Monday Morning Commute - Sorry Vegas

I was rooting for the Giants, primarily because of a story that the odds-makers missed the mark (and the futures market too) and so way more people were betting on the Giants than the Patriots. That means that a win by the Giants = a loss for Vegas, and who roots for the house? I wonder who Trump, both a New Yorker and a casino owner, rooted for? He was probably hoping that somehow he would win.

• WABA calls on cyclists to support Met Branch Trail funding in Montgomery County. "This year, the budget proposed by the Montgomery County Executive cuts design and construction funding for the county’s portion of the MBT for the next six years. We need the County Council to ensure that these years of effort are not wasted and that the County’s commitments to prioritize the completion of the trail are kept." Silver Spring Trails adds "the ongoing disagreement with the owners of the station museum does not prevent MCDOT from designing and building the MetBranch from the new Sarbanes Silver Spring Transit Station south through the Ripley District to the station museum."
• It looks like preliminary work has started on Washington Gateway, the property that will fill the triangle shaped property between New York Avenue, Florida Avenue and the Met Branch Trail, or as I like to call it Triabfla (also the name of my infomercial ab machine). The current renderings still appear to show a set of properties that block out, rather than connect to, the trail, which would be too bad. I've tried to contact people involved with the project several times, but had no luck. 
• Speaking of trail adjacent development, the Florida Rock property - which includes a section of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail - has submitted a new design. While the buildings change, it doesn't appear that the trail does.
• Lydia DePillis notes that, despite talking a good game about greening embassies, none have purchased a CaBi station. Not even the Canadians (which would seem a good way to support a Canadian company, n'est pas?)
• Arlington County is expected to authorize spending $3.44 million for six projects in the latest round of Neighborhood Conservation grant funding. That includes adding bike lanes to Patrick Henry Drive from 16th Street North to Washington Boulevard and to North Sycamore Street from 26th Street North to Williamsburg Boulevard. Also, Arlington is removing unnecessary bollards from area trails.
• How to trigger a traffic light with detector loops. 
• VASA ride is March 4th.
• Chat with Dr. Gridlock today. 
• Nice photo. 
• Why complete streets matters "Anne Gerlach, 43, of Glenmont, said she would like to be able to bike near her home, but can’t because there are no pedestrian or bike paths and traffic is heavy."

Comments

[Chris Slatt]

The County Board's agenda (http://arlington.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=479) for the February meeting also includes awarding the contract for the Glebe Rd safety improvements (http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/EnvironmentalServices/cpe/capprojects/page67332.aspx).

Of particular interest to cyclists is the first steps of improving the Fairfax Dr bike lane to Custis Trail transition (the westbound bike lane will be continued across Glebe, the Marymount parking lot entrance will be eliminated from Fairfax Dr and a better curb cut will be constructed on the west side of Wakefield St)

Further improvements (particularly the portion west of Wakefield) will hopefully come as part of the Beaver Pond project (http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/EnvironmentalServices/epo/page75451.aspx).

[Chris Slatt]

Take 2 - take 1 sabotaged by the blog software.

The County Board's agenda for the February meeting also includes awarding the contract for the Glebe Rd Safety Improvements.

Of particular interest to cyclists is the first steps of improving the Fairfax Dr bike lane to Custis Trail transition (the westbound bike lane will be continued across Glebe, the Marymount parking lot entrance will be eliminated from Fairfax Dr and a better curb cut will be constructed on the west side of Wakefield St)

Further improvements (particularly the portion west of Wakefield) will hopefully come as part of the Beaver Pond Project.

[Crickey7]

The detector loops in Montgomery County appear to be calibrated with sufficient sensitivity to detect bicycles. The usual pattern is a rectangular loop with a central cut in the dirction of travel. I usually place myself on the central cut, tap my cleats on the ground three times, and repeat "There's no place like home." Works like a charm.