Question for the anti-bike / anti-bus people

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bike people are smug and annoying. I’m in favor of bike lines and anything else that can be done to lessen the effect of driving on the environment, but it would be nice - damned nice - if cyclists would actually respect and obey the rules of the road. Many don’t.

It would be even nicer if drivers could obey the rules of the road. Cyclists who run red lights or fail to yield at stop signs bear almost all of the risks created by their behavior. Drivers who speed or run stop signs or red lights endanger not just themselves but everyone else on the road. 43,000 people died on American roads last year. Unlike almost everywhere else, the number of fatalities increased during the pandemic. If you have the slightest concern with road safety, then I suggest to you that your concerns are seriously misdirected.

[Anonymous]

Here, have a read: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/27/upshot/road-deaths-pedestrians-cyclists.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Time.

People won’t bike to work because it takes additional time to bike and shower at work. Like a lot of time.

ICYMI: we have staff who are kvetching about the lost time of commuting by car since we drafted them back into the office after covid. They want to work from home because the commute is a time suck.

Do you really think those people will magically opt to bike to work? As if.

It takes less time for me to bike to work than to drive or take public transit.

Do you live in Moco or NoVA? Close in?

I’ve lived in MoCo and commuted to DC (White House area) for nearly 25 years. Post-covid, very few people take metro. Nobody takes the bus. Everyone drives for convenience, health and now safety reasons. The handful of people who biked to work retired; 3 lived in DC, and the other lived in close-in MoCo. A couple young colleagues ride bikes or scooters to work occasionally depending on weather. They live downtown.

This “solution” on CT Ave is ridiculous. It will only benefit a select few who are already living near a bus line.

I wonder if the “solution” was proposed by privileged people who don’t want to use the bus.

I also work in the WH area and live a mile or two from the MD /DC line. During the morning commute, biking is much faster for me than driving or taking the bus. It's not even close. The same would hold true for anyone who lives reasonably close to the Capitol Crescent Trail or the various trails in NoVA.

It takes 20 minutes in the morning to drive from the corner of Bradley and Wisconsin to the WH area in the mornings. It takes at least twice as long by bicycle. Ask me how I know.

I just checked this on google maps. Driving is a whole 13 minutes faster than biking. Given that biking can take the place of a workout, it’s an even trade most days.

It took me 18 minutes this AM (thank you Monday after Thanksgiving!). It will currently take 27 minutes. Google says it’s a 52 minute bicycle ride, however I have done it in 45 minutes in the past and it’s normally 45 minutes on the Red Line + walking if you take transit.

“Even trade” is not close.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want to support bikers and alternative methods of transportation, but the infrastructure is inadequate to do this safely and bikers want it both ways - obey the traffic laws when it’s in their interest and not when it’s not. Bikers traveling quickly alongside cars, darting out between cars, and not obeying road signs is anxiety provoking. Also, sometimes I just do not see them. If bikers are in the countryside on a heavily traveled road, like Georgetown Pike, they’re taking their lives in their hands. People don’t want to travel the Pike at 15mph and going around them can be treacherous and unreasonable with high traffic levels. Again, I want to support bikers, but I find that their presence on roadways is anxiety-provoking and oftentimes dangerous.

This. Is. Why. They. Want. Protected. Lanes.

For the dozen bikers each morning?

Why not create a path via side streets closed to commuters?

Having seen this play out in a few instances, the honest answer to your question is that, whenever bike lanes along the side streets more often than not requires the removal of residential parking spots. For most neighborhoods in DC, this is a third rail. The political opposition becomes almost impossible for DDOT to overcome. Installing bike lanes along mixed zones like Connecticut Ave is actually a lot easier politically for DDOT. Despite the protestations of the MD commuter class, they don't vote in DC elections.

You are acting as if dc residents don’t drive to work. They do.

A minority of DC commuters drive to work. Check the census stats on this.

Not any more. Post-COVID, 49% of commuters drive alone, an increase from 39% in 2019. A further 2% carpool. So now it’s a majority.

But don’t let the facts get in the way of your story. Cool story anyway bro.

Interestingly, you don’t accompany these claims with any reference whatsoever.

