Working with the NPS GWMP on snow removal – comments by 2 March

[DismalScientist]

@PBS 135640 wrote:

Pretty much the entire Arlington Loop needs to be cleared. For the MVT, that means the entire section from Four Mile Run to the Custis needs to be available to regular commuters.

If we can’t get that, I at least need excellent updates on what’s clear. Once I start on the Four Mile Run section of my commute, I’m committed. Finding a wall of snow at a random part of the trail doesn’t mean I get to turn down a nearby street like the cars do, it means I have nowhere to go but back. Unless I have a reliable indication of what’s clear and what’s not, I can’t risk it.

BTW, I know this is NPS territory, but it’s also Arlington. Any way Arlington could fork over some cash to help with the plowing?

(I picked the Arlington loop because I’m an Arlington resident, who works in Arlington and I’m posting on Bike Arlington. It’s not that I don’t care about everyone else. IMHO, the whole thing should be plowed.)

The W&OD between Shirlington and Custis is controlled by NVRPA, not NPS. It is my understanding that they refused Arlington’s offer to clear it for free.

Here’s the street route to avoid that part of the W&OD between Shirlington and the Custis (you really only have to worry about the part between Columbia Pike and the Custis.):
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/38.8440616,-77.0857817/38.8789501,-77.127792/@38.857256,-77.1115997,14.25z/data=!4m29!4m28!1m25!3m4!1m2!1d-77.113138!2d38.8653747!3s0x89b7b41a602cb61d:0x499df087d7c0f1af!3m4!1m2!1d-77.1121595!2d38.8702318!3s0x89b7b419b1845da9:0xcb6848de0f6fab4e!3m4!1m2!1d-77.1135669!2d38.8726265!3s0x89b7b4181ba40549:0xe1ec93fb7c4dc919!3m4!1m2!1d-77.1191383!2d38.8752519!3s0x89b7b43de5af9e13:0xbdf293d8d8c6fae9!3m4!1m2!1d-77.1239223!2d38.877647!3s0x89b7b43f731bcea1:0xee9c87b658c33998!1m0!3e0

[PStokes]

For us norther Arlingtoners, the section along and through Roosevelt Island and up onto the Roosevelt Bridge. This of course will only be as effective as the commensurate conditions on the Roosevelt Bridge, which as I understand is DCDOT’s responsibility. On a related note, I was surprised to find the sidewalk on the Roosevelt Bridge so completely clear of snow so quickly after the big storm this year.

[worktheweb]

My commute takes me on the MVT from the Tulane Drive entrance all the way to the 14th Street Bridge. There are no alternatives to Tulane-Alexandria to get to Alexandria City from the South that don’t involve going on roads unfriendly to bikes (Fort Hunt road by Belle Haven, and the unplowed path on the Fairfax County portion of Route 1 (Alexandria City plows their section). This has been my biggest obstacle to having an all-bike commute during snow emergencies.

Ideally, the trail would be plowed all the way to at least Alexandria Avenue to provide connectivity with the Sherwood Hall Lane bike lanes (part of my commute) and not require users to cross the parkway at Tulane. South of Alexandria Avenue, I can imagine it being very hard to plow with the switchbacks and West Boulevard provides a plowed alternative on-road.

So Tulane Drive and North I would consider essential to everyone South of Alexandria City, and Alexandria Avenue and North would be even better.

[NickBull]

Arlington resident working at the base of Capitol Hill,

Highest priority for me: Clear the MVT from Rosslyn down to Memorial bridge, and clear the connector up to Memorial Bridge and the Memorial Bridge sidewalk on the downstream side. That lets me get from Custis to cleared (low-traffic) streets in the district, like Ohio Drive.

Lower priority: In addition, clear all the way to the 14th St bridge.

Alternative route is Custis->Key->Rock Creek Trail->Ohio Drive but it doesn’t sound like any of that is under the jurisdiction of the NPS GWMP.

Thanks,

Nick Bull

[Roadbike56]

Please consider my comments. I am a year-round bike commuter from Alexandria to downtown Washington, DC

In the winter, NPS should pre-treat trails before anticipated storms and then clear the trails as quickly as possible, i.e., no later than they clear roads for motorized traffic, so that bicyclists can ride the trails without danger and fear. Essentially, following the successful model put into practice by Arlington County and, to some extent, by the City of Alexandria.

