TheWashCycle

The Anacostia River Trail is soooo Monday

(This post has been updated with information from the comments)

Sure, a brand new section of trail along the Anacostia just opened on Monday, and yeah, it connects two major trail systems and more than 70 miles of trail overcoming a jumble of barriers like highways, railroads, streams and such and it's amazing and you've wanted it for a long time, but now you're bored. I mean Monday was last month. What has happened lately? Well don't worry, there are lots of other new trails that you can longingly gaze at over the shoulder of the Anacostia River Trail while it drones on and on about that thing Nancy from accounting said that was just so unbelievable. 

Here is a list that is likely both incomplete and inaccurate (the old Washcycle doubleshot). 

The Klingle Valley Trail - DDOT is currently building a 0.7 mile long trail on an abandoned section of road in the Klingle Valley (War on Cars!)

Rock Creek Park Trail - The trail is, right now, undergoing the first part of a long desired rehabilitation which will also add a mile of trail along Piney Branch Parkway

Needwood Road Path - Phase 1 of the this trail extending from the ICC trail is under construction. 

Bowie Heritage Trail - work was underway in April

Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail - A gap south of Albion is currently under construction and someday the trail will be connected to the Northwest Branch Trail and extended north to Quimby.

Four Mile Run Trail - Work begins next week on the restoration of the lower section of Four Mile Run stream. "As part of the construction, the Arlington trail will be completely rebuilt to current standards, including a new sub-base and asphalt surface.  Improved trail railings and a new observation platform will also be installed."

Metropolitan Branch Trail - DDOT could begin work on the northern DC section of this trail next year. Maryland will start work on its remaining pieces in 2017 too.

Washington Boulevard Trail - Work could begin in 2017

Capital Crescent Trail - This popular trail will be extended from Bethesda to Silver Spring if/when the Purple Line gets built

Oxon Run Trail - This was issued permits over a year ago. So that's something, right? Also there is an unfunded section in PG County from Southern to Naylor that remains on that county's priority list

South Capitol Street Trail - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The Old Cameron Run Trail - Design could begin in 2017

Northwest Branch Trail extension - from Wheaton Regional Park to Matthew Henson Trail, this is Montgomery County's top hard surface trail priority. Other trails include the Wheaton Regional Park Through Trail, Muddy Branch Trail, Magruder Branch Trail extension, and the Rock Creek Trail - Millennium Trail Link

I-66 Trail -  More likely than not?

U.S. Route 110 Trail - Still in phase 2 of 5 planning phases. Same as in January 2013.

Shepherd Branch Trail - Soon to be acquired!

The New York Avenue Trail - A concept

Arlington Boulevard Trail - An existing trail that could be improved

Palisades Trolley Trail - A thing

Other PG County Trails, including a list of high priority, but unfunded trails that has been mostly unchanged over the last 5 years (the Bowie Heritage Trail is off the list and the Seat Pleasant section of the Chesapeake Rail Trail and the north extension of the Rhode Island Avenue Trail are on). This includes the WB&A Trail to Anne Arundel County, Piscataway Creek Trail, Henson Creek Trail Extension, Little Paint Branch Trail Extension, Prince George's Connector Trail and the Folly Branch Trail.

TPB approves funding for buffered bike lanes on McKinley Road in Arlington

17 Projects in Northern Virginia were recently approved for TA funding.

The Transportation Planning Board recently approved a number of pedestrian and bicycle improvement projects in Northern Virginia to receive funding under the federal Transportation Alternatives Program.

The $2.5 million in funding will cover the capital costs of constructing the projects, which include sidewalk enhancements, new bike lanes and bikeways, and accessibility improvements for persons with disabilities.

More here

In future solicitations, the TPB hopes to fund one or more projects that improve non-motorized access to underutilized rail transit stations in the region.

The TPB is currently soliciting applications for approximately $2 million in Transportation Alternatives funding for projects located in Maryland for the coming fiscal year. The deadline to submit applications is May 15. Local governments, park authorities, and school boards are among the agencies and organizations eligible to apply for funding.

The TPB will solicit applications for Transportation Alternatives funding for projects in the District of Columbia later this year.

