seeking advice on Banneker Park detour

[wheelswings]

Hi all – how are people maneuvering around Banneker Park (near East Falls Church) now that the County’s contractor has put up fencing to keep us out (in addition to the barricades)? I tried the official detour tonight and nearly got myself killed trying to cross the I-66 on-ramp off Sycamore/N Roosevelt (cars whip around their turns and completely ignore the Walk signal). Is there a safer detour? I wish that the County would adjust the signals so that people on foot or on bicycles could have a safe time to cross without being plowed under.
Thanks. w&w

[ShawnoftheDread]

I’m doing trail past the basketball court to Roosevelt, right on 17th, left on Roosevelt/Sycamore, right on 16th.

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[accordioneur]

I avoid the whole mess and take Columbia Street.

[arlcxrider]

I agree with using Columbia to avoid the whole mess, if you’re continuing west on the W&OD. On Columbia there’s a light at Washington that’s on a timed cycle–no beg button or dodgy pavement loops.

I’ve been doing that since the detours for the Lee Hwy. bridge went up. The handling of that detour and the Banneker Park detour have been pretty dismal, in my opinion. Not to mention the attenuated schedule for both of these projects. I’ve seen very little visible progress on the Lee Hwy. bridge since the steel went up.

[consularrider]

If you’re a glutton for punishment, you could always use a version of one of Dirt’s Tuesday Hill Rides from Bikenetic through Madison Manor and Dominion Hills.

[bentbike33]

@wheels&wings 195013 wrote:

Hi all – how are people maneuvering around Banneker Park (near East Falls Church) now that the County’s contractor has put up fencing to keep us out (in addition to the barricades)?

Of course they had to put up a fence. It’s not as if the barricades were ever going to work.

Also, what Shawnofthedread and accordioneur said for the detour (16th becomes Columbia at the Arlington-Falls Church line, I assume).

[Steve O]

Columbia avoids the bridge construction but not the Banneker Park section.
Dread’s and bentbike’s option (the purple line on the map) is the continuation of Columbia/16th St. around Banneker. The trick here is that one has to cross Roosevelt without a traffic signal, which is easier or harder depending on time of day.

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[Sunyata]

@ShawnoftheDread 195015 wrote:

I’m doing trail past the basketball court to Roosevelt, right on 17th, left on Roosevelt/Sycamore, right on 16th.

This is what I am doing as well. It is MUCH safer and easier than trying to navigate that 66 on ramp or the traffic coming in/out of the kiss & ride lot.

[accordioneur]

@Steve O 195031 wrote:

Columbia avoids the bridge construction but not the Banneker Park section.

I do not understand this statement when the map you included in the very same post shows the route to take Columbia St. around Banneker Park.

[lordofthemark]

@accordioneur 195033 wrote:

I do not understand this statement when the map you included in the very same post shows the route to take Columbia St. around Banneker Park.

I am guessing he means Roosevelt to Columbia vs Van Buren to Columbia.

#PresidentsfromNewYork

[josh]

@accordioneur 195033 wrote:

I do not understand this statement when the map you included in the very same post shows the route to take Columbia St. around Banneker Park.

Or maybe that the road changes from Columbia to 16th at some point along the route?

[arlcxrider]

@josh 195037 wrote:

Or maybe that the road changes from Columbia to 16th at some point along the route?

Yes, at the county line.

[accordioneur]

@josh 195037 wrote:

Or maybe that the road changes from Columbia to 16th at some point along the route?

You re correct the easternmost 1/10th of a mile or so, starting somewhere between Underwood and Tuckahoe Streets, is in Arlington, and likely that’s where the designation changes from Columbia St. to N. 16th St. My posting should have made it clear that I meant “Columbia St., continuing onto N. 16th St.” I hate to think that SteveO might have gotten stuck forever at the corner of Columbia and Tuckahoe because my directions didn’t include how to get from there to Roosevelt St.

[dasgeh]

@wheels&wings 195013 wrote:

Hi all – how are people maneuvering around Banneker Park (near East Falls Church) now that the County’s contractor has put up fencing to keep us out (in addition to the barricades)? I tried the official detour tonight and nearly got myself killed trying to cross the I-66 on-ramp off Sycamore/N Roosevelt (cars whip around their turns and completely ignore the Walk signal). Is there a safer detour? I wish that the County would adjust the signals so that people on foot or on bicycles could have a safe time to cross without being plowed under.
Thanks. w&w

I’m confused – are you (1) crossing the ramp, or (2) staying on the south side of the street and riding in the PBL, which would mean you only need to cross Sycamore? I ask because County staff was thinking people would do #2. If the problem is that you’re doing #1 because [insert reason here], the solution might be to address that reason. If the problem is that you’re doing #2 and crossing Sycamore sucks, then the solution is…

@ShawnoftheDread 195015 wrote:

I’m doing trail past the basketball court to Roosevelt, right on 17th, left on Roosevelt/Sycamore, right on 16th.

@accordioneur 195019 wrote:

I avoid the whole mess and take Columbia Street.

@Steve O 195031 wrote:

Columbia avoids the bridge construction but not the Banneker Park section.
Dread’s and bentbike’s option (the purple line on the map) is the continuation of Columbia/16th St. around Banneker. The trick here is that one has to cross Roosevelt without a traffic signal, which is easier or harder depending on time of day.

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YOU ARE ALL TALKING ABOUT THE SAME DETOUR.

But my read on that detour was that it would be scary dangerous headed eastbound, because the intersection of 16th & Sycamore is pretty blind. Am I wrong there?

@arlcxrider 195025 wrote:

The handling of that detour and the Banneker Park detour have been pretty dismal, in my opinion.

Agree with the detour for the bridge (why isn’t it just Columbia for bikes?). On on the schedule, County staff might be able to open the trail back up in the Spring. Depends on a lot so they’re not coming anywhere close to making promises. Staff has been responsive here — they put in the temporary PBL on 19th in response to BAC feedback. They met with people onsite on a really disgusting day and listening and are looking into fixes.

If we can be more clear about why the PBL doesn’t work (see my q to W&W), then maybe County staff could fix it.

[bentbike33]

@dasgeh 195054 wrote:

But my read on [the Columbia St.] detour was that it would be scary dangerous headed eastbound, because the intersection of 16th & Sycamore is pretty blind. Am I wrong there?

Actually, if you roll from Columbia/16th into the bike lane on Sycamore/Roosevelt (just like the cars do), you can see southbound traffic just fine. Also, there is a median at the intersection if you need to wait for northbound traffic to clear after crossing the southbound lanes.

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