From the blog that keeps edging into mandatory reading territory, SALM. ANC1B Commissioner E. Gail Anderson Holness announced that the ANC would take part in a Ward One-wide task force on community and church parking.
She also commented on bicyclists.
"I'm 57 and I ride a bike," she said.
However, Holness went on, bicyclists received too much consideration because they do not bicycle in inclement weather.
"You don't see bikes when it snows, when it's raining," she said.
Oh, but you do. Usage does drop, but acccording to one study, CaBi use is still about 50% of its usual level at rainy times, and that doesn't even account for time-shifting to avoid rain. Not that it really matters, because the whole premise that cyclists should get less consideration because they don't bike in bad weather misses the point of why DC government is trying to get more people to bike in the first place. (More efficient use of public space, more available parking, less pollution, less congestion, better public health).
There is no doubt where Holness stands on the issue.
Holness took the opportunity of the announcement to touch on several traffic-related issues. They included bloggers who complain about suburbanites coming on Sunday to park near historical churches, while not complaining about suburbanites who drive into D.C. from Monday to Friday and park on local streets.
I think the main difference is that the weekday suburbanites who park on local streets will get tickets if they break the law, and they don't try to use political influence to quash bike lanes. I have no problems with Sunday churchgoers from Maryland and Virginia parking legally in DC.
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