Of those 17 projects for which applications were received, 9 got funding. Only two were in the WAMPA region, both in Arlington, only one of which really involves bike improvements.

1. McKinley Road/N Ohio St Safe Routes to Shcool Bicycle-Pedestrian Improvements. - Construction of raised medians, pedestrian curb extensions, and buffered bike lanes on McKinley Rd/N Ohio St from Wilson Blvd to 14th ST N. Project intends to reduce vehicle speed in the corridor, as well as to provide a safe and continuous pathway for bicylists and pedetrians. McKinley Elementary School is centrally located on the project Corridor; this project will provide safer access for students.

2. Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor Accessibility Improvements - Improvements to sidewalks and streets to remove obstructions that restrict access by persons with disabilities, per the 1990 ADA. Specific locations were identified in an 2012 TLC project.

There were two other projects in Fairfax County: a 3.1 mile bikeway connecting Fort Belvoir with FranconiaSpringfield Metrorail Station, with connections to the Fairfax County Parkway trail. Trail segments to include asphalt trail, Rail-Trail alignment, and on-road bike lanes; and rebuild a 1/2 mile section of Van Buren St. in Herndon to include bicycle and pedestrian improvements. But that's really FABB territory. 

Virginia's Transportation Alternatives for 2014

Virginia released its final list of federal Transportation Alternatives projects for FY 2014. Formerly known as Transportation Enhancements, the TA program is one source of bicycle infrastructure funding. Local projects of interest to cyclists include. Oddly there is nothing in Arlington or Alexandria.

• Fairfax County 
  • Continuation of a shared-use asphalt-paved trail along Gunston Road connecting the Pohick Bay Golf Course and the main entrance to Mason Neck State Park
  • Construction of a shared-use trail connecting the Occoquan Regional Park and the Laurel Hill Greenway. The proposed segment will be approximately 1850' in length with an 18' cross section, including a 10' shared use path, a 4' natural surface path and the appropriate clear zones for an ADA compliant shared use path.
• Town of Vienna - Pedestrian improvements at the station and W&OD trail crossing including sidewalks, curb ramps and crosswalks.
• Town of Haymarket - Streetscape improvements along Washington Street including 5-foot on-street bike lanes on both sides of Washington Street

Thursday Afternoon Commute - Guardian Angel

Good afternoon

• More MBT attack follow-up here. WABA's planning a safety walk. And those cameras DC installed? Almost entire for show.  It's clear we're going to need an Enforcement Droid* 209. 
• The complete history of road lanes and how cyclists got kicked out of them. Long, but good. "The UVC therefore gave bicyclists the superficial appearance of being drivers, but without the right to use travel lanes like drivers. Although a travel lane is intended for a single line of vehicles, bicyclists were told that they could not use travel lanes like real drivers. Bicyclists were told they had to ride at the right edge and if they strayed from the edge, they were doing so at their own peril. Bicyclists were now officially second-class road users."
• "Crashing without a helmet exposes the head to accelerations and forces – or loads - up to 9.5 times greater than with a helmet and so greatly increases the risk of head, skull and brain injury, according to a detailed biomechanical study published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention."
• Because only rich people live and work in Manhattan and Brooklyn and only poor people live in the other bouroughs, bikeshare is part of the dividing of people into haves and have nots leading to a dystopic future from out of a sci-fi novel. Or something. 
• Is it possible to create a cycling superhighway parallel to Route 50?
• Dockblocking makes people sad.

*Since George Lucas owns the word "Droid" I guess he makes money off the Robocop franchise?

Tuesday Afternoon Commute - Free High Fives

Good afternoon

• Support a trail connection between Carlin Springs Road and the W&OD Trail. 
• WABA is awarded an REI/Bikes Belong grant.
• A well-reasoned argument in support of expanding CaBi in Alexandria versus the one woman who opposes it. 
• I hate it when this happens.
• DC has installed 18 of the planned 54 CaBi expansion stations. 
• The new Bike to Work Day T-shirt. And Bike Month starts tomorrow.
• The Landmark Mall redevelopment in Alexandria isn't as friendly to cyclists and pedestrians as some might want. With Holmes Run Trail just north of the property, they're missing a real opportunity by not building a connection to it. A connection from the Trail alont Shirley Highway and the ramp to Walker street (with a small path to a bike parking facility at the Mall) seems like a no brainer. 
• Sigh..."The American Association of Neurological Surgeons reports that more sports-related head injuries in 2009 occurred on bicycles than on football, baseball, and softball fields combined." Which would be relevant if I knew how much time people spent on the activities. There are probably more gun deaths related to hunting accidents than to gunslinger elimination tournaments, but that doesn't tell me much about which is safer.  
• "A volunteer who often pedals more than 30 miles a day assisting hikers along a popular southwest Virginia trail is being recognized by the U.S. Forest Service."
• London's low-line.

