TheWashCycle

We've Already Impressed George Will

I was certain that local pundit George Will has looked up from his Baseball almanac (while being chauffeured to the Newseum) long enough to see a few of DC's many cyclists. It seems not

Riding the aforementioned wave to Portland, which liberals hope is a harbinger of America's future, has long been their aerobic activity of choice.
Where to start? Does LaHood really think Americans were not avid drivers before a government highway program "promoted" driving? Does he think 0.01 percent of Americans will ever regularly bike to work?

Matthew Yglesias astutely points out.

Will claims to find it unbelievable that as many as 0.01 percent of Americans would ever bike to work regularly. But rather than tossing off ridicule, he might have looked up the Census Bureau’s statistics on commuting patterns and seen that right now 0.4 percent of commuters normally get to work on bicycles. Now that’s a small percentage. But it’s forty times larger than a percentage that Will deems unrealistically utopian. This would be like saying Dwight Howard is 2 feet tall.

Update: Here's the original story that probably started this all.

This will let residents of cities like New York or Chicago "simply walk out of their door and not have to get into an automobile," but instead ride bikes, light rail, or buses, the transportation secretary explained.

Small Victories

The promised bike parking at the Capitol Visitor's Center has been installed.

"As steward of the Capitol complex, we work to accommodate everyone, and to make their visitor experience at the U.S. Capitol a very enjoyable one.  That includes providing appropriate racks for those who prefer to ride their bikes when visiting the Capitol," said Stephen Ayers, the acting architect of the Capitol.

Prepare to dislike Ryan Sager in 3-2-1

Ryan Sager with True/Slant wrote an especially classy opinion piece and posted it today - the day of the World Ride of Silence - entitled "Death to Cyclists." This was in response to a New York Post story on a study that shockingly discovered that cyclists break the law.

At least 37 percent of riders blew right past red lights, while 13.2 percent bucked traffic and 8.3 percent were yapping on a phone or jamming to an iPod, the study says.

Also, a careless 29.3 percent of the bikers in the study didn't even use a nearby bike lane, and 75 percent of all bikers didn't use headlights or taillights during evening hours -- a clear violation of state law, the study found.

You have to love the Post and their willingness to use inflammatory language like "yapping" and "careless." I'm not going to deny that this represents some bad behavior, but some of it isn't illegal or even wrong.

For example, while cyclists in NYC are required to use a bike lane when one is present, there are a number of exceptions such as "for access, safety, turns, etc." Which sounds like it isn't really required at all.

"Yapping on a phone" isn't illegal, though I don't recommend it. Nor is listening to an ipod if you only have one earbud in. And there would be less wrong way biking if there were fewer one-way streets.

But yes, cyclists do break the law and, though I wish otherwise, ride unsafely. It would have been interesting if they had compared the illegal behavior of cyclists to that of drivers, but that opportunity was missed. Transportation Alternatives criticized the report

But cycling advocates dismiss the study's findings, pointing out "several major flaws" that cause it to "border on irrelevance."

"They virtually excluded most of the bike lanes in the network. The 640-block area of Midtown has only six bike lanes," said Wiley Norvell of Transportation Alternatives.

Also, he said, the researchers -- many of them students -- weren't able to determine between a commercial or everyday rider

I'll agree that cyclists should "receive instruction on the rules of the road" preferably in school and at an early age. And I think taking a cycling class is always a good idea (I'd love to see cyclists and drivers who are ticketed be allowed to get out of it by taking a confident city cycling course). Here are the other recommendations:

The report's authors are calling for increased police enforcement of bike rules, and are also asking that people who bike for commercial purposes, such as messengers, get registered and have license plates.

Still none of this quite rises to the level of "Death to Cyclists." And what are Ryan's complaints? When he's on the Brooklyn Bridge and he steps off the pedestrian walkway onto the bikeway, cyclists ring their bell or swear at him.

And on top of that rudeness,

In Connecticut, bikers take leisurely rides down the tiny, twisty back country roads — which are usually too dangerous to pass them on. And it’s really a problem to have to drive 15 miles per hour behind some asshole biker when you’re trying to get to school or the store.

Nuclear proliferation is a real problem. The global AIDS pandemic is a real problem. What Ryan has is a minor inconvenience. He later states

From hundreds of Internet comments threads, it seems clear that bicyclists really believe they’re morally superior to people who can’t or don’t want to commute by bike.

But he doesn't quote one.

He does later back off his previous title with another post entitled "Bicyclists, Please don't die."

Dear bicyclists: I do not literally wish you dead.

Now, as I tried to acknowledge tongue-in-cheek in the first post, most of my hostility toward bicyclists comes from the fact that I’m not one.

