Links
Breakfast links: Bikes, buildings, budgets, and bull
Cyclists, drivers, police, the usual: In honor of Bike to Work Week, Ashley Halsey looks at drivers behaving dangerously toward cyclists and cyclists breaking laws. (Post, Joey) ... WashCycle notes that cycle fatalities are generally down, not up as the article says, and notes the disturbing quote from Fairfax County Detective Scott Neville, who seems to blame bicycle commuters for the poor bicycle commuting conditions there.
Bike bits: An officer from some unspecified federal police force forced a cyclist to ride in the uncomplete, not-yet-open, still-unsafe Pennsylvania Avenue bike lanes. A bicyclist "collided with a minivan" in Columbia Heights, and another was hit near the Lincoln Memorial. DC now has a bike box. (WashCycle)
Kornheiser Jr.: Elliot in the Morning jokingly praised the tack attack at the Leonardtown Criterium, then said nobody would take his comments as encouragement, only to get several calls from people touting their own "pranks" to hurt cyclists. (WashCycle)
Ward 7 project gets worse: The disappointing Donatelli project which sacrifices a potentially key road connection and put townhouses and retail in the wrong places has now gotten even more disappointing, with less retail and no business incubator or community space as originally planned. The city took space from thriving nonprofits to assemble the land, and will now deprive them of a place to return. (Ward 7 Connections)
Development dispatches: Howard University wants to move its hospital to Walter Reed, but neighbors of the existing hospital is worried about what will happen to the current site (Housing Complex) ... Developers are interested in building on WMATA bus bays and a parking lot in Wheaton (Gazette) ... Loudoun could get a huge mixed-use project, but County Supervisors want more office, less residential (Post) ... And another huge office park is proposed for NoVA, this time near Fort Belvoir. (WBJ)
Fixing Kensington: The new Sector Plan for Kensington hopes to make Connecticut Avenue less of a barrier for pedestrians, bring more buildings to the street, and add multifamily housing in the commercial center. (The Straight Line)
Montgomery musings: Why is Rockville's fine for pedestrians crossing against a signal over 12 times as high as the fine for drivers not yielding to pedestrians? (Rockville Central) ... Is a $2.4 million pedestrian bridge in Silver Spring a "boondoggle" or necessary? (Gazette) ... Montgomery will charge $400 if you use an ambulance but don't live in the County, much higher energy taxes, and a carbon tax that only applies to the biggest polluter, a power plant in Dickerson. (Gazette, Examiner, WBJ)
CDC misled on lead: The CDC "knowingly" misled DC residents about the safety of drinking water in 2004. Residents where WASA replaced lead pipes to the house but still have lead inside still face likely higher lead concentrations in water.
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Comments
Bikeshare is a gateway to private biking, not competition
- Bikeshare is a gateway to private biking, not competition
- Judge denies injunction against closing schools
- Short-term Washingtonians deserve a voice, too
- Long-term closures: A solution to single-tracking?
- Public land deals have both benefits and pitfalls
- Metro policy for refunds after delays falls short, riders say
- PG planners propose bold new smart growth future
Sun May 26
11:00 am Roosevelt Ride in Greenbelt
Sat Jun 1
10:00 am CSG walking tour of Wheaton
Tue Jun 4
6:30 pm Height limit meeting at NCPC







So you see, under WASA's view, it's not their hundreds of miles of lead pipes that the problem. It's the few feet of lead pipes in your house that's the real problem.
When it comes to FAIL, it's a close race between WASA and WMATA.
by Fritz on May 20, 2010 9:35 am • link • report
If you are a cyclist, and there is a bike lane on the street you're on, use it, rather than ride in the car lane!
Let's all repeat that shall we:
IF YOU ARE A CYCLIST, AND THERE IS A BIKE LANE ON THE STREET YOU'RE ON, USE IT, RATHER THAN RIDE IN THE CAR LANE.
How hard is this? The bike lane is there for a reason - it allows us ALL to get along. Seriously. I have great sympathy for cyclists, being a former one myself, but today driving down 14th st today there was a total asshole of a cyclist in the car lane (middle one, rightmost one, back and forth) while ignoring the bicyle lane completely. THAT is the type of behavior that makes drivers hate cyclists. We CAN all get along when there is a bike lane. But ONLY if the cyclists use it.
And, no, the bike lane wasn't crowded at all (empty, in fact) and yes the cyclists actions blocked traffic and pissed off a lot of drivers, and no he wasn't wearing a helmet.
by AMF on May 20, 2010 9:53 am • link • report
Agreed, however there is that category of bicyclist that wants the same status as cars on the road and the only way to get that, in their mind, is to ride in traffic with cars regardless of a bike lane.
