Thursday Morning Commute - Plainclothes

Good Morning. Bad internet connection last night.

• Police in Northern Virginia have been ticketing cyclists on trails for running stop signs, and - if you can believe it - speeding. "I was quite surprised a few days ago to see an Arlington County policeman wearing a DayGlo vest aiming a hand-held radar speed detector at bicyclists (who don't have speedometers) coming toward him on the Custis Trail leading to Rosslyn. This on a trail where the speed limit isn't posted....Falls Church police recently stationed a plainclothes officer on the W&OD bike trail who apprehended bicyclists who didn't come to a complete stop at stop signs. Rolling through slowly after ensuring that there was no traffic approaching wasn't good enough."
  • The latter isn't just a $75 ticket, it seems you have to go to court and pay $61 in court costs too.
  • Enforcing a speed limit that isn't posted, for trail users who aren't required to have a speedometer, seems like dirty pool. Update: Looks like it wasn't APD but rather Toole Design. No tickets. 
  • Do cyclists get the same 11 mph margin of error for speeding tickets that drivers get. Maybe 26 mph does deserve a ticket - and a racing contract.
  • I have to agree with the letter writer about priorities. I'd put ticketing lightless night cycling as a higher priority than either of these offences.
  • Are they really enforcing a full stop policy at stop signs? Ridiculous.
• More on the proposed changes to federal bike/ped funding. " bike/ped-averse state governments will be able to opt out of CMAQ-AA altogether."
• DDOT discussed snow removal yesterday, but no one asked about trails. 

Comments

[I forgot]

Coming down the glorified sidewalk that is the Custis trail is probably not the best place to ride like a bat out of hell. That's what what Clarendon Blvd. is for.

[Chris S]

To be fair "I saw a cop with a radar gun pointing at bikes" isn't the same as "the cops are ticketing cyclists for speeding".

[oboe]

Well, pedestrians and cyclists have always complained that police can't be bothered to enforce traffic laws. Now the police do, and you're still upset! Won't you ever be satisfied???

[Wilbur]

Well here's a suggestion: Arlington police could stop using the Custis Trail in Rosslyn as their personal parking lot.

[Arl]

To be sure, that 11 mph "margin of error" is usually applied only at higher speeds. Seems to be in the 7 mph to 10 mph range for speed limits below 35.

[Tim, BikeArlington]

I'm not so sure it was police doing ticketing for speeding...

http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?1502-Cyclists-ticketed-on-the-trails&p=11481#post11481

http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?1502-Cyclists-ticketed-on-the-trails&p=11483#post11483

[Mike]

I have yet to see a driver open his car door and put his foot out on the pavement at a stop sign.