It’s funny that every time you try to use data it just shows how ignorant you are. If you are going to claim to know something, at least know what you are talking about. It’s like you are projecting the fact that you make up stats so you think everyone does. You are obviously not aware of the MWCOG.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was very against the bike lane in my neighborhood (Kenyon St NW) because I thought it would just take up parking space and go unused like other bike lanes nearby (Warder, Park Pl). Instead it connected the area and now I see dozens of cyclists during my commute. So I’ll eat my words - it’s been fantastic for the neighborhood! It hasn’t added much traffic either, my commute time by car hasn’t changed.

Honestly, I think the lane on CT that will taken by bike lines arenow primarily used for parking and double parking. I don't think it will actually result in less actually driven lanes since no-one can realistically use those lanes during rush hour because there is ALWAYS someone illegally parked there! That is assuming random cars and delivery trucks don't decide to just stop in the middle of the other lanes to do a "quick" delivery/errand so that traffic actually goes down to one lane in each direction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want to support bikers and alternative methods of transportation, but the infrastructure is inadequate to do this safely and bikers want it both ways - obey the traffic laws when it’s in their interest and not when it’s not. Bikers traveling quickly alongside cars, darting out between cars, and not obeying road signs is anxiety provoking. Also, sometimes I just do not see them. If bikers are in the countryside on a heavily traveled road, like Georgetown Pike, they’re taking their lives in their hands. People don’t want to travel the Pike at 15mph and going around them can be treacherous and unreasonable with high traffic levels. Again, I want to support bikers, but I find that their presence on roadways is anxiety-provoking and oftentimes dangerous.

This. Is. Why. They. Want. Protected. Lanes.

For the dozen bikers each morning?

Why not create a path via side streets closed to commuters?

Having seen this play out in a few instances, the honest answer to your question is that, whenever bike lanes along the side streets more often than not requires the removal of residential parking spots. For most neighborhoods in DC, this is a third rail. The political opposition becomes almost impossible for DDOT to overcome. Installing bike lanes along mixed zones like Connecticut Ave is actually a lot easier politically for DDOT. Despite the protestations of the MD commuter class, they don't vote in DC elections.

You are acting as if dc residents don’t drive to work. They do.

A minority of DC commuters drive to work. Check the census stats on this.

Not any more. Post-COVID, 49% of commuters drive alone, an increase from 39% in 2019. A further 2% carpool. So now it’s a majority.

But don’t let the facts get in the way of your story. Cool story anyway bro.

Interestingly, you don’t accompany these claims with any reference whatsoever.

It’s funny that every time you try to use data it just shows how ignorant you are. If you are going to claim to know something, at least know what you are talking about. It’s like you are projecting the fact that you make up stats so you think everyone does. You are obviously not aware of the MWCOG.

Lots of angry words. Not a single reference. Without one, we should assume your data is made up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you choose to live in a car-dependent area, you can't then complain about traffic or how other people choose to get from one place to another.

People who live in DC also need to use cars. You are the one complaining about how other people choose to get from one place to another (with their children, groceries, pets, mobility impaired parents, etc, etc.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was very against the bike lane in my neighborhood (Kenyon St NW) because I thought it would just take up parking space and go unused like other bike lanes nearby (Warder, Park Pl). Instead it connected the area and now I see dozens of cyclists during my commute. So I’ll eat my words - it’s been fantastic for the neighborhood! It hasn’t added much traffic either, my commute time by car hasn’t changed.

Honestly, I think the lane on CT that will taken by bike lines arenow primarily used for parking and double parking. I don't think it will actually result in less actually driven lanes since no-one can realistically use those lanes during rush hour because there is ALWAYS someone illegally parked there! That is assuming random cars and delivery trucks don't decide to just stop in the middle of the other lanes to do a "quick" delivery/errand so that traffic actually goes down to one lane in each direction.

Parts of Conn are down to one lane now for this reason, or completely blocked due to left hand turns and delivery trucks right next to each other. It is a difficult road already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want to support bikers and alternative methods of transportation, but the infrastructure is inadequate to do this safely and bikers want it both ways - obey the traffic laws when it’s in their interest and not when it’s not. Bikers traveling quickly alongside cars, darting out between cars, and not obeying road signs is anxiety provoking. Also, sometimes I just do not see them. If bikers are in the countryside on a heavily traveled road, like Georgetown Pike, they’re taking their lives in their hands. People don’t want to travel the Pike at 15mph and going around them can be treacherous and unreasonable with high traffic levels. Again, I want to support bikers, but I find that their presence on roadways is anxiety-provoking and oftentimes dangerous.

