TheWashCycle

A quick note on advertisements

Some people seem really upset that I've run some ads lately so I thought I would address them.

The reason I've done so is to cover the cost of the blog and other efforts. It costs money to host and to use typepad at the level I do, there are occasional FOIA requests [which in DC are free but for which I often have to pay for printing and in other places are not always free] and things like the Velocipede Race (which was a total bust, but left me with a box full of trophies that I donated to a worthy cause). So I'm hoping people don't begrudge me for trying to break even on all of that. And I feel better taking money from advertisers than through a tip jar. If bike shops and bicycle lawyers were beating down my door to advertise with me, I'd much rather go with them, but there you have it. 

As for the DUI lawyer, I thought long and hard about that ad. In the end my thinking was that an ad for DUI lawyers makes the case that 1) Getting a DUI is serious business - you don't need a lawyer for a parking ticket 2) Lots of people get caught - so many that it's worthwhile for a lawyer from out of state to advertise on DC's 4th-8th best biking blog to get their name out there. I figured that ads for DUI lawyers probably make people think "I should not drink and drive" not "Wow, I can drink and drive and totally get away with it." I would not have run an ad for a license plate cover meant to allow one to thwart red-light and speeding cameras, but a lawyer is not meant to help you get away with a crime, even if that's sometimes what happens. 

In the end, if the ads feel like a distraction, just don't read them. 

Work to begin next month on W&OD and Custis Trail Safety Improvements

Starting in early September, work will begin on Phase 2 of the W&OD Trail Safety Improvements and on the Custis Trail Safety Improvements project. 

The first one I've covered before.

This project will provide safety improvements at three intersections along the W&OD Trail near South Four Mile Run Drive, including South George Mason Drive, the signalized entrance to Barcroft Sports Complex and South Oakland Street.

You can read more about the project here, and it doesn't look like much has changed since I last reported on this in March, except that the contract for the work has been awarded.

The Custis project will also improve safety at three spots and I don't think I've mentioned it before.

Custis Trail Safety Improvements

 

Location

The project improves three intersections along the Custis Trail, including trail crossings adjacent to Lee Highway at North Scott Street, at North Quinn Street and at the western side of North Oak Street. The eastern side of the trail crossing at North Oak Street will be addressed with the Lynn Street Esplanade & Custis Trail Improvements project.

View Map

Status

Construction

• Plans are complete
• Summer 2014-spring 2016 – Design
• Winter 2017 - Bidding process
• Spring/summer 2017 - Contract awarded
• Early September 2017 - Construction begins
• Summer 2018 - Anticipated project completion

About the Project

The project will implement recommendations made in the Arlington County Shared-Use Trail Study that was completed in 2010. The project proposes safety improvements at three intersections along the Custis Trail, including the trail crossing at the intersection of Lee Highway and North Oak Street (west side), Lee Highway and North Quinn Street, and Lee Highway and North Scott Street. Specific improvements include:

• Lane reconfiguration at N. Quinn Street and N. Scott Street
• Trail widening
• Curb extensions to reduce trail crossing distances
• Wider, ADA-compliant curb ramps
• Increased trail separation from Lee Highway
• High visibility crosswalks

The 30% design should give a good idea of what the intersections will look like when done. Below is North Scott Street.

And North Quinn

And North Oak

The last one refers readers to the Lynn Street Esplanade Project (They misspelled Lynn, which makes me happy since I just noticed a post where I misspelled Rosslyn). That project isn't planned to start until the spring, but it will widen the trail from N. Oak all the way to N. Lynn

The wider trail and shorter crossing distances is going to be nice. 

5 Times Hackers Shocked Us

The following is a paid advertisement

While technology is growing day by day, so are the ways to deteriorate it. Hacking is a mechanism that involves getting access to sensitive information such as organizational records, credit card information, bank accounts etc.

While small scale hacks such as malware and bot attacks don’t inflict much damage, large scale hacks can leave a company bankrupt within seconds.

Over the past few years, there have been many shocking hacks that shook the world showing the dirty and dangerous side of technology.

This is how 5 times hackers shocked us:

1. The Snowden Leak

One of the biggest hacks the world has ever seen was none other than by USA’s own NSA contractor, Edward Snowden. Snowden was a college dropout who made around $200k per year. In 2013, he contacted some of the well-known reporters working for firms like The Guardian and The Washington Post and revealed classified information to them so that they could show it to the whole world.