Specifically, treat and clear the Mount Vernon Trail from the intersection of Four Mile Run where Arlington County treatment ends to 14th Street Bridge, incl. the 14th Bridge multi use lane to the Jefferson Memorial. Also, the NPS needs to provide a cleared and treated space to bike past the Lincoln Memorial and onto the multi use trail (aka sidewalk) that is parallel to 23rd Street NW and Constitution Avenue NW.

Here are two pictures from February 18, 2015 that show (1) the demarcation line between Arlington (cleared) and the National Park Service (uncleared) at the intersection of FMR and MVT and (2) a scene on the MVT looking South in immediate vicinity of the railroad bridge. It was the same this year but I did not take a picture. (Note to admin: I give you permission to use the pictures in your advocacy efforts with NPS)

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There are additional sections that NPS should clear. I am only commenting on the sections I frequent daily.

Eric Wagner
Del Ray, Alexandria

[bikepedantic]

I will also chime in with my commute…. Crystal City to 14th St Bridge.

For South Arlington (and Alexandrians to the south), there’s no alternative to get across the river. At a minimum, dbb’s first suggestion of restoring the LBJ Grove/Humpback connection. Next priority, continue plowing to the Gravelly Point parking lot, which would eliminate some slow-to-melt stretches, and would get the section that soldiers use for their PT run tests back open. But ideally, CC Connector to 14th gives us the complete connection, Alexandrians have a street option for access

[Arlingtonrider]

The MVT from where it connects with Four Mile Run Trail to the 14th Street Bridge.

This should be easy for NPS as there is good vehicle access from Gravelly point and no wood bridges are involved.

(Also, is someone going to clear the Crystal City connector trail?)

[PBS]

@DismalScientist 135642 wrote:

The W&OD between Shirlington and Custis is controlled by NVRPA, not NPS. It is my understanding that they refused Arlington’s offer to clear it for free.

Understood. Though I would love for the NVRPA to get in on this discussion, too, I was referring to the Mount Vernon Trail between Four Mile Run in the south and the Custis in the north, not the W&OD. That whole section needs to be plowed. It gets a ton of commuter traffic, and just picking out a section or two would leave a lot of people stranded. It would be like only plowing a section or two of Arlington Blvd. It’s just not that useful unless you plow the whole darn thing.

As the most visible trail network in the county, and one used for a ton of commuting, the whole Arlington Loop is very important. It’s wonderful that the NPS is giving this serious consideration. The NVRPA also needs to get on board. But I think the most important thing that needs to happen, and it looks like it is (thanks, guys!), if for Arlington to continue to push the issue with these other trail authorities. Arlington needs to look out for it’s people on it’s turf, even if others technically are responsible for the maintenance. Diplomacy.

[Rootchopper]

For those of us who commute from south of the Beltway to DC and North Arlington, plowing from Tulane Drive makes the most sense. There is no safe passage across the GW Parkway at Belle View/Belle Haven at rush hour. Moreover to get to that point many bike commuters would have to ride on Fort Hunt Road which is definitely not prefered. FHR already lacks shoulders in many places, a condition made worse when snow clogs the edge of the roadway. Plowing and treating the trail from Tulane Drive is the better because it keeps bikes off Fort Hunt Road at rush hour. Most of Mount Vernon north of Little Hunting Creek can use side streets to get to Tulane.

[DismalScientist]

@PBS 135652 wrote:

. I was referring to the Mount Vernon Trail between Four Mile Run in the south and the Custis in the north, not the W&OD. That whole section needs to be plowed. It gets a ton of commuter traffic, and just picking out a section or two would leave a lot of people stranded. It would be like only plowing a section or two of Arlington Blvd. It’s just not that useful unless you plow the whole darn thing.

As the most visible trail network in the county, and one used for a ton of commuting, the whole Arlington Loop is very important. It’s wonderful that the NPS is giving this serious consideration. The NVRPA also needs to get on board. But I think the most important thing that needs to happen, and it looks like it is (thanks, guys!), if for Arlington to continue to push the issue with these other trail authorities. Arlington needs to look out for it’s people on it’s turf, even if others technically are responsible for the maintenance. Diplomacy.

I think if the initial position is that the entire MVT needs to be plowed, you may get less cooperation than if you highlight the major connections to the bridges, which are: the Route 27 trail to memorial bridge, sidewalks south of Key Bridge, MVT from Lynn/Lee to TR bridge (if open), and through the marina to the 14th St Bridge. The entire MVT between Alexandria and Rosslyn can be avoided by using Eads, Long Bridge Road, Boundary Channel, Route 27 trail, 110 trail, and Fort Myer Drive.