Wednesday Evening Commute - Roof Access

I went to see Donald and Ivanka Trump talk at the Washington Post today. He's exactly the same in person (all superlatives, arrogant etc..) but less crazy and more charming. Ivanka might have a future in politics if she wants one. She's very good at staying on message.

• CaBi set a new one-day record - 9854 trips - yesterday. 
• Matt Johnson at GGW was almost hit by an unapologetic driver near the Greenbelt Metro. If only they had seen a street smart poster. 
• The hiker-biker trail at Huntley Meadows Park in Virginia will be closed soon and remain closed for the rest of the year to allow for construction. 
• Frederick has released the design for the East Street Rail with Trails
  • The proposed path would be begin at the Frederick MARC station, where bikes would share the road with cars. It is possible that the bikes on the road could be a traffic concern, Gammon said; however, traffic is so slow in that area that he did not think the shared lane would affect drivers.
  • The path would connect to secondary pedestrian trails at Fifth and Seventh streets, giving bikers an alternate route if they wanted to avoid biking with cars downtown.
  • At Fifth Street, where there is more space along the road, the trail will become a dedicated bike lane.
  • The design had several safety features including raised crosswalks and "bike boxes," which help bikers make left turns by putting them ahead of traffic at intersections.
  • The biggest safety feature would be a new bridge over Md. 26 at Clemson Corner.
• Preliminary results of the National Family Biking survey are in. 
• NYC Bike sharing installation ruffles feathers 
  • “Yeah, he’s really pissed off,” says Escobar. “The docks block our access to the roof that we need access to for our AC unit. We don’t have access to the roof from the inside, so we have to use a ladder, which is now going to have to go over the docking stations.”
  • “My main concern is garbage,” says Kolesnyk. “With more people comes more garbage. But I am green-oriented, so at the same time I think the bikes are a big advantage for New York City.” 

Monday Morning Commute - Launch Day

Good morning. If you aren't doing anything a little after 1:00pm today, you can watch my satellite launch over on NASA TV.  Blogging might be light for awhile. 

• See, even without the three foot law it's hard to pass without inadvertently crossing the yellow line.
• Developers broke ground on Fenwick Station in Silver Spring. The building will back up to the future Capital Crescent Trail extension (should the Purple Line ever be funded) and will include a Capital Bikeshare station. Until the Purple Line work ends, it will also include a temporary walking and biking trail that will ultimately connect to the planned Capital Crescent Trail.
• The Cafritz-Riverdale Park-Trolley Trail project continues to make changes. 
• Stop by the public hearing for Washington Boulevard bridge over Jefferson Davis Highway rehab project between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 13 at the VDOT Arlington Area Headquarters, 1426 Columbia Pike in Arlington.
• FABB's Bruce Wright responds to the LTTE complaining about DC's new priority on safe streets that provide space for everyone. 
• The Broadneck Trail's first phase will be delayed until summer because of utility relocation problems.
• Tales from the Sharrow's Brian McEntee has a family history with bicycling. 
• A discussion of police enforcement of events they didn't see. 
• Update on progress of bike-safety bills in Virginia. 
• CaBi serves as an example of how going big can often succeed where going small (SmartBike) did not. [Lesson for high speed rail?]
• Part of Chris Dorner's rambling manifesto: "Cyclist, I have no problem sharing the road with you. But, at least go the fucking speed limit posted or get off the road!!! That is a feasible request. Livestrong you fraudulent assholes."
• Wisoncon Avenue's road diet was meant to slow down traffic, which it did, and now people are unhappy. Is it easier to bike?
• Pedicabs in Reston.