This information disclosed NSA's PRISM program which was about surveilling people via Google, Facebook, Twitter and other big tech companies. Although this program was said to be for security purposes but Snowden believed that it was being used for wrong means as well. Therefore, he leaked every single bit of information about the program and fled to Russia.

2. HBO Hack (Game Of Thrones)

In July, HBO’s servers were hacked by unknown people and two of the unreleased episodes were leaked before their due airtime. This inflicted a crushing blow to HBO.

The hackers claim to have at least 1,5 terabyte of HBO’s data along with some important information that can leave them devastated. They are using this to get money out of the channel, which is pretty common for hackers to do.

3. The Stuxnet Worm Which Damaged Iran’s Nuclear Program:

 

In 2010, a worm not more than a 100MB in size was passed into the nuclear system of Iran and cause havoc. The worm took over the control systems and revoked access from the concerned departments of Iran.

This chaos remained for more than seventeen months and managed to destroy more than 1000’s of uranium sample. It caused the Iranian authorities to doubt their own selves, their own work and it also cost them millions of dollars. When the worm was found, the code disclosed a small string which said “Stuxnet”.

4. 2014 Home Depot Hack

This hack involved stealing credit card information of trusted Home Depot customers who made transactions while purchasing stuff from the company. Around 50 million credit cards were skimmed by hackers and the damage was beyond repair.

5. JPMorgan Chase Hack In 2014

One of USA’s most trustworthy banks, JPMorgan, was digitally broken into by Russian hackers and sensitive information was stolen. It is said that no financial information was leaked, however, still, it is considered as one of the biggest hacks that shocked the world.

Many of the hackers are still free out there, and some are trying their luck with Canadian pardon process, but hacking is a crime that doesn’t have many ways out.

Georgetown Branch Trail to close forever on 9/5; "Final" ride 9/4

The Purple Line Project announced yesterday that the Georgetown Branch Trail will close on September 5th to allow for construction of the Purple Line and the Capital Crescent Trail. The extended Capital Crescent Trail that will run in the same right of way will not open for four to five years. There is an official detour - and an unofficial one - that cyclists and pedestrians can use in the interim; but more importantly, Labor Day will be the last day that you can ride the Georgetown Branch Trail FOREVER. 

So, we should do that. I'm inviting anyone who wants to attend the Georgetown Branch Bachelor Party and Final Trail Ride to join me at west end of the Air Rights Tunnel at 3pm  2:30pm on Monday, September 4th, 2017 to ride the trail one last time. 

I've supported the extension of the Capitol Crescent Trail (and the Purple Line) for a long time, but I will miss the Georgetown Branch Trail as it is. The Purple Line opponents have gotten some traction in their opposition because building it means losing something - the faux nature preserve feel of the current trail - even if I and others believe that the new trail will be vastly better, albeit different. That's why I call it a bachelor party. 

It's kind of like having a good friend get married. You're happy for them, you're (usually) sure they'll be better off, and yet there is a certain recognition that things won't be the same. So what else is there to do but have one last hoorah? Don't worry, there will be no strippers, just biking.

As much as I'd like to gloat about this finally getting starting and taunt the Friends of the Capital Crescent Trail for their failed opposition, I'm going to try to better than that. As I see it, this is over. They put up a good fight, but in the end the project won on its merits and now it's time to move on. I'd love to work with them instead of against them. I'd love to see them put their time and energy into advocacy and support for the trail and for a better detour. It would be great to see them evolve into a more traditional "Friends of" group, sponsoring events, clean-ups and community-driven trail improvements while advocating for the best possible trail. So even though I would still pay $50 for a photo of Ajay Bhatt on the future Purple Line, I really hope to see him out on the new trail, perhaps at a 5k he organized.

Until then, and starting on Tuesday, trail users will be redirected to the detour. There's supposed to be a "detailed map" of the official detour here, but so far I don't see it. There is this, which shows it relying heavily on Jones Bridge Road. 

This route is not ideal because "the planners were hamstrung on what route they could choose for the interim trail because the Town of Chevy Chase has so far refused to allow the county to use its streets....The interim route does not include installation of new cycling infrastructure—such as separated bike lanes—and depends on riders and walkers using the signs to guide themselves while traveling the route." Here is a place where FoCCT could redirect their efforts (once the lawsuit is done, of course).

