TheWashCycle

WABA's oversight hearing testimony

The DC Council has been holding its annual oversight hearings for the District's departments, agencies, councils and other organizations, and WABA has been going to select meeting to testify.

At the DPW oversight hearing they focused on parking in bike lanes and DPR's role in enforcement of parking. 

This is a problem with parking enforcement priorities. DPW is listed as a supporting agency in the Vision Zero Action Plan strategy to protect vulnerable users through “enhanced enforcement that focuses on . . . parking in [or] blocking bike lanes.” A central tenet of Vision Zero is that agencies prioritize safety over convenience. In general, the DPW enforcement data demonstrates a pervasive failure to do so. For example: combined tickets for blocking a bike lane, blocking a fire hydrant, or blocking a bus stop, all of which put people in actual danger, numbered just over 20,000 or 2.8% of total tickets. The District issued three times as many (or more than 60,000) tickets for residential parking permit violations, which are important, but ultimately a matter of convenience rather than safety.

WABA members have also reported a different barrier to effective bike lane parking enforcement: Currently, the city’s 311 system doesn’t have a clear way for residents to report blocked bike lanes.

At the DPR hearing they were interested in ways they can work with DPR to provide more bicycle programming and education.

In the past year, we have made numerous attempts to connect with DPR leadership at multiple levels, applied to their community partnership program, and offered to train their staff. We have received mixed messages at best, outright denials at worst. Truly, it should not be so difficult to connect the people of DC with services and opportunities they clearly want

And at the DDOT hearing they focused on "the agency’s progress on ensuring safe accommodations for bicyclists through construction work zones, and the pace at which bike infrastructure and other multi-modal safety projects are being implemented."  WABA raised concerns with how permits are issued and how they're enforced, damningly noting that

In the past year, a single dedicated WABA member has reported to the public space office nearly one hundred safe accommodation violations along his commute. This individual’s near daily documentation of violations, more than anything, has revealed the shortcomings of the public space office’s ability to take in complaints, rapidly respond to those complaints, or create a process for ensuring that permit violators are in compliance before they are allowed to resume work.

and, or course, about the pace

The 2014 Move DC two year action plan called for 15 miles of new on-street bicycle infrastructure. We are nowhere close to that pace, and never have been, as we point out every year.

They note that the Florida Avenue project seems to prioritize moving cars, that the Rhode Island project doesn't adequately address bicycling in the corridor, and that the East Capitol Street Bridge rehab will "move forward with the same substandard sidewalk which is stressful and dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists", etc... Basically, everything is behind schedule or off the pace of plans and this is pretty much how it has been for 15 years. Either there is a problem in goal setting or in 

we need a transportation agency that is clear about its goals and meeting them. We understand the projects are getting harder, require extensive public outreach and lengthy planning. This underscores the need for deeper buy-in and contribution from the full agency, and a powerful vision and approach that can galvanize citizen support for these projects

Meanwhile, the BAC testified at the MPD oversight hearing, bringing up issues of MPD involvement in the BAC, enforcement with respect to dangerous and distracted driving and bicycle theft.

Every year there are hundreds of reports of stolen bicycles and, since a 2014 study put the report rate at 35%, likely thousands more that are stolen and not reported. The same study found that about half of all cyclists will have a bicycle stolen in the next 10 years. So this is a serious problem and the BAC is interested in seeing more robust reporting of bicycle theft statistics, numbers which are hard or, in some cases impossible, to find. The recent Bicycle and Pedestrian safety bill had several provisions on reporting violation, crash, injury and fatality data on the premise that such reporting could shed a light on both problems and solutions. We believe the same is true of theft, and that reporting the numbers of bikes stolen, the number recovered and the clearance rate would serve the same utility. We’d like to know more about what MPD is doing to prevent bicycle theft and to recover and return stolen bikes.

From the Archives: The 1975 DC Bicycle Plan

The first modern bicycle plan for the District of Columbia, "Bicycle transportation plan and program for the District of Columbia",  was written in 1975 (and then revised in 1976 and 1978, I believe) and I feel like I've seen a copy of it, but can't find one online. It had a lot of ambition for the time, but when Jim Sebastian was hired over 15 years ago, the plan was described as "in a drawer for a quarter of a century."

