NPS: Ban Cars Now in DC Urban Parks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Speed bumps are good and there’s no reason half the road shouldn’t be allocated to bikes and peds. Hains point is predominantly used for fishing and picnicking, though. These are both things that you need to haul stuff to. I agree there’s no reason for the road to be two lanes for cars. One lane is plenty.

If only there were things like carts, buggies, wagons, strollers, etc., to haul stuff in.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If you close it the walk from Buckeye drive to Hains point is 1.5 miles. I would recommend sidewalks instead.

Why should pedestrians and bikers get a tiny sliver, and cars dominate? I am in favor of allowing parking in proximity to some picnic grounds, then closing the rest. Run a shuttle if necessary. If they have to have cars, then put in a speed bump every 20 feet to maintain a 10mph speed limit.

People need to internalize that cars don't get to dominate every single public space.

Speed bumps are good and there’s no reason half the road shouldn’t be allocated to bikes and peds. Hains point is predominantly used for fishing and picnicking, though. These are both things that you need to haul stuff to. I agree there’s no reason for the road to be two lanes for cars. One lane is plenty.

Do you have any evidence to show that people hauling fishing poles is the predominate use of Hains Point? They can park in the northern parking lots and walk to where they want to go, or take a shuttle.

Have you been there? It’s picnics, people fishing, and cyclists doing speed trials.

yes, I've been there. The number of people fishing is far outnumbered by people doing other things. And one usage does not justify letting the whole thing be dominated by cars. The NPS doesn't let cars drive all over other National Parks - they are preserved as natural spaces to see on foot. National Park space in a city is even more precious to preserve as natural and car-free.

The majority of the people on the playground, picnicking, and fishing on a given day drove there and parked their car. The closest realistic shut off point for traffic would be a 3 mile round trip to the point. You aren’t going to be able to get NPS to close this road. Maybe you could close one side and make the remaining side two way instead of a one way loop. That way people could walk or bike on the other side without cars.

No, sorry. It's not a drive-through park. People can park in the northern parking lots and walk. It's really ok to walk.

Once again you show great empathy for people with disabilities who can’t just walk 3 miles to and from the cookout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you close it the walk from Buckeye drive to Hains point is 1.5 miles. I would recommend sidewalks instead.

I'm fine with that, as long as you make the sidewalk 20 feet wide and the road no more than 8 feet wide.

Cut the road to one lane, repaint, add bollards. Done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you close it the walk from Buckeye drive to Hains point is 1.5 miles. I would recommend sidewalks instead.

Why should pedestrians and bikers get a tiny sliver, and cars dominate? I am in favor of allowing parking in proximity to some picnic grounds, then closing the rest. Run a shuttle if necessary. If they have to have cars, then put in a speed bump every 20 feet to maintain a 10mph speed limit.

People need to internalize that cars don't get to dominate every single public space.

Speed bumps are good and there’s no reason half the road shouldn’t be allocated to bikes and peds. Hains point is predominantly used for fishing and picnicking, though. These are both things that you need to haul stuff to. I agree there’s no reason for the road to be two lanes for cars. One lane is plenty.

Do you have any evidence to show that people hauling fishing poles is the predominate use of Hains Point? They can park in the northern parking lots and walk to where they want to go, or take a shuttle.

Have you been there? It’s picnics, people fishing, and cyclists doing speed trials.

yes, I've been there. The number of people fishing is far outnumbered by people doing other things. And one usage does not justify letting the whole thing be dominated by cars. The NPS doesn't let cars drive all over other National Parks - they are preserved as natural spaces to see on foot. National Park space in a city is even more precious to preserve as natural and car-free.

The majority of the people on the playground, picnicking, and fishing on a given day drove there and parked their car. The closest realistic shut off point for traffic would be a 3 mile round trip to the point. You aren’t going to be able to get NPS to close this road. Maybe you could close one side and make the remaining side two way instead of a one way loop. That way people could walk or bike on the other side without cars.

No, sorry. It's not a drive-through park. People can park in the northern parking lots and walk. It's really ok to walk.

Once again you show great empathy for people with disabilities who can’t just walk 3 miles to and from the cookout.

There are other answers like golf carts, shuttles, and (brace yourself) bikes. Yes, some people with disabilities bike -especially where it's safe to do so- and it's so liberating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you close it the walk from Buckeye drive to Hains point is 1.5 miles. I would recommend sidewalks instead.

Why should pedestrians and bikers get a tiny sliver, and cars dominate? I am in favor of allowing parking in proximity to some picnic grounds, then closing the rest. Run a shuttle if necessary. If they have to have cars, then put in a speed bump every 20 feet to maintain a 10mph speed limit.

People need to internalize that cars don't get to dominate every single public space.

Speed bumps are good and there’s no reason half the road shouldn’t be allocated to bikes and peds. Hains point is predominantly used for fishing and picnicking, though. These are both things that you need to haul stuff to. I agree there’s no reason for the road to be two lanes for cars. One lane is plenty.

Do you have any evidence to show that people hauling fishing poles is the predominate use of Hains Point? They can park in the northern parking lots and walk to where they want to go, or take a shuttle.

Have you been there? It’s picnics, people fishing, and cyclists doing speed trials.

yes, I've been there. The number of people fishing is far outnumbered by people doing other things. And one usage does not justify letting the whole thing be dominated by cars. The NPS doesn't let cars drive all over other National Parks - they are preserved as natural spaces to see on foot. National Park space in a city is even more precious to preserve as natural and car-free.

The majority of the people on the playground, picnicking, and fishing on a given day drove there and parked their car. The closest realistic shut off point for traffic would be a 3 mile round trip to the point. You aren’t going to be able to get NPS to close this road. Maybe you could close one side and make the remaining side two way instead of a one way loop. That way people could walk or bike on the other side without cars.