And here's a different route, described going west:

From Candy Cane Village in Rock Creek just south of E-W Highway: Ride up the hill on Woodbine (next to Rollingwood School); turn left onto Brookville Road at the top; ride about 2/3 mile to Raymond Street and turn right, which will carry you to Connecticut Avenue, where you can cross at a light. Continue past Chevy Chase Elementary, through the circle and onto Stanford Street heading west. Turn right on East Street when you get to it, bend around onto Leland and cross Wisconsin (again at a light). In 200 yards you'll be at the CCT rear entrance.

Or a map of it can be found here.

Perhaps someone should create some unofficial signage to guide people along this detour (or a better one if people can come up with one).

Until then, we still have a few days left on the current trail. See you on September 4th! 

Biking SoVa's rail trails

While travelling to and from the eclipse I pulled off the highway to ride two of southern Virginia's long rail trails, the New River Rail Trail on the way out and the Virginia Creeper Trail on the way back.

For the NRRT, I pulled off the I-81 at Draper Virginia where there is a trail head with parking. There's a fee for parking and it has to be paid with cash and there is no one there to collect it (they use the envelope system). I don't mind paying to use the facility, but I didn't have exact change on me, so I had to waste some time getting change. But that aside I rode was able to get underway and rode the trail north toward Pulaski. We rode to the trail end on the east side of the city (past Xaloy Way) where it ends just shy of the active rail line. There's another, longer path called the Dora Trail that connects to the NRRT just south of Xaloy and it leads into town to the Pulaski Train Depot, but we didn't have time to check it out.  The trail is unpaved and the section we rode transition to farmland to woods, passing over two high railroad trestles and under I-81. Of course, this is just a short piece of the trail, in the south direction it goes all the way to Fries and Galax. 

On the way back we stopped at the trail head of the Creeper Trail in Abingdon, VA. From there the trail goes all the way to the small town of White Top and the top of White Top mountain, coming within kissing distance of both Tennessee and North Carolina on the way. The Norfolk and Western rail line it follows use to go to Elkland, NC (Todd, NC) so maybe it will be extended at some point. We didn't bike this time, since I had some crabby boys with me but we did hike down to Wye Park where a spur of the rail use to push off a little to the east. At the trail head there's a restored train that mildly entertained little boys, though they wanted to climb on/drive it and could do neither. 

On the way home from Abingdon we got redirected by WAZE because of an overturned tractor-trailer on I-81 and I got a glance at the Huckleberry Trail (another option that is half rail to trail and half rail-with trail) in Christiansburg as we drove underneath it. Still a 4th option would have been the relatively new Salt Trail from Glade Spring to Allison Gap. But those will have to wait for next time. 

Beach Drive/Rock Creek Park Trail Rehabilitation project enters Phase II

I missed it, but last weekend there was a block party on the newly paved section of Beach Drive that celebrated the end of Phase I and the beginning of Phase II (because every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end) of the federal portion of the Beach Drive/Rock Creek Park Trail rebuild.

This project also built a smoother, wider multi-use trail and a better side path in the tunnel. 

This segment finished a little late, but it's good news for cyclists. 

Jeremy Barnum, with the National Park Service, said contractors with the project are taking on adjacent roadwork and DC Water projects and are putting more into widening and rehabilitating the multi-use trail. 

They also built part of the DDOT project  - the connection to Harvard Street. 

Beach Drive, which serves as an active recreation facility on the weekends will close for a year, but so will Ross and Ridge and those will serve the same purpose as well as the route for bike commuters.

Beach Drive will close from Park Road/Tilden Street NW to Joyce Road NW (immediately south of Military Road NW). Originally planned to be addressed as two separate phases, both segments 2 and 3 will close at the same time so that work can begin concurrently on both.

Just like Segment 1, bike and pedestrian access will be maintained while the road is closed for Segments 2 and 3. And just like Segment 1, it’s important that people biking and walking stay out of the active construction zone.

During work on segments 2 and 3, Ross Drive and Ridge Road, which both run through the park and are parallel to Beach Drive will also be closed to vehicle car traffic until Fall 2018. The closure provides greater safety for bike commuters who will need to detour on these narrow, winding and hilly routes; will reduce traffic impacts to local neighborhoods; and will provide an alternate location for weekend recreation in lieu of Beach Drive

This means that the portion of Beach that becomes a bike/ped only road on the weekends will be closed for a year

As of August 28, Beach Drive will no longer be accessible to cyclists between Park Road/Tilden Street NW until the Maryland state line. This is a change in policy, as this section of Beach Drive is designated for recreation access only over the weekend. This closure to cyclists will be in effect 24/7.

