Alexandria Bike Lobby wins again

[Anonymous]

The Mayor bikes. The Alexandria police department does NOT enforce traffic laws against bike riders. The plan that was adopted is for the sole benefit of bike riders. This is on top of everything else that the Mayor has done to the City, especially to the West End. Voters are simply infuriated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The City Council voted 4-3, even over the advice of their own Transportation Board and the objections of many residents, to administer the road diet on Seminary and take away two lanes of traffic for the bike lobby. Justin Wilson is oddly quiet on the matter online. I am so done with the city caving to the Bike Lobby giving them whatever they want.

The Traffic and Parking Board split 3-2. Transportation Commission, Alexandria DASH Board (our local transit agency), and Environment Commission all supported.

Residents were split, as show by competing petitions and speakers.

This was heavily supported by the Virginia Theological Seminary, and by residents ON the road, and those who live on side streets that hit the road at a non signalized intersection, who have trouble turning onto a fast 4 lane road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Well, why shouldn’t they try? If it leads to nightmare congestion, the pressure will be so high they’ll have to change it back.

I really don’t think there is a bike lobby.

There most definitely is, there are several. They have official names, but we like to call them the Velo Fascists.

They already did this road diet idea on Route 7 in the west end and on King. Didn't work. Traffic is so much worse. I want to move, but it isn't so easy.

It has worked on King Street. John Chapman who voted against change on Seminary, repeated that King Street was correct. There is NO movement to reverse King Street, and home prices have increased there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[
I drive two hours on secondary roads and surface streets five days a week. I see hundreds of cars at intersections each day, and I rarely see anyone run s red light that isn’t more than half a second into the red from yellow. Red light cameras have dramatically reduced red light running. Likewise for speeding, with speed cameras almost everywhere now.

There are no speed cameras in Virginia, and red light cameras are limited by population - I think Alexandria gets 10 altogether.

You don't live in Virginia, do you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The bike lobby obtained signatures from people who are not even Alexandria residents and accept financial support from Lyft and scooter companies, which is so disingenuous, sketchy and really wrong.

The city received financial grants for every bike lane it puts in. Justin Wilson who is always glued to his phone and posts about every minor part of his day has been dead silent on his decision.

We’ve been trying to get speed bumps here in Rosemont to help with speeding traffic that has gotten exponentially worse since those bike lanes were put in on King. City won’t listen to us for years. But bike lobby asks in a matter of months for a street to be reconfigured and no problem they get it, over objection of neighbors and objection of the city’s own transportation board. Disgusting.

1. The 1200 signatures on the pro Option 3 petition were all from Alexandria residents. The petition had addresses. Ask CM Jackson (who voted to keep 4 lanes) if there are any non residents on that petition. They were collected in large part by one individual who does not ride a bike.

2. The pro change side did not receive a penny from any scooter company. ONE scooter company (Lime) asked their users in the City to support Option 3. Which seems reasonable, since scooter riders would be able to use bike lanes and would benefit from them (and this would get them off the sidewalk)

3. I do not know what you are talking about in terms of grants. Citation please?

4. Anyone checking traffic on Google can easily see that traffic in Rosemont is generall fine most of the time. Except for one intersection which is beyond the point where the King Street bike lanes end.

5. It took a year and half to do this, and its a very short section of road. And the Transportation Commission supported it - the Traffic and Parking Board was split.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ yep. The amount of bikes that just do whatever in the world they want on the road far exceeds the percentage of drivers doing that.

Try driving the speed limit. Actually at the limit, not 5MPH over, See how many cars pass you. Or tailgate you. Or even honk at you.


Besides that, I see drivers constantly failing to signal, making illegal u turns, go straight from a turn only lane (or making a turn from a no turn lane), slow rolling a stop sign, slow rolling a right on red, blocking crosswalks, parking in bike lanes, etc.

No one says that's a reason not to build roads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Mayor bikes. The Alexandria police department does NOT enforce traffic laws against bike riders. The plan that was adopted is for the sole benefit of bike riders. This is on top of everything else that the Mayor has done to the City, especially to the West End. Voters are simply infuriated.

APD DOES ticked bike riders. I know people who have reeived tickets. Mostly they ticket riders on Union in Old Town.

The plan was adopted to make the street safer for drivers, walkers and bike riders and to improve quality of life.

Large numbers of supporters live in West Alexandria.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Mayor bikes. The Alexandria police department does NOT enforce traffic laws against bike riders. The plan that was adopted is for the sole benefit of bike riders. This is on top of everything else that the Mayor has done to the City, especially to the West End. Voters are simply infuriated.

The Board of the Alexandria Transit Company (DASH) supported the change, as helping the safety of bus riders, who must walk and cross the street to get to bus stops.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mayor bikes. Mayor is sole actual official in Alexandria. Mayor wanted a slaughterhouse? Got it. Mayor wants scooters? Got it. Mayor wants people to loose their jobs because they can no longer commute by and bus service on Seminary and Braddock is being reduced? Got it. This is all about whatever the Mayor wants. Mini-Trump.

People will still drive on Seminary, and peak hour bus service is not being reduced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bike lobby obtained signatures from people who are not even Alexandria residents and accept financial support from Lyft and scooter companies, which is so disingenuous, sketchy and really wrong.

The city received financial grants for every bike lane it puts in. Justin Wilson who is always glued to his phone and posts about every minor part of his day has been dead silent on his decision.

We’ve been trying to get speed bumps here in Rosemont to help with speeding traffic that has gotten exponentially worse since those bike lanes were put in on King. City won’t listen to us for years. But bike lobby asks in a matter of months for a street to be reconfigured and no problem they get it, over objection of neighbors and objection of the city’s own transportation board. Disgusting.

1. The 1200 signatures on the pro Option 3 petition were all from Alexandria residents. The petition had addresses. Ask CM Jackson (who voted to keep 4 lanes) if there are any non residents on that petition. They were collected in large part by one individual who does not ride a bike.

2. The pro change side did not receive a penny from any scooter company. ONE scooter company (Lime) asked their users in the City to support Option 3. Which seems reasonable, since scooter riders would be able to use bike lanes and would benefit from them (and this would get them off the sidewalk)

3. I do not know what you are talking about in terms of grants. Citation please?

4. Anyone checking traffic on Google can easily see that traffic in Rosemont is generall fine most of the time. Except for one intersection which is beyond the point where the King Street bike lanes end.

5. It took a year and half to do this, and its a very short section of road. And the Transportation Commission supported it - the Traffic and Parking Board was split.

I live in Rosemont, traffic is awful, absolutely awful. I don't know what google traffic tells you, but I live it every single day. And the side streets are now becoming a nightmare as well with all the pass though waze drivers. You are 100% wrong.

[Anonymous]

I'm curious about the use of the word "lobby" in the title, which suggests some sort of organized effort to influence policymakers because it would financially benefit a private enterprise or industry.

Since "Big Bike" is not a thing, I believe the word OP was looking for is "democracy."

People who wanted a road diet turned out, organized their neighbors, and attended meetings. That's exactly how the process is meant to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious about the use of the word "lobby" in the title, which suggests some sort of organized effort to influence policymakers because it would financially benefit a private enterprise or industry.

Since "Big Bike" is not a thing, I believe the word OP was looking for is "democracy."

People who wanted a road diet turned out, organized their neighbors, and attended meetings. That's exactly how the process is meant to work.

You can put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig.

[Anonymous]

Look around you. The "car lobby" has literally designed almost ALL transit infrastructure for cars. I think you can spare a few feet for bike lanes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look around you. The "car lobby" has literally designed almost ALL transit infrastructure for cars. I think you can spare a few feet for bike lanes.

Start getting all the people who live outside of Alexandria (Fairfax, PWC, Maryland, etc) to start biking through Alexandria instead of driving through it as part of their commute and then let’s talk. I believe the reported percentage is around 40% of drivers during any one rush hour are Not living or working in Alexandria, they’re just passing through for their commute. And zipping around side streets now that we have Waze and other traffic apps. And rush hour in this region is much longer than other areas due federal work schedules. So are these long commuters just going to bike? Doubt it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If cyclists would simply do THREE things, I would happily cede them a dedicated lane everywhere:

1) stop at red lights and wait until green to proceed, just like cars do.

2) stop at stop signs.

3) don’t shoal through traffic (that’s where traffic is temporarily caught behind a slow biker, gets an opportunity to pass the biker, does so, and then at the next red light, the biker weaves through the line of stopped cars to the front of the line, and runs the red light, forcing everyone formerly trapped behind them to be trapped yet again, over and over. This has the effect of slowing ALL traffic on the road down to the speed of the biker.)

If they’d quit doing those three things, people would stop hating them.

Honk at them. Every time. Scares the crap out of them but gets their attention.