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Thanks John, that’s a good idea. I’ll pass it along. In the meantime, to anyone handy with graphics — feel free to create! We’ll post it for sure.

But — per this week’s big news — don’t forget to add Richmond’s Main Street Station.

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Please note that the annual pass is unchanged at $80/year. This is a screaming deal if ever there was one; and I would think a no-brainer for anyone living near a National Park where they like to go, especially with family and friends.

If I lived in Potomac again, I would definitely have one just to pop in and out of Great Falls when I felt like it.

Sen. Kaine has a bill that we’d love to see move forward, but…

We’re doing what we can, which may wind up being to publicize and encourage people to buy annual passes. Maybe this can help raise some short term cash for our friends at NPS.

Cursory numbers I’ve heard are about $500MM being cut from NPS’ $2.9B budget. If this bothers you, write to your congressmen and senators.

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bobco85, thanks for the pictures. Your videos are great too! (Very helpful for us bike advocates.)

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@KLizotte 138038 wrote:

Unfortunately the map also highlights the fact that if you actually want to get out of your neighborhood you forced to ride a moderate or high stress route at some point. Most of the blue and green routes are cul de sacs or circles within a residential neighborhood. An example of unintentional consequences of suburban street design.

This is what I found hardest about living in Potomac, near Rockville (closest Metro). Nothing is connected.

Along Rockville Pike between Rockville and Grosvenor, there are no parallel alternatives for shopping. And not enough connections across 270. I always had to navigate the Montrose interchange, with fast merging traffic and a hill.

It would be great to put a bike-ped tunnel under 270 from the end of Tilden Ln. to the Cabin John shopping center. People along Tilden could access the Cabin John Creek open space and trails, and ultimately the regional park and Montgomery Mall, without detouring out onto Tuckerman. From the other direction it’s a straight shot on quiet streets to the White Flint Metro, Pike & Rose, etc.

Don’t get me started on putting trails under the powerlines, connecting many key points in MoCo… #CompleteCorridors

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@scoot 139121 wrote:

Great idea!

I’m curious to better understand that 20000 AADT limit for “practical implementation of a road diet”. What evidence contra-indicates a road diet if present AADT exceeds that number?

20k is a rule-of-thumb. Road diets are usually doable below that, more challenging above. Every road is different. For example, cross-street traffic and extra signal cycles and time could affect the almighty “seconds delay at intersections.”

Look for Kevin’s article in GG Wash tomorrow.

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Did y’all see Kevin’s article?

http://www.vabike.org/a-road-diet-for-the-george-washington-memorial-parkway/

Remember this is for south of the Beltway, where the trail gets twisty and hilly, with people (especially kids) suddenly appearing. Whenever I’ve ridden this section, I’ve wished I could just use the Parkway.

Kevin attended an Open House meeting, and reported they’re not open to the idea. They consider the trail to be adequate. It’s good to start this discussion. (Thanks Kevin!)

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@peterw_diy 138058 wrote:

Weak, Tim. You can do better than that.

Actually Bob did use a CC license (the Flickr mobile site obscures that a bit) but Bicycling hasn’t adhered to it, as they have failed to provide all the “appropriate credit” required by the “CC BY 2.0” license. Specifically, the lazy magazine crew failed to link to the pic on Flickr.

Bicycling.com are poor netizens. They never link out for other stuff either, or acknowledge anyone else (as if they’re the only source).

Thanks Bob for posting bike photos with a CC license. I have a hard time finding good photos of people on bikes in VA. If there were more, we’d be featured more. This is why there’s so much more noise about San Francisco, Long Beach, NYC, etc., and relatively little about us. BTW, thanks BikeArlington for the great photo I borrowed for our Facebook page.

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…and please help spread the word one more time:

http://www.vabike.org/please-write-to-your-delegate-if-you-havent-already/

Bud’s report from today too:

http://www.vabike.org/dooring-bill-clears-courts-subcommittee-full-committee-hearing-this-wed/

–Matt

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The latest update is, both bills will be in committee tomorrow (Thurs.) morning – perhaps skipping subcommittee and going straight to full committee (House Transportation).

So we need everyone to write. Bud’s appeal from Monday:

“Certainly wouldn’t hurt for our folks in Northern VA to contact Hugo, Minchew, Dudenhefer, LaRock, & Filler-Corn”

Personal notes would be great, but WABA’s robo-message makes it easy:

http://www.waba.org/blog/2016/02/statelegmdva/

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Today’s update:

SB669, the bike lane maintenance funding (for road diets) bill, was not on this morning’s docket. We’re expecting it next Thursday in House Transportation Subcommittee 3.

SB117 will probably be heard Monday morning. in House Transportation Subcommittee 1.

Again, if you know anyone in these committee members’ districts, please get them to write.

To make it easy, you can share WABA’s one-click action alert.

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I would love to see any new velodrome be bike-accessible to large numbers of people, especially junior riders. All those kids riding fixies around, could be doing something special.

Same with BMX tracks and MTB skills parks.

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@PotomacCyclist 125031 wrote:

http://www.amtrak.com/bring-your-bicycle-onboard

Info about bikes on Amtrak, including specific routes, number of bikes per train, reservation required or not, fees and rules.

Thanks for the link, but I haven’t been posting it because it’s not fully updated*, and is clear as mud to begin with! After that, would most people understand the difference between roll-on service and bike-as-checked-baggage, further confused by roll-your-bike-on-but-it’s-still-checked-baggage?

*Some of the quoted fees are either incorrect or we were told something different.

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@Kitty 123362 wrote:

I am so excited about this! I used to take the train home all the time while in grad school (extra time, no money) and had to take the Capitol Limited to Toledo… then get on a bus… that would take me to one of 4 Michigan cities that were not actually near to my home… but I digress.

If I can take my bike with me this way, or visit friends in Chicago with it, that would be awesome!
(Though I guess I’d have to pack a car rack so someone can pick me up on the other side. )

Kitty,

No digression at all, this is what we love to hear. We’d love for our politicians and Amtrak to hear it from everyone too.

BTW, my colleagues will be testing again w/ Amtrak this weekend in Richmond.

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I’ve ridden over there a lot from Alexandria. I don’t mind the gravel path, even on rainy days (it’s cleaner than road dirt). And the bike parking is already better than average for the DC area, with good bike racks right in front of the major businesses.

IIRC, there are signs banning riding on the paths through the property. This is no different from Washington Harbor, where I’m pretty sure I would be stopped. I’ve slow-rolled all around National Harbor without any problems. Maybe they’re amenable to dialing this back a little.

Lack of connectivity to surrounding neighborhoods is no different from malls and bigbox store properties across America. Mostly it’s just not being considered, unless bike advocates speak up. Who might that be in that part of PG County, besides WABA?

Admittedly, casinos and Walmarts don’t like connectivity. They’d rather keep it easier to just stay on the property, to spend all your money there. Old Town’s restaurants and bars may be a competitive threat, but a bike path into Ft. Washington may help bring the the neighborhood in to enjoy the restaurants, cafes and other attractions.

Sell the benefits.

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A crosswalk user cannot enter the crosswalk “in disregard of traffic” which is what it seems this guy did. But I’d hate to have to argue it with a police officer, or the a-hole that did it. Best to shrug it off, and be glad no one was hurt.

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