TheWashCycle

"And we at AAA will continue to fight to keep it that way"

This quote from a story on Car Free Day sounds both desperate and as argument for more multi-modal transportation planning in the region.

"We've got to remember we are one of the leaders in the nation for long distance commutes," said Lon Anderson at AAA MidAtlantic. "When you are in around the core, then there are many options, but the further away you get, the fewer options you have."

As most advocates argue, supporting bike facilities are about giving people options, not forcing them to bike. Right now, they're forced to drive - at least according to Lon Anderson. 

Input Needed on Alexandria Bicycle Master Plan Update and Complete Streets Design Guidelines

Frank Buckley will not be pleased

The City of Alexandria is updating the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan and developing Complete Streets Design Guidelines.  The update of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan will include an evaluation of existing conditions, constraints and needs, as well as a review of existing policies, goals and objectives. The Plan will identify short and long-term projects to make walking and biking safer in Alexandria.  As part of this project, Complete Street Design Guidelines are being developed to ensure that Alexandria’s streets are serving the needs of all users.

Stakeholders are encouraged to give feedback using an interactive crowdsourcing map that allows users to identify where they would like to see pedestrian and bicycle improvements and locations for future Capital Bikeshare stations.  In addition, stakeholders can fill out an online survey.  The survey and the map are available in English and Spanish. 

The first public meeting for the project will be held on Tuesday, September 30, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Minnie Howard Campus of TC Williams High School located at 3801 West Braddock Road. 

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended. To request a reasonable accommodation, e-mail [email protected] or call 703.746.4084, Virginia Relay 711.

For more information about this project, visit alexandriava.gov/PedBikePlan or contact Steve Sindiong, Principal Transportation Planner at[email protected] or 703.746.4047. 

Trailers, Child Seats and Helmets

Here's a 2000 study someone posted on twitter about "Injuries Associated With Bicycle-Towed Child Trailers and Bicycle-Mounted Child Seats" which is the first I've ever seen on the subject.

When compared with bicycle-mounted child seats, there were fewer reported injuries to children associated with the use of bicycle-towed trailers. Motor vehicle involvement and need for hospital admission were similar among injured children in both groups, and the head or face was the most common site of injury. These data imply that ongoing surveillance efforts to identify injuries associated with use of bicycle-towed child trailers are warranted and that bicycle helmets should be worn by children riding in bicycle-towed child trailers and in bicycle-mounted child seats.

the annual injury rate [ related to bicycle-towed child trailers] can be estimated as 0.2 per 100,000 children younger than 5 years. The annual injury rate for bicycle-mounted child seats is estimated at 1.3 per 100,000 children younger than 5 years. 

The reasons for more bicycle-mounted injuries are feet in the wheels, and falls from the bike. I feel like with our bike-mounted seat the kids can't get their feet in the spokes if they tried to.

I'd been told that inside the roll cage of a trailer, kids don't really need a helmet. And when I look at the types of injuries kids sustained I can see why I was told that.

Contusions or abrasions were the most frequent injury: this was the diagnosis in 5 (83%) of the injuries related to bicycle-towed child trailers and for 20 (47%) of the injuries associated with the use of bicycle-mounted child seats. Lacerations accounted for 1 (17%) of the injuries among those in bicycle trailers and for 2 (5%) of those in bicycle-mounted child seats. Nine children (21%) with injuries related to bicycle-mounted child seat use had fractures.

As far as I know, helmets aren't designed to prevent contusions, abrasions or lacerations. 

Draft 2015-20 TIP and CLRP

If you really want to nerd out on future bike/ped project funding goals, you could hardly do worse than to read through the MWCOG Transporation Planning Board's Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) for FY 2015-2020.  That way you can impress people at cocktail parties by letting them know the status of the Winkle Doodle Branch Bridge Upgrade project.

If that's not enough, you can review the Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan. Recent additions and changes are summarized here.  The only new project listed as "primarily a bike/ped project" is one to widen VA-123 from VA 7 to I-495.

