Friday morning commute - Boring

Weird hours again. Last night I was out for a run and just as I went past the Eastern Market Metro somebody started yelling out from inside the station and I realized they were yelling "That guy just robbed me!" and I looked over and on the other side of the bus stop was a guy running in the same direction I was - and he was not dressed for running. So I followed him, but he was much more willing to run across Penn Ave into oncoming traffic than I was. I called out to people, but I was hesitant because I wasn't actually sure this guy was the thief. I think if I'd sprinted I could have caught him, but was I going to tackle him on such flimsy evidence (and risk getting my ass kicked?) Of course, it was the first time I chose not to run with my phone, so I couldn't get a photo or call 911. He ducked down a gap between two houses on D and climbed an 8 foot high brick wall, and so I gave up pursuit. Still, it was all very exciting. Turns out, that a woman had her purse snatched, but I don't think the police caught the guy.

• WABA does not hate clueless Bikeshare riders.  Alex Baca calls the Examiner story boring and suggests better story ideas than "this group hates that group." In the week before the Texas-OU game there is always an effort to have groups from the schools team up to do charity work - to make up for the fist-fights that will inevitably break out on Commerce Street. Perhaps AAA and WABA need to do a river clean-up together or something. 
• Bike thieves arrested at Georgetown U. "DPS apprehended and arrested two males who were in the process of trying to use bolt cutters on a bike that was secured in a bike rack. This case is being handled by MPD."
• Arlington County is conducting it's bike and ped count and needs volunteers. 
• The Crystal City Diamond Derby will take place on Saturday, September 29 from 4:00-10:00 pm. The venue is the underground parking garage at 2345 Crystal Drive, which will be transformed into an urban cycling course.
• Most e-bikes users in Maryland will now be required to title and insure their vehicles with the Motor Vehicle Administration. Drivers also must wear helmets and eye protection. "Reyes said he wouldn’t know how the MVA would title an e-bike, as they generally are not assigned vehicle identification numbers....Although VINs are the primary number MVA uses to title vehicles, any moped or scooter without a VIN will be assigned a number by the MVA so that it, too, can be tracked, Young said."
• A development along Oxon Hill Road may result in the road being widened to 4 lanes with bike lanes. People who live along the road oppose it. Maybe just widen it to include bike lanes?
• A very dramatic car crash in Brooklyn luckily resulted in only minor injuries "Authorities say the 49-year-old woman lost control of her vehicle in Brooklyn Wednesday morning. She crashed through a wooden partition blocking the construction site after striking a bicyclist and three parked vehicles. The SUV flipped and came to rest on its roof at the construction site about 50 feet below. "

Comments

[MM]

I know how that Brooklyn woman must feel...last time I "lost control" of my bike I careened through a bus stop, demolished a flower stand, and crashed through the front wall of a convenience store. It's definitely bikes that make the streets so dangerous...

[Crikey7]

Was it a hybrid SUV? Because that apparently makes it okay.

[charlie]

Those e-bikes could use a speed governor. One blew by me on the Custis trail - going uphill -- must have been close to 20 MPH. I couldn't figure out how the guy was going so fast until after he passed me.

I'd think a mild system with just a small boost would be enough, but perhaps the physics of batteries escapes me.

[Ben]

@Crikey7: Ha!

[Eric_W.]

That MD law is pretty half-baked. If it imposed certain limits on the size of the motor and the technology used, it could be argued to create a level playing field for combustion engine and electric engine two-wheelers.

Consider:
A bicycle with a 500KWh motor delivering boost only when the rider pedals is very different from the many bikes we see on the bike lanes now. If the rider merely has to turn the throttle and go 35 mph and pedal once in a while when he/she feels like it, it is clearly a vehicle not meant for multi-use paths.

[rootchopper]

Bicycling improvements to Oxon Hill Road would be a godsend. Currently, the shoulder comes and goes, it's a bumpy, potholed mess. A decent bike lane would make the ride to Fort Washington an enjoyable experience.

[CyclingFool]

Bicycling improvements to Oxon Hill Road would be a godsend. Currently, the shoulder comes and goes, it's a bumpy, potholed mess. A decent bike lane would make the ride to Fort Washington an enjoyable experience.

Agreed.

As for the G'town attempted bike theft, I have a feeling I know what will happen in that case... or more accurately, what WON'T happen.

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/09/why-bike-theft-so-hard-stop/3274/

[oboe]

@charlie:

Those e-bikes could use a speed governor. One blew by me on the Custis trail - going uphill -- must have been close to 20 MPH. I couldn't figure out how the guy was going so fast until after he passed me.

Pfft! I've seen that guy a couple of times, and once got on his wheel and caught a draft all the way from Canal Rd to River Rd. He's a public service. :)

[oboe]

That new law will certainly be reducing the number of people who consider e-bikes and therefore increase the number of cars on the road and hinder transportation progress in general.

All valid points, but if we allowed motorized scooters on the CC trail, we could decrease the number of cars on the road, but the question of whether we'd be promoting "transportation progress in general" would still be an open one.

[Craigsquirrel]

e-bikes are not motorized scooters. By federal law every one sold in the US is classified as a bicycle and have motor limits and speed limiters. They are electric assist designed to go along with peddling.
A single commuter moving from a large internal combustion vehicle to a small electric powered one is progress across many categories. The issue of practical and safe avenues of travel is important but secondary. These need to, and will be, worked out with time. More cyclist = more bicycle advocacy.

[Craigsquirrel]

Another side benefit of e-bikes... Q. What typical reasons drive a commuting cyclist to run a stop sign or red light? A. Keeping momentum to avoid a start from stop and keeping the commute trip time down.
With electric assist these are not really issues and you are much more likely to completly stop at intersections or slow more for pedestrians. On an e-bike peddling away from a dead stop is downright enjoyable and with your higher average speed on open path/road the trip time is already way down from a typical non-assist bike commute.