Too crowded. DMV governors and mayors: please dedicate streets to walkers and bikers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just drove down River Road through Bethesda and saw that Little River is closed to cars so people can walk, run, bike, scooter, etc. and it was SWARMING with people. I can't believe how stupid and frankly, unfair, these government decisions are. Let's close down all playing fields in entire state (confession: I was in my car hoping to find some field, somewhere, my teenager can practice--she is hoping to get recruited next year and losing months beyond months of practice is horrible) but then invite thousands of people to swarm to one street for "exercise." Absolutely ridiculous!

I played soccer in the ACC. When I was your daughter's age I would have gone into a deep depression if I didn't have somewhere to play. Soccer is such a great escape from everyday life. Poor kids! Tell her not to be too stressed about recruiting - coaches are still going to be interested in her if she's good, and at her age she'll be able to get into game shape quickly. Do you have a backyard or an unfinished basement? Is there a wall somewhere she can kick against?

Thanks for the supportive comment! We have a very small, sloped and bumpy yard (she plays field hockey) but she's doing her best to make it work! She wound up playing on local parking lot yesterday, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loved the WaPo photo of neighbors’ self-help signs posted on DC streets stating “No Through Traffic - Pedestrian Zone During Coronavirus Emergency.”

I drove through AU Park yesterday afternoon and residents had places cones at multiple four-way intersections to prevent traffic from going through so kids could play all over the streets--all together. What entitlement! And tell me, what is the difference between little kids playing together in the street and opening playing fields for older kids to practice on.

Entitlement ?! And what about your clear sense of entitled to cut through the neighborhood? Between kids and some bloke looking for a short cut between main roads, I vote for safe play for the kids?

It's a public street, built for cars, residents do not own it. Yes, entitlement. As a drive, I had a legal right to be driving on that street (and by the way, I was driving in the neighborhood because I live there dummy--just hate some of my neighbors).

And the kids also have a right to ride their bikes there safely, no? I hope that you are an essential employee or we’re going out to get food or medicine and not ones of those jerks just driving around now out of boredom.

They sure do, as long as it is also open to cars. You are obviously one of the people doing this, right? Please stop--you just make the whole neighborhood look bad. And by the way, what if I was essential staff trying to get to work, how do you feel about blocking off city blocks to impede my way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loved the WaPo photo of neighbors’ self-help signs posted on DC streets stating “No Through Traffic - Pedestrian Zone During Coronavirus Emergency.”

I drove through AU Park yesterday afternoon and residents had places cones at multiple four-way intersections to prevent traffic from going through so kids could play all over the streets--all together. What entitlement! And tell me, what is the difference between little kids playing together in the street and opening playing fields for older kids to practice on.

Entitlement ?! And what about your clear sense of entitled to cut through the neighborhood? Between kids and some bloke looking for a short cut between main roads, I vote for safe play for the kids?

It's a public street, built for cars, residents do not own it. Yes, entitlement. As a drive, I had a legal right to be driving on that street (and by the way, I was driving in the neighborhood because I live there dummy--just hate some of my neighbors).

And the kids also have a right to ride their bikes there safely, no? I hope that you are an essential employee or we’re going out to get food or medicine and not ones of those jerks just driving around now out of boredom.

They sure do, as long as it is also open to cars. You are obviously one of the people doing this, right? Please stop--you just make the whole neighborhood look bad. And by the way, what if I was essential staff trying to get to work, how do you feel about blocking off city blocks to impede my way?

Would you support the installation of lots of speed humps to slow the traffic on our residential streets or would they also be “impeding your way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loved the WaPo photo of neighbors’ self-help signs posted on DC streets stating “No Through Traffic - Pedestrian Zone During Coronavirus Emergency.”

I drove through AU Park yesterday afternoon and residents had places cones at multiple four-way intersections to prevent traffic from going through so kids could play all over the streets--all together. What entitlement! And tell me, what is the difference between little kids playing together in the street and opening playing fields for older kids to practice on.

Entitlement ?! And what about your clear sense of entitled to cut through the neighborhood? Between kids and some bloke looking for a short cut between main roads, I vote for safe play for the kids?

It's a public street, built for cars, residents do not own it. Yes, entitlement. As a drive, I had a legal right to be driving on that street (and by the way, I was driving in the neighborhood because I live there dummy--just hate some of my neighbors).

And the kids also have a right to ride their bikes there safely, no? I hope that you are an essential employee or we’re going out to get food or medicine and not ones of those jerks just driving around now out of boredom.

They sure do, as long as it is also open to cars. You are obviously one of the people doing this, right? Please stop--you just make the whole neighborhood look bad. And by the way, what if I was essential staff trying to get to work, how do you feel about blocking off city blocks to impede my way?

But it’s clear that you are not. And the Mayor’s stay at home order doesn’t mean recreational driving just because your antsy to get out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loved the WaPo photo of neighbors’ self-help signs posted on DC streets stating “No Through Traffic - Pedestrian Zone During Coronavirus Emergency.”

I drove through AU Park yesterday afternoon and residents had places cones at multiple four-way intersections to prevent traffic from going through so kids could play all over the streets--all together. What entitlement! And tell me, what is the difference between little kids playing together in the street and opening playing fields for older kids to practice on.

That's great!

As for you, PP - go around. Road space is for everyone, not just drivers.

[Anonymous]

But now road space is NOT for drivers???? Great I’ll start motoring on the bike paths and sidewalks. That way we’re all sharing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But now road space is NOT for drivers???? Great I’ll start motoring on the bike paths and sidewalks. That way we’re all sharing.

Drivers are welcome to use the road space, if they can share it safely with other people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But now road space is NOT for drivers???? Great I’ll start motoring on the bike paths and sidewalks. That way we’re all sharing.

Drivers are welcome to use the road space, if they can share it safely with other people.

So this thread has really turned into an anti vehicle thread and not a 'how do we all get exercise using the same spaces' thread?

We have all been in lockdown for a few weeks. The old arguments seem to be resurfacing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But now road space is NOT for drivers???? Great I’ll start motoring on the bike paths and sidewalks. That way we’re all sharing.

Drivers are welcome to use the road space, if they can share it safely with other people.

So this thread has really turned into an anti vehicle thread and not a 'how do we all get exercise using the same spaces' thread?

We have all been in lockdown for a few weeks. The old arguments seem to be resurfacing.

No, it's still a "how do we all get exercise using the same spaces" thread. PP was upset because there were kids playing in the street they wanted to drive on. It's not a problem, if you can share the streets safely while you're driving. It's just a problem if you can't.

[Anonymous]

Leaders must move decisively and quickly to seize city streets and convert them to bike lanes for public safety / the environment.

Never