Tuesday Morning Commute - Owen

Good morning

• The Anacostia Riverwalk Trail section that's funded by the just-awarded TIGER grant now won't break ground until March 2013, not late 2012 as previously reported. "D.C Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s administration dedicated $3.5 million, and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley committed $1.5 million for construction as well." Which seems like kind of an imbalance, considering how little of it will be in Maryland. 
• Owen Wilson continues to ride CaBi, so that's two things we have in common. Speaking of CaBi, there are now two new stations on L Street NW. One at 12th and one at 20th. But demand is unsated. 
• Arrow Bicycles is having a Tour de France trivia contest.
• NYC's comptroller is concerned that bike share will cause more lawsuits than the $10M insurance policy Alta took out will cover. "The bike-share contract with Alta Bicycle Share protects the city from claims, Mr. Solomonow said, even those above the insured amount; the company has not faced claims so far over the bike-share programs it operates in Washington or Boston." But it sounds like the concern is that there are so many dangers for cyclists that are legitimately NYC's fault - like poorly-drivern police department tow trucks - that more cyclists just create more opportunities for them to get injured and killed by these systemic issues. Perhaps that should be a warning sign that the built environment, and current driver safety training, needs improvement? "In addition to recommending that the city require Alta to increase its insurance coverage, Mr. Liu’s report will also call for the city to investigate all bike crashes resulting in serious injury, and to place five police officers trained in accident investigation in each precinct." In Paris, crashes went up in the first year after Velib started, but then dropped back to pre-Velib levels.

Comments

[MM]

Why fix the problem when you can just mitigate liability? It's the American way!

[charlie]

http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2012/06/26/how-to-make-new-yorks-cyclists-safer/

end quote:

"I’m very excited about New York’s bikeshare program, and look forward to using it regularly. I hope that the increase in the number of cyclists will help bring a bit more civility to New York’s biking community, especially in terms of stopping at lights and riding in the right direction. Meanwhile, my biggest fear is that we’ll see the opposite: a bunch of people who have no idea what they’re doing, riding on sidewalks, salmoning, and generally causing chaos. I don’t think that’s probable, but it’s possible, and I look forward to Citibike and NYC doing everything they can to prevent it from happening. As they do so, Liu’s report — if not his press release — is likely to be quite helpful."

At least in DC, bikeshare has increased the politeness of cyclists -- but also increased the stupidy. I saw a gaggle of middle aged chinese women (tourists?) riding wrong way down M st in the west end. Insane.

[oboe]

At least in DC, bikeshare has increased the politeness of cyclists -- but also increased the stupidy. I saw a gaggle of middle aged chinese women (tourists?) riding wrong way down M st in the west end. Insane.

The more the merrier. As this becomes an expected part of DC's streetscape, maybe drivers (particularly drivers of commercial vehicles) will begin to operate a bit more responsibly.

"Chaos" may increase danger a bit for individuals (though I won't hold my breath for the "carnage in the streets" that's being predicted), but it's great for the overall cycling/pedestrian population.

[MM]

@charlie

I've seen clueless drivers do the same thing. I almost got hit at the Penn/1st st. circle at the Capitol by a (presumably) tourist family driving the wrong way around the circle. Stupidity is universal among drivers and cyclists, but the consequences for that stupidity are very different.

[charlie]

@MM: we've all DRIVEN the wrong way down a street -- but it pretty universally recogonized as a mistake -- and a bad one.

People like oboe seem to think we should be making it mandatory for cyclists.

[Crickey7]

I see more people on bikes this year than ever before, most not wearing dedicated cycling gear (as I admittedly usually do). That's awesome.

The presence of more cyclists has its own traffic calming effect that makes it safer for all cyclists, even the dumb ones.

[Read Scott Martin]

The chaos effect compels the newly cautious to drive the 25 mph speed limit? Gracious.