The 1975 plan proposed 75 miles of "bicycle pathways" to existing routes in the District. The 75 miles was to form a continuous citywide system of about 170 miles and cost a little over a million dollars at the time.  The 75 miles would consist of

• 17 miles of exclusive bikeway out of the roadway (MUTs?)
• 22 miles in lanes reserved from motor vehicles either by a physical barrier or by lane markings and signs. (so, bike lanes)
• 35 miles of  signed bike routes

According to a phone survey of residents done in 1974 in preparation of the bike plan, approximately one-fourth of the city's residents owned and used bicycles.

The survey showed that approximately 60 percent of bicycle use is for purposeful trips; 40 percent is recreational. Estimates derived from the survey indicate that 14,000 accidents and 13,700 bicycle thefts occurred in the year preceding the survey.

Both the number of "accidents" and thefts seem very high. 

From the archives - Cubicles that contain bike wheels as well as fax machines

With this week's death at the Capital Crescent Trail's Crosswalk, today's From the Archives, featuring a 1999 interview with then WABA executive director Ellen Jones (now Director of Infrastructure & Sustainability at the DowntownDC BID) is somewhat timely.

Arlington: My topic of conversation is near and dear to every bicyclist's heart: Stop Signs on bike paths...I know why the signs are there, and I admit that I feel a twinge of conscience whenever I simply slow down, see if a car is coming, and then blow through it -- but I still do....You're thoughts?

Jones: Safety involves cyclists, motorists and, on trails, all the other users of the trail.

Yes, there should be warning signs for motorists and trail users at intersections with trails.

Also timely is the intro on WABA's (failed) effort to close part of Beach Drive to motor vehicle traffic.

Bicyclists, runners, gardeners, equestrians, and all types of Rock Creek Park lovers are urging the National Park Service and the government of the District of Columbia to conduct a test weekday closure of the section of the Park (Beach Drive north of Brandywine) that is currently closed on weekends. This will help the decision-makers to find out what effect, if any, such a permanent closure would have on the surrounding neighborhoods, general traffic flow and the quality of the Park experience. You can help by urging Mayor Williams and Rock Creek Park Superintendent Adriene Coleman to conduct this test.

That never happened, but with the reconstruction of Beach Drive this year, it will; and for much longer than one day. 

This question made me chuckle a little

Do you think stuffy workaday Washington is ready for cubicles that contain bike wheels as well as fax machines?

If only because you're much more likely to find a bike, and less likely to find a fax machine.

Interestingly, WABA's position on bicycle helmet laws seems much more accepting of them then than now; which is more interesting since a ~2008 photo on the cover of the Post of Jones without a helmet elicited some angry letters about how unsafe it was and how irresponsible the Post was being. But, of course, WABA is still the "parent organization" of the pro bicycle helmet law Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute. 

Jones: The main benefit of helmet laws is the educational effect that such a law has in a community.

She discusses the first purchase by MPD of 400 bicycles and Metro's then-recent decision to allow cyclists on trains outside of rush hour, without permits. And how to lock up to one of Metro's old bike racks.

bike racks at Metro stations are designed to be used with a padlock. If you can manuver your bike into one of those racks (not all bikes can be) using a padlock on the metal tongue located in the metal basket makes your bike almost impossible to steal.

And there is a question about bicycle commuter benefits about 9 years before they became a thing. 

If you are a Federal employee the funds that your agency makes available for Metrocheck can be used to improve bicycle conditions at your worksite - parking, showers, lockers. The Federal Employee's Clean Air Incentives Act is a pretty straigtforward piece of legislation that spells this out.

There's this...

Ellen, please tell us about progress on the Metropolitan Branch Trail. When will it be completed?

Great question.

And this...

There is good news on Route 1. The Maryland State Highway Department has agreed to accommodate bicyclists on this important road. Accommodation will probably be a striped wider shoulder.

Sigh.

But I have no idea what the question about the Mt. Vernon ramps is about.

This is a pretty funny exchange

Bethesda: Ellen, do you feel that it is dangerous for me to ride my unicycle along 495 in the morning on the shoulder?

Jones: I think it could eliminate your commute altogether.

There are some usual question about scofflaw cyclists - though this are focused on couriers (ah, the olden days) - and sidewalk cycling. And from a cyclist who rides in the road only to have drivers yell at him to "ride on the path!". I'm glad that doesn't happen anymore. Also about bike racks on the Mall.

And Bob Levey makes a great prediction:

More and more people are sicker and sicker of gridlock. They will try commuting by bike, and by the thousands, they will grow to love it.

