TheWashCycle

From the Archives: Christmas Velocipedes in the White House

From a December 24, 1922 paper comes this article on the history of Christmas in the White House, which includes reference to early cycling in the White House itself by the sons of James Garfield.  

And this photo of Archie Roosevelt on his bike. 

Open Thread: Bike to the Polls 2016 (Virginia)

I forgot to open a thread, which I'm doing now, about today's Presidential Primaries in Virginia. If you have any opinions on the pro- or anti- bicycle positions of the various candidates. This is your chance to share them. Here are some interesting facts about some of the candidates

Trump once sponsored a bike race called, of course, the Tour de Trump. 

Ted Cruz gave an interview in 1988 while on a bicycle.

Hillary Clinton attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Metropolitan Branch Trail.

Bernie Sanders played a roll in building the Burlington Bike Path.

There you go. All you need to know to vote now.

Wednesday Afternoon Commute - Bike away from the Nazis or up the Big Stink

Good afternoon

• The Assembly is orgainizing a ride up the big hill by the trash transfer center that is part of the interim Metropolitan Branch Trail as a way to draw attention to the stalled MBT. "The hill is a symbol of the stalled progress in building the Metropolitan Branch Trail which when ultimately completed, will provide a smooth at-grade connection between Silver Spring and the National Mall. "
• Maryland bike symposium was today. 
• More John Kerry bicycle stories "And literally on the last day as the Germans were marching into Paris, my mother got on a bicycle with her sister and a couple of friends and biked out of Paris and forged her way across France, got to Portugal, where she got help to get on a ship to come back to America."

Sunday Video: Obama in the bike lane

Tuesday Afternoon Commute - Stunts

Tough day for biking out there, but then, it sounds like it was no picnic driving either.

• This is no knock on Obama, but most of the progress in the region's bike-friendliness and mode-share uptick would have likely occurred under McCain. Unless...you think that the McCain administration would have denied Arlington/DC's use of CMAQ funding to pay for Capital Bikeshare. Biking in the area boomed during the Bush years too. 
• More from State Sen. Wagner on the anti-dooring law "It's establishing you're guilty for opening your car door whether you're guilty or not." No, that's not how the law work. If you fail to use due care, then it does kind of establish that you're guilty. But of course, a court will decide what is due care - and thus guilt. It is, however, correct to say that the current law establishes that you're not guilty, whether you're guilty or not - since opening a car door into someone without looking isn't a crime.
• Salisbury, MD has agreed to let mountain bikers maintain park trails. "The trails would not be what people imagine for mountain biking or stunts." This follows the passing of a bike lane ordinance last summer. 
• This is a surprisingly good article on the quiet car initiative conclusions. 
• A doctor who, in an act of civil disobedience, tried to block the removal of a bike lane was sentenced to community service. He'll be doing it with Cycle Toronto. 

Monday Afternoon Commute - Freezeframe

Good afternoon

• How much you want to bet they had a "This bike is a pipe bomb" sticker on their bike. 
• Arlington County's Board will likely vote to connect the Four Mile Run Trail's north side to Potomac Avenue, where now a rough, steep, dirt path exists. 
• Cyclists adding cameras to their bikes to act as "black boxes".
• More ideas for mixing bikes with streetcars. 

Saturday Afternoon Ride - Priority

Good afternoon

• Alexandria City Transportation Commission Chairman Kevin Posey says the Complete Streets initiative must be treated as a top priority and never as an afterthought.
• Street Smart Fall Campaign starts. And the focus is on lights ""If you are a cyclist, here are some tips for riding in traffic.  Michael Farrell, from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) says that the biggest danger for cyclists and pedestrians this fall season is the same: they are not visible in the dark, “there are too many bicycles out there without lights or even reflectors.”  It is important that all bicycles are equipped with reflectors and that all cyclists have lights if they are planning to ride at night."
• NYC's bikesharing may be delayed again. This time by Sandy related flooding. "The city’s Transportation Department would not describe or detail the extent of the damage; officials released a brief statement on Tuesday saying the agency was “making an assessment” and would provide updates if the program’s rollout might be affected.
• Streestblog has a poll on who the new Sec DOT should be. At this point JSK is winning. 