I’m not sure I have any overarching answers here. I think the first principle, where possible, must simply be separation. In the Brooklyn Bridge situation, there’s a simple solution: pedestrians on the Brooklyn Bridge, bikes on the Manhattan Bridge (or, in traffic on either bridge, if bikers want).

As for sharing city streets, I don’t have any easy answers. I don’t think bike lanes work very well, especially when bicyclists just ignore the rules of the road. If we’re going to carve out lanes for you, you have to stop at red lights.

I don't think taking a bridge away from each user is a good choice. And I don't see the quid pro quo for bikes lanes and red light respect. Cyclists should be given bike lanes. And cyclists should not blow through red lights. The two are not related.

Update: Don't look for these articles. Ryan Sager gets paid each time you click on the article.

More on Bike to Work Day 2009

Here's something from the Wall Street Journal's blog

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu puts his policies where his pedals are: saving greenhouse gasses on his top-of-the-line Italian bicycle.

The Nobel-winning physicist rides a $5,000 Colnago C40, a first-generation carbon-fiber bike tested at Ferrari’s labs and ridden by the sport’s top athletes.

“It’s my only extravagance,” Chu said Friday after biking from his home in Chevy Chase, Md., the wealthy enclave of D.C. policymakers and lobbyists.

The secretary rode about 10 miles to Freedom Plaza, a few blocks from the Department of Energy’s national headquarters, to attend as a special guest for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association’s annual Bike to Work Day.

It’s only the second work commute for the secretary since the Secret Service apparently doesn’t like him on the capital’s roads. But last weekend he clocked 47 miles on the Colnago.

Why the long ride? “I took a wrong turn,” said Chu. Not the California slopes he’s accustomed to, the secretary says he keeps getting lost in the Potomac hills near his home.

Already a rock star in the science world, Chu quickly gained celebrity status within the sweaty ranks of D.C. cyclists.

“It not only saves gasoline, it really gets you in great shape,” Chu told the gathered crowd.

Later, he was invited to join the “Potomac Peddlers Touring Club” and other local freewheeling enthusiasts. Chu said he’d advocate for bike lanes in the District of Columbia.

And from the Examiner

Nationals Stadium. WABA, with the help of the Nationals, held its first ever "pitstop" there. When I was there (around 7:00 am), attendance seemed pretty dismal. On the upside, that meant I got a free t-shirt without signing up, and my odds of winning the raffle prizes skyrocketed (Lucky me, I went home with two water bottles, some socks, and a seat bag).  

The Undersecretary at the Department of Transportation, DC's City Administrator, and a few others whose names I didn't catch gave mini-pep talks to the ten or fifteen cyclists who were standing around. Overall, though, I'd say the highlight of the Nationals event was seeing the mascots tooling around with bikes.  But, hey, I'll give the organizers some slack. It was the first year, and the free muffins were excellent. 

And a pre-BTWD interview with Eric Gilliland.

And more from MetBlogs DC

And an article about mycommutesucks.org

Bicyclists write about avoiding swerving cars and drivers’ curses. Those behind the wheel bemoan the lack of a timely bus alternative. And some wonder why their trips keep getting longer.

The site, which started Friday in conjunction with national Bike to Work Day, is meant to be an outlet for people to vent, according to its organizers, but also to “redirect rage.”

» “It’s bike to work day! Too bad it is raining and I have a 35 mi commute on highways.”

» “My commute isn’t bad, it’s 6 miles round trip on my bicycle. I live and work in DC, and most days I take 16th. The sucky part about it is that DC does rush hour lanes on 16th and Connecticut, my two main options, and the cars are thick, angry, and aggressive. Some days it is pretty sketchy … We need better infrastructure for those of us that choose not to drive. Cars got all the space that was available to ‘alleviate congestion’ and guess what, it’s still congested and sucks for everyone.”

And

Ride of Silence Reminder

What: The Ride Of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride. There is no brochure, no sponsors and no registration fees. The ride, which is held during Bike Safety month, aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for those who have been killed or injured.

Where: Starting at the Jefferson Memorial (not Lincoln) parking lot

When: 7pm Tonight, May 20th

What to bring: Please be sure to wear a helmet. If possible bring a black armband for those injured, and if you have been injured while cycling, please wear a red armband instead. As we will be riding at dusk, you should also bring reflective clothing and lights for your bike. A cue sheet can be printed out here.

More information: At the facebook page

Seven Corners Pedestrian (and Bike) Overpass opens today

It seems like everything is coming online this month and to that list we can add the Seven Corners Bike/ped overpass which will have a ribbon cutting today.

Actually no one is calling it a bike bridge, but it could help cyclists too. Especially if the bike lanes on McKinley and Patrick Henry were extended south and the Route 50 bike path were extended west. Are there any cyclists who plan to use this?