DDOT will tackle the trail sections through Rose Park, northwest of Rock Creek (the trail on the Zoo property), a new bridge across Rock Creek near the Zoo, and a trail extension on Piney Branch Parkway. DDOT’s trail construction will start after Federal Highway Administration (FHWA, the lead agency on the Beach Drive segments) is done with their work.

This is a big project and when it's complete it will make bike commuting and bike recreation so much better - especially when coupled with an extended Capital Crescent Trail. 

Belmont Ridge Road now goes over the W&OD Trail

Last month, a new bridge opened over the W&OD Trail in Leesburg, turning an at-grade crossing at Belmont Ridge Road into a grade-separated one. 

“For those on the trail, it’s one less interruption to their rides and runs.”

The bridge will carry one lane of traffic in the south and northbound direction. Once the southbound span is built, it will become a four lane bridge with two lanes in each direction.

The new bridge is expected to be a huge safety improvement, as the former at-grade trail crossing put cyclists and pedestrians on a potential collision path.

This is just the north-bound bridge, a southbound bridge is being built as well. The project will later build 10' wide shared-use paths along both sides of the road between Hay Road and Gloucester Parkway in Loudoun County.

Additionally, a new parking lot for trail users is being constructed

Oh, and this bridge opened 3.5 months early. The whole project is to be completed in Winter 2018.

Capital Crescent Trail extension wins some small victories

Update: at almost the same time this went to post, it was announced that there will be a groundbreaking ceremony for the Purple Line in Hyattsville on Monday at 10am. [I worry that this is a bit premature, without an FFA and a resolution to the law suit, this would be really embarrassing if one of those falls through. Sort of like the ground breaking ceremony for the Anacostia Starter Line in 2004.

The Capital Crescent Trail extension project, often referred to as the Purple Line, has made some small progress since the project hit a major roadblock in 2016 when a judge vacated approval of the project. 

Last month, it was announced that a U.S. Senate transportation spending plan included $100 million to build the purple line. That is not the same as the money being approved or allocated or anything. Right now it is just a gleam in Chris Van Hollen's eye, but it's a start. 

The state can’t receive any federal money for the Purple Line until, or unless, it signs a multiyear Full Funding Grant Agreement with the U.S. Transportation Department. 

The congressional ban on earmarks prevents money from being explicitly designated to individual projects. However, Van Hollen said, the bill includes “funding sufficient to support the Purple Line,” with $100 million in fiscal 2018, which starts Oct. 1.

In the meantime, work has restarted since the Court of Appeals restored federal approval of the Purple Line project, pending the results of Maryland's appeal.

The work includes soil boring, surveying, design reviews, steps to purchase additional land needed for the project, and work on specific construction contracts.

And the legal fight continues

[In early August], the opponents filed a motion asking the lower court judge who had blocked the project to hold it up again, despite the fact that the appeals court has put his ruling on hold until a three-judge panel can hear full arguments.

This week, Judge Richard Leon denied that motion and called some of the arguments in it “bald statement[s]” that appeared to go beyond the facts.

The opponents of the line have now filed their own appeal of Leon’s final ruling that challenges the parts that went against them.

And Randall O'Toole has crawled out of his lair to hurl insanity at the project. Ridesharing and robot cars are going to make transit useless soon.

This means it makes no sense for Maryland or anyone else to build new light-rail lines. Construction of the Purple Line would barely be completed before most of its potential customers are taken away by shared driverless cars.

This is the same reason you don't need to quit smoking - because cancer is going to be totally cured before you need to worry about it. O'Toole goes on to state that "the Purple Line has been presented as a solution to congestion". Of course, that's a lie. Here are the stated purposes of the Purple Line:

• Provide faster, more direct, and more reliable east-west transit service connecting the major activity centers in the Purple Line corridor at Bethesda, Silver Spring, Takoma/Langley Park, College Park, and New Carrollton,
• Provide better connections to Metrorail services located in the corridor, and
• Improve connectivity to the communities in the corridor located between the Metrorail lines.

Furthermore, the reason that travel speeds slightly increase is that the MWCOG travel demand model doesn't take into account changing density patterns that are not on the regional plan. The "no build" analysis does not count people moving farther away and having to drive, and the transit analysis does not count increased density near Purple Line stations soaking up that population increase. He finishes by claiming that the state determined that buses would meet all the project goals at a lower cost (spoiler: it didn't) and that light rail never spurred development. 

