Saturday Morning Ride - Give us any chance, we'll take it

Good morning

• WABA is hiring interns.
• The Mall may become a more friendly place for bikesharing and pedicabs. "the Park Service also is in discussions about whether and how to allow rent-a-bicycle operator Capital Bikeshare to install stations for its bright red bikes on the Mall...Pedicabs, whose operators have complained loudly about being harassed by Park Police when they try to pick up or drop off passengers near the museums, are also being discussed, Line said.
• Speaking of Capital Bikeshare, July numbers are in. Ridership is down a bit from June, but so were bikes available (Not sure why). Membership is up. But even with the 4th of July numbers, July might just have been too hot and the trips per bike per day number dropped for the first time since December 2010. From 5.07 in June to 4.99 in July.
• The Capitol Deal (a groupon competitor) has an urban bike adventure for sale.
• The Georgetown Patch on bike safety. "Nothing is more terrifying for a bicyclist than being trapped in rush hour traffic between a honking taxi and a distracted driver." How about being run over? Isn't that more terrifying? I bounced off the side of a van that turned in front of me. That's was way scarier than the situation they describe. Also, clowns.
• Herndon is considering a two-way “cycle track,” in lieu of on-street bike lanes on Herndon Parkway south of the new Metro Station.

“There are a lot of people who really aren’t comfortable biking in the street,” said Elizabeth Gilleran, director of Community Development. “Having the separate cycle track actually affords that sense of comfort,” she said, encouraging more people to travel by bike.

The north side of Herndon Parkway is not expected to redevelop for decades, so the town is not counting on many pedestrian or bicycle improvements there on that side of the road.

Even the revamping of the south side is a longer-term proposition. In the near term, when the new Metro service begins, cyclists and pedestrians will likely use existing sidewalks and trails, like the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, to access the rail station, Robertson said.

• The Southern Maryland Century is scheduled for September 11, 2011
• The TIDE light rail opened in Virginia Beach. Even though it was packed, bikes were still allowed.
• Milwaukee's Underwear Bike Ride. Yes, that is actual thing.

Comments

[Michael H.]

Yeah, CaBi on the Mall in 2012! About time!

I don't really care if TourMobile hangs around, but I do care if they continue to get a government-funded monopoly on public land. Let CaBi, Circulator and pedicabs on the Mall. It really isn't that difficult to accommodate the aesthetic concerns of the National Mall with CaBi stations.

If TourMobile disappeared completely and was replaced by a different non-monopoly company or companies, I wouldn't shed a tear.

[Greenbelt]

I've been trying to get a two-way cycletrack considered near the Greenbelt metro. Not sure if it's a great idea, but worth having the smart planners consider I think. Will be interested to see the planning outcome in Herndon. Maybe it will light a fire under our local planners to consider.