My Evening Commute

[bobco85]

@bobco85 142440 wrote:

My evening commute on Thursday was shaping up to be pretty negative but had a positive outcome.

First, I had a very close pass (I’ll upload the video of it as I use a front-facing camera and rear-facing camera on my bike) while on Glebe Rd in Ballston in the right turn lane as I was approaching my turn onto Henderson Rd. I’ll upload the video of it later as I had footage from both my front-facing and rear-facing cameras (long story short, I bought a new camera, so I put the old one facing backwards out of curiosity of what drivers really do behind my back). Person in a white Benz who had pulled out from the Benz repair shop decided that they could stay in the lane and pass me at the same time (the lane gets really wide there).

Next, as I was pulling up to the bike rack at the Safeway in Baileys Crossroads, I saw this:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]12036[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]12037[/ATTACH]

I know that people sometimes leave their shopping carts at that bike rack (usually 1 or 2 at a time), but this is just ridiculous! I was tired and not really in a good mood, so I posted these on Twitter to Safeway’s handle with a healthy dose of snark and continued on my way after getting groceries. My plan was to call the store when I got home.

When I got home, I noticed that I had gotten a message from Twitter. It was a tweet from Safeway saying that they had called the store to have the shopping carts moved! I tweeted back my thanks then took a nap. Naps = temporary piece of heaven

UPDATE: Today, I went by the Safeway and sadly, the shopping carts were still there. This time, I called the store and spoke to a manager. It turns out that the store recently got a much larger shipment of shopping carts than they ordered, so the delivery guys decided that was a good place to leave the extra carts. The manager said that they’re figuring out a better place to store the shopping carts and will move them soon. I’m hoping to see a good ending to this story sometime this weekend.

[consularrider]

@bobco85 142492 wrote:

UPDATE: Today, I went by the Safeway and sadly, the shopping carts were still there. This time, I called the store and spoke to a manager. It turns out that the store recently got a much larger shipment of shopping carts than they ordered, so the delivery guys decided that was a good place to leave the extra carts. The manager said that they’re figuring out a better place to store the shopping carts and will move them soon. I’m hoping to see a good ending to this story sometime this weekend.

I hope you told him that until the shopping carts are moved and the bike racks cleared you will be wheeling your bike through their store while you do your shopping.

[Steve O]

@GovernorSilver 142426 wrote:

Road bike guy at National Mall: “Is that an electric?”

You: “Would I be this slow if it was?”

[bobco85]

@consularrider 142497 wrote:

I hope you told him that until the shopping carts are moved and the bike racks cleared you will be wheeling your bike through their store while you do your shopping.

Nah, I went the guilt trip route with, “You know, it’s difficult sometimes to find a safe place to lock my bike when getting groceries.” The manager I spoke to was friendly, so I responded in part.

[bobco85]

I am happy to state that the bike rack saga that I’ve been dealing with the Safeway at Baileys Crossroads has finally ended. This afternoon, I saw this:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12062[/ATTACH]

That shot is of the liberated bike racks, a single shopping cart (because customers can’t be bothered to return them to their proper place), and a bike (mine as I went to shop at the store )

[GovernorSilver]

Damn, I need to get better at figuring out chain issues.

I tried to help a woman who was on the verge of tears trying to fix her chain that got all twisted up, because other people had stopped for me and helped me when I had my own chain problem. Fortunately another guy walked by and figured it out.

I think I sweat too much for both the Halo 2 headband and the Halo skullcap that I bought on sale. In the evening heat they get saturated well before the end of my typically hour long ride. Maybe I should start bringing both Halos, and swap them when one gets saturated.

[mstone]

@GovernorSilver 142845 wrote:

I think I sweat too much for both the Halo 2 headband and the Halo skullcap that I bought on sale. In the evening heat they get saturated well before the end of my typically hour long ride. Maybe I should start bringing both Halos, and swap them when one gets saturated.

wring it out?

[GovernorSilver]

@mstone 142846 wrote:

wring it out?

I was half-joking because before SafeTrack Surge #3 I was riding home nonstop. The Halos’ sweat management is just enough for my 1-hr evening ride – no deadly waterfall of sweat right over my eyes, but just enough sweat trickling on the sides to make the end of the ride a bit less comfortable. But I think they’ll serve their purpose of reducing the wear and tear on my tech cycling cap – which is works just as well as either Halo – now that I have a rotation going.

I’ve started stopping though at an exercise station along Potomac Ave/Main Line Trail. That’s a good place to wring out whatever wringable headgear I’m wearing and hang on my bike to dry a bit while I use the exercise station.

[Zack]

Anyone get stuck in “bike traffic” lately? A few years ago, I would have laughed at the possibility but riding across the 14th St Bridge and Mt Vernon Trail, my commute has been become pretty crowded in the evenings.

[annoyedindc]

@Zack 142968 wrote:

Anyone get stuck in “bike traffic” lately? A few years ago, I would have laughed at the possibility but riding across the 14th St Bridge and Mt Vernon Trail, my commute has been become pretty crowded in the evenings.

