Snowmaggedon After-Action Report

Now that the snow has melted (Ok, not everywhere), it is time to review what actions can be taken to make the next storm recovery better. Next time, I think cyclists would benefit from better planning, better communication and better coordination.

1. Have a plan - I'm not sure anyone really does. Once it was obvious that the bicycle transportation network was seriously compromised, some agencies, like Arlington County, did a good job of adapting and getting a hold of the resources needed to clear trails. Other agencies, like NVRPA and NPS - GW Parkway, have policies that they followed and perhaps that's good enough, but for those with a snow plan there should be some consideration of key bike/ped elements of the transportation network. DC's snow plan for snow up to 18 inches, we learn, is

Major roads should be cleared to bare pavement within 36 hours and residential streets within 60 hours.

OK, all we need to do is add "and major trails within 72 hours" or something. I might move the key trail connections into that 60 hour deadline, but I think it should really depend on a "users per day" metric.

The first step is to identify and prioritize what makes up the "key pieces". Here's my guess at identifying and ranking them:

1) MVT from the Crystal City Tunnel to the 14th Street bridge and across it
2) The Wilson Bridge ATL to National Harbor
3) S Capitol Street Bridge ATL
4) The Washington Boulevard Trail from S. Joyce to Memorial Bridge and across it.
5) The Oxon Cove Trail into DC
6) The 11th Street Bridge ATL
7) From the Roslyn end of the MVT to the TR Bridge and across it
8) The Four Mile Run Trail from Shirlington to Glebe

And then you can focus on the entirety of the major bike commuter paths of Custis, CCT, MVT, W&OD, Four Mile Run, etc.. as well as other bike/ped overpasses (like the Shirlington overpass). Getting cyclists back on their bikes, will also help get them out of their cars.  And cyclists will bike in the snow despite what some people think ("Bikes [in the snow]? Get serious." Yes, it's just crazy).

Some organizations need to rethink their policies. Not to pick on them, but I have an email with NPS - GW Parkway's policy

By way of background, [the trail] was built as a multi-use trail which included winter use such as cross country skiing. The bridges are all wood construction, only shovels and snow blowers can be used. Unfortunately, our trail crew is now down to one person (we had five at one time). Our lawyers have advised us that if we begin to treat the trail in any location, we will have to treat the entire trail on a daily basis. Clearly, we don't have the workforce to support that kind of effort.

That's a lot of reasons. (1) We leave the snow for XC skiing (2) The bridges can't handle the weight of snow clearing equipment (3) our lawyers said not to if we can't do it regularly (and we don't have the staff for that). More on (3) later, but (1) and (2) are arguments to wait a little or only clear part of the trail, not to clear none of it. A better policy would be "We clear half the trail, but not at bridges where our equipment can't go."

2. Communicate the Plan - I had said that I disagreed with Dr. G about communication being part of the problem, but now I've come around to his thinking. Some of the anxiety and anger comes from the fact that no one knows why trails aren't being cleared or if they're being cleared. Why doesn't NPS put their policy on their website? That would probably cut down on email they have to deal with. And Arlington, which did clear trails, could put up status information. For example:

The Custis Trail is Clear.

The Four Mile Run is scheduled for clearing on 2/27

Again, it removes anxiety and treats cyclists as real customers. It also means that cyclists who might have driven because they were unsure about trail status, will now bike as soon as possible. We can argue about what the plan should be, but it's hard to make the case that the plan should be a secret. There could even be one regional website where all of the policy and status information is kept.

3. Ask for help - Even if they could clear it, NPS argues, they haven't got the manpower to maintain it. OK. Do Arlington, Alexandria and DC have that manpower? Could they all work together to keep the trail clear. Maybe NPS can afford some sort of small plow tool, form a "friends of" group and get them to clear it.

Maybe DDOT can't clear the bridges because it has to be done by hand. Why not organize a volunteer event. Ask for cyclists and joggers to come out and shovel the bridges. See if Starbucks will come through with some coffee and have one or two DDOT employee's there to manage it. NPS could do the same for their wooden bridges. Letting trail users help by asking them to volunteer lets them be a champ. Leaving them to wait for the snow to melt makes them a chump. I'd rather be a champ than a chump. It would give DDOT some cover "we asked for volunteers and no one came" and it would make cyclists look good if they do "we don't pay gas taxes, but I don't remember seeing you digging out the Beltway by hand." Ideally they'd find the resources to do it themselves, but this is not an ideal world. 

DDOT already had their briefing, and PG County is having theirs tomorrow. I don't know if public comments are allowed, but it never hurts to write to County and District council members.

Comments

[Froggie]

Alexandria will be discussing theirs tonight. I plan to be there.

[Wayne Phyillaier]

Your link to the CCT Conditions page is not working, the extension should be .htm, as in http://www.cctrail.org/CCT_Conditions.htm

[Purple Eagle]

No serious athlete calls themself a "jogger" . . "runner" would be the more appropriate term.

[jacquesmock]

Also, nobody should deliberately be placing piles of snow IN bike trails as someone did on the MBT at Ft Totten Dr NE / Brookland Ave NE.
As of 2/28, the trail was completely blocked by at least 2 giant (15 ft?) piles of snow. There's no workaround and no way over/through.