It could also be that they feel safer in traffic than in the bike lane. Same thing with the helmet. I remember reading a study where drivers passed closer and faster by a bicyclist wearing a helmet than one not wearing a helmet. It's probably similar for those bicyclists in a bike lane.
It could also be that this guy was just a supreme ass-hat who gives good bicylists a bad name.
by kidincredible on May 20, 2010 10:02 am • link • report
It may burn a hole in your tiny angry heart, but it doesn't change the fact that you're getting indignant about someone following the law.
I suspect your anger is oddly in abeyance when you see a car drive over the speed limit or roll through a stop sign.
by Reid on May 20, 2010 10:07 am • link • report
by Eric F. on May 20, 2010 10:13 am • link • report
by Jason on May 20, 2010 10:22 am • link • report
2. If you're turning right, you have to leave the bike lane in ride in the car lane on the right.
3. There is no such thing as a car lane.
4. The bike lane is in the door zone and as Jaime has told us, you should not ride in the door zone, because it is unreasonable to expect people to look for you.
5. Not every cyclist likes bike lanes. Some hate them. They call them suicide lanes. I'm not eager to force someone to ride in them if they don't want to.
6. Was the guy in question Hitler?
by David C on May 20, 2010 10:22 am • link • report
by Redline SOS on May 20, 2010 10:22 am • link • report
Giving cyclists separate lanes that aren't really separate ... (only separated by paint) plays off a false assumption .. that is, that 'all vehicle modes are created equal'. They're not. And thus an environment based on false assumptions get created. We give cyclists the same right as a vehicle that is inherently much more powerful, and heavy, and dangerous ... and then wonder why they lose out when they were 'just exercising their rights'. Some rights cannot just be created out or thin air. A cyclist will always lose out in a collision with a car ... even if they were 'in the right'.
The system we had, where there was a tacit acknowledgement that people in cars 'were in charge' worked because it put the onus on people in cars to cede their 'rights' to cyclists as a 'courtesy'. And cede they did. As a cyclist cars would always let me get into that left lane when I asked and cars would look out for me ... and yes, even nicely toot their horns to let me know they were behind me and that I should be careful not to stray into their path. And it worked. I knew my place, and they respected that and treated me with respect.
Now we have a set of 'equal rights' put in place not based on anything other than laws, and we have a system that isn't working. We have cyclists who think they can keep up with traffic, who aggressively lay claim to their rights, and who do nothing 'share' the road in a manner that the driver will graciously 'let the cyclist by' because noblesse oblige.
We've created an adversarial and unsustainable relationship between cyclists and drivers that will only get worse as the numbers of cyclists increases. And why? Just so a cyclist can pretend they have all the rights as a motorist? Until a cyclist can figure out a way to have a motorist suffer the same consequences in a crash as a cyclist is liable to suffer, that isn't happening.
by Lance on May 20, 2010 10:22 am • link • report
And it would seem like a boon to have all the "town center" developments in loudoun close together. With enough street connectivity between places like Dulles town center, Kincora, and Loudoun one you could create a very viable district.
Or you could just build what amounts to a glorified mall...
by Canaan on May 20, 2010 10:24 am • link • report
I am not sure why you are such an inherently angry person, but you are exactly the cyclist we are all talking about.
Cyclist are constantly clamoring for consideration by drivers. You can look back at a number of these biker/car discussions over the past week, but while you demand extrodinary consideration for your own convenience and safety, you PURPOSELY go out of your way deny it to everyone else by "NOT" using the bike lane when it is provided to you.
And since you are such rigidly law abiding citizen, I am assuming your bike is properly registered with the DC Gov and has an approved bell mounted to it. No? Imagine my surprise.
Finally, yes...drivers who too do rolling stops or otherwise flaunt the law piss me off too.
by nookie on May 20, 2010 10:27 am • link • report
Well, not riding in a bike lane when it exists *should* be the law. But that's just my opinion, I suppose.
I really do not understand how this is controversial, at all. I'm not advocating anything other than that which would allow and enable us ALL to get along. How is this weird or wrong or angry? If there is a bike lane, please use it. That's all I'm saying.
And, no, I don't have a "tiny angry heart" but thanks for adding petty insults to the debate. That helps. In fact, I actually watched bemusedly while the various drivers and cyclist got all in each others faces, flipping each other off, and so forth.
What I don't understand is why a cyclist would NOT use a bike lane. It was empty. He wasn't turning. It seemed pretty clear to me that it wasn't more or less dangerous to do so.