[dasgeh]

@NickBull 135646 wrote:

Highest priority for me: Clear the MVT from Rosslyn down to Memorial bridge, and clear the connector up to Memorial Bridge and the Memorial Bridge sidewalk on the downstream side. That lets me get from Custis to cleared (low-traffic) streets in the district, like Ohio Drive.

If you’re going to Memorial Bridge, Custis -> Fort Myer Drive -> Meade -> Marshall -> 110 Trail -> ANC is cleared by ArlCo. That’s why I put Memorial Bridge and the sidewalks from the ANC Metro to Memorial Bridge as #1 on my list

[dasgeh]

@DismalScientist 135657 wrote:

I think if the initial position is that the entire MVT needs to be plowed, you may get less cooperation than if you highlight the major connections to the bridges, which are: the Route 27 trail to memorial bridge, sidewalks south of Key Bridge, MVT from Lynn/Lee to TR bridge (if open), and through the marina to the 14th St Bridge. The entire MVT between Alexandria and Rosslyn can be avoided by using Eads, Long Bridge Road, Boundary Channel, Route 27 trail, 110 trail, and Fort Myer Drive.

Yes, though you seem to take for granted that Memorial Bridge itself and the sidewalks from the ANC Metro to the Memorial Bridge would be cleared. After Snozilla, they were not.

[PBS]

@DismalScientist 135657 wrote:

I think if the initial position is that the entire MVT needs to be plowed, you may get less cooperation than if you highlight the major connections to the bridges, which are: the Route 27 trail to memorial bridge, sidewalks south of Key Bridge, MVT from Lynn/Lee to TR bridge (if open), and through the marina to the 14th St Bridge. The entire MVT between Alexandria and Rosslyn can be avoided by using Eads, Long Bridge Road, Boundary Channel, Route 27 trail, 110 trail, and Fort Myer Drive.

I would love to have you expand on that last sentence, because I have no idea what some of those are, and I’d very much like to take a look at their potential for my commute. I punched a bunch of those terms into the Google and came up short on most of it.

You may be right about levels of cooperation, but I really, really hope the position of Bike Arlington and the county as a whole isn’t just to deliver routes going out of Arlington. The entire MVT within our borders is such an obvious goal. There are 6 steps in your alternative vs the easy to communicate, easy to use, and more than a little beautiful MVT. We need to push for the good stuff.

[Lizbon]

Chiming in to agree w/what several other people have said. As year-round bike commuter Alexandria to DC, I rely most heavily on the section of MVT from Four Mile Run trail (at southern end of National Airport) to 14th St bridge. I use a MTB with studded tires in inclement weather, which works ok for flat ice, but that is not nearly sufficient for unplowed snow & rutted ice & slush, etc.

Below is a pic of the uncleared MVT at the access point from Four Mile Run from this winter. I had carried my bike over the (also uncleared) Four Mile Run to this point hoping MVT would be cleared. I turned around & carried it back after taking this pic.

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[bobco85]

@PBS 135662 wrote:

I would love to have you expand on that last sentence, because I have no idea what some of those are, and I’d very much like to take a look at their potential for my commute. I punched a bunch of those terms into the Google and came up short on most of it.

You may be right about levels of cooperation, but I really, really hope the position of Bike Arlington and the county as a whole isn’t just to deliver routes going out of Arlington. The entire MVT within our borders is such an obvious goal. There are 6 steps in your alternative vs the easy to communicate, easy to use, and more than a little beautiful MVT. We need to push for the good stuff.

This route is more-or-less what Dismal is describing: https://goo.gl/maps/D5iEw6Asy6L2

• Eads St is on the opposite side of Four Mile Run and serves as a continuation of Commonwealth Ave
• Long Bridge Drive (not Road) runs as a connector to Boundary Channel Drive from Crystal Drive (both run on the east side of I-395)
• Boundary Channel Drive runs along the northeast side of the Pentagon and is a good access to LBJ Grove, Columbia Island Marina, and the MVT near 14th St Bridge
• Route 27 is Washington Blvd
• Route 110 is Jefferson Davis Highway
• Fort Myer Drive is the southbound equivalent of northbound Lynn St which will take you between Arlington National Cemetery and Key Bridge in Rosslyn (the 2 roads combine to create Meade St)
• The route is less useful if you need to go farther east in DC, though

Hopefully, that clears things up.

[Author]

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