Found Connection

[KWL]

@lordofthemark 120984 wrote:

Not sure if this belongs here, or in missed connections

Me:On the Kona Dew, waiting in the bike lane on Eye St SW to go east across S Capitol.
You: The tourist (?) in the van with Ohio plates, to my left, IE in the through lane, who was signalling a right turn

Thank you for using your turn signals. That meant I could anticipate your illegal right turn (since you had somehow missed the right turn lane to the right of the bike lane) and was able to creep into the crosswalk and scoot out ahead when the light changed, and not get right hooked.

I think you’ve got a twofer. Please post again in Missed Connections.

[Anonymous]

Me: crossing GW Parkway at Belle View on my way home about 12:30 this afternoon.

You: police, patrol car parked along the side of the parkway, out of your car, aiming your radar gun at northbound traffic

Everyone driving on GWP: law-abidingly driving along at (what turns out to be pleasantly non-terrifying) 35mph.

Thanks! Come do this more often!

Also: multiple cars turning left from Belle View onto the parkway during a break in the northbound traffic: one after another

You (police still): stepping out into the parkway raised hand to stop the stream of turning cars long enough for me and BF to make it across the parkway

Thanks again! Also, sorry that when I saw you there I cynically said ” huh. wonder if he’s there to hand out tickets for crossing with no crosswalk”.

[chris_s]

Thanks you Capital Bikeshare for the coffee, seat cover and the delicious Sugar Shack donut this morning. Happy 5th Birthday!

[baiskeli]

@cvcalhoun 120454 wrote:

Apparently, this (like so much else) depends on the area:

http://amishamerica.com/do-amish-ride-bicycles/

The Amish religion doesn’t have a formal hierarchy. Everything is pretty much controlled by the local bishop, so practices can be quite different in different areas.

I seriously doubt any Amish would care about gears. They use all kinds of tools. Heck, many even use power tools:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/tools/a13077/how-the-amish-use-power-tools-15171374/

I finally got a smart phone when I went to Philadelphia and saw an Amish guy using one. Now that will make you feel behind the times with technology.

[hozn]

@baiskeli 124488 wrote:

I finally got a smart phone when I went to Philadelphia and saw an Amish guy using one. Now that will make you feel behind the times with technology.

Are you sure he was Amish and non another one of the less-strict mennonite groups? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/amish-who/

[jabberwocky]

I’m from PA and frequently travel around the lancaster area when I’m home. Amish there don’t use bikes. The kids mostly ride primitive scooters (or sometimes rollerblades) from what I’ve seen. It does vary though. I worked construction as a summer job in college and the foundation guys were amish and drove a truck and used power tools. Mennonites seem similar to Amish but are usually far less restrictive about technology (I’ve visited Mennonite farms that extensively used mechanical equipment).

[DCLiz]

A belated found connection: thank you to the woman who helped me put my bike on a bus rack after the 50 States & 13 Colonies ride! I was having trouble getting the wheels lined up correctly, and an extra set of hands was much appreciated!

[jrenaut]

A friend with kids the same age as mine invited us down to ride bikes – she’s trying to help her 7 year old learn to ride and was hoping that seeing my kids riding would help. Turns out she’s been struggling because the bike is a little big for her and the fork was backwards (thanks Walmart!). The handlebars were so close to her she couldn’t keep the bike straight.

I fixed her fork and bars and right away she could ride it. It’s still a tad big for her, but she’s 7, that won’t be a problem long.

[GovernorSilver]

At E. Glebe and Potomac Ave, there was cyclist lying on the ground, in the middle of the intersection, with a bike lying nearby. He (I think it was a he) appeared to be unconscious, with a blanket over him, but was surrounded by concerned citizens, one of whom was on a mobile phone, presumably calling for help. Traffic in the direction of that intersection from Potomac Yards was totally blocked, because nobody wanted to risk moving the injured cyclist, though any of those cars could have just turned around and taken any number of routes through Potomac Yards. I did hear some sirens as I rode away from the intersection.

So this found connection is a tip of the helmet to all you people taking care of this cyclist.