This. Is. Why. They. Want. Protected. Lanes.

For the dozen bikers each morning?

Why not create a path via side streets closed to commuters?

Having seen this play out in a few instances, the honest answer to your question is that, whenever bike lanes along the side streets more often than not requires the removal of residential parking spots. For most neighborhoods in DC, this is a third rail. The political opposition becomes almost impossible for DDOT to overcome. Installing bike lanes along mixed zones like Connecticut Ave is actually a lot easier politically for DDOT. Despite the protestations of the MD commuter class, they don't vote in DC elections.

You are acting as if dc residents don’t drive to work. They do.

A minority of DC commuters drive to work. Check the census stats on this.

Not any more. Post-COVID, 49% of commuters drive alone, an increase from 39% in 2019. A further 2% carpool. So now it’s a majority.

But don’t let the facts get in the way of your story. Cool story anyway bro.

Interestingly, you don’t accompany these claims with any reference whatsoever.

It’s funny that every time you try to use data it just shows how ignorant you are. If you are going to claim to know something, at least know what you are talking about. It’s like you are projecting the fact that you make up stats so you think everyone does. You are obviously not aware of the MWCOG.

Lots of angry words. Not a single reference. Without one, we should assume your data is made up.

MWCOG = Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

Not surprised that you are unaware of their regional transportation surveys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you choose to live in a car-dependent area, you can't then complain about traffic or how other people choose to get from one place to another.

People who live in DC also need to use cars. You are the one complaining about how other people choose to get from one place to another (with their children, groceries, pets, mobility impaired parents, etc, etc.)

Some parts of DC. Again, choices and options. If you choose to live in a place that is car dependent, then you made that choice. Not everyone can afford to make that choice and not everyone feels forced to make it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want to support bikers and alternative methods of transportation, but the infrastructure is inadequate to do this safely and bikers want it both ways - obey the traffic laws when it’s in their interest and not when it’s not. Bikers traveling quickly alongside cars, darting out between cars, and not obeying road signs is anxiety provoking. Also, sometimes I just do not see them. If bikers are in the countryside on a heavily traveled road, like Georgetown Pike, they’re taking their lives in their hands. People don’t want to travel the Pike at 15mph and going around them can be treacherous and unreasonable with high traffic levels. Again, I want to support bikers, but I find that their presence on roadways is anxiety-provoking and oftentimes dangerous.

This. Is. Why. They. Want. Protected. Lanes.

For the dozen bikers each morning?

Why not create a path via side streets closed to commuters?

Having seen this play out in a few instances, the honest answer to your question is that, whenever bike lanes along the side streets more often than not requires the removal of residential parking spots. For most neighborhoods in DC, this is a third rail. The political opposition becomes almost impossible for DDOT to overcome. Installing bike lanes along mixed zones like Connecticut Ave is actually a lot easier politically for DDOT. Despite the protestations of the MD commuter class, they don't vote in DC elections.

You are acting as if dc residents don’t drive to work. They do.

A minority of DC commuters drive to work. Check the census stats on this.

Not any more. Post-COVID, 49% of commuters drive alone, an increase from 39% in 2019. A further 2% carpool. So now it’s a majority.

But don’t let the facts get in the way of your story. Cool story anyway bro.

Interestingly, you don’t accompany these claims with any reference whatsoever.

It’s funny that every time you try to use data it just shows how ignorant you are. If you are going to claim to know something, at least know what you are talking about. It’s like you are projecting the fact that you make up stats so you think everyone does. You are obviously not aware of the MWCOG.

Lots of angry words. Not a single reference. Without one, we should assume your data is made up.

MWCOG = Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

Not surprised that you are unaware of their regional transportation surveys.

How nice you can spell out an acronym. Too bad that you've failed yet again to produce a link to an actual survey result.

Also, "Metropolitan Washington" encompasses but is distinct from DC. The Census Bureau is the most reliable source of statistics for the modes used by commuters who live and work in DC. Their statistics disagree with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Time.

