Mack Truck on the Custis

[Geoff]

Can’t think of a good landmark for where I saw this today, except that it was where a homeowner had recently cleared out a lot of brush. The truck was delivering mulch.
Oh, and WTF?
[ATTACH=CONFIG]6443[/ATTACH]

[rcannon100]

Did you report the truck to Arlington police?

[Geoff]

No I didn’t. I hang my head in shame.

[DismalScientist]

If it were a Volvo it would have been OK.

[ShawnoftheDread]

Just west of the Lee Hwy overpass after the s-turn of doom.

[Vicegrip]

@Geoff 92728 wrote:

Can’t think of a good landmark for where I saw this today, except that it was where a homeowner had recently cleared out a lot of brush. The truck was delivering mulch.
Oh, and WTF?
[ATTACH=CONFIG]6443[/ATTACH]

Dropped a short load of topsoil. I wonder if a homeowner or firm can get permission to use the trail as this co did.

[chris_s]

@Vicegrip 92738 wrote:

Dropped a short load of topsoil. I wonder if a homeowner or firm can get permission to use the trail as this co did.

Probably worth emailing the pictures to trails@arlingtonva.us asking if this was authorized.

[Geoff]

@chris_s 92739 wrote:

Probably worth emailing the pictures to trails@arlingtonva.us asking if this was authorized.

OK, I’ve done that. Thanks for the suggestion.

[dasgeh]

I’m pretty sure I know the story here. This is in Cherrydale (my ‘hood), just south of the 20th St N turn-off (after the bridge of the top of the S-curve). The homeowner and the County have been working together to clear some very overgrown property, and the plan is to plant more flowering trees (some cherry, some other). I don’t have the name of the guy from the County who’s helping out, but I think he’s from Parks, not Trails. I did talk to him and the homeowner specifically about vehicles on the trail. I was told they would make sure there’s appropriate warning. Ugh. I’ll post if I can find the names…

[Geoff]

@dasgeh 92763 wrote:

I’m pretty sure I know the story here. This is in Cherrydale (my ‘hood), just south of the 20th St N turn-off (after the bridge of the top of the S-curve). The homeowner and the County have been working together to clear some very overgrown property, and the plan is to plant more flowering trees (some cherry, some other). I don’t have the name of the guy from the County who’s helping out, but I think he’s from Parks, not Trails. I did talk to him and the homeowner specifically about vehicles on the trail. I was told they would make sure there’s appropriate warning. Ugh. I’ll post if I can find the names…

I don’t know what kind of warning is appropriate, but I do wonder how much damage a truck that size causes to the trail. I half expected to see cracks and such when I rolled by this morning. Is the life expectancy of the trail shortened in that spot?

[rcannon100]

Yeah, that was my thought. Beyond the other concerns, a recreational trail is not usually built to support heavy trucks. A heavy truck like this is doing damage to the trail. Other than emergencies, and reconstruction of the trail itself, there really isnt a situation where a truck on the trail like this could or should be authorize – in that the trail cannot support the weight. Trails arent roads – not just functionally – but also in the degree of robustness with which they are built.

[consularrider]

@dasgeh 92763 wrote:

…I don’t have the name of the guy from the County who’s helping out, but I think he’s from Parks, not Trails. I did talk to him and the homeowner specifically about vehicles on the trail…

Isn’t the Custis under Parks (I don’t believe there is a separate entity over the trails), the reason we are given as to why the repaving isn’t being funded?

[dasgeh]

@consularrider 92770 wrote:

Isn’t the Custis under Parks (I don’t believe there is a separate entity over the trails), the reason we are given as to why the repaving isn’t being funded?

Yes. I meant the part of Parks that isn’t Trails, I just trying to be quick.

[chris_s]

@Geoff 92767 wrote:

I don’t know what kind of warning is appropriate, but I do wonder how much damage a truck that size causes to the trail. I half expected to see cracks and such when I rolled by this morning. Is the life expectancy of the trail shortened in that spot?

It absolutely damages the trail and reduces its useful life. For an easy example of this, go to the Alexandria side of the 4 Mile Run trail. The section of the trail between Mt. Vernon Ave and the wildlife sanctuary sees many more motor vehicles than the section by Commonwealth Ave and the difference in trail deterioration is unmistakable.

[jpaulwhite]

I guess you all don’t remember the Arl County truck that fell partially through a bridge on the W&OD over there by the junction with the Custis trail lol…it sat there for almost a week! I was amazed that it didn’t go all the way through

[Author]

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