Friday Morning Commute - kickstart

I don't want to know if you rode a bike yesterday, because I didn't.

• TBD has a lenghty story on DC Pedicabs, NPS and DDOT. Some of it rehashes issues covered here, and some of it is new. I will add something to D.C. Pedicab Operators Association founder Oscar Mosco's claim that "DDOT isn't even contacting us." It appears that quote is from January 10th, and I happen to know for a fact that DDOT's Alice Kelly has tried to contact him since then. NPS and DDOT are planning to meet with pedicab operators this year. What's unfortunate is that the Park Police appears to be completely unwilling to talk about the issue.
• So I have to admit I'm surprised. When the story first broke about the Buzzard Point velodrome I was skeptical. But it appears that it is really happening. "DC Velodrome, has leased a parking lot on V Street SW, just off South Capitol Street, and plans to erect a 166-meter-long, oval-shaped wooden track with 48-degree banked turns....Ponte, a Bethesda architect who owns the CycleLife bicycle shop in Georgetown, said the track will host sanctioned racing events but will also hold classes and training sessions for adults and teens who have little or no experience riding on a track. Former Mayor Adrian Fenty is on the group’s board of advisers....The Southwest cycling track will be the 27th operating velodrome in the United States." Still, they need to raise $300,000 to get this thing started.  They should start a project at Kickstarter.
• Do you live in Anne Arundel County and want to help make biking better? Perhaps push for a WB&A trail crossing of the Patuxent River along the railroad right of way? Well then, apply to be on the County's Citizen Advisory Committee for the Anne Arundel County Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan.

Comments

[antibozo]

Hey washcycle, how come you didn't get to ride yesterday?

[washcycle]

Things have gotten to where I can only bike to work on Tuesdays and Fridays and also ride on the weekends. Too many early morning meetings the rest of the week.

[antibozo]

Bummer. Hope it turns around for you.

[Celia]

Hey Dan,Nice post. I think it is great that many cities are ctearing more bike lanes and instituting a biking culture. New York, as you've probably seen, passed zoning regulations for bike parking. However, outside the ideal of biking, in general, I don't think that biking has that much of an impact on either congestion, gas prices or climate change. I think there would have to be a critical mass of people biking before any real impact occurs. I think the main problem is that the bike lanes are being used by people who already bike. (These numbers from NYC and elsewhere are encouraging but seem a bit shaky). Furthermore, outside the dense Northeastern cities I doubt that biking will ever really help out on any of the aforementioned issues. The density and exclusive zoning makes biking to work or for errands undesirable. Biking as recreation may benefit but biking as a policy tool, I doubt, will be very effective. Now, if Biking is coupled with other measures, like TOD or a loosening of zoning, etc... maybe then we can use biking as a viable policy tool.