Ten for Tuesday - 230th birthday edition

1. Here's a great photo from the Silver Spring (singular) criterium a few weeks ago and more can be found here.

The Gazette covered the race.

Also happy were the event’s organizers, including Susan Hoffman, marketing and special events manager for downtown Silver Spring. The second year of the event drew larger crowds than the year before, and the hope exists that the Grand Prix of Silver Spring will become a permanent fixture of the summer.

‘‘It brings people downtown, which is exactly what we want to do,” Hoffman said. ‘‘We’re ready for primetime, and we want people from outside the area to come here.”

2. Here's the photo of the 10 foot long bike lane on Massachusetts just north of Thomas Circle. The sign reads "Bike Land Ends" (though Bike is a picture of a bike).

3. Another product recall, this time for Specialized bicycle stems

The bicycle stem is black with the words "S-Works" and "Magnesium Faceplate" printed on it.

4. Reconstruction of the Marvin Gaye Park Trail began June 24th.

the city began work on a 1.6-mile walking and bicycling trail that will connect the northeast corner of the District with a network of regional trails. The $3.1 million project will include lighting, emergency call buttons and other safety measures. The trail was first constructed in 1978, but it was long neglected and became polluted and dangerous.

In time, the paved path will be lighted and widened for walkers, cyclists and skaters and better marked where it crosses streets.

The city has been aggressively encouraging cycling and commuting by bike. In addition to the Marvin Gaye path, the city will break ground next month on a section of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail from the Navy Yard to Benning Road in Southeast. The city is also planning work on the Metropolitan Branch Trail, which follows Metro's Red Line from Union Station to Silver Spring, said Jim Sebastian, the Transportation Department's bicycle and pedestrian coordinator.

5. Here's a photo of the "mystery bridge" along the NE Branch Trail. It's been sitting there for four months if not longer and I haven't any idea where it's to end up. If you know, leave it in the comments. On the left side of the photo is a wooden bridge. The new bridge seems way too big to replace the wooden one.

6. San Francisco is having trouble implementing their bike plan.

Superior Court Judge James Warren issued a preliminary injunction this week at the request of two groups, Coalition for Adequate Review and 99 Percent, which are seeking greater public review of the bicycle plan. The plan, approved last year by the Board of Supervisors and Mayor Gavin Newsom, is designed to make the streets of San Francisco more bicycle-friendly by creating more dedicated bike lanes and places to securely stow bikes.

The injunction bars the city  --  at least temporarily  --  from creating new bike lanes, changing the timing of traffic signals to accommodate cyclists, and restricting or removing on-street parking to benefit bike

7. Also along the NE branch trail, the town of Edmonston built a park sign dedicating the park to the town's veterans (see left) and moved the gazeebo (see right) at Decatur Street.

8. I only use it for racing .

Researchers at Stanford University Medical Center believe that Viagra improves cardiovascular and exercise performance measures of trained cyclists at high altitude.

9. The Virginia transportation board approved funding for path improvements in Northern Virginia.

Fairfax County Park Authority’s Cross County Trail received the highest allocation of $435,000 toward a $2.2 million trail rerouting project between Lake Accotink to Hunter Village Drive.

Arlington: Child and Adult Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Classes and Brochure

Fairfax: Mason Neck Trail extended between Gunston Hall Plantation to Pohick Bay Regional Park

10. And finally, Lance Armstrong is planning to ride RAGBRAI at the end of the month. Makes me wish I could go this year. That and my need for delicious pork chops.

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will not be biking across the hills of France this summer, but instead riding a couple days across Iowa highways and county roads.

Armstrong decided to ride in the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, one of the largest bike rides in the world.

Ten for Tuesday - I'd rather get a lower price than free stuff.

1. The 11th Street Bridge EIS is still in it's public comment period. About 20 feet will be set aside for bikes/peds. Right now there's about 6 feet on the southbound side and 4 on the northbound (the north side involves carrying your bike up/down stairs). The new bridge plans include either a 14 ft northbound - 6 ft southbound mix or a 12ft/8ft mix. It seems that capacity increases immensely at 12 feet and drops at 10 feet. So why not add 2 feet for a 12ft/10ft mix?

2. This Wednesday

the Transportation and the Environment Committee of the Montgomery County Council will review the recommendations and give design guidance to the Department of Public Works and Transportation on their preferred option [for the Met Branch Trail].

WABA wants you to support Option 1.

3. The Marvin Gaye Park Trail groundbreaking is this Saturday.

Kick-off Parade: 10:30 am

Beginning at Watts Branch Recreation Center

6201 Banks St., NE

 

Groundbreaking Ceremony: 12:00 noon

Heritage Green

(Corner of Division Ave. NE and Foote St. NE)

 

For more information, please call Washington Parks and People at (202) 462-7275.

