Rode on the new OGR bike lanes on saturday, in the rain (the first part, not the thunderstorm)

[Anonymous]

It was actually pretty nice. They've recently come back and painted them green here and there near the intersections to be more apparent that there's bike infrastructure. I'd feel better if the whole thing was green the whole way, but even the pieces they've done is a marked improvement from the first time I rode in them a couple months ago. Anyway, the buffer is great too. I took them from Democracy to the past where they end headed to Bethesda (not sure why they end abruptly without continuing to Bethesda? Seems like it would be obvious to keep them going all the way there?). Then I went north to Tuckerman and out Tuckerman to Falls Rd. MoCo is making good strides with bike infrastructure. I'd like to see River Road's updated to be more like OGR's.

Also, I saw more than a few people out using the lanes on both sides, despite the weather being a bit gloomy.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I'm happy they finally put in the green paint!

The bike lanes should go all the way to downtown Bethesda. I hope we can get them without someone having to be killed first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I'm happy they finally put in the green paint!

The bike lanes should go all the way to downtown Bethesda. I hope we can get them without someone having to be killed first.

Good connections to the trolley trail and CCT would be nice!

[Anonymous]

That's great! I have several colleagues who commute from Bethesda to downtown by bike. I am in DC but I also recently road on completed protected bike lanes, and they are truly the best. They also visually look really great too - the C St NE protected lanes changed a really ugly stretch of highway in the middle of a residential area, to a nice streetscape with a much more human feel.

[Anonymous]

How do cars turn in or out of anywhere with these bike lanes plus all the lanes of traffic?
Looks horrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do cars turn in or out of anywhere with these bike lanes plus all the lanes of traffic?
Looks horrible.

It works fine. It's actually more pleasant to drive now than it used to be, because it's less of a speedway. The leadfoot drivers have to slow down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do cars turn in or out of anywhere with these bike lanes plus all the lanes of traffic?
Looks horrible.

It works fine. It's actually more pleasant to drive now than it used to be, because it's less of a speedway. The leadfoot drivers have to slow down.

Isn't the beltway right there? and 270 ramps? I cannot even envision them taking out two lanes of the six to do this and thinking it's safe for anyone.

Am happy I don't work up there anymore. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do cars turn in or out of anywhere with these bike lanes plus all the lanes of traffic?
Looks horrible.

It works fine. It's actually more pleasant to drive now than it used to be, because it's less of a speedway. The leadfoot drivers have to slow down.

Isn't the beltway right there? and 270 ramps? I cannot even envision them taking out two lanes of the six to do this and thinking it's safe for anyone.

Am happy I don't work up there anymore. Good luck.

Whether or not you can envision it, that is what they did. It wasn't safe before. Now it's safer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do cars turn in or out of anywhere with these bike lanes plus all the lanes of traffic?
Looks horrible.

It works fine. It's actually more pleasant to drive now than it used to be, because it's less of a speedway. The leadfoot drivers have to slow down.

Isn't the beltway right there? and 270 ramps? I cannot even envision them taking out two lanes of the six to do this and thinking it's safe for anyone.

Am happy I don't work up there anymore. Good luck.

It is right there, and the new lane works great even with the beltway. The only weird part is up the street at Tuckerman headed north where it does a little juke with the right turning lane. Doable I guess and DC does that a lot with one way streets too. But takes some getting used to for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was actually pretty nice. They've recently come back and painted them green here and there near the intersections to be more apparent that there's bike infrastructure. I'd feel better if the whole thing was green the whole way, but even the pieces they've done is a marked improvement from the first time I rode in them a couple months ago. Anyway, the buffer is great too. I took them from Democracy to the past where they end headed to Bethesda (not sure why they end abruptly without continuing to Bethesda? Seems like it would be obvious to keep them going all the way there?). Then I went north to Tuckerman and out Tuckerman to Falls Rd. MoCo is making good strides with bike infrastructure. I'd like to see River Road's updated to be more like OGR's.

Also, I saw more than a few people out using the lanes on both sides, despite the weather being a bit gloomy.

Did you get a sticker for being the 100th rider?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was actually pretty nice. They've recently come back and painted them green here and there near the intersections to be more apparent that there's bike infrastructure. I'd feel better if the whole thing was green the whole way, but even the pieces they've done is a marked improvement from the first time I rode in them a couple months ago. Anyway, the buffer is great too. I took them from Democracy to the past where they end headed to Bethesda (not sure why they end abruptly without continuing to Bethesda? Seems like it would be obvious to keep them going all the way there?). Then I went north to Tuckerman and out Tuckerman to Falls Rd. MoCo is making good strides with bike infrastructure. I'd like to see River Road's updated to be more like OGR's.

Also, I saw more than a few people out using the lanes on both sides, despite the weather being a bit gloomy.

Did you get a sticker for being the 100th rider?

It's funny because there's even a STRAVA segment for part of the bike lanes (super aptly named too).

[Anonymous]

The green paint really helps, where the bike lane crosses on northbound OGR south of the Tuckerman intersection. It definitely helps show people who are biking what they're supposed to do. It also helps signal drivers to expect bicyclists to be crossing, assuming the drivers are paying attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The green paint really helps, where the bike lane crosses on northbound OGR south of the Tuckerman intersection. It definitely helps show people who are biking what they're supposed to do. It also helps signal drivers to expect bicyclists to be crossing, assuming the drivers are paying attention.

The drivers have right of way at that crossing there so be careful.

[Anonymous]

I don't know if drivers have the right-of-way there, and I doubt the police do either. I do know that, as a driver, I don't want to hit a bicyclist, regardless of who has the right-of-way. I also know that, as a bicyclist, I don't even expect drivers to see me, let alone know when I have the right-of-way and yield it to me. I do agree that, in the long term, this is one of the parts of the design that could be improved. The bike lanes are surprisingly good, but they could be even better.

[Anonymous]

Just please be careful, all those points of cyclist/driver intersection have not become safer!