Monday Morning Ride - All-powerful

Good morning

• DDOT is preparing to advertise the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Segment of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail for construction bids by contractors with construction expected to start in Fall 2013.
• Arlington County Board will hold a hearing this week on a proposal to lower the speed limit on four roads in the county. "The proposed amendment to the county code would would lower speed limits to 25 mph from the current 30 mph on four streets: Two key routes between Rosslyn and Clarendon (Wilson Boulevard between Washington Boulevard and Route 110 and Clarendon Boulevard between Washington Boulevard and N. Oak Street), a stretch near the Iwo Jima Memorial in Rosslyn (North Meade Street between Arlington Boulevard and Marshall Drive) and a road near the East Falls Church Metro station...the county believes the lower speeds will improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists." Hearing is on July 13th at 8:30 a.m. at 2100 Clarendon Blvd., in the  boardroom on the 3rd floor. Follow the link for maps. 
• Wall Street Journal discovers that there really is a bike lobby (and video). Next week's headling could look like this. The reason people made fun of Rabinowiz is not that she said there was a bike lobby, but that she called it all-powerful. If that were so, America might look more like this. 
• Speaking of which - The end of car culture. 

 

Comments

[Michael H.]

If Arlington wants the new speed limits to be effective, they will have to add traffic calming measures to the roads. Otherwise, drivers will continue to ignore the new speed limits, the way that so many drivers ignore existing speed limits. Sad but true.

(If some lurkers think that speeding doesn't matter, tell that to all the victims and families of those injured/killed by speeding drivers every year.)

[BlooEyedDevil]

Totally agree with Michael H. above. I ride these stretches every weekday and cars routinely exceed the current speed limit, despite the obvious high pedestrian volumes in that area. I've witnessed constables do the same many, many times, and not in pursuit of anyone. Until the present speed limit is enforced, a new limit isn't going to change anything. I like and support the idea of it, but without enforcement, it's just a feel-good gesture.

[Froggie]

I'm confused...why would Route 110 be on the list? It's a limited-access highway between 66 and 395 (would be freeway if not for the at-grade near the Iwo Jima Memorial). Bikes not allowed, although there's a parallel path between the Iwo Jima Memorial and Memorial Drive.

[Kolo Jezdec]

While speed is certainly a factor in many (most)auto accidents, it is the other factors that are far more to blame. Talking on the phone, texting, eating, failure to use signals, rolling through stop signs, refusal to yield to other road users, running red lights, ignorance of the rules of the road, just an overall refusal/failure to give full attention to being in control of a 1-2 ton machine capable of killing in an instant.

Slowing down would be wonderful, but a car going 25mph that hits your bicycle because the driver is doing something other than driving will likely cause the same injuries as that car going 30mph. It took decades for our culture to view drinking and driving as a serious offense (and, IMO, we still don't take it seriously enough); how many auto occupants, bike riders, and pedestrians must die before we take using a phone while operating a potential killing machine as a serious matter worthy of serious penalties? If you have lost a family member or friend because someone was using a phone while operating a motor vehicle, then you probably agree that enough people have perished already.

Stop the madness - equip cars so that phones cannot be used while the vehicle is moving. Period. And, no, you have no right to use a phone while driving. In fact, you have no right to drive. Look it up.

[Michael H.]

Actually, Arlington (and all other jurisdictions) could benefit from more traffic-calming measures, whether or not speed limits are changed.

I agree that other factors contribute to the death toll caused by car drivers, but traffic calming can help with those problems too. For example, driving over a speed bump or speed table will wake up most drivers and get them to look at the road, instead of at their phones.

The speed limit change can have a minor benefit, mostly indirect (from highlighting the need to drive more safely). But continue to work on all of the factors contributing to the high death rate on the roads: distracted driving, drunk driving, red light running, aggressive driving, etc.