(Update: After I wrote this, I saw it cross-posted on GGW where there are more comments)

Met Branch Trail Milestone Ceremony

Though crews are already working to clear and prepare the Metropolitan Branch Trail right of way for paving, DDOT is planning a formal groundbreaking for May 28th at 10am Milestone Ceremony for June 2nd at 10:30am at 700 Rhode Island Avenue NE.

Also, two new murals have been painted under the Franklin Street NE overpass along the trail and more murals will be painted as work continues

Finally, I hate to bring up a bummer, but eckington... brings us the unfortunate news that the Harry Thomas Way Q Street connector of the Met Branch Trail has been dropped will not be included in this construction segment due to problems in the real estate market.

Details on Metro Bike Parking Expansion

Metro has the details on their bike parking expansion.

Between 2002 and 2007, the number of cyclists biking to a rail station during the morning rush hours increased 60 percent to 1,550.

To help meet the demand, Metro has begun replacing 350 old bicycle racks and installing an additional 300 new racks at Metrorail stations throughout the system — a 20 percent increase in the number of bicycle racks that were at stations last year.

Metro currently has about 1,600 bicycle racks and an additional 1,300 lockers spread throughout the rail system at 86 Metrorail stations. Racks are available for free on a first-come, first-use basis. Lockers, which provide added protection from theft, vandalism and inclement weather, may be rented for $70 annually, plus a $10 key deposit.

“We’re increasing storage for bicycles at Metrorail stations because space is limited on trains during weekday rush hours,” said Bottigheimer. “We hope cyclists will take advantage of the new racks and continue to bike to Metro as we look at ways to make the system even more accessible.”

Metro planners are expected to begin a bicycle and pedestrian study this year. The study will evaluate existing and projected bicycle and pedestrian demand and access to stations, and propose facilities to improve bicycle storage, such as key swipe-card entry bicycle cages in parking lots and double-deck parking for bicycles.

Metro has proposed $45 million in bicycle and pedestrian improvements between 2011 and 2020 as part of its capital needs inventory, with investments focused on maintaining existing bicycle facilities, increasing bicycle parking capacity and improving connections to stations from local communities.

Many of Metro’s regional partners also are working to improve bicycle access to Metrorail stations. In the District of Columbia, the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (BID) is installing a new, artistic bicycle rack that spells out the words “bike here” at the 19th Street, NW, entrance of Dupont Circle Metrorail station. The rack can accommodate more than 10 locked bicycles and will be in addition to 330 standard bicycle racks the BID has already installed in the central business district.

In Montgomery County, a new path will be built to improve bicycle and pedestrian access to the Shady Grove Metrorail station.

In Fairfax County, on-road bike lanes will be added to Gallows Road to enhance access to the Dunn Loring Metrorail station. Arlington County is planning a bicycle sharing program similar to the District of Columbia’s program that will improve bicycle access to many of the Metrorail stations in the county.

The City of Alexandria is in the process of widening Eisenhower Avenue between Holland Lane and Stovall Street to improve pedestrian and bicycle access to Eisenhower Ave Metrorail station. In addition, a new shared-use path will open in 2010 and connect Fairfax County near the Huntington Metrorail station to Eisenhower Avenue.

"Tuxedo Trail" work to begin soon

The National Park Service will begin work on the section of the Rock Creek Parkway trail between the Georgetown Waterfront and the Kennedy Center, nicknamed the "Tuxedo Trail", this month.

The multi-use trail will be closed for approximately 4 weeks for reconstruction beginning on Monday, May 18, 2009. 

The work to be done includes removing the existing asphalt on the multipurpose trail and replacing it with new asphalt, constructing a new promenade with bench seating, installing new lighting and a bike rack, installing new trash receptacles and new trees will be planted.  The project also includes resurfacing the bridge deck and replacing the handrails on the Thompson’s Boat Center Bridge. The planned final completion date for all work is July 1, 2009.

Detour signs directing Trail users will be in place prior to work beginning.  No impacts to motor vehicle traffic are anticipated.

Inclement weather may require adjustments to the schedule.  The NPS will continue to inform the public and the media of any adjustments in the work schedule.  Every effort is being made to minimize traffic delays and accomplish the work in a timely manner.

Photo by M.V. Jantzen

Bike Transit Station still opening late

I already mentioned that the bike station wouldn't open until the end of summer, and now the Examiner is covering the same territory.

The District had once hoped to open the center alongside Union Station by 2006. Then it was slated to open in 2008. The last timetable called for March, but now officials say the opening has been waylaid until July.

“It’s a delay related to the construction,” District Department of Transportation spokesman John Lisle said of the latest postponement. “It is not unusual for such projects.”