Friday Morning Commute - Juno

Check out the Juno launch today at 11:34am

• The Office of Planning recently presented draft recommendations to rebuild Maryland avenue from 4th Street to 12th Street, SW. This includes decking over the railroad tracks from 7th to 12th. Though the extended road for Maryland Ave doesn't appear to have any bike facilities, it does appear to have a lot of cyclists on it.
• ANC 5C postponed its R Street bike lane vote until DDOT has time to meet with neighborhood groups.
• The base commander for JBAB commutes to work by bike and he would like to start a bike fleet for on-base transportation (though funding restrictions make it difficult). That only makes it more confusing as to why they don't reopen the base to bike commuters who wish to pass through or allow the public to access the waterfront trail much as they do at the Navy Yard.
• Arlington's CaBi expansion is slipping back in the calendar a little bit "This appears to be primarily a function of release dates for grant funds and the order process. The manufacturer of CaBi bikes doesn't keep any inventory, so there's a significant lag time between order placement and actual delivery. "
• MDOT and SHA expect to draft guidelines for "Bicycles May Use Full Lane" signs and ask for input from cycling activists, residents and others by the end of this fall.
• Germantown bike thieves caught on tape. Now, they need to be caught for real.

Comments

[5555624]

If they allow JBAB access for commuters "much as they do at the Navy Yard," will it only be limited hours? Will you be able to ride your bike?

Initially the Washington Navy Yard (WNY) Riverwalk
trail was only open 8:00 a.m. (or was it 9:00 a.m.) to 5:00 p.m. Now, although it is open to DoD ID cardholders from 5:30 a.m. to sunset, if you don't have a DoD ID, you have to go through the Visitors Center, so access is restricted to 6:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

How many people without an ID could use that for both commutes? More now that they can get to it at 6:00 a.m., but it's then limited in the evening.

At least it's no open daily, as opposed to the original weekdays only.

Even with the access, since you're not supposed to ride a bike on the WNY Riverwalk. (I would think it's easier to pop over to M Street SE and bypass the Navy Yard.) If you can't ride it on JBAB, is the access worth it?

[charlie]

I'm not surprised about the delays in Arlington. I said this after their meeting -- it takes four months for BIXI to produce a bike and station.

it looks like ARlington is using decal fee money for this, that might come until October, which means well into 2012 before we see stations.

throw into that the Arlington way of mysteriously slowing every new business down. The spot on Courthouse where the proposed Courthouse station has had zero work on it, and if we get it by the fall it will be lucky.

[washcycle]

@555624, I may have confused you.

There are two separate issues. Issue one is bike commuters who used to be able to pass through the base. This is especially useful for people heading north. They can use Duncan/Brooklyn to get between Overlook and the Bridge. Even going south it makes for a far safer trip. Navy Yard doesn't do this, but Ft. Myer does.

The other issue is the waterfront trail. Which could be opened to the public for limited hours like the Navy Yard Promenade.

[5555624]

@washcycle

Ah. It's apples and oranges, then. Fort Myer is Army. JBAB and NSA Washington (the Navy Yard) are both administered by the Navy (CNIC), so they're going to be different. They might someday open the waterfront trail, but not the streets.

If they use the WNY Riverwalk model and say no cycling, would people really want to walk the length of the trail along the river?

[Michael H.]

I hope the rat problem is better on those railroad tracks along Maryland Ave. now. I haven't been there in a while. But I remember how disgusting it was when the FCC Building was just finished. The circle at Maryland and 13th St. SW overlooks the tracks. Quite a mess down there. Rat Central.

[washcycle]

5555624, I'm not sure why Army, Navy, etc... would matter. I think each base can have it's own policy. As mentioned in the link, the base was closed to bike commuters in 1999 because a new commander didn't like it. It wasn't even in response to anything. It will become somewhat moot if/when the South Capital Street trail is opened.