Monday Afternoon Commute - Nixon

Good afternoon

• Photos of Presidents and candidates on bicycles. 
• Some west coast gas stations are presenting themselves as green gas stations and including bike stations with tools, a stand and air.
• Professional cyclist and 5-time Olympian George Hincapie will retire after the 2012 season. He will likely retire as the only cyclist to complete 17 Tour de France races. 

Friday Morning Commute - Hubbard

Good morning

• Ward 5 D.C. Council candidate Drew Hubbard, running in the May 15 special election: "Our residents should be able to walk or to bike to wherever they want to go in the ward."
• Tommy Wells wonders if Mayor Gray's sustainability program will get the funding it needs since a program to fight bike theft can't get $50,000 transferred from DDOT to MPD. "The executive branch has been unable to give $50,000 from DDOT to MPD, so there is no bait bike program starting this spring because they can't do it," Wells says. 
• A cyclist was hit in the Pennsylvania Avenue cycletrack yesterday by a car making an illegal U-turn. The cyclist was taken to the hospital and the driver was ticketed. 
• The CaBi station at 16th & U St NW has been relocated 1 block south to New Hampshire & T St NW & expanded by 8 docks. 
• DDOT is starting the process of replacing the 60 year old 27th Street Bridge over Broad Branch. The new bridge will have a sidewalk and maybe a bike lane. There was a meeting last night (sorry) about it. 
• More images of the new bridge across Four Mile Run near East Falls Church. 
• FABB is organizing a ride to Udvar-Hazy to see Space Shuttel Discovery. 
• A study aims to answer the question Why don't more women serve on Bicycle Advisory Committees. "several aspects related to these particular committees might be unappealing to women, including the steep learning curve for new members, the high proportion of male members, and male members' unsupportive behavior, their tendency to dominate the floor, and their likelihood of having a technical background...the top five barriers identified by the women included lack of time, lack of qualifications, lack of specific information about the committee, family and household responsibilities, and lack of interest in politics. A number of survey respondents explicitly named the male-dominated nature of their local committee as a barrier to their involvement."
• Recollections on John Edward's bike ride with Lance Armstrong at the 2008 RAGBRAI. "Eventually, Armstrong dropped Edwards, apparently frustrated by the slow pace..."

Wednesday Morning Ride - 'It's Too Late' is a better song

So what did I miss while I was gone? If you used your own bike to commute yesterday, I'm guessing you were happier about that decision than usual. As I drove slowly (barely) across the 14th Street Bridge, I saw people walking the other way, and they were not on the bike/ped path.

• Everything is coming together as the UN planned it. “As you look at companies looking to recruit, you tend to see that shift to an urbanized setting where it’s mixed use,” said Jay Farmer, vice president of Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. “They want a place where they can go and have breakfast and walk or ride their bike to work.”
• If Secret Service tells/told you to move out of the cycletrack and ride into oncoming traffic on the far side on 15th, let WABA know: [email protected]
• DCist does some actual reporting on the MLK memorial and bikes. While the fact sheet for DC Residents day says no bikes allowed, even if walked, NPS will allow them when they take over management of the site. Still, there probably will not be a bike valet for the dedication and I've heard nothing from CaBi about a Capital Bikeshare corral.
• What the first day of school looks like in a bike-friendly neighborhood.
• Velomobile ride in Northern Virginia
• Frederick, MD is putting together a 10-mile, 21-point bicycle tour.
• The slow, gradual process of building a 27 mile rail trail across several towns in Massachusetts.
• As expected, the Obamas went on a bike ride.
• The FTA has expanded the range of bike and ped projects that provide access to transit. From 1500 feet to 1/2 mile for pedestrian projects and 3 miles for bike ones.
• A cyclist riding in an Arkansas charity ride was hit from behind and killed by a driver who then left the scene.
• This case is really about insurance, if you're interested.

If Secret Service tells/told you to move out of the cycletrack and ride into oncoming traffic on the far side on 15th, let us know: [email protected]