[Emm]

@GovernorSilver 125227 wrote:

At E. Glebe and Potomac Ave, there was cyclist lying on the ground, in the middle of the intersection, with a bike lying nearby. He (I think it was a he) appeared to be unconscious, with a blanket over him, but was surrounded by concerned citizens, one of whom was on a mobile phone, presumably calling for help. Traffic in the direction of that intersection from Potomac Yards was totally blocked, because nobody wanted to risk moving the injured cyclist, though any of those cars could have just turned around and taken any number of routes through Potomac Yards. I did hear some sirens as I rode away from the intersection.

So this found connection is a tip of the helmet to all you people taking care of this cyclist.

I saw this too–I came up right as ambulances arrived. A person there referred to the cyclist as a she–there were a bunch of floral print bags next to his/her wrecked bike and when I saw the cyclist, they appeared to have long hair. The cyclist was not in good shape it appeared. Conscious, but not moving. It appears the cyclist was crossing inside the crosswalk, and got hit by a driver turning left. This crosswalk does not always have a walk signal–you have to press the awkwardly located button to get the signal. Even if you have the walk signal, the left turning cars have a green light though. I have had a number of near-misses at this light because drivers aren’t looking when they turn left.

Another cyclist there claimed that in Virginia it is ALWAYS illegal to go in a crosswalk while riding your bike, and he said she was for sure going to get a ticket. Is this accurate? I told him I didn’t think so, but he swore up and down he knew the law and was 100% sure bikes cannot be ridden across crosswalks in Virginia, they must be walked across.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Emm 125241 wrote:

I saw this too–I came up right as ambulances arrived. A person there referred to the cyclist as a she–there were a bunch of floral print bags next to his/her wrecked bike and when I saw the cyclist, they appeared to have long hair. The cyclist was not in good shape it appeared. Conscious, but not moving. It appears the cyclist was crossing inside the crosswalk, and got hit by a driver turning left. This crosswalk does not always have a walk signal–you have to press the awkwardly located button to get the signal. Even if you have the walk signal, the left turning cars have a green light though. I have had a number of near-misses at this light because drivers aren’t looking when they turn left.

Another cyclist there claimed that in Virginia it is ALWAYS illegal to go in a crosswalk while riding your bike, and he said she was for sure going to get a ticket. Is this accurate? I told him I didn’t think so, but he swore up and down he knew the law and was 100% sure bikes cannot be ridden across crosswalks in Virginia, they must be walked across.

He is 100% wrong based on my reading of the code, which indicates that cyclists can ride across a crosswalk unless explicitly forbidden. I’ve seen such signs before, but the only one I can think of is the GWMP crossing on the MVT, but even then my recollection of a dismount sign there may be mistaken. And to me, the code isn’t entirely clear about what the intent is…does this mean that cyclists just have to dismount if a sign indicates, or does this mean that cyclists can’t use a crosswalk at all (either mounted or dismounted) if a sign prohibits the use of bicycles altogether?

No person shall ride a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, motorized skateboard or foot-scooter, motor-driven cycle, or an electric power-assisted bicycle on a sidewalk, or across a roadway on a crosswalk, where such use of bicycles, electric personal assistive mobility devices, motorized skateboards or foot-scooters, motor-driven cycles, or electric power-assisted bicycles is prohibited by official traffic control devices.

A person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, motorized skateboard or foot-scooter, motor-driven cycle, or an electric power-assisted bicycle on a sidewalk, shared-use path, or across a roadway on a crosswalk, shall have all the rights and duties of a pedestrian under the same circumstances.

http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/46.2-904/

Also:

Bicyclists may make left turns as either motorists or pedestrians do. To make a pedestrian left turn, the bicyclist should continue straight across the intersecting road, obey the traffic signals, turn left at the corner, and proceed as usual. Bicyclists have the option of either riding or dismounting and walking in the crosswalks of the two intersecting roads. If traffic control devices specify the method of crossings, these directions must be followed.

http://www.virginiadot.org/programs/bk-laws.asp

[GovernorSilver]

