Thursday Afternoon Commute - Infrastructure Project Management Administration

According to my neighborhood listserv, some bike thieves were caught after trying to steal a locked bike - they had bolt cutters. FYI. 

• Shane Farthing, executive directory of WABA explains how DDOT is organized and how that organization stiffles bike/ped projects. "DDOT needs to bring individuals with the necessary expertise to IPMA and, once that expertise is in-house, leave prioritization of project timing to PPSA planners."
• Aaron Weiner expands his earlier blog post on Metropolitan Branch Trail security into a longer story.
• More on the CaBi employee protest. “We know you have the power to do the right thing,” John Farmer, a current employee, said to Gilliland.“We’ll make it work,” Gilliland replied.
• Bring your bikes (or tricycles) to American Way between Fleet Street and St. George Boulevard at National Harbor for the fourth annual National Children’s Museum CycleFest 2013. The free block party-esque event, culminating in a ride to the National Harbor via the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Trail will be on Saturday, June 22
• In short, one should not take training rides at high speed on multi-use trails. But I don't know why we need to differentiate those who do so as another species. 
• "Montgomery County’s original plan for park trails called for trails the parks department could not deliver, so planners are crafting a new, more usable framework for building out the network and are asking for resident input.... the new plan will view trails as a strategic park investment, and will focus on shorter “loops and links” that are consistent with population density, community demand and feasibility....Montgomery County Department of Parks is scheduled to hold two public meetings; the first scheduled for Monday at the agency’s Shady Grove Training Room, 16641 Crabbs Branch Way, Gaithersburg and the second Tuesday at the agency’s Montgomery Regional Office at 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. Both meetings will run from 7 to 9 p.m."
• "Christoph Strasser, a 30-year-old former bike messenger broke the long-standing record in the Race Across America. He'd finished the race in 7 days, 22 hours and 11 minutes. The course has varied from year to year, but since 2006 it has begun in Oceanside, Calif., and ended at Annapolis Harbor.Earlier in the afternoon, RAAM managers, members of Strasser's crew and a handful of die-hard fans waited at the Mount Airy Bike Shop in Carroll County, the 52nd of 54 timing stations riders must pass through."
• "Democrat Doris Matsui and Republican David Joyce will introduce complete streets legislation today to coincide with an EESI briefing on the issue." And "The bill encourages safer streets through Complete Streets policy adoption at the state and regional-levels—mirroring an approach already being used in more than 490 regional and local jurisdictions, 28 states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. A federal provision will ensure consistency in policies and funding needed to support these local efforts and ensure safe streets in every community."
• On online bicycle maps. 

Comments

[Early Man]

Species name for "serious" cyclists who train in full kit on multi-use trails filled with kids in strollers and dog walkers: homo eunuch. These guys need to grow a pair and train where their idols train--on public roads.

[MM]

@ Early Man

The proper nomenclature is "pathlete".

[Daniel]

Interesting thing about that Alexandria Times letter is that it was an uncontroversial point made in the most controversial way. He says that bike riders ignore stop signs and we can all get along (in the old days) but those cyclists with their blowing through stop signs - they must be scolded. Um, ok, so the message is "don't be a jerk." Got it.

[ken]

Shane's observations are extremely incisive - the type of below the radar tail that wags the dog (or whatever the correct simile might be).

[giveup]

well, it can't be bad that shane farthing details how DC govt works...but some of us knew this already...

and ANYONE who has tried to get an answer -- even an "i dont know"!!! -- knows that there is no meaningful bike advocacy in DC.

eg:

when will the CCT be repaved?

when will 14th street NW be repaved?

etc, etc.