Tuesday Morning Ride - Still on vacation

Getting this done in a hurry.

• At right is a photo of an inverted U bike rack that was merely bolted to the ground, making it easy for theives. Speaking of which, a bike thief was arrested in Takoma Park - From a press release"On July 18, 2011, at  approximately 3:40 a.m., Takoma Park Police were on patrol in the 200 block of Hodges Lane, Takoma Park, Maryland, when an officer observed four young males on bicycles. One of the subjects was riding one bicycle while pushing a second one. An attempt to stop was made of the group, and all but one fled into the District of Columbia. The remaining subject attempted to drop the second bike and flee without success. Investigation revealed the bicycle that the subject was riding was stolen, as was the second bicycle he was pushing.
  A back pack also in the subject’s possession, which contained a pair of bolt cutters. A request was made of the subject to show the officer where the bicycles were taken from and the officer and subject went to that residence. It was confirmed that the bicycles had been stolen and the bicycles were returned to the owner. The Metropolitan Police Department was notified and given a look-out of the outstanding subjects as Takoma Park Police continued to canvass the area. The subject in custody was able to provide identification of the fleeing subjects he had been with; they were all juveniles and residents of the District of Columbia."
• Spokes Magazine has an article on CaBi on the National Mall "Although a Bikeshare station would be convenient, it would destroy the nature of what makes the National Mall an American institution in the first place, [NPS Spokesman Bill Line] said. 'The National Park Service is an organization that strongly encourages (the) use of mass transit, but Capital Bikeshare wants to place a structure on the National Mall, which (the park service) does not allow under current regulations,' Line said." Articles starts on page 23.
• "The head of the conservative gay Republican group GOProud was attacked on a secluded street behind Union Station while riding home from work on his bicycle on July 15"
• 143,511 CaBi rides for June, up from 133934 for May.
• More from a witness to the pedicab tasing

Clark says Guillon began to reach for his glasses in his shirt's breast pocket, when the officer un-holstered his Taser, pressed it against Guillon's ribcage, and fired.

"The pedicab driver dropped to the ground, was writhing and screaming in pain and agony," Clark says. "And the police officer shot him with the Taser one more time."

• Cyclist is ticketed for a rolling stop at 14th and U. Massive comment war ensues.

Comments

[Jordan]

It seems to me that we could replace three or four on-street parking spaces around the mall with CaBi stations. Surely parking isn't historically significant.

[think a little]

"they were all juveniles and residents of the District of Columbia"

Read....nothing will ever be done to them

[Bilsko]

14th & U isn't the only place that DCPD is increasing ticketing.

I just rode (8:30AM) by a group of 3 or 4 riders getting ticketed down on K & 30th this morning (inbound, on the river side).

[Michael H.]

Cycling, commerce and low-cost clean transportation would destroy the nature of what makes the National Mall an American institution? Really? I would think that CaBi would enhance the quality of the Mall. Fewer cars on the Mall. More convenience for visitors who want to travel the length of the Mall, from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. Not an easy walk for some people.

There are already many cyclists on the Mall, on the designated bike paths. Is the NPS spokesman really claiming that the Mall should be pristine and free of people? Or just free of people who didn't arrive via Tourmobile?

Even if NPS doesn't change their policy, CaBi could still work around the ban. The Smithsonian CaBi station is close to the Mall. There are many other locations a block away from the Mall that could be used for CaBi expansion. Put some CaBi stations directly across the street from NPS areas. I'd like to see that. NPS can't prohibit that.

[Jacques]

@Michael H:

CaBi already has a number of stations around the perimeter of the Mall (10th/Constitution, 19th/Constitution, 12th/Independence, the Kennedy Center, and the Maine Avenue waterfront). The challenge is that there's no non Park Service controlled land in between the massive triangle of Lincoln, Washington, and the Tidal Basin, not to mention the rest of Potomac Park. So even with periphery stations, there's a lot that's inaccessible.

[dynaryder]

Re Nat Mall:plenty of places you could put a CaBi station without ruining it. How about outside one of the Smithsonians,or next to a snack pavillion?

Re attack:just because they called him f***** doesn't mean they knew he was gay. Every male cyclist I know in DC has been called this at least once.

Re PoP:WTF is up with this site? I hand out there quite a bit,and every time there's any kind of posting about bikes it turns into a flame war about how we're all scofflaws and full of attitude.

[oboe]

Cycling, commerce and low-cost clean transportation would destroy the nature of what makes the National Mall an American institution?

Listen, I like bikes as much as the next guy, but I don't want this pristine view spoiled by a CaBi station or anything else:

[Angry Parakeet]

A great place for a CaBi station would be the unused plaza of the HHS building across from the Botanical Gardens.

[dayglo]

dynaryder:

Why attack him then? It didn't appear to be a robbery or anything else, just an attack.

[DaveS]

@Oboe - innit beautiful how the tree branches dapple light so playfully on the bus windows?

[dynaryder]

@dayglo: because. That's why. That's all the reason they need. The kid that initiated it prolly wanted some street cred,or maybe they were just that bored. It happens all the time in Admo and Chinatown.

[antibozo]

oboe, well said. Every time I cycle past the George Mason Memorial I'm assaulted by the bus exhaust fumes and cigarette smoke of the bus drivers. Meanwhile, there's a refreshment stand right there on Park Service property doing, er, commercial business, collecting, uh, cold hard cash.

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=38.87988,-77.037479&spn=0.000912,0.001155&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=38.879879,-77.037318&panoid=-inFg8WeYk6oebAAV7BBvg&cbp=12,23.13,,0,24.04

[dyanryder]

Dag,no edit function. I was also going to add that the reason they left the victim alone was because when he reached for his phone they thought he might have a gun. So maybe they were going to rob him as well.

[Michael H.]

Those bursts of combustion engine exhaust from the tour buses add a nice aroma to the midsummer DC air.

Re CaBi, they could add a station at 15th St. SW and Maine Ave., in front of the Engraving and Printing Bureau. The sidewalk is wide and the tree cover isn't too bad. Should be enough space for sunlight. That would put riders within a short walk of the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument and the Holocaust Museum. The east side of the intersection is not NPS territory.

I added this location to the crowdsourcing map a few weeks ago. I hope someone at CaBi thinks it's a good idea too.