Ceteris paribus, he was just being an asshole.
And that is part of the problem in the drivers and cyclists debate. There are assholes on both sides of this issue, and I do believe that the majority of them are drivers not cyclists. But ANY asshole-ish behavior cuts off potential avenues of compromise and agreement.
Again, I am sympathetic to the cyclists. I am a former one, who would love to get into it again. I wish I could bike to work.
But I was NEVER an asshole like this guy was, and I REALLY don't understand WHY he was.
It hurts, not helps, the cycling cause.
Thanks,
AMF
BTW, do you have a citation that supports your claim that not riding in a bike lane when it exists is not required by law. That seems odd, to me. Maybe we need to get that done.
by AMF on May 20, 2010 10:27 am • link • report
Please save your caps-lock button for your ANC representatives and Councilmembers. Write to them and urge them to build more separated cycle tracks like the one on 15th St NW. That is the only way you will get cyclists out of 'car lanes'.
Many cycle lanes require cyclists to travel in the door zone, which means they would have to put their lives at risk to speed your morning commute. Other cycle lanes (e.g. Columbia & Adams Mill NW) put cyclists in such dangerous road positions that they should never be used.
Please also remember that every cyclist that forgoes driving a car reduces the volume of traffic, and frees up parking spaces for motorists like you.
by renegade09 on May 20, 2010 10:32 am • link • report
From the Pocket Guide to D.C. Bike Laws by DDOT and MPD
"There are no regulations in DC which state that bicyclists must use a bike lane when one is present"
The reason cyclists choose not to use a bike lane when one is present or not to use a trail when one is present is that they feel that riding in the road is safer. So, what you are asking is that he ride some place where he feels less safe, for your convenience. You don't really rank your convenience over his safety.
If there were two lanes, how was he holding up traffic? Couldn't people pass? And why did he keep switching from lane to lane? Was it to pass cars?
by David C on May 20, 2010 10:33 am • link • report
You make some good points. However, in this situation, I can assure you that
"1. This bike lane is not open yet and is dangerous."
This was the finished section - there was no construction debris, barriers, etc...in the area I saw it happen in.
"2. If you're turning right, you have to leave the bike lane in ride in the car lane on the right."
Cylist in question was not turning at all, just going straight the whole time I observed.
"3. There is no such thing as a car lane."
Ok, so? Relevance?
"4. The bike lane is in the door zone and as Jaime has told us, you should not ride in the door zone, because it is unreasonable to expect people to look for you."
I actually agree with this, having been 'doored' myself. Point in cyclists favor. But, isn't it just if not more dangerous to bike in front of and in and out of cars, as well?
"5. Not every cyclist likes bike lanes. Some hate them. They call them suicide lanes. I'm not eager to force someone to ride in them if they don't want to."
Irrelevant. I don't like stop signs, or traffic lights sometimes. I still have to obey them. Even if it wasn't illegal for me to roll through a stop, it would still be dangerous for me to do so. Ergo, I do not.
"6. Was the guy in question Hitler? "
Again, I don't see how these comments help the debate. I thought I was being rather tame in my post. And, again, I am very sympathetic to the cyclist cause. I don't usually care if they go through a red light or stop sign if it is safe, I give them a wide berth on the road, I always look before turning or opening my door, etc... Although, now I am seeing what uncompromising fanatics they might be...
by AMF on May 20, 2010 10:34 am • link • report
Not trying to hijack the thread, but there used to be a website that listed the top 10 or 15 "vacant" or underused properties in the District. Does anyone know what it is?
by charlie on May 20, 2010 10:38 am • link • report
I would say riding in the door zone on the right of traffic is less safe than riding in the middle of a regular lane. We bicyclists don't get run over by people approaching from behind while we're in the middle of a lane, we get run over when people cut us off while making a right turn, or when people door us, etc.
by MLD on May 20, 2010 10:39 am • link • report
I get that, I do.
So, the point then becomes how to enable cyclists to be safer. And, your point about urging the city leadership to "to build more separated cycle tracks like the one on 15th St NW." is a perfectly valid one.
I'll get on that.
So, while I'm doing my part in that regard, why don't we all just acknowledge that some people on both sides of the debate are assholes, and that limits the possibility for a healthy compromise.
And, with that, I'm out of this conversation. It is clear to me this is not a topic that can be effectively debated on the interwebz. How surprising.
by AMF on May 20, 2010 10:42 am • link • report
Ok, so? Relevance?
You called it a car lane. Calling it a car lane is saying that bikes don't belong there.
But, isn't it just if not more dangerous to bike in front of and in and out of cars, as well?
