Biking across America II

I guess biking across America is becoming the new Appalachian Trail. Everyone seems to be doing it. Two recent articles bring me back to the subject.

The first article is about Thomas Heidenberger, a local man whose wife was the senior flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon.

On Sunday, Chevy Chase resident Heidenberger will embark on a 3,600-mile cross-country bike ride to honor the memory of the 33 flight crew members killed on Sept. 11 and to raise money in their names for memorials.

Best of luck to him.

The other article from the Times does a pretty good job of explaining what you have to do to bike across the country.

Many who bicycle recreationally dream of going the distance. Few do it, largely because of the time commitment. You need close to three months -- more if you want to smell the roses. That's why cross-country cyclists usually fall into two categories -- those taking time off before college and those whose youngsters have just gone off to college. Getting that much time in prime working and family-raising years is tough for others.

I would like to find myself in a third category, those who have won the lottery and now have oodles of free time, but maybe I'm weird. I met a guy once who "Biked across Europe," except that he didn't really. He would bike from here to there, then hop on the train over night, and go on another ride the next day. He said it was great because each day the ride was totally different. It's hard to do that in the states because of the limited rail service. In addition, Amtrak doesn't have roll on service on every route. I tried to find a list of trains you can take bikes on here, but they just give you a phone number to call (really did I wake up in 1994?). I found this list, but it's from 1999.

 

The photo, btw, is from western Australia

Law Stuff II

I lifted this update on the bills moving through Maryland's legislature straight off the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail web site. It's a follow-up on this post.

        Bills to have a hearing Tuesday, April 4, 1:00 pm.
        Oral testimony by bill sponsor only.        
        Advocates need to be there to show their support.

Phone your delegates and ask them to support SB 846.
Phone calls from constituents can make a difference.

          Two bills that affect bicyclists have passed the Senate but are stalled in the House Environmental Matters Committee. Cyclists' support for these bills is essential if these bills are to pass.  Contact your delegates' offices and ask that they support Senate Bill 846 (cross-filed as House Bill 943). This an important bill that cyclists want passed because it eliminates outdated operating restrictions and the requirement for a bike bell.

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Metro needs to continue Great Society

A recent book  The Great Society Subway: A History of the Washington Metro recently came out as reported by DCist and Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space. (RPUS has a link to the NPR interview with the author, which is pretty interesting). I also recently read this article DART may Become Bike Friendly for Commute and this article (again thanks to RPUS) Silver Spring's Plans For Transit Center Move to Final Stages. All of which got me to thinking that while Metro has done some admirable things (bikes on bus, removing the need for a license to take your bike on metro) when it comes to being bike friendly, I'd like to see it do more.  In the first article I read that

Cyclists have criticized the agency for not allowing bikes on trains or buses before 9 a.m. and between 3 and 6 p.m. on weekdays.  "All the literature we're reading indicates that if an agency is bicycle-friendly, ridership will grow," Mr. Mendoza said.

"The biggest complaint they have is that bicyclists tend to work the same hours we do," he said.    

The revised policy would allow bicycle commuters to board the last train car at any time, but only if space is available. If the train is crowded, transit authorities could have a bicyclist wait for the next train.

Yes. Yes. A commonsense approach. This allows cyclist to reverse commute, it allows them to ride empty trains. The rule in place now is poorly designed and as I've pointed out before, discriminatory. They don't limit people with luggage. I like that someone realized that bike commuters work a normal work day. There are no restrictions on taking bikes on New York's Subway other than that you be safe and courteous. In San Francisco a few stations are off limits during rush hour, but not THE ENTIRE SYSTEM as is true here. If all of these cities - and Dallas is not some transit heaven like Portland - can trust bike commuters to use common sense, why can't Metro?

The second article is noteworthy for what is not mentioned. Bikes. Silver Spring was originally suppose to be a bicycle transit hub with a bike station and connections to the CCT, Green Trail and Met Branch trail; but now they really downplay it. I doubt it will be anything like what it was originally planned to be. 

Here is my short list of Metro's necessary improvements re:bikes. (also included other rail systems)

1. Replace rush hour restriction with common sense "no bikes on crowded trains" rule.
2. New station entrances (like at Ballston and the new Silver Spring) should include stairs with bicycle channels so that cyclist aren't forced to use the elevators. Similar stairs inside stations should be pursued as well, especially on the new Dulles line.
3. Stations should provide cheap, safe parking facilities - like bike boxes or, where possible, bike stations.
4. Bikes on VRE, Amtrak and Marc trains.
5. Bike maps at each station that show the area, similar to the ones there now, but with an emphasis on bikeable roads, shops, trails etc...
6. Future projects, like the pedestrian tunnels and streetcars, should provide adequate accommodations for bike commuters as well.
7. When new metro cars are ordered they should have racks inside the cars (see photo for Minneapolis's bike rack)

Open Government in Arlington

I remember when I first saw the website kayak.com I thought to myself, "self, you didn't know you needed this, but you did." That's the same way I feel about this new (to me) discovery that was mentioned in the Examiner over a month ago:

Arlington County is now providing updates on county construction projects to the public via an online database. CAPTrack, a searchable list of more than 400 capital improvement projects, grew out of the county's own method of tracking construction progress.