Despite that, there is more positive news. DOJ attorneys filed a brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals in D.C. arguing that Leon's ruling should be overturned. 

The plaintiffs have until Sept. 8 to submit their brief in response to the federal government’s argument.

Oral arguments in the case could take place as soon as this fall. The court order for the expedited briefing schedule notes that the clerk will schedule the arguments “on the first appropriate date” after both sides submit their briefings.

Other than the ruling, the only other barrier is the funding agreement, and progress is being made there as well.

A federal funding agreement for a 16-mile light rail project in the traffic-choked suburbs of the nation’s capital is expected to be signed “in the very near future,” a spokesman for Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said

If the case is settled in the fall, is it to early to hope that the project is underway by the end of the year?

What can a DUI attorney do for you?

The following is a paid advertisement.

You might be convinced that you can handle a DUI case by yourself, but there are implications that you are probably not taking into consideration. For starters, the implication of financial duties: you might require paying some fines as a result of being charged with a DUI. This is about the time when most people decide that they need a rockford dui attorney after all. The thing to keep in mind however is that the later an attorney joins your team, the worse it’s going to be for you. You need to have a lawyer from the very beginning or else it will become increasingly harder for them to pick up the slack and help you efficiently.

Top benefits of having a DUI attorney

Being able to call your lawyer as soon as you get charged means that they can state working on your case as fast as possible. Ultimately, this means that the chances of them being able to beat a decision to suspend your license grow significantly.

When you have a lawyer on your side, you know exactly what the gravity of the situation is. This is very important because in the court of law, those that do not possess knowledge on the subject of legality often time find themselves in a blurry position where things don’t really make sense in the way that they should.

Probably one of the most important reasons for which you should have a DUI attorney is because they are able to advise you on how you should appear in front of the authorities and what is best for your situation. The worst thing you could do is put yourself in an even trickier position with the things you say or do before the charge has been issues.

These things and more justify the employment of a DUI attorney and make it a top priority in the eventuality of getting caught up in a DUI case. Preferably, you should get a lawyer before the first signs of trouble even rise, as a precaution matter. The best lawyers are the ones that can respond to the call almost instantly.

Examine your surroundings

A good DUI lawyer who will listen to you, will understand the case and help you in court will not just jump to you. It is a must to investigate different DUI attorneys to choose the one that best suits your specific case. Fortunately, the internet can easily help you in here and can find suggestions or recommendations as to who to hire!

Make a list of potential lawyers

Create an Excel spreadsheet or a written journal and keep a list of lawyers who are ready to be contacted. Your list should include name, area, phone number, e-mail address. If you have already spoken with them and you know how much they ask, you should not down a "cost"; column in your document.

Determine if your lawyer is qualified to handle your case.

Just because someone is a lawyer does not mean that he knows better to take your case. Check the State Bar website to see if any lawyer you've noted down has a history of malpractice. Make sure people on your list are authorized to practice in your own country and are familiar with the legal system in your area.

Webinar on crime reduction on trails, Aug. 31

Reducing Crime One Trail at a Time 

Date: Thursday, August 31, 2017 

Time: 10:00am-11:30am Pacific (1:00pm-2:30pm Eastern) 

Price: Free for members / $55 for nonmembers

CEUs: $20 fee (purchase here or add it to your online order)

Register here: http://americantrails.org/resources/safety/webinar-reducing-crime-one-trail-at-a-time.html

Since trails are often community focal points, crime on the trail can be perceived differently than crime on the street-it may generate more attention that prevents or inhibits use on trails. While studies have shown that trails themselves do not generate crime, in many urban areas perceived safety is serious, and even the perception of trail safety creates a stigma for trails as a public facility. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is a proactive crime fighting technique in which the proper design and effective use of the built environment can lead to a reduction in the fear of and incidents of crime. Using a multi-disciplinary, multi-pronged approach to trail planning and design, law enforcement, landscape architects, city planners, and resident volunteers can create a climate of safety on trails. This session will explore methods to enhancing trail security and safety perceptions through environmental design. Presenters will discuss tackling CPTED design strengths and challenges, using programs and partnerships, and the nuts and bolts of safety audits, corridor assessments, and design review.

Learn more about the webinar and presenters here.

Webinar Presenters

• Brittain (Britt) Storck, Senior Associate, Alta Planning + Design
• Jamie Rae Walker, Assistant Professor, Texas A&M Extension

More info here.