Tonya Reaves, 53 year-old cyclist, killed by hit-and-run driver

Early Saturday morning, around 2:30am, Tonya Reaves was riding her bike on 8th Street NW near S Street when she was struck by a "light colored SUV". The SUV's driver then fled the scene south in the direction of Rhode Island Avenue

Emergency responders took Reaves to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead. D.C. police are searching for the driver Police said the SUV may have damage to its right front bumper.

The story was reported by most of the local media, but the reports don't vary much from that. With all the cameras in this town, I'd be surprised if some footage doesn't exist. 

It's the first death of a cyclist in the WAMPA area since the June 14, 2013 death of 9-year old Jahbari Jawon Howe which, sadly, is an impressive streak and the longest since I started keeping record. 

Perhaps this would be the first opporunity to install a ghost rack instead of a ghost bike. 

Walk the Unbuilt Northern MBT Tomorrow

WABA is hosting a walk along the route. If you don't go, you lose the right to bellyache about the trail for 6 months (unless you get a note from your Mom). 

In July, we shared the news that DDOT is moving forward with design of this phase. And while we can show you plenty of diagams and pictures, it can't beat seeing the real thing.

This Saturday, September 20th, join us for a walk along this unbuilt northern phase of the trail. Starting at the Fort Totten Metro station, we will walk the planned route towards Takoma. Along the way, you'll get a first person perspective on the future trail alignment and hear about some of the history of this exciting community project.

Event Information
September 20, 2014 at 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Fort Totten Metro Station
300 Galloway St NE, Washington, DC 20011

Sign Up Here!

Apex Building purchase off the table, CCT tunnel for cyclists done

More here. 

DC area up (NoVa way up) in bike commuting - 2013 ACS Results

The Census' 2013 American Community Survey data is out, and the DC area continues to show gains in bike commuting. In DC, bike commuting when up from 4.1% of all commuters last year to 4.5%, meaning that for the first time, more people bike commute to work than work from home.  Driving is down to 37.6% from 39.7%, walking is up to 13.6% from 11.9%, and transit dropped a little from 38.6% to 38.5%. More people are taking motorcycles or cabs too. 

As a result, DC now has a higher rate of bike commuting than Minneapolis, Seattle and San Francisco. Not that it's a competition. (But if it were, we'd be winning). DC is now the #2 bike commuting major city in the US (behind Portland).

Also, DC has shown the fastest growth in bike commuting.  

Meanwhile,

Arlington is up to 1.7% from 1.2%  and Alexandria is also at 1.7% up from 1.3%. Which is more than a 30% increase for both. 

Silver Spring is up to 0.8% from 0.6% last year. 

New section of Arlington Boulevard Trail is open

Ken writes in (several weeks ago)

A new bike path on the *south* side of Route 50 (Arlington Blvd) from Pershing Drive entrance to Fort Myer down to Rosslyn is now (apparently) open! The “Road Closed” sign has been removed, as has the porta-potty.

The north side path opened several weeks ago, but it’s less than ideal. There are several dangerous crossings (Fairfax Drive, 10^th Street, Courthouse Road); moreover, it dumps you onto the north access road for Route 50, which is in horrible condition. However, the south side path is fantastic. It’s been (unofficially?) open since [August 26th]. To enter the path, travel on the Pershing bike lane toward Fort Myer and cross Route 50 at the light * and you can proceed downhill – with no traffic crossing the path! – all the way to the south access road for Route 50. There’s a stop sign at Queen street (AKA Rhodes Street), but that’s the only stop between Pershing and Rosslyn. This is a wonderful time-saver for Arlington commuters, and it feels very safe!

On the (rough) graphic below, the red line is the north-side path, and the black line is the south-side path.

* Technically, Pershing crosses Route 50 in two places – the east crossing is at Fort Myer and it crosses again at Arlington Forrest about 4 miles to the west. Weird, huh?

 

Rendering of possible future Long Bridge

It's hard to tell from this distance, but there are happy cyclists on it.