From the Archives: How a police shooting led to bicycle registration in DC

In 1971, there was, it seems, a surge in bicycle thefts in Washington, DC with nearly 2,000 bicycles stolen. As a response, the police department began a bait bike program to try to break up the "ring" of bike thefts. On August 11, 16-year-old Gregory James Coleman came across an unlocked, parked 10-speed bike. He got on and started to ride away, until he was shot in the back by a plains clothes police officer. Police Chief Jerry V. Wilson found himself in political jeopardy, with 22 black organizations demanding that President Nixon fire him (because at that time the D.C. Chief of Police was a presidential appointment). Nixon didn't fire him, but Wilson did end the bicycle stakeouts. 

1971 was the same year the DC Council passed a law replacing mandatory bicycle registration with a voluntary program. That is the same law that made sidewalk cycling legal outside the Central Business District.

The provision permitting 'bikes on sidewalks outside of business districts will be of limited value until the city provides curb ramps, which would be highly desirable not only for bicyclists, but for baby carriages, shopping carts and wheelchairs as well.

The following year registration would be mandatory again, in part due to the shooting. Crime was still a problem. The newly formed WABA wanted the city "to require office building owners to either provide parking for bikes or allow that they be taken into elevators and offices" something it seemed the Council was ready to do.

When that was published the Building Owners and Managers Association went through the roof. So nothing happened on that until the WABA petitions forced hearings [on bicycle theft problems in the District].

The city had mandatory registration for a number of years, complete with a police bike squad. About '5000 bikes were registered out of 100,000 or so estimated to be in the city.

It appears that the city took the path of reinstating mandatory registration and not requiring bike parking. Mandatory registration would remain on the books until 2008, and zoning rules requiring bike parking would come later. Those regulations were updated this year - requiring more parking.

The shooting also led to the formation of the Coalition of Black Community Organizations for Justice. It's all too familiar considering we're still dealing with some of the same issues today as similar shootings have led to the Black Lives Matter movement. In the 1971 shooting the officer, who was black, claimed that the gun went off by accident due to him using the wrong holster. I don't know if he was ever charged or convicted. 

MPD now posting photos of recovered bicycles on flickr

In what one can only view as a really good development, MPD has begun posting photos of recovered bicycles online. It appears this is a somewhat recent development, but it's a definite step up from the old "system."

This is one step towards treating bike theft with the seriousness that it deserves, but there is more they could do. (this was #2 on my list from way back in 2009). To refine that list a a bit:

1. Every bike that is reported stolen should be listed on the national Stolen Bike Registry. Either MPD should do this as part of the reporting process or they should strongly encourage the person reporting to do so.

2. The serial numbers of every recovered bike (by MPD, DDOT, DPW, WMATA etc...) should be checked against the national bike registries (including stolen Bike Registries) to see if they've been reported or registered. I've been told this is part of the process, but I'm not confident that is true

3. They should link their stolen bike photo site with those of neighbors like Arlington, and they should make them searchable by serial number. In fact, this could eventually be built into a National system.

4. If they fail to return a bike in steps two and three in a reasonable time, the serial number should be recorded in a search-able online database along with the eventual fate of that bike. If the bike was auctioned, the owner should be able to receive the money it earned (less a possible fee). If it was donated, the owner should be able to get a receipt for tax purposes. If it was scrapped, maybe the owner should be able to grab another bike (or what is left of it) that is scheduled to be scrapped.

5. MPD and DDOT should annually report on stolen bikes. They could report the number and value of bikes stolen and locations, bikes recovered, bikes returned, arrests, convictions, number of bikes auctioned, number donated and number scrapped - along with the registries used that year. I don't even know which ones they use (though I'm pretty sure the fee-based National Bike Registry is one of them). The report could also include photos of the bike. What is measured matters. I think once people understood the scope of the problem it would get more attention.

6. Y'know, do more to arrest bike thieves. It seems like a daily occurrence that bikes are stolen off of front porches, why not an occasional sting operation? More bait bike use. Troll craigslist for stolen bikes, etc...

Stolen Bike Alert

My bike was stolen from my car last night. It's a cream colored Binachi Brava with green bar tape, an Arlington themed bike bell and a bike lock attached to the center stem. If you see it please let me know. Thanks. I can't seem to find a photo of it.