People won’t bike to work because it takes additional time to bike and shower at work. Like a lot of time.

ICYMI: we have staff who are kvetching about the lost time of commuting by car since we drafted them back into the office after covid. They want to work from home because the commute is a time suck.

Do you really think those people will magically opt to bike to work? As if.

It takes less time for me to bike to work than to drive or take public transit.

Do you live in Moco or NoVA? Close in?

I’ve lived in MoCo and commuted to DC (White House area) for nearly 25 years. Post-covid, very few people take metro. Nobody takes the bus. Everyone drives for convenience, health and now safety reasons. The handful of people who biked to work retired; 3 lived in DC, and the other lived in close-in MoCo. A couple young colleagues ride bikes or scooters to work occasionally depending on weather. They live downtown.

This “solution” on CT Ave is ridiculous. It will only benefit a select few who are already living near a bus line.

I wonder if the “solution” was proposed by privileged people who don’t want to use the bus.

I also work in the WH area and live a mile or two from the MD /DC line. During the morning commute, biking is much faster for me than driving or taking the bus. It's not even close. The same would hold true for anyone who lives reasonably close to the Capitol Crescent Trail or the various trails in NoVA.

It takes 20 minutes in the morning to drive from the corner of Bradley and Wisconsin to the WH area in the mornings. It takes at least twice as long by bicycle. Ask me how I know.

I just checked this on google maps. Driving is a whole 13 minutes faster than biking. Given that biking can take the place of a workout, it’s an even trade most days.

It took me 18 minutes this AM (thank you Monday after Thanksgiving!). It will currently take 27 minutes. Google says it’s a 52 minute bicycle ride, however I have done it in 45 minutes in the past and it’s normally 45 minutes on the Red Line + walking if you take transit.

“Even trade” is not close.

Obviously, traveling is faster when you just ignore stop signs and every other traffic law....

[Anonymous]

Traffic deaths this year are down 30 percent in D.C. 27 people have died this year in traffic accidents. By comparison, 188 people have been murdered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Traffic deaths this year are down 30 percent in D.C. 27 people have died this year in traffic accidents. By comparison, 188 people have been murdered.

In response, DC has passed laws increasing enforcement of motor vehicles and decreasing penalties for murderers. 🤷‍♀️

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Time.

People won’t bike to work because it takes additional time to bike and shower at work. Like a lot of time.

ICYMI: we have staff who are kvetching about the lost time of commuting by car since we drafted them back into the office after covid. They want to work from home because the commute is a time suck.

Do you really think those people will magically opt to bike to work? As if.

It takes less time for me to bike to work than to drive or take public transit.

Do you live in Moco or NoVA? Close in?

I’ve lived in MoCo and commuted to DC (White House area) for nearly 25 years. Post-covid, very few people take metro. Nobody takes the bus. Everyone drives for convenience, health and now safety reasons. The handful of people who biked to work retired; 3 lived in DC, and the other lived in close-in MoCo. A couple young colleagues ride bikes or scooters to work occasionally depending on weather. They live downtown.

This “solution” on CT Ave is ridiculous. It will only benefit a select few who are already living near a bus line.

I wonder if the “solution” was proposed by privileged people who don’t want to use the bus.

I also work in the WH area and live a mile or two from the MD /DC line. During the morning commute, biking is much faster for me than driving or taking the bus. It's not even close. The same would hold true for anyone who lives reasonably close to the Capitol Crescent Trail or the various trails in NoVA.

It takes 20 minutes in the morning to drive from the corner of Bradley and Wisconsin to the WH area in the mornings. It takes at least twice as long by bicycle. Ask me how I know.

I just checked this on google maps. Driving is a whole 13 minutes faster than biking. Given that biking can take the place of a workout, it’s an even trade most days.

It took me 18 minutes this AM (thank you Monday after Thanksgiving!). It will currently take 27 minutes. Google says it’s a 52 minute bicycle ride, however I have done it in 45 minutes in the past and it’s normally 45 minutes on the Red Line + walking if you take transit.

“Even trade” is not close.

Obviously, traveling is faster when you just ignore stop signs and every other traffic law....

You may want to try waking up and getting out of bed before 10 AM.