Jeff writes "This is Greenbelt Road heading westbound toward Route 201 Kenilworth Ave. The lane starts from nothing after the underpass and ends at the exit ramps for Route 201. Possibly the most dangerous and least helpful bike lane I've ever seen."
It's like the (balding) comedian Gallagher said about gray hairs, "I don't want to look old, but it IS a hair."
This is what I'm afraid the "rebuilt" route 1 will end up looking like.
Posted by: kevin | January 30, 2015 at 08:09 AM
A vision of cycling hell. I wouldn't even want to walk on that sidewalk.
Posted by: Smedley Burkhart | January 30, 2015 at 08:50 AM
I have ridden this section a few times. It's not terrible but it does make me nervous. In the distance, just past the overhead signs, is an exit ramp to Kenilworth, so cyclists must negotiate that. And then the lane ends after crossing Kenilworth.
I frequently traverse this section of sidewalk when running to Greenbelt Park, which is on the other side of Greenbelt Rd. I try to find ways to spend as little time as possible on that stretch of sidewalk!
Posted by: Purple Eagle | January 30, 2015 at 09:01 AM
I think the Terminators won.
Posted by: Crickey7 | January 30, 2015 at 09:06 AM
I used to bike this road occasionally, going from Greenbelt to Silver Spring. I always road on the sidewalk, and I don't think this bike lane would entice me to change.
Posted by: washcycle | January 30, 2015 at 09:48 AM
Claiming a lane on River Rd. in Bethesda makes me nervous. My hat--I forgot my helmet today in the welter of cold weather preparation--is off to the hard men and women who cycle roads like that regularly.
Posted by: Smedley Burkhart | January 30, 2015 at 09:49 AM
I ride River Road in Bethesda Northbound in the evenings, and find it's no biggie to claim the lane all the way from the District line to Kenwood. Southbound in the a.m., I typically hug the shoulder line up to the CCT. That stretch seems to have less debris in the shoulder, and I'm often passing traffic anyway.
Posted by: Crickey7 | January 30, 2015 at 10:19 AM
It's a tough issue for me on whether these sorts of bike lanes are better than nothing or not. I'm still not really sure. On the one hand, they are something, and it's easier to improve something over time than nothing. On the other hand, I wonder if these are just sort of "padding the stats" lanes, really mostly just for the state to be able to up it's bike lane mileage for PR purposes, but not really affect people's ability to safely bike from place to place as an option. It's a tough call, and sometimes I think this is sort of a slap in the face, but other times I'm grateful that at least there was a smidge of recognition that not everyone wants to speed around in cars as their only option. We'll see how this evolves.
Posted by: Greenbelt | January 30, 2015 at 10:44 AM
One positive is that when they come to rebuild the road, it will be easier to get them to improve existing bike lanes, then to build new ones.
Posted by: washcycle | January 30, 2015 at 10:47 AM
I like that the photograph is B&W, making it appear even more grim. I wouldn't even want to ride on that sidewalk on the outside of the curve, with four lanes of traffic probably going at least 50. So much of PG county seemed to be like this when I cycled there.
Posted by: DE | January 30, 2015 at 11:15 AM
The sidewalk situation is worse than the photograph indicates. Behind the photographer is the section underneath the Beltway, where the sidewalk is extremely narrow. Exposed soil often washes down the embankment and partially covers the sidewalk as well. If you are riding under the bridge and encounter a pedestrian or another cyclist it is difficult for both to squeeze by.
Posted by: Purple Eagle | January 30, 2015 at 11:24 AM
The County talks about attracting more residents, and having higher density development, but persists with these these hellish highways and an auto-dominated culture, and police that more biased against bikes than other jurisdictions. I once considered moving to PGC but didnt want to spend all that time in the car.
Posted by: SJE | January 30, 2015 at 11:41 AM
Nah, SJE, you're missing out. In Prince George's we do have hostile roads and cops. But we also have great multi-use trails, at least in the northern county, which can be pieced together into a lovely bit of commuting and transport cycling if you know the tricks and don't mind not always taking the most direct routing. And the road riding between Greenbelt and Bowie is pretty great too. Just stay off the arterials.
Posted by: Greenbelt | January 30, 2015 at 12:36 PM
Crikey, I wasn't complaining about RR, which I ride every day (against the rush for a short distance), so much as illustrating what a relative wimpf I am. I'm glad to hear PG is ridable. I plan to bike down to my boat in Annapolis one of these days.
Posted by: Smedley Burkhart | January 30, 2015 at 12:48 PM
I should take a photo for you guys of the new bike lanes on Telegraph Rd right at South Kings highway. The lane literally starts there and ends one block later. It runs along the ride side of Telegraph Road (heading south), but then ends right at the right turn lane for Van Dorn St and starts anew to the left side of the right-turning traffic. It's hard to explain so I will try to get a photo, but it really makes little sense to me.
It reminds me of those L St spots where cars crossover that have the nice green paint. Except this is a switch where the cyclist needs to do a 180 to check cars, there is no fancy green pain, no sign indicating to cars that cyclists may suddenly move over, and it's not a slow road like L St. But then the best part is that this lane ends shortly after the traffic light on Telegraph. It runs a whopping two blocks. I've been trying to figure it out ever since.
Posted by: T | January 30, 2015 at 12:54 PM
*2 blocks later... wrote one in first part until I decided the distance from the small shopping complex to just past Van Dorn is about two blocks.
Posted by: T | January 30, 2015 at 12:55 PM
It might protect pedestrians on the sidewalk who fall into the street.
Posted by: Jack | January 30, 2015 at 02:20 PM
Re: River Road
I used to ride that taking a left off of Little Falls Parkway, goings toward the district and then taking the very next left onto Willard.
Since it was only 1 long block and slightly downhill Id stay in the left lane. I'd ride as fast as I could so as to discourage any whip around passers.
I stopped riding RR when, one day, I was in the left lane going about 25 mph as a car in the right lane passed me going about 45.
That was okay except at the same instant a BMW ALSO PASSED between us going 60+!
Since then it's been a tactical decision for me to use the sidewalk for that 1 block :(.
Posted by: Jeffb | January 31, 2015 at 10:46 PM