4. The 2006 Itz fair is this Thursday.

Zipcar, North America’s largest Carsharing company is bringing together public and private transportation organizations from around Metro Washington D.C. for the second annual ITZ! Innovation In Transportation Fair on June 22nd from 3-8 PM on 8th St. between D and E Streets, NW. From the GM Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle to GEM electric cars to displays from local transportation leaders, the event will provide local businesses and residents with a fun and exciting opportunity to learn more about cost-effective, viable transportation alternatives, and experience first-hand the newest and most innovative ways to get around.

• Washington Area Bicycle Association (WABA) and Capitol Hill Bikes will have bikes at the event to promote bicycling as an alternative way to get around town.

5. Bush went on a bike ride with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

"He's very fast," Anders Fogh Rasmussen observed afterward. "I consider myself a skilled mountain biker, but it was challenging."

And it was covered here too.

6. Bicycling magazine's website gets an upgrade, including a new Mountain Bike section.

7. Former Virginia Lt. Governor Don Beyer - now a car dealer - is offering a free bike, free dogwood tree and 2 tickets to "An Inconvenient Truth" to anyone who buys a new car.

"Simply a car, a tree and a bike don't add up to zero . . . but at least it's moving in the right direction," Beyer said.

Of course the deal is good on an SUV too and not everyone is impressed.

Christopher C. Horner, senior fellow and counsel to the Cooler Heads Coalition of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, says: "If only we all drove Volvos, apparently. Somehow, I don't think Don Beyer has seen the movie."

8. Britain is in the middle of a cycling boom.

The growth has been led by London, where the July 7 bomb attacks generated a 20 per cent increase in cycling as commuters abandoned the Tube.

That "spike" has turned out to be a temporary blip, with most returning to public transport. But it has been replaced by a steady growth after investment in cycling increased from £5.5m in 2000 to £24m in 2006-07. The projected budget for 2009-2010 is £30m, by which time there will be 560 miles of dedicated cycle paths across the capital, compared to 310 miles currently.

9. The Lincoln Memorial traffic project that has created so many detours for cyclists is almost complete.

Once $5 million in improvements to the grounds are complete, park service officials say, it will be easier for people to get to the memorial on foot or by bicycle or bus.

10. Yoram Kaufman's obituary ran in the Post recently

He was seriously injured May 26 when he was struck by an automobile while riding his bicycle near the Goddard center's campus in Greenbelt. He died one day before his 58th birthday.

The American Meteorological Society selected Dr. Kaufman to receive its prestigious Verner E. Suomi Award for achievement in atmospheric sciences days before his fatal accident. He did not learn of the award before his death.

Marvin Gaye Park

Well, mercy, mercy me. I mentioned the pending rehab of the Watts Branch Trail and I even mentioned that the park is near where Marvin Gaye grew up, but I didn't realize they were going to rename the Park after him - which I think is a great idea. The park and trail are really underutilized and I think it's great that's it's getting so much attention.

Anacostia, if you're unaware is rather hilly, and the only flat areas you can use to get across it are south, along Shepard Parkway (not too bike friendly), out along the Suitland Parkway, or out through Watt's Branch. The Suitland Parkway Trail is in bad shape and dead ends at the Maryland line.

Watt's Branch was once a major transportation corridor for the city, with two railroads passing through the relatively flat land, and so it stands to reason that it could make a great bike route. Unfortunately it depends a lot on Maryland. A bike trail that dead ends in Seat Pleasant is no better than the Suitland Parkway, but connected to an extended WB&A trail and a Chesapeake Beach Railway Trail and it could really bring the trail (and Park) alive.

My favorite quote from this article about it is this:

"I like to plant trees, and it's for a really good cause," said Miss Frontiera, who volunteered after a professor offered extra credit to those who helped.

Umm, that ain't volunteering. (pictured - a broken bike/ped bridge from Marvin Gaye Park)

Watts Branch Rehab to begin this Spring

During the National Bike Summit there was a reception honoring bicycle friendly cities. DC, Arlington and Rockville are all bronze level cities. A poster describing DC's accomplishments and plans mentioned that rehabilitation of the Watts Branch Trail will begin in Spring of 2006. It will be a year behind schedule, but that's OK because the WBT won't really reach it's potential until three other trails are completed. On the west side the WBT will connect in to the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. On the east side it should connect into the Chesapeake Beach Railway Trail and - one can dream - to the WB&A Trail heading north to Odenton. Seat Pleasant was once a major railroad junction (and the boyhood home of Marvin Gaye) and could become a major bike trail junction in the future.

For the WBT project the post reports that

City officials hope to restore and eliminate gaps in the 1.5-mile Watts Branch Trail in Southeast within a year.