Wednesday Morning Commute - BP

Good morning

• The BP Oil Spill inspired one local resident to start biking everywhere."You know, I never anticipated the payoff in, like, mood regulation," Wohler says. "I'm so happy all the time. You know, the thinking like, 'It's 4 o'clock, I'm going to be stuck in traffic, I wanted to go to the gym...' I don't have any of that."
• Arlington's Kidical Mass ride is this Sunday
• Cyclist sets up sting to catch bike theif. Not sure if he did. But he did recover his stolen bike. [While I'm not sure this guy stole the bike, even if you believe his story he HAD to strongly suspect it was stolen - or how did the crackhead get a $4000 bike? That's only one rung below stealing. Feeding the beast.] Also, beagels. 

Tuesday Morning Commute - So much to say

Good morning. Too busy to read this. But if you want to summarize it for others, the comments are open. 

• According to DDOT, there will be no hooks or racks on DC streetcars, but cyclists will be able to bring their bikes onboard. Unfortunately their policy will mirror WMATA’s for bikes on the Metrorail, which will probably mean a rush hour ban.
• DC wants to narrow roads and add a bike trail. VA and MD, less so. 
• InTowner wonders about the Council's desire to ban smoking near trails (sorry smoking bicyclists). Also asks "Having voted to penalize operators of motor vehicles for failing to yield to cyclists, why was there no provision for penalizing cyclists for failing to yield to pedestrians both on sidewalks and in crosswalks in the streets?" The answer is a bit of what they say later - this isn't a very big problem - but also that they have the law wrong. Both failures to yield are already illegal and carry penalties. DC is increasing the fine for hitting a cyclist with a car and adding points. Maybe the fine for cyclists hitting pedestrians needs to be increased, but we don't give points on a driver's license for non-driving activity.
• "A boy riding a bicycle was hit by a car and critically injured Sunday evening in the Bowie area of Prince George’s County....Preliminary investigation indicated that the driver was unaware of the boy who was trying to cross the street,"
• "The Madison Manor Bike Club will host the second annual “Phoenix Rising” celebration in support of Phoenix Bikes on Saturday, July 20 from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Dominion Hills Pool clubhouse, 6000 Wilson Blvd."
• "A fan on her way to a Dave Matthews concert pulled over to help a stranded bicyclist, who turned out to be none other than the singer himself."
• "A few years ago, What Would You Do?, an ABC-TV hidden-camera show, set up a situation where two actors posed as bike thieves in a public park, using bolt cutters and hack saws to cut a bike chain. The results were instructive. Over the course of an hour, a hundred people passed the white “thief” by with barely a glance. The black one had hardly gotten to work before a crowd of whites gathered around him, interrogating him, lecturing him, calling 911, even shooting cell phone video." [OT: Listening to Zimmerman's brother yesterday morning fret that someone might take the law into their own hands and behave like a vigilante - without a hint of irony - was a bit surreal]

Monday Afternoon Commute - Orme

Good afternoon

• Why Metro wants to encourage more users to bike "64% of parking customers come from less than five miles away, and 47% come from less than three miles away." At stations where parking is tight, perhaps performance parking could help with that. 
• A rundown of Arlington bicycle shops. 
• Latest on Veitch bike lane. Also, appears there will be a bike box at Lee Highway
• Many new CaBi stations in Arlington. At Arlington at S Stafford & 34th St S,  N Pershing Dr & Wayne St in Arlington, S George Mason Dr & 13th St S, S George Mason & Four Mile Run Dr and Columbia Pike & S. Orme St. And another one moved across the street. 
• Bike thief caught on video stealing 3 bikes, seems unfazed.
• "Virginia Beach officials are considering allowing bicycle riding on the city’s beaches."
• AAA expanding into bicycle service.

Monday Afternoon Commute - leveraged attack

I've been doing a lot more night biking now that the weather is nice. On Saturday I rode U Street and up to Adams Morgan. It's been so long since I went out there on a Saturday night that I felt like I was visiting a city I used to live in.

• Anecdotally at least, bike thefts are up. Tips to avoid it. 
• More buildings in DC will come with no parking, and they're relying on cycling to make it work. "Douglas Development is planning to set every resident up with a one-year subscription to Capital Bikeshare, a one-year subscription to Zipcar, and a $50 Metro card."
• Montgomery County bikeshare meetings.
• One reader argues that every cyclist should wear a helmet. 
• Third Washington D.C. Bloomsday Ride on Friday June 14th.
• Pedestrian and Cyclist Peace Treaty