seeking advice on Banneker Park detour

[dasgeh]

Today on my morning run I stopped at 19th and Sycamore and snapped a couple pictures. When I ventured through that intersection two nights ago, I was heading west. Why had I crossed the I-66 on-ramp? Because I was following the Detour signs. The sign for westbound cyclists is on the far side of the ramp. As a vehicular cyclist, that seems reasonable, as I want to ride with traffic – not against it. My destination was up 19th, which becomes Westmoreland. There is nothing telling you to cross on the south side if you are a cyclist heading west. And that would only add intersections to get through amidst a lot of hurried and distracted drivers coming to and from the Metro and surrounding areas. So I simply followed the Detour signs…

I need to get around Banneker several times a day at all different hours. I am grateful for the advice of my route-savvy peers…now I am crossing Roosevelt downstream and taking Columbia. I just worry about ignorant folks (like I was) who actually follow the designated detour route. At the very least, I would move the detour signs and put up a warning about crossing the on-ramp. Or even better, fix the signals so pedestrians and bicycle riders have a designated time to cross. As for me, I will stick with Columbia.

Thanks for this. I'll ping staff about the signage. If there are more issues, or if anyone wants to talk to staff, lmk.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Interesting...crossing Sycamore at 19th with the two-way PBL seems fine to me. Maybe the signage headed west just needs to be more clear?

[Boomer2U]

Today on my morning run I stopped at 19th and Sycamore and snapped a couple pictures. When I ventured through that intersection two nights ago, I was heading west. Why had I crossed the I-66 on-ramp? Because I was following the Detour signs. The sign for westbound cyclists is on the far side of the ramp. As a vehicular cyclist, that seems reasonable, as I want to ride with traffic – not against it. My destination was up 19th, which becomes Westmoreland. There is nothing telling you to cross on the south side if you are a cyclist heading west. And that would only add intersections to get through amidst a lot of hurried and distracted drivers coming to and from the Metro and surrounding areas. So I simply followed the Detour signs…

As for me, I will stick with Columbia.

I came through this intersection last night, heading westbound, and did the exact same thing as W&W by following the signs (which tell you to cross over the I-66 on ramp, and then across Sycamore St to the EFC kiss n ride lot). When the pedestrian walk signal turned green to cross Sycamore, the opposing cars also commenced their left-hand turn onto Sycamore (towards Washington Blvd) and into the crosswalk (is that even legal?). Anyway, I agree with W&W that it’s a bad set up, and an invitation for a mishap between cars and pedestrians or cyclists . I will now stick with using Colombia Street (and who knew it became 16th?) crossing over Sycamore (for which I never had a line-of-sight problem while on my bike).



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[arlcxrider]

In the interest of science, I checked out the official Banneker "detour" area yesterday, and took a short break to observe the goings-on. In the few minutes I was there--admittedly a small sample--not one westbound cyclist (including a father with two children) used the Protected Bike Lane westbound on 19th St. They crossed the on-ramp, crossed Sycamore and then proceeded up the hill on the right-hand side of the road past the Metro Kiss'n'Ride entrance on 19th. The signage and pavement marking definitely need improvements.

[Boomer2U]

In the interest of science, I checked out the official Banneker "detour" area yesterday, and took a short break to observe the goings-on. In the few minutes I was there--admittedly a small sample--not one westbound cyclist (including a father with two children) used the Protected Bike Lane westbound on 19th St. They crossed the on-ramp, crossed Sycamore and then proceeded up the hill on the right-hand side of the road past the Metro Kiss'n'Ride entrance on 19th. The signage and pavement marking definitely need improvements.

We must’ve been there at the same time yesterday! I was traveling southbound on Sycamore with @CBCanimal about an hour before sunset, and watched as a (walking) father and 2 kids (on bikes), coming westbound out of Banneker Park at 19th, crossed over the I-66 on ramp, as a north bound car on Sycamore made a right-on-red behind them to enter I-66. The father/kids then got stranded on the corner as the signal light changed against their favor, and left-turning vehicles coming out of 19th cut off their path (across a designated crosswalk) towards EFC kiss-n-ride lot. Truly a disaster situation waiting to happen!!!

On my way back westbound on the W&OD, I exited Banneker Park by the basketball court, crossed over Sycamore, and turned right into 16th Street (which becomes Columbia after Tukahoe, as I now discovered after reading this thread). I had no line of sight problems mentioned above, and found it to be much safer than the newly designed intersection-of-doom at the EFC station detour.

Ride on, but safely (by ignoring the official detour westbound)!


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[arlcxrider]

Not a place for the unwary, or casual users of the W&OD for whom the detour is a surprise. It was also the first "nice" weekend day since the detour commenced.

[Steve O]

I exited East Falls Church Park by the basketball court, crossed over Sycamore, and turned right into 16th Street (which becomes Columbia after Tukahoe, as I now discovered after reading this thread).

ftfy

Actually, it's so simple. You exited the trail from East Falls Church Park, in order to avoid the detour of Benjamin Banneker Park, onto N. Roosevelt St, turned right on 17th St. N. so that you could turn left onto--wait for it--N. Roosevelt St. You then turned right onto 16th St. N, crossed a different N. Sycamore St. and were pretty shortly riding on Columbia Street without turning again at all.

[Boomer2U]

ftfy

Actually, it's so simple. You exited the trail from East Falls Church Park, in order to avoid the detour in Benjamin Banneker Park, onto N. Roosevelt St, turned right on 17th St. N. so that you could turn left onto--wait for it--N. Roosevelt St. You then turned right onto 16th St. N, crossed a different N. Sycamore St. and were pretty shortly riding on Columbia Street without turning again at all.

Is the detour “into” or “around” Banneker Park? I’m so confused \_O_/ ....


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[huskerdont]

Damn, I thought the reason I usually avoid the official bike detours is because I'm just ornery, but maybe it's maybe a bit more than that.

I don't know all those street names because I'm not that smart, but the SteveO/Boomer/Bent Bike route is the way I just naturally went while ignoring the detour signs. Other than the lack of a light being a concern during rush hour, it's a no-brainer. If Arlington doesn't do something about the signage before the weather gets nice, some Lumberjacking may be in order to keep someone from getting hurt or killed.

[Tania]

I haven't had to ride any of this since it all started because of an ankle injury but I'm hoping to start next week.

Is the "preferred" route for both east and west (using eastbound as an example) taking columbia/16th to Roosevelt and then sneaking out into the bike lane so that you can see traffic coming from the left on Roosevelt and then scooting out into the median to check traffic coming from the right? Then you pop onto that little side street that comes out by the basketball court.

Before I had to stop riding, I was using Columbia Street to get around the Lee Hwy bridge so staying on that seems like a nice continuation.

I agree the 16th and Roosevelt eastbound sightlines are horrible, but more manageable on a bike than in a car (especially a stick shift). From Columbia/16th, I like to take Tuckahoe or Sycamore to 11th and cross Roosevelt to 12th in Madison Manor. This gives the added bonus of the climb to 11th.

Map please?