No bikes on trail

Photo by M.V. Jantzen

Comments

[david]

Reminds me of the signs at Georgetown Waterfront Park. The signs say "Walk Bike", they appear to be put there by the city. This is the only park in town, that I know of, that has such postings. Why should Georgetown Waterfront Park be any different then the rest of the Parks in town.

[CyclingFool]

This actually looks to me like the signs you see as you approach this park in Alexandria along the MVT from the north.

http://goo.gl/maps/yCD1L

The MVT is a better alternative to continue through to Old Town anyway. I usually ride past here a couple times a week on my way from work to class.

I can understand if someone took issue with the ban on bikes here, but I don't personally. There are these switchbacks and some choke points along the path along the river (IIRC), including a couple spots with stairs (again IIRC).

[Alice W.]

ive ridden through there five zillion times.

dont respond to madness with reason...disobedience is required when faced with irrational rules.

[SJE]

David: in the G'town waterfront park there are two alternative routes about 50 feet away: K Street and a specifically labeled "bike route". They are only trying to stop people riding on the small section right next to the water. Its a reasonable rule to protect pedestrians, just like I support the 3 ft rule against cars to protect cyclists.

[T]

@SJE, the reasonability of it is debateable given how wide that area is. I suspect it's more because the local bars there lobbied for it than anything else. They actually let you ride most of it up until where the bars are. Hence my belief. Not that I really care that much there.

Alexandria does have a few "no biking spots," but they're really not somewhere I would ride anyway as they're usually just down to the water/dogpark/etc.

[SJE]

Width is not the point: it is very very crowded at a lot of times, including a lot of children, and there is a good alternative. The local businesses paid millions into the construction of the park (including my own company), so they can certainly have a voice in how it is used (although I don't know who put up the signs).

[Jonathan Krall]

Alexandria has one spot where, to my mind, bikes are unnecessarily banned. Near the foot of Montgomery St is a spot where the C&O canal once terminated in Alexandria (a bridge used to take the canal over the Potomac to VA). It's is out of the way and not a lot of people go there, so I don't see the point in banning bicycles.

Then again, there are a lot of 1-percenter-wannabes in that area who regard the Alexandria waterfront as their personal property.

[M.V. Jantzen]

In Georgetown, first they banned biking in Washington Harbour (http://flickr.com/mvjantzen/215689953/), then more recently they banned it in the Waterfront Park (http://flickr.com/mvjantzen/7377763134/). I love biking on the shore, and I think it would be better if we could just recognize that bikes must always yield to pedestrians. We already do so on "regular" bike trails; I don't see why we can't share spaces elsewhere.

But the "no bikes" signs are even more annoying when the parks are completely devoid of people, as is usually the case when I go to the Alexandria park south of the Mirant plant.

Can we just change the "no bikes" signs to "yield to peds"?

[Kolohe]

Bikes are generally banned in all the waterfront parks from Canal Center (that sign) all the down to just before Jones point. (I can't remember if Ford landing allows them or not.)

I'm ok with this.

[SJE]

MV, I agree that the ban seems extreme. The problem is that the bikes that did use the G'town waterfront didnt yield or, even if trying to be considerate, nevertheless got in trouble. Not all, but more than enough that there were complaints. I work on the G'town waterfront, and there are a lot of complaints if a cyclist rides there.

PS: the waterfront in front of Washington Harbor is managed by a private company.

[david]

It is good to have a place where the toddlers and small children can run about. Its not right for adults to trample out the kids.I guess I can find somewhere else to play.

[SJE]

Can someone explain why the area pictured above bans bikes? It doesnt seem too busy.

[Kolohe]

It's technically a private park (with public access as per the conditions of development). So the Canal center folks do have more leeway to do what they want (but not unlimited leeway).

It does get narrower further down as you head toward the lock, with a few almost blind turns around the retaining walls.

And it looks much better now as they've completely repaved it in the past year. (and I think futzed with the grading on that ramp)

(and as said above, really no waterfront park in Alexandria allows bike riding)

[antibozo]

The signs at Georgetown Waterfront Park are not regulatory.