If you're a local transportation policy nerd (and if you haven't noticed, I kind of am) CAPtrack is Paradise.  You can sort it for just Trails & Bikeways projects and get the latest update on all of Arlington counties projects. For example:

                       

Project Name	CUSTIS TRAIL WESTOVER UNDERPASS @ I-66
Summary	REALIGN BIKE TRAIL AND PROVIDE NECESSARY DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TRAIL @ I-66 UNDERPASS NEAR WESTOVER PARK & N. KENNEBEC ST.
Current Status	Active, currently in the Implementation phase   (4 of 5).   [01/09/2006] Contractor is preparing a proposal for construction. Expected completion Winter 2006.

Besides the nerdy pleasure of having the latest 411, it also represents a movement toward open government, which I think is a pretty good thing, just like open code, open source and open content. DC, Alexandria, MoCo, etc...now you have someone to emulate.

Bridges: South Capitol and NE Branch

The South Capitol Street Bridge Study is complete. The following were completed as part of the study:

·  Identification, documentation and justification for protective buying as appropriate.

·  Study on river traffic, navigation, and bridge openings.

·  Contaminated soil and hazardous material site investigation.

·  Development of concept architectural, engineering, and alignment alternatives for four bridge types.

The bridge that exists now is definitely shoddy and while it has space on both sides for cyclists (pretty impressive for a bridge finished in 1941) it's not a very pleasant ride. The study site has four designs for the new bridge on it each with animations you can look at. Alternative one, the cable stayed swing bridge, even has an animation from a cyclists point of view. That's wicked cool. Predictably, it ends with a shot of the new baseball stadium. One can only hope that biking to the stadium will be easy and safe and that on the Anacostia side, riders will be provided with a safe connection to the Anacostia Trail, Suitland Parkway Trail and a trail built along the Shepard Industrial Spur. And, as long as I'm making a list, it would be great if they recognize that the stadium is a perfect place for a bike station and pedicabs.

In other bridge news, I've seen a pre-fabricated pedestrian bridge along side the NE Branch Trail near the Calvert Recreation Center (here). It looks like a construction crew left it there for work to be done later (because right now it doesn't bridge anything and is not fulfilling its purpose in life) but I have no idea if it it to replace the bridge over the small stream south of Paint Branch Parkway or if it is to be placed somewhere else entirely different. If you know, leave a message in the comments.

Street Renaissance

p>A coalition of groups in New York have come together to work toward the goal of reforming public space usage initiate city. 80% of people in New York do not own a car, yet much of the public space is dedicated to car usage. The NYC Street Renaissance is "building the movement to re-imagine our streets as lively public places."

While DC doesn't have the same numbers as New York, we also waste much public space on auto use. I'm not against cars, they serve a real purpose. I'm against the over-use and inefficient use of cars. When I ask people why they don't bike commute they list fear (because the streets are not safe for bikes), lack of bicycle parking and and lack of showers as the top reasons. Those are all indicative of a failure of the district to plan.

The same reasons do not crop up for car commuters. While I know a few people who don't drive to work because there's no parking, I don't know anyone who feels streets aren't safe for cars. In general the lack of facilities or planning do not keep people out of their cars.

Still, In DC things are changing. Often when I complain about DC design flaws I'm complaining about decisions made in the 50's, 60's or 70's (which is why the decisions made today are so important). One example of things getting better is the Thomas Circle project (pictured) . I also suspect the new baseball stadium will be a better public space than RFK. Still there are too many times when decisions are imbalanced in the direction of automobile interests.

Not shown in the Thomas Circle photo is that there should be a bike lane using new blue concrete so that it really stands out.

Pedicabs in DC

I wrote about this earlier this month, but I wasn't really serious.  Then I read this article in the Examiner and I've changed my tune.

Bicycle taxis are weaving through the clogged streets of midtown Manhattan in a movement growing so rapidly that the city is proposing regulations before it spins out of control. Known as pedicabs, these vehicles look like giant tricycles with a passenger carriage in the back. Some tourists and New Yorkers see them as an affordable, pollution-free way to see the city and sail through gridlock.

I really do think that this could work in DC. Were I a young MBA graduate, I might even start a business doing this. You have a large supply of bicycle couriers who could work off-hours for extra money. You could move people around Adams Morgan at night, crowds from Verizon and RFK after games, and move tourists between the Capitol and Washington Monument on Jefferson and Madison avenues during the tourist season (competing with the new circulator) to name a few routes. According to this article moving people from a stadium to their car in the parking lot is a big moneymaker (and a sad commentary on American life).

In Denver, pedicabs tend to operate on nights and weekends, during ballgames and other events that require people to walk several blocks from parking areas or light-rail stops.

Ed Oliver, who is Meyer's partner in the Denver pedicab operation, said he often drives a pedicab around the Pepsi Center parking lot, offering free rides during events. In most cases, passengers wind up tipping him at least $5 a ride.

"People hate walking across parking lots," Meyer said.

With a new St. Louis Cardinals ballpark set to open in April, a budding pedicab operator awaits her order from Main Street Pedicabs.

"We want to get a business started just to and fro," said St. Louis resident Jill Saettele, an avid cyclist who found Main Street Pedicabs on the Internet. "The parking (at the new stadium) is very limited, so they're doing shuttles. This is the most fantastic opportunity."

The pedicabs have caught on most in urban environments, but have also captured the attention of an array of communities with a shortage of downtown parking.

I think it's only a matter of time before these pop up here. DC residents are at least as lazy as people in Denver. The pedicabs are cheaper AND faster than traditional taxis and great for tourists. One might argue that the summers are too hot and the winters too cold, but the goal is mostly to get people who would walk, not people who would take a regular taxi - except when the weather is nice. Though as a friend of mine pointed out, the name 'pedicab' is...not good. Sounds like a cab that should be found on a known sex offender list.