be discussed along with other safety features along the trail, like rumble strips on the approach to intersections.

Some cyclists are grumbling. Some complain that 15 miles an hour is too slow, and that bikers alone are not to blame for some of the problems.

Richard Layman on separating users.

The problem is that bicyclists and walkers are on the same trail when they should be separated during peak use periods... probably.

Comments

[Brendan]

I'm an Arlington peddler, so almost never get to the CC. But seeing that photo, I would so cross the yellow line to avoid the rumble strips. That's the dumbest, fence-straddling engineering design I've seen in a long time. Either no rumble strips or rumble strip the whole width. Don't encourage me to jam into opposing traffic.

[Nancy]

Brendan, soon after the rumble strips were installed half-assedly as in the photo, they changed them to cover the whole width of the trail. Still, rumble strips are NEVER recommended for bike facilities. I guess the MNCPPC doesn't really want cyclists to use the "bike path."