Friday Evening Commute - Quirky

I was watching Superman II last night. When Supe and Lois are at the Fortress of Solitude and he gives up all of his powers, how do they get back to Metropolis? Does he really have the gear needed - or both of them the strength - for a cross-arctic hike? And even if they did, would there first stop really be at a diner? When did they go to the hospital to deal with their mal-nutrition and frostbite? I've had girlfriends before and if I stranded mine in the Arctic with me and forced her to hike across half a continent on foot (on our first date no less) I don't suspect there would be a second date, And making that second date a meal at a diner would only dig the hole deeper.

• DDOT replies to questions about the Douglass Bridge: "As preliminary design has progressed, we are also making sure that there are continuous connections for bicycle and pedestrian travel. The new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge will have shared use paths on both sides of the bridge that connect to bicycle and pedestrian facilities on either side of the Anacostia. We have also extended the joint use path on the east side of Suitland Parkway from Pomeroy Road SE to Firth Sterling Ave SE." And WABA points out it still has the same concerns and disappointments that it had after the FEIS process completed, along with some new ones and concerns with design-build: "When large transportation contractors make time- and budget-based decisions without community input, they do get the obvious tasks right. No one ever forgets to put in high-speed vehicle lanes. But contractors can make changes that impact bicyclist and pedestrian facilities by redesigning them in ways that are impractical or inefficient. Sometimes, components are eliminated entirely. Community input from cyclists is critical in elucidating why changes might not make sense, but in a design-build process, outside involvement is minimal."
• GGW also has a roundup of bike issues in Virginia that have been covered here recently, with a link to the Post article calling the dooring law "quirky" without even mentioning bicycles or dooring. Also, here's more on Route 1 widening.
• An effort to create a shared street or woonerf in Alexandria comes with skepticism, but I would be surprised if it didn't. After telling them it works in places in Europe, the only option is to treat them as though they're from Missouri. "City Council members last week gave the green light to moving forward with the concept, although a final design would need separate approval."

Comments

[MM]

I think there are actually two unexplained trips...one from the FoS to Metropolis, and the trip back to the FoS once Clark realizes human life is pretty lame. The memory-wiping ability also seems oddly convenient, but maybe that's a normal Superman power that is explained in the comics or something. But I wonder why he couldn't erase Lex Luthor's knowledge of kryptonite.

[FedUpInFairfax]

I am so fed up with virginia. In another (noncycling) local forum, I posted about the two bills, and got almost all negative responses, mostly of the "cyclists are scofflaws, why should we encourage more riding?" with one dude finally admitting that its cause people live harried lives, and see cyclists slowing them down, and so want fewer of them.

I need to move to DC.

[washcyce]

MM, for the 2nd trip, we at least see him hitchhiking north by himself. Didn't the memory-wiping involve him kissing Lois? Might be awkward with Lex. Someone says that in the Richard Donner cut there is shot of them driving away from the FoS in a Ford pick-up truck. Mountain biking would have been cooler.

[Michael H.]

Maybe they used fat bikes in the Arctic. In any case, there's no continent. It's just ice up there.

[SJE]

It's just ice? Where does Santa live?