I’d say I’m more often not alone than alone these days. It’s a problem I’m happy to have.

[bobco85]

@Zack 142968 wrote:

Anyone get stuck in “bike traffic” lately? A few years ago, I would have laughed at the possibility but riding across the 14th St Bridge and Mt Vernon Trail, my commute has been become pretty crowded in the evenings.

I couldn’t help it (I love analysis!), so I looked up the numbers. Here’s a quick look at the past couple of days:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12119[/ATTACH]
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
AM Peak: (143) 1 cyclist crossed the counter every 6.29 seconds
PM Peak: (170) 1 cyclist every 5.29 seconds

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12120[/ATTACH]
Thursday, July 7, 2016
AM Peak: (139) 1 cyclist every 6.47 seconds
PM Peak: (141) 1 cyclist every 6.38 seconds

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12121[/ATTACH]
Friday, July 8, 2016
AM Peak: (99) 1 cyclist every 9.09 seconds
PM Peak: (93) 1 cyclist every 9.68 seconds

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12122[/ATTACH]
Saturday, July 10, 2016
Day Peak: (76) 1 cyclist every 11.84 seconds
Sunday, July 11, 2016
Day Peak: (83) 1 cyclist every 10.84 seconds

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12123[/ATTACH]
Monday, July 12, 2016
AM Peak: (145) 1 cyclist every 6.21 seconds
PM Peak: (163) 1 cyclist every 5.52 seconds

Since the readings were taken every 15 minutes, I averaged the count to calculate the average amount of time between cyclists crossing the counters. (For example, Monday’s PM peak was 163 which is ~10.87 cyclists/minute which comes to about 1 cyclist per 5.52 seconds).

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Zack 142968 wrote:

Anyone get stuck in “bike traffic” lately? A few years ago, I would have laughed at the possibility but riding across the 14th St Bridge and Mt Vernon Trail, my commute has been become pretty crowded in the evenings.

Coming down the Custis in Rosslyn has been a nightmare lately. All it takes is one pedestrian to stop you in your tracks, since there is now a practically uninterrupted stream of riders going up the hill and passing up the middle is too dangerous.

[huskerdont]

@TwoWheelsDC 142979 wrote:

Coming down the Custis in Rosslyn has been a nightmare lately. All it takes is one pedestrian to stop you in your tracks, since there is now a practically uninterrupted stream of riders going up the hill and passing up the middle is too dangerous.

I go in early enough that it’s not a problem usually, but for weeks on end they’ve had cones up around wood and construction materials at several spots, which does narrow the lane a bit and make passing more difficult. I at first assumed these would be for new traffic lights, but they seem to be in some places where lights wouldn’t be. Anyone have any idea what this is for and why it’s been sitting there for about a month now?

[Steve O]

@huskerdont 142995 wrote:

I go in early enough that it’s not a problem usually, but for weeks on end they’ve had cones up around wood and construction materials at several spots, which does narrow the lane a bit and make passing more difficult. I at first assumed these would be for new traffic lights, but they seem to be in some places where lights wouldn’t be. Anyone have any idea what this is for and why it’s been sitting there for about a month now?

Yes. We discussed this at the Arlington BAC meeting. They are for new streetlights (not traffic signals). Evidently a right-hand, left-hand thing. The bike staff didn’t know about them until we brought it to their attention. Not clear what the schedule is.

I suggested that they also repair the sidewalk where the snowplow damaged it at Quinn (I actually put in this request in the arlington app months ago) . Evidently that is not going to get a complete repair until the whole intersection is rebuilt. The trails manager said they could go out and smooth it over to make the concrete and asphalt surfaces flat. I hope he follows up.

[huskerdont]

@Steve O 143004 wrote:

Yes. We discussed this at the Arlington BAC meeting. They are for new streetlights (not traffic signals). Evidently a right-hand, left-hand thing. The bike staff didn’t know about them until we brought it to their attention. Not clear what the schedule is.

I suggested that they also repair the sidewalk where the snowplow damaged it at Quinn (I actually put in this request in the arlington app months ago) . Evidently that is not going to get a complete repair until the whole intersection is rebuilt. The trails manager said they could go out and smooth it over to make the concrete and asphalt surfaces flat. I hope he follows up.

Thanks. When I reported that sidewalk cut, I got a response saying they would temporarily patch it and that a permanent fix was “possible” (from K. Stalica, Park Service Area Manager/Trails Manager). I was impressed and happy they did the patch so quickly (since it wasn’t safe) and figured that there would not likely be the permanent repair (since it’s now no worse of a bump than you’d get on any road). Good to have an update.

Streetlights are okay, but it looks like they are going to place them right on the edge of the trail. I mean, sure, you can avoid them plenty of times, but thousands of people thousands of times, and the odds of a collision go up. I would be willing the write with my concern about this should the opportunity present itself.

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