@Emm 125241 wrote:

I saw this too–I came up right as ambulances arrived. A person there referred to the cyclist as a she–there were a bunch of floral print bags next to his/her wrecked bike and when I saw the cyclist, they appeared to have long hair. The cyclist was not in good shape it appeared. Conscious, but not moving. It appears the cyclist was crossing inside the crosswalk, and got hit by a driver turning left. This crosswalk does not always have a walk signal–you have to press the awkwardly located button to get the signal. Even if you have the walk signal, the left turning cars have a green light though. I have had a number of near-misses at this light because drivers aren’t looking when they turn left.

Another cyclist there claimed that in Virginia it is ALWAYS illegal to go in a crosswalk while riding your bike, and he said she was for sure going to get a ticket. Is this accurate? I told him I didn’t think so, but he swore up and down he knew the law and was 100% sure bikes cannot be ridden across crosswalks in Virginia, they must be walked across.

Yikes. I’ve had a habit of crossing on the north-side crosswalk but will probably start using the south-side, to avoid being in the path of cars turning left to head north on Potomac Ave – unless there aren’t any cars approaching on E. Glebe of course.

VDOT says this: http://www.virginiadot.org/programs/bk-laws.asp

Bicyclists have the option of either riding or dismounting and walking in the crosswalks of the two intersecting roads.

But this intersection is in the City of Alexandria, which has its own set of ordinances. I just found out last weekend that sidewalk riding was actually illegal in the City until 2013. I can’t find bicycling ordinances for the City online. The Local Motion site just has a link to the VDOT site. Anybody know if the bike laws specific to the City can be found online?

[creadinger]

@GovernorSilver 125248 wrote:

Yikes. I’ve had a habit of crossing on the north-side crosswalk but will probably start using the south-side, to avoid being in the path of cars turning left to head north on Potomac Ave – unless there aren’t any cars approaching on E. Glebe of course.

I think this should give you a clear indication to not use the “MUPs” (sidewalks) and crosswalks in this are at all! Use the street. The side streets are low speed and low trafficked enough to take the lane. Potomac Ave is 2 lanes, so take the right lane. If a driver wants to go around they can easily do so.

I’ve never ridden on the path in that area, and never will because of crashes like this, where 1 second of inattentiveness by a driver results in serious injury. At least on the road you are front and center and visible. Hopefully she will recover fully. Has the news picked this up at all?

[DismalScientist]

@TwoWheelsDC 125246 wrote:

He is 100% wrong based on my reading of the code, which indicates that cyclists can ride across a crosswalk unless explicitly forbidden. I’ve seen such signs before, but the only one I can think of is the GWMP crossing on the MVT, but even then my recollection of a dismount sign there may be mistaken..

The Dismount Bikes signs at the Parkway crossings and under the Memorial Bridge are yellow and therefore only advisory.

[lordofthemark]

@GovernorSilver 125248 wrote:

Yikes. I’ve had a habit of crossing on the north-side crosswalk but will probably start using the south-side, to avoid being in the path of cars turning left to head north on Potomac Ave – unless there aren’t any cars approaching on E. Glebe of course.

VDOT says this: http://www.virginiadot.org/programs/bk-laws.asp

Bicyclists have the option of either riding or dismounting and walking in the crosswalks of the two intersecting roads.

But this intersection is in the City of Alexandria, which has its own set of ordinances. I just found out last weekend that sidewalk riding was actually illegal in the City until 2013. I can’t find bicycling ordinances for the City online. The Local Motion site just has a link to the VDOT site. Anybody know if the bike laws specific to the City can be found online?

It is illegal to ride a bike on the sidewalk on King Street between West Street and the waterfront (most of the old town part of King) and on Union Street between Prince and Cameron. There is no other place in the City where sidewalk riding is illegal – though certain police officers in the City are unhappy about that.

http://redbricktown.com/2015/05/did-you-know-its-illegal-to-ride-a-bicycle-on-the-sidewalk-in-old-town-alexandria/

[Author]

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