This is beyond not plowing a trail! Somebody is treating this part of the MBT as a snow dumping ground.

[freewheel]

NPS needs better lawyers. Haven't they heard of sovereign immunity?

[John]

Sometimes it isn't about snow removal. I rode the MVT to work today for the first time since January. I was surprised to find a tree across the path near the Slaters Lane apartments. The only other spot where I had to dismount was on the approach to the Case Bridge where some plowed snow obstructed the path.

[TurbineBlade]

I'll second the tree across the MVT as John experienced.

5 minutes with a chainsaw would do it.

[SJE]

I agree with freewheel: if there was not (limited) sovereign immunity, then the county should already be in court for the state of the trails or sidewalks.

[SJE]

As for NPS: even more-so for sovereign immunity. Does NPS get sued whenever there is a bear attack, or someone dies climbing El Capitan?

[washcycle]

Yeah when I rode the MVT on Friday I saw a tree branch down near the Navy and Marine Memorial. I had a picture of it, but I was sick yesterday and just had to call it quits on blogging and get to bed.

[Richard Layman]

I have been thinking about this quite a bit as you can imagine so a couple comments:

1. The parks issue is tough but solvable. The trails that are part of transportation networks, not primarily for recreational use, have to be treated differently in terms of maintenance 365 days/year (ideally).

So require different policies for snow clearance for trails categorized as dual purpose transportational.

In Baltimore County, it means that the NCR trail, in the rural section of the county, will not be categorized for transportational purposes, but a trail connecting the NCR to Towson and then to Jones Falls Trail in Baltimore City would be categorized as transportational, and a maintenance of way plan for all seasons be developed and executed, just as in places like Minneapolis. (Note that such plans should also include provisions for after hours use by commuter bicyclists.)

This might also be a way for local jurisdictions to provide, through MOUs, service on trails like the MVT, which are normally under the NPS.

2. You are letting off easy the city in terms of snow clearance on bridges. Cities like Baltimore and Annapolis also have people, not just equipment, assigned to do snow removal in important places, such as the bridges on Charles Street and St. Paul Street abutting Penn Station

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rllayman/4286827070/in/datetaken/

or major commercial districts:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rllayman/4330115008/in/datetaken/

or bus shelters.

DC should do the same.

[Washcycle]

You're right. DC should do the same. But if they aren't going to, they could at least ask for help. I guess that's my thinking.

[Purple Eagle]

The snow blockage that jacquesmock describes is actually on Bates St where it intersects Ft. Totten Drive, I think. This short street serves a connector from the official (on-street) MBT route along McCormick (between Catholic U and the RR tracks) and the interim route around Ft. Totten. Bates is gated at Ft. Totten, and maintenance workers have piled snow behind the gate, completely blocking access to the street. You can get around this section by taking Taylor St. to Hawaii to Ft. Totten Dr.

[Michael H.]

Oddly enough, I just received a reply from the NPS Park Superintendent re snow removal on the MVT (after almost all of the snow has now melted). I think it's a form email because it mentions many of the points that others have noted (the wood bridges, cross-country skiing, the claim that the lawyers recommended not clearing any of the trail if NPS could not clear the trail every day, lack of resources).

She mentions a request for additional resources for snow removal but all of the snow is already gone (except maybe on the wooden bridge near Roosevelt Island). Well, at least they replied.

I'm not upset about the email. The problem lies at higher levels of government and budgetary decisions. I'm just happy that I can bike and run outside again on the trails and roads. And I'm really pleased that we'll have highs in the upper 50s and maybe even 60 this Sunday for the Vasa Ride. Nice!

[Michael H.]

As for the explanation about the lawyers' advice, I can see the reasoning behind it, even if NPS may be misconstruing it. I think the idea is that if NPS clears part of the trail one day, they are tacitly announcing that the trail will now be safe for cycling and running. Then if a cyclist or runner slips and falls on an uncleared patch, that person might raise a big fuss.

Even so, it's a stretch to say that plowing the trail means that the NPS is guaranteeing safe trails the entire winter. I think all they need to do is post a sign that announces that trail conditions may be unsafe because of weather conditions, including snow, ice, sleet and flooding. The NPS can add that they will make an effort to clear obstacles to the extent that resources allow, but that they cannot guarantee completely clear trails in all conditions. I would think that type of sign would be sufficient to cover their butts.

(Even if NPS can't be sued, individuals could lose their jobs if a Congressman or executive branch official thought an employee was negligent in their handling of trail conditions. So it's no so much a matter of avoiding lawsuits as it is a matter of not becoming a political scapegoat and getting fired.)

[Froggie]

After last night's Alexandria meeting, I'll be writing up a blog post, especially since a good chunk of the meeting involved discussing snow removal. But a quick takeaway in Alexandria's case is two things: having realistic expectations, and doing more to enforce sidewalk clearing ordinances.

[washcycle]

Mrs. Washcycle has done some slip and fall defense work in VA and when I told her what the NPS letter said, her response was a somewhat lukewarm "I guess that makes sense." Not a slam dunk, but not ridiculous either.