W&OD Detours Coming Soon

[josh]

@dbb 189913 wrote:

From Banneker Park, south to Columbia gets you across Lee Highway at a traffic light and you don’t have to ride on Lee Highway.

Yeah, trying to cross Lee Highway on Jefferson (with no light) sucks, it always feels like I’m waiting around for a couple minutes for a 10 second break in traffic.

[Starduster]

Pondering the bike map…My detour of choice- Coming eastbound on the W&OD, right turn at Little Falls St. If I wanted to say hi to the Bikenetic crew, and take my chances with two blocks of N Washington St, taking the lane to N Westmoreland, then I would turn left at W Jefferson. If I needed the light, and didn’t mind the extra distance, then turn left at W Columbia. Both N Westmoreland and E Columbia connect with N Van Buren St, which connects to the Banneker section of the W&OD.

A caution- the neighbors on N Van Buren St are hypersensitive about cyclists blowing stop signs. We need to behave.

[Tania]

The official detour still has you crossing at the normal light at 29 and then riding along the north side sidewalk to get to Jefferson. Why would anyone cross at Jefferson where’s there no light?

[bentbike33]

@Tania 189919 wrote:

The official detour still has you crossing at the normal light at 29 and then riding along the north side sidewalk to get to Jefferson. Why would anyone cross at Jefferson where’s there no light?

Maybe to avoid conflict with pedestrians trying to drag reluctant dogs into the veterinarian’s office across from Westmoreland?

[Tania]

@bentbike33 189920 wrote:

Maybe to avoid conflict with pedestrians trying to drag reluctant dogs into the veterinarian’s office across from Westmoreland?

Then it’s easy enough to ride in the street there (also easy enough to just slow down since you’re on a sidewalk). During rush hour, those lanes are always backed up (I admit I drive this way too often during rush hour) and cars can only creep along. If it’s not rush hour, take the lane and people can pass since it’s two lanes in each direction. It’s not even a 1/4 mile. It would be great if there could be a temp protected bike lane put in but given how congested this strip of 29 is (mostly because people heading West and then turning left at Westmoreland and the timing of the lights through Broad St), it’s not feasible.

I’m happy to ride on the sidewalk there for a few months if it means getting a bridge over 29. Or taking Columbia, I do that occasionally anyway.

People complain about the intersection but now people are complaining about the fix? Pick one. I can only imagine the handwringing when the bridge over Wiehle starts.

[bentbike33]

I’m not complaining, I’m taking Columbia. I’m not a fan of sidewalk riding as it tends to make pedestrians irate no matter how courteously you try to ride, and then you have to deal with the high ignorage factor of turning motorists.

[Sunyata]

I take Columbia on a daily basis for my regular commute. Granted, I am early in and early out, so YMMV, but I have never had an issue with traffic on Columbia while riding a bike. Plus, the lights at Columbia are evenly timed, so you do not have to wait for 2 minutes for the light to change and then hustle across as quickly as you can like you do on Westmoreland.

[mstone]

@Tania 189921 wrote:

People complain about the intersection but now people are complaining about the fix? Pick one.

Why? It is possible to imagine an alternate universe where VDOT puts a little effort into bike/ped detours and still manages to build new infrastructure.

[Nadine]

@Steve O 189852 wrote:

For through cyclists, I suspect they will learn it’s better to go one more block south to Columbia, cross Washington at the light and take Columbia all the way to Van Buren, then left to the trail.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19970[/ATTACH]

I’m with Steve, dbb, Sunyata, & the rest of the Columbia detour peeps. It worked great for the other detour (when they worked on the bridge at Van Buren) which also took a long time.

And you can go right by Bikenetic if you want and stop on and say hi – and get pie if you’re so inclined.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Subby]

Get off the WOD at the dog park and then take a right on Columbia. This will give you a little bit of time to spin up your legs so you can blast through the Columbia Rollers strava segment on your way to commuting nirvana!

[huskerdont]

If I were nervous biking on Columbia, I think I’d be nervous on almost any street.

It really was a revelation to me when the Sunday shop ride I sometimes do used Columbia (though from Cherry heading from 7 Corners). I started using it WB on the W&OD rather than the trail because the intersection with Lee annoys me, as does the wooden bridge over Trammel Branch, and this goes around both and adds distance, so what more could you want?

[dbb]

Well, I tried and failed to get the email for the project manager for the bridge project but instead sent Transform66@vdot.virginia.gov a note suggesting they change the detour to the Columbia alternative. I also cc’d BikeArlington.

I’m sure they would be eager to hear from others as well.

We will see what happens.

[dbb]

Here is the response I got.

“Thank you for the email and suggestion. The project team and NOVA Parks looked at multiple detour alternatives, including the one you suggest. Each has its pros and cons. The posted route was chosen as it returns riders most directly to the trail. We recognize that, in reality, there are a wide range of routes that cyclists will use in that area depending on their area knowledge, rider type, origin/destination, comfort riding in traffic, time of day, day of the week, etc. Many cyclists are also good at sharing this information with other trail users.

We appreciate feedback from trail users like you as we work to keep people moving safely and efficiently while building the new trail bridge.”

It seems to neglect the fact that families and occasional recreational riders aren’t likely to be on the Forum or have the confidence to ride Lee Highway.

[Steve O]

This point was recently brought to my attention:
We regulars are pretty good at finding alternate options. Weekend family riders, though, now have to contend with the drivers and sightlines and turns off of Little Falls Road, mixing with traffic.
Wouldn’t it be nice if Falls Church (or NVRPA, or VDOT, or someone) created some sort of protected facility along the detour for those types of riders. The W&OD is, after all, used by lots of recreational and family riders, too.

[huskerdont]

I thought perhaps I was misjudging, but a vehicular cyclist I follow said yesterday that the posted detour was dangerous. No way any family group or non-vehicular cyclist should be dumped out on Washington/Lee like that, and especially eastbound where the crossing has to be done without a light.

Anyway, I will write this afternoon.

[Author]

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