What do you mean by "in and out of cars"? Do you switching lanes regularly? Was he staying in the roadway? If so, then no, it is not more dangerous. Or at least not significantly so. There is evidence that shows that bike lanes are more safe and others that show they are less safe - the jury is still out.
"5. Not every cyclist likes bike lanes. Some hate them. They call them suicide lanes. I'm not eager to force someone to ride in them if they don't want to."
Irrelevant. I don't like stop signs, or traffic lights sometimes. I still have to obey them. Even if it wasn't illegal for me to roll through a stop, it would still be dangerous for me to do so. Ergo, I do not.
Actually, relevant. Unlike your example, biking in the roadway is both legal and safe. Should we prohibit someone from doing something they want to do, if the only reason is that someone else doesn't want them to do it? I say no. Freedom wins.
With the Hitler comment, I was trying to add levity.
by David C on May 20, 2010 10:43 am • link • report
by Lou on May 20, 2010 10:45 am • link • report
With regards to the legal non-obligation to use cycle lanes...I believe in DC (I'm sure someone more knowledgeable can dig up the relevant bit of code) the rule is that cyclists must ride as far to the right as is consistent with safety.
Therefore...if the cycle lane is adjacent to a line of parked cars, the cyclist by law should always be in the main 'car lane', because it is never safe to cycle in the door zone.
If there is no line of parked cars (or other circumstance affecting safety), then the cyclist by law should be in the cycle lane. This is what you want, and it seems totally reasonable to me. If there is a perfectly good (safe) cycle lane, then cyclists should use it.
by renegade09 on May 20, 2010 10:46 am • link • report
by Fritz on May 20, 2010 10:46 am • link • report
The better analogy is motorcycle helmets. Not sure how motorcycle helmet laws have held up constitutionally.
by David C on May 20, 2010 10:52 am • link • report
I saw a car driving on University Boulevard this morning.
Why did we spend all that money to build the Beltway if cars aren't using it?
See how that's a non sequitir? I provided a piece of anecdotal evidence (one car) and then drew the conclusion that all cars act that way.
The fact of the matter is that many, many cyclists use bike lanes, and bike lanes increase the number of cyclists. That's generally a good thing.
by Matt Johnson on May 20, 2010 10:53 am • link • report
It should never be dangerous to cycle in front of cars. If you are driving in such a way that you are making a cyclist in front of you unsafe, you are breaking the law. Period.
by CJ on May 20, 2010 10:54 am • link • report
by David C on May 20, 2010 10:55 am • link • report
Just in case AMF's still around. Obviously, this is the crutch of the matter. The bottom line is, you can't debate this stuff (on the Internet, or anywhere else) because you're getting at folks' legal choice of where and how to use public resources. If I tell someone to get the hell out of Rock Creek Park if they're using it as a commuter route, I may be an asshole, they may be an asshole, we can argue all day long about what "appropriate" use is.
But at the end of the day, *I* don't get to dictate *your* behavior, so long as you're well within the law and your rights. This is doubly compounded when the crux of the matter is your infringing on my convenience.
The only reason cyclists engage on this stuff is because, in general, they're actually acutely aware of other users' convenience, just not raising it above all other considerations.
by oboe on May 20, 2010 10:57 am • link • report
You're right! Howard University Hospital sits on the former site of Griffith Stadium. Here's a 1941 aerial photo.
Howard is very reluctant to give up any land and I don't see them giving up the current hospital site for anything unaffiliated with the university.
by Eric F. on May 20, 2010 11:02 am • link • report
We need to get Jamie over here to explain that, in this situation, ,it's actually the cyclist's fault for indulging in risky behavior. After all, everyone knows that drivers pass cyclists unsafely. My head hurts.
by oboe on May 20, 2010 11:03 am • link • report
by Lou on May 20, 2010 11:11 am • link • report
So then, why no similar requirement for all cyclists? I think it's only kids under a certain age that are required to use them. Why not extend it to all cyclists since there's a pretty clear rationale in protecting people's heads?
"It should never be dangerous to cycle in front of cars. If you are driving in such a way that you are making a cyclist in front of you unsafe, you are breaking the law. Period."
And that about sums it up - if a cyclist feels unsafe, it's the car's fault, not the cyclist's behavior. And if there's ever an accident involving a car and bike, it's the car's fault. Period.
That's the kind of attitude that won't win any converts to the cause and will only piss off people who insist that ALL traffic laws are complied with, not only those that people like.
by Fritz on May 20, 2010 11:13 am • link • report
by Peter Lemonjello on May 20, 2010 11:16 am • link • report
This is the key question--is there some reason the lanes aren't desirable? Why not fix that?