Wednesday Afternoon Commute - "Iron"y

Good afternoon

• Barbara Favola's SB959 bill, that would allow local jurisdictions to put stop signs on trails at highway intersections, passed out of the House Transportation Subcommittee #2 this morning.
• A non-scientific poll to see who will use Capital Bikeshare in Bethesda. 
• The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors endorsed three major trail project funding applications that will be submitted to VDOT for Transportation Alternatives funding. 
• After trying to get the sidepath off the Wilson Bridge improved, a cyclist was hit by a car on the actual facility he was concerned about. 
• Expect more cyclists. Americans are spending more on gasoline than they have since the early 80's.
• New Bicycling move (sort of) - Walk of Shame. 

Thursday Morning Commute - Topless

Good evening

• Maybe I'm getting too close to DDOT, but I think this article (and especially it's headline) is a little over the top. The gist is that some lights on the MBT are not working. This is bad and DDOT should be working to resolve this. And it sounds like they are. " There are, again, more lights out and we have submitted this information to the company", Heather Deutsch (who manages these things) reports. She concedes that they are having trouble with their vendor. This is unfortunate, but not entirely DDOT's fault. At some point they might have to sue, which would also be unfortunate. It sounds like this was an experiment that didn't work out. That will happen and the alternative is no more experimenting, which isn't really good either. As for temporary lights under the bridge - I think that was found to be pretty expensive (there's not a good electricity source there and it would be constantly getting in the way of the bridge work). Cyclists should have headlights - even on lit trails. I'm all for lighting trails as I think it invites night time use, and improves safety (though as I read it, not security) and I think the District needs to find a near and longterm solution to this problem, but going after someone for response on Facebook - without following up with them - is a bit unfair. And the claim that DDOT said riders were on their own is completely false. She said that DDOT is working with the vendors, but if you want to do more than alert DDOT about something they already know about and are already trying to fix, you can contact the vendor. That's different.
• The DC Velodrome is dead because of real estate issues. "The site at Buzzard’s Point was a problem from the start First, it took forever to get a lease signed. Then along the way we found out they wanted rent of $30,000, which we didn’t have. The parking area we had been promised became subject to additional rent payments," explained David Butterworth, a driving force behind the velodrome." It's a crying shame they can't just set this up in the RFK parking lot. 
• Grace Episcopal Church in Georgetown is upset that 3 parking spaces in front of their church were removed for a CaBi station, but Topher at Georgetown Metropolitan points out that the CaBi station serves 171 trips a day and that it's unlikely that three parking space match that. 
• Bicycling is on the agenda Monday at DC's Environment, Public Works and Transportation Committe hearing at 11am. Agenda: Bicycle infrastructure, pedestrian and bicycle safety. (Of Course on Wednesday you can stick around to talk about Topless Bars, if that's something you're more interested in). Update: the bicycle hearing has been postponed.
• The Springfield Mall is being redeveloped and part of that project includes "improved pedestrian and bicycle connections to the Franconia-Springfield Metro and Virginia Railway Express station."  A trail system centered at the Metro station could follow the railroad south to Newington, east from there along the abandoned railroad to Ft. Belvoir and then to many locations following the power lines in the area. And from Springfiled Mall it's not far to Lake Accontik which has trails too.
• Towson to get a loop of bike lanes and sharrows. 
• Ghost bike erected in Fairfax County.
• Electric bikes are good and cyclists and pedestrians spend more money shopping. 

Thursday Morning Commute - That is low

Good morning

• Well said. 
• An $8,000 tricycle handmade for a boy dealing with Prader-Willi Syndrome, a rare disease that limits muscle tone and causes rapid weight gain, was stolen. A Dundalk, MD bike shop put it up for sale on Craigslist and someone recognized. As a result, police have charged a Hagerstown man with theft and malicious destruction of property and the bike has been returned.
• The driver who plowed into Jodi Grant is still at large. Montgomery County police are investigating and would certainly like to talk with this person--and any witnesses.
• See this is how you report it. "The life of an 8-year-old boy on a bicycle may have been saved by his bike helmet, according to Fairfax County Police." Is that so hard?
• Tobacco Heritage Trail adds 2.8 miles.