If they were on the drawings, bill the contractor for the replacement cost.

by Oliver on May 18, 2010 10:16 am • link • report

I was just about to say that. It's in the construction documents - make the contractor replacement them at their expense.

by Matt on May 18, 2010 10:20 am • link • report

Yeah, that is a no-brainer. If the specification was clear and the contractor provided something else it's their burden. On the other hand, if the contractor asked someone on the client side if they could use this particular grate, and it got approved, that's a different kettle of fish.

by Lou on May 18, 2010 10:22 am • link • report

I'm all for making sure streetcar (and all other) infrastructure is bike-friendly, and totally agree that these grates should be fixed, but could we not use rhetoric like the first sentence here that implies streetcars and bikes are enemies? We all know they live comfortably together in cities all over Europe. Let's not give opponents more ammunition.

by BeyondDC on May 18, 2010 10:32 am • link • report

Beyond DC, you're too sensitive. Should the first sentence read, "street car and railway tracks, which provide an opportunity for cyclists to intimately inspect the pavement while shedding dry skin that can make a cyclist appear older than they are, newly installed tracks..."

by mtp on May 18, 2010 11:07 am • link • report

Once this is fixed, you'll still find yourself on the ground when crossing the tracks... its just how it is. try to cross at less than a 45 degree angle (closer to perpendicular than that). this sort of thing is stunning.

by Allan on May 18, 2010 11:32 am • link • report

This shows the importance of having people who use multiple modes of transportation in designing and constructing projects. This is something car centric people don't think about.

by Other Fritz on May 18, 2010 11:36 am • link • report

That first paragraph is a reminder of why I use my God-given feet and government-given Metro pass to travel. Rubber wheels in all forms are the devil's tools. ;)

by tom veil on May 18, 2010 11:38 am • link • report

Odd that I suddenly seem to have a split personality. My view: This is just the beginning of the fubars related to the streetcar program.

by Fritz on May 18, 2010 11:40 am • link • report

@Fritz
I once saw a cyclist ejected from his cycle when his front wheel became wedged in a bridge joint on a street passing over a freeway. And you know, I happened to think just then, "yet one more fubar situation created by the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System."

Oh, and I am also against stormwater drainage for the same reason. Since that water has to go into pipes, and since grates can make cyclists fall over, it represents a program that is a waste of taxpayer dollars, a typical government bureaucrat snafu that should be removed immediately.

And while I'm thinking of it, since snowplows, snow, and large vehicles can cause potholes, which can and have killed cyclists, we should ban those three things too.

See? I can make outrageous connections too.

The answer to keeping grates from harming cyclists is not to cancel the streetcar (or stormwater) program, but to install the correct type of grate. Streetcars will *help* cyclists far more than they hurt them.

They will make sustainable transportation more popular, will calm traffic, and will foster a better urban fabric. It is no coincidence that the city which is arguably America's most bike-friendly - Portland - is also the one that introduced America to the modern streetcar.

by Matt Johnson on May 18, 2010 11:48 am • link • report

@Matt: Let me make clear -- The Fritz at 11:40 am is me; the Fritz at 11:36 am is not me.

by Fritz on May 18, 2010 11:54 am • link • report

I've updated the name on that other Fritz's comment to Other Fritz. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but I ask everyone to please avoid using the same name as other commenters. It's nice that we don't have to require people to sign up for an account and all that, which would enforce uniqueness but also be complex and annoying.

by David Alpert on May 18, 2010 11:57 am • link • report

@Fritz
Let me be clear. My last post was in reference to whichever "Fritz" made the comment at 11:40.

by Matt Johnson on May 18, 2010 11:57 am • link • report

Relatively speaking, grates with openings parallel to bicycle tires are a less important safety concern than streetcar tracks themselves. Grates can be easily and cheaply corrected so that bicycle wheels will not get caught in them. Streetcar tracks on shared roadways will assuredly cause many severe injuries to bicyclists as their wheels get caught in them. This has already been the experience in Portland, Oregon, the US city that has the highest concentration of streetcar lines and bicyclists combined.

In many, but not all, european cities, streetcars have a dedicated right-of-way. Where there are dedicated rights-of-way, there is very little opportunity for bicyclists to get their wheels stuck in tracks. Track crossings tend to occur at 90 degree or close to 90 degree angles. When streetcars share the roadway with other vehicles (like cars, trucks, parked vehicles, and bicycles) many bicyclists will suffer severe injuries and damage to their equipment.

The narrower the roadway, the more accidents to bicyclists as they seek to avoid streetcar tracks, opening car doors, turning vehicles, double-parked vehicles, passengers entering and exiting streetcars, motor vehicles leaving or entering parking spaces, and typical adverse road conditions, like glass, puddles and potholes.

This is a serious problem that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

by DC Cyclist on May 18, 2010 11:59 am • link • report

@Matt: Also, how many of the multi-million streetcar contracts have been submitted for Council review and approval? And what's the long-term funding and appropriations plan for the streetcars? And have we settled whether the city has the authority to ignore/repeal the Congressional statute regarding overhead wires? How many fiscal impact studies has the CFO's office done on DDOT's program?

All I'm saying is that as the months roll on by, we're going to be seeing more and more fun facts on how the streetcar program was developed and has been executed.

Now, if you're like Tommy Tax Wells, you'll argue that somebody like Phil Mendelson is trying to "kill" the streetcar program because he's raising inconvenient truths that the program hasn't followed all the applicable city laws and regulations on development and procurement.

But then again, if Tommy Tax Wells would spend half as much time focusing his attention on DYRS and other human services agencies under his oversight that are a mess as he does coming up with more half-baked ideas, the city would be far better off.

But I digress.

by Fritz on May 18, 2010 12:01 pm • link • report

Too many Fritzes! I'm another Fritz, though I always post under another name.

To all my friends who read this blog. Fritz and Other Fritz are not me!

by Another Fritz on May 18, 2010 12:31 pm • link • report

Matt, I think Fritz comment was more suggesting that we'll start to see a lot more similar gaffs on the part of DDOT and their contractors as this thing rolls out.

by michael on May 18, 2010 12:46 pm • link • report

another DD'ohT: The streets around the convention center. Those long metal whatever-they-are + my 5 am bike commute have completely destroyed my face/bike on more than one occasion.

View Larger Map

by JTS on May 18, 2010 2:45 pm • link • report

@JTS:
They're expansion joints. The street there is above parts of the Convention Center.

by Matt Johnson on May 18, 2010 2:46 pm • link • report

Cyclists are expendable. Especially 23-year old ones who get their tires stuck in streetcar tracks.

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO139482/

BOSTON -- Police say an MBTA bus hit and killed a man on a bike on Wednesday afternoon.

It happened around 6 p.m. on Huntington Avenue.

Witnesses said the 23-year-old bicyclist was stuck in the streetcar tracks.

“This guy was pretty much trying to get his way out of the tracks as all the bikers down here are... I don’t think he could pull out in time and the bus coming around the corner by that time, it was too late,” said witness Joe Leary.

Police would not elaborate, but they said the man came into contact with the left rear of the bus and was not hit head-on.

“When the officers arrived, they found a male that had been struck or came in contact with a bus and...As a result the male was pronounced dead,” said Boston Police Superintendent Rafael Ruiz.

The scene suspended E-line service on the Green Line as investigators took pictures and statements.

The bus driver is a 29-year-old with no previous violations.

by crin on May 18, 2010 2:48 pm • link • report

well whatever they are, they are dangerous. If expansion joints needed to be so wide that they could engulf a car wheel, a solution would be devised to prevent that from happening. that's my point.

by JTS on May 18, 2010 2:57 pm • link • report

The grates and street tracks are even more dangerous at night... and rain and snow can totally disguise the danger until it's too late. The grates can be adjusted to be less dangerous (and who's the idiot who ordered the dangerous type?!), but streetcar tracks are inherently dangerous when on a shared surface. Hopefully the overhead lines will serve as a warning to cyclists. I wish there were some simple solution for keeping cyclists away from the tracks.

by M.V. Jantzen on May 18, 2010 4:00 pm • link • report

@Stephen: Thanks for this post.

@DC Cyclist: Ditto re: dangers of the tracks, including but obviously not only in Portland. I love Portland, I lived there for just under 2 years. The report at the link below is very instructive about the dangers. See top right photo on page 10 where, in December '08, after I sped up to get away from an SUV in a hurry on wet pavement, I rode my bike directly into the track and went down for the count.

I hope DDOT reads the report, which I sent them previously in the hopes that it could help improve safety here.

My old CraigsList special tank-like Trek didn't sustain a scratch. I injured my arm/shoulder badly.

Out of the "outrageous file," while I was in the ambulance truly moaning in agony, the EMT tells me that some driver wanted my contact information because after my bike's front tire met the track, and I fell off, my bike then proceeded to run right into her car and damaged it. I ignored it. Then, the EMT placed in my jacket pocket a piece of paper with her contact info. I haven't yet gotten around to calling her.

I sold the Trek tank just before moving back to DC for a few bucks less than I bought it for.

http://www.altaplanning.com/App_Content/files/pres_stud_docs/Bicycle_Streetcar_Memo.pdf

by Dennis Jaffe on May 19, 2010 12:07 am • link • report

Dennis, the link you provide to the Alta study is excellent. Like most things from Alta, definitely worth the read.

by Stephen Miller on May 19, 2010 12:39 am • link • report

@Dennis, Why do you think your bad fortune negates your responsibility towards the motorist whose car you damaged?

by Lance on May 19, 2010 7:54 am • link • report

You know what, boo-freakin-hoo, leave it to a cyclist to muck up public transit plans. I have no sympathy for any cyclist concerns anymore. I've been run down, cut off, and trampled by dozens of bikes ON THE SIDEWALK, while the empty bike lane right next to me went UNUSED! Between that and all the other rude and incosiderate biking annoyances, I really have lost any concern for the bike community. This is an urban city, it's designed for foot traffic and transit options--bike if you must but stay away from pedestrians and if a street is too difficult or dangerous for you then take an alternative route! You don't have to bike on all the congested routes just so people will see you and think how trendy you are for biking... it's more effecient and safer to use less populated side streets anyway! Stop complaining so much!

by Matt on May 19, 2010 8:12 am • link • report

Matt (@ 8:12 am today),

I don't follow your "logic" in concluding that cyclists who point out the dangers of streetcar tracks "muck up public transit plans." I hope all citizens want the safest, most efficient and cost effective transit system possible. Cyclists add to this by using no gasoline to power their bicycles and by requiring less space for parking. And by cycling rather than driving, cyclists reduces the amount of auto traffic. Cyclists are also, on average, more fit and require less medical resources than the average person for such chronic conditions as heart disease and diabetes. This helps keep everyone's (and your) health insurance premiums down.

As for your complaint about rogue cyclists, precisely the same point could be made about drivers of motor vehicles who exceed the speed limit, run stop signs, use cell phones or text while driving, frequently change lanes, engage in road rage, etc. I am not arguing, however, that motor vehicles should be banned from the roads.

As a frequent cyclist in DC, I should add that oftentimes bike lanes or other areas where cyclists typically ride (e.g., to the left of parked cars) are filled with debris or contain potholes, ice or puddles making it unsafe for cyclists to ride there.

The bottom line here is that the introduction of streetcar tracks presents a new serious safety hazard for bicyclists.

by DC Cyclist on May 19, 2010 9:52 am • link • report

I just spent some time motorcycling in San Francisco. Some observations:

1) Streetcar tracks are difficult to navigate. It's very easy to get caught in one and end up taking a fall. I caught a few of them in a turn and it really woke me up. I imagine that it has got to be worse on a bicycle, with the skinnier tires.

2) Instead of streetcars with tracks, why not use electric buses with overhead wires? They don't have emissions (at the tailpipe anyway) and don't have nasty streetcar tracks. They can even disconnect from the overhead wires for a limited amount of time to drive around obstacles, such as a stalled vehicle.

by Tim on May 19, 2010 10:50 am • link • report

I am both an avid cyclist (both recreationally and commuting to work) and I strongly support the investment in streetcars. I appreciate the concerns of DC Cyclist and others about the potential dangers posed by the tracks but I think streetcars will make bicycling safer as they remove cars off the road. As frequently mentioned on this blog, people will ride streetcars who wouldn't otherwise ride buses. Each car taken off the road improves safety for cyclists.

Second, the streetcar routes will be published and well-known. Cyclists can take parallel streets to avoid the hazards posed by the tracks.

These grates mentioned in this posting can also be marked with reflective paint and otherwise identified. There are similar grates on MacArthur Blvd, near the Maryland/DC border that are a hazard to cyclists. A little bit of paint is an easy and inexpensive way to greatly reduce the danger these pose.

Finally, this is another reason to always wear a helmet when bicycling. I was doored for the first time last week (fortunately both bike and rider are fine) and the asphalt is really hard and unforgiving. Yes, a helmet can be clunky and messes up your hair but that is better than scrambling your brain if you do some pavement surfing.

by Ben on May 19, 2010 11:10 am • link • report

Regarding bikes and streetcars, does anyone know if/how bikes will be accomodated on the streetcars. The interior of the streetcars look wide enough to accomodate bikes inside the vehicles.

by Ben on May 19, 2010 11:13 am • link • report

I cannot agree with Ben's assertion that "streetcars will make bicycling safer . . . ." Given the choice between buses and streetcar tracks, I'll take the buses. I can maneuver around buses but I can't avoid the serious falls that tracks will cause as my wheels get stuck suddenly in them.

And if tracks are placed on roadways with moderate grade hills or on narrow roadways (or both), it will be extremely dangerous for bicyclists as they coast 25 miles per hour and have to swerve toward or over the tracks to avoid a car door, a double-parked vehicle, a vehicle pulling out of or into a parking space, a streetcar rider rushing into the street to catch a streetcar, etc.

When not bicycling, I use Metrobus and Metrorail and am generally happy with both -- although Metrorail service has deteriorated significantly over the past few years.

by DC Cyclist on May 19, 2010 11:52 am • link • report

Looks like there are available polymer gap-fillers that would help to prevent bike-wheel catching in the track grooves. Streetcar rolls over the rubber insert and compresses it, bike rolls over and it remains flush with the road and track. No idea if it's possible here, or the cost.
http://www.getzner.com/en/fields/railway/products/rail-groove-filler/

by darren on May 19, 2010 1:52 pm • link • report

Darren,

I've been informed by someone working on the DC streetcar system that they looked into this or a similar product determined that it cannot be applied here. I lack the expertise to confirm or challenge this finding.

by DC Cyclist on May 19, 2010 2:02 pm • link • report

Simple: flip. them. over.

See picture. Rectangular grate is installed upside down. On the other side, bars run perpendicular to the side currently installed up.

by Kevin on May 19, 2010 5:46 pm • link • report

@Lance

1. A driver telling the EMT, while I was laying in agony and getting morphine pumped into me, that she wanted my contact info because my "runaway" bike damaged her car automatically begins to lose me for grossly lacking human decency.

2. Her attempt to get my contact info was so over the top, it compromised her credibility. "Um excuse me, I'm not aware of whether that's morphine going into you or not, but could you please give me your name and #? After your bike went into the streetcar track, and you fell off, the bike then proceeded at a fast clip and dented my car."

Was she for real, is the question I asked myself -- at some point.

3. I have a healthy amount of skepticism that my bike actually damaged her car. Once my bike tire ran right into the groove of the track, I fell off the bike, and well, while I wasn't in top mental alertness for such, I just really am not all that persuaded that my bike sped on without me into a car, damaged it, and I didn't notice a thing, and no one, no one said a word other than the driver.

4. She hand wrote a note in scribble. No name. Just a number. "You damaged my car." Credibility.

5. Ok, if I were rich, I might have called her. I'm not. If I ever again run for office, this can be held against me.

by Dennis Jaffe on May 20, 2010 8:40 pm • link • report

Streetcar tracks aren't always the huge hazard that everyone here is making them out to be. They're also very different from regular railroad tracks in that respect. Streetcars, especially as used in Europe, use girder rail, which has the flangeway built in, and the flangeway is narrower and shallower, and the rail isn't as wide too. Normal tracks often have a wide guard rail on curves, while streetcar tracks have that built in, which provides much less slippery metal surface to cause your tire to slip. And the outer side of the rail is generally flush with the pavement, while regular tracks will often have a rubber strip there, which provides another gap for bike tires to fall into. So intelligently designed streetcar tracks can coexist with bikes just fine as long as the cyclists have a bit of awareness and don't ride directly on top of the rail at a really really shallow angle. On the other hand, poorly designed tracks in streets can be a disaster for bikes.

by anonymouse on May 23, 2010 2:28 am • link • report

Anonymouse (???) is absolutely wrong about this. Reports from Portland, Oregon are replete with cyclists getting their wheels caught in streetcar tracks and experiencing severe falls, broken bones, emergency room visits, and significant damage to bicycles.

In addition, if streetcar tracks are placed on streets with hills and/or on narrow streets, bicyclists experience even more accidents and with more severe consequences. The previous sentence assumes that streetcars will share the roads with cars, trucks and bicycles and not be given their own right-of-way.

by DC Cyclist on May 23, 2010 6:18 pm • link • report