I suspect that if cyclists to a large degree don't use lanes supplied for them, it will significantly erode public support for more lanes, which do take away from lanes available for cars. It's one thing to give up a lane for bikes--it's another to give up a lane for bikes but then still have bikes in the other lanes as well.
by ah on May 20, 2010 11:19 am • link • report
I don't ride the fenced off 15th Street bike lane a lot, but yesterday, heading south there, I encountered a middle-aged jogger and his leathery wife. They were running the wrong direction, of course, and taking up most of the lane. I only had a second to react. When I gave him a funny look, he told me to "buzz off." I've never seen cyclists in other cities tolerate this, so I hope DC cyclists won't either.
As a jogger myself, I would never even consider running in the bike lane. If you ever tried running on the bike lane on the Williamsburg Bridge in New York, you'd get slaughtered and berated to the point of tears.
/end story
by aaa on May 20, 2010 11:19 am • link • report
by oboe on May 20, 2010 11:19 am • link • report
And I oppose it in every case. It is a slippery slope when the government can tell you what to do when they think it's in your best interest. Where does it end? Drinking? Overeating? Being married is good for your health, should we mandate marriage?
The answer to why there is no bike helmet law, is that their is not the political will to pass one.
by David C on May 20, 2010 11:22 am • link • report
by David C on May 20, 2010 11:24 am • link • report
If you build safe separated cycle tracks, like the one on 15th St, people WILL use them. But most cycle lanes are just a line of paint in the door zone. They aren't worth the paint.
DC taxpayers got a bargain with the 15th St cycle track. It will reduce road fatalities and speed traffic, with a high potential to also reduce crime and increase property values. The important thing is to build on this success and build more dedicated cycle tracks around the city to create a network of safe cycle lanes.
by renegade09 on May 20, 2010 11:26 am • link • report
Yeah, I run pretty often, but do it on the sidewalk. I don't mind joggers who run in the direction of traffic, and keep right, but the one's who run against traffic present a problem, because you never know if they'll pass you on the right or left.
So I usually feign inattention, stare straight ahead, and hold my line so they get to choose (i.e. get out of the way)
by oboe on May 20, 2010 11:29 am • link • report
You say the part of the Pennsylvania Ave. bike lane at issue was finished, because you did not see any barriers or construction debris.
Can you be sure, or were you only seeing it from your "windshield perspective"?
Last week I rode the new bike lane, thinking it looked finished enough. But near the east end one of the street lights had not been reprogrammed yet, and I was given a green light to go straight at the same time drivers were given a green light to turn left across my line of travel. I've since learned this is one of the minor glitches that haven't been corrected yet before the opening. I'm staying out of the bike lane until DDOT says they are done and it is safe.
Don't be so quick to judge what is safe for bikers from inside your car.
by Wayne Phyillaier on May 20, 2010 11:43 am • link • report
Of course, Howard could be greedy like Princeton (owners of a 50,000 watt FM station doing college radio in the midst of commercial stations) and just sit on money, punting the hypothetical futures of students.
by Jason on May 20, 2010 12:08 pm • link • report
by Nate on May 20, 2010 12:27 pm • link • report
I was referring to the bike lanes on 14th st, not Penn.
by AMF on May 20, 2010 12:39 pm • link • report
by jcm on May 20, 2010 1:44 pm • link • report
by Lou on May 20, 2010 1:53 pm • link • report
by Jazzy on May 20, 2010 2:07 pm • link • report
If that's the case, shouldn't someone have noticed that minor detail when they started painting the lanes?
by Fritz on May 20, 2010 2:36 pm • link • report
1) The requirement to register bikes in DC was repealed at least 3 yrs ago.
2) DC law does not make use of bike lanes mandatory. Google 'DC code' or check DDOT's site.
3) Some bikes lanes are worse than others. The ones in commercial areas can be very hazardous.
4) When you look up the DC code,you'll also note that DC allows bikes the full use of a lane under many conditions. Many streets in DC meet these criteria.
5) Bicycle helmets are not motorcycle helmets. I've been doored,almost right hooked,wiped out in snow,and crashed out in polo. I've always worn a helmet,and never put a scratch in one.
by dynaryder on May 20, 2010 3:53 pm • link • report
@Fritz-seveal studies provide data indicating bike helmet laws reduce ridership. Reduced ridership in turn reduces safety because biking becomes safer with greater numbers of bikers, with or without special bike lanes. I'm not arguing the merits, just pointing out the existence of this interesting data.
by Bianchi on May 20, 2010 4:26 pm • link • report
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