No, sorry. It's not a drive-through park. People can park in the northern parking lots and walk. It's really ok to walk.

Once again you show great empathy for people with disabilities who can’t just walk 3 miles to and from the cookout.

Maybe people need to plan the cookout for a more accessible area or there can be limited disability access with a placard. The ADA does not require that cars dominate everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you close it the walk from Buckeye drive to Hains point is 1.5 miles. I would recommend sidewalks instead.

Why should pedestrians and bikers get a tiny sliver, and cars dominate? I am in favor of allowing parking in proximity to some picnic grounds, then closing the rest. Run a shuttle if necessary. If they have to have cars, then put in a speed bump every 20 feet to maintain a 10mph speed limit.

People need to internalize that cars don't get to dominate every single public space.

Speed bumps are good and there’s no reason half the road shouldn’t be allocated to bikes and peds. Hains point is predominantly used for fishing and picnicking, though. These are both things that you need to haul stuff to. I agree there’s no reason for the road to be two lanes for cars. One lane is plenty.

Do you have any evidence to show that people hauling fishing poles is the predominate use of Hains Point? They can park in the northern parking lots and walk to where they want to go, or take a shuttle.

Have you been there? It’s picnics, people fishing, and cyclists doing speed trials.

yes, I've been there. The number of people fishing is far outnumbered by people doing other things. And one usage does not justify letting the whole thing be dominated by cars. The NPS doesn't let cars drive all over other National Parks - they are preserved as natural spaces to see on foot. National Park space in a city is even more precious to preserve as natural and car-free.

The majority of the people on the playground, picnicking, and fishing on a given day drove there and parked their car. The closest realistic shut off point for traffic would be a 3 mile round trip to the point. You aren’t going to be able to get NPS to close this road. Maybe you could close one side and make the remaining side two way instead of a one way loop. That way people could walk or bike on the other side without cars.

No, sorry. It's not a drive-through park. People can park in the northern parking lots and walk. It's really ok to walk.

Once again you show great empathy for people with disabilities who can’t just walk 3 miles to and from the cookout.

There are other answers like golf carts, shuttles, and (brace yourself) bikes. Yes, some people with disabilities bike -especially where it's safe to do so- and it's so liberating.

scooters and wheelchairs - this would actually make the park much more accessible to them. currently a wheelchair user would really face peril.

[Anonymous]

I’d like to see all the “no cars” people walk a mile and half with 200lbs of fishing gear, chairs, coolers, food, ice and beverages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to see all the “no cars” people walk a mile and half with 200lbs of fishing gear, chairs, coolers, food, ice and beverages.

Or you could pack less stuff, and then pull the rest in a wagon.

Or, if you must pack all of that stuff AND you must transport it all by car, you could find a different place to go.

How did people go fishing before cars?

[Anonymous]

Hains Point was glorious when most of the park was closed to traffic during the cherry blossoms. Being able to walk in the middle of the road for the entire loop -- and have plenty of pedestrian company while doing so -- made up for so much of the walking path along the water being closed off because of flooding and crumbling pavement.

[Anonymous]

Cars will be replaced by motorized bikes, scooters. skateboards and one wheels — in addition to cyclists the bane of cars and pedestrians. It was shocking to see how many small motorized vehicles exist on the paths these days. Motorized wagons and strollers will be next!

[Anonymous]

Pedestrians and the bike brigade get Beach Drive on the weekend.

That’s quite enough. Shutting the city down means only high income work from home types will live in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cars will be replaced by motorized bikes, scooters. skateboards and one wheels — in addition to cyclists the bane of cars and pedestrians. It was shocking to see how many small motorized vehicles exist on the paths these days. Motorized wagons and strollers will be next!

Seems to me that the bane of pedestrians is drivers. It wasn't a bicyclist who killed pedestrians Rhonda Whitaker and Waldon Adams. As for cars, in that crash at Mass Ave and 2nd St NW a few weeks ago, it wasn't bicyclist Jim Pagels who killed the Honda driver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pedestrians and the bike brigade get Beach Drive on the weekend.

That’s quite enough. Shutting the city down means only high income work from home types will live in DC.

It's interesting that you interpret proposals to open roads for pedestrians and bicyclists as "shutting the city down."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hains Point was glorious when most of the park was closed to traffic during the cherry blossoms. Being able to walk in the middle of the road for the entire loop -- and have plenty of pedestrian company while doing so -- made up for so much of the walking path along the water being closed off because of flooding and crumbling pavement.

Does anyone know if they’re ever going to fix the walking path? I also enjoyed that road closure because it meant I could safely take a stroller but I don’t think allowing cars is unreasonable if there’s ALSO a safe walking path that’s smooth enough for wheelchairs and strollers and the like.

I agree with the poster would said that many people use Hains point, especially the North side for fishing and bbqs that are nice to be able to drive stuff to — I liked the suggestion closing half the loop to cars, so both types of people can enjoy the park as they want. This would also allow parents with small children to visit the playground more easily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cars will be replaced by motorized bikes, scooters. skateboards and one wheels — in addition to cyclists the bane of cars and pedestrians. It was shocking to see how many small motorized vehicles exist on the paths these days. Motorized wagons and strollers will be next!

Seems to me that the bane of pedestrians is drivers. It wasn't a bicyclist who killed pedestrians Rhonda Whitaker and Waldon Adams. As for cars, in that crash at Mass Ave and 2nd St NW a few weeks ago, it wasn't bicyclist Jim Pagels who killed the Honda driver.

I’m not saying minimize cars in the parks. My point is that other motorized vehicles are replacing them, and also becoming problematic. And I stand by the cyclists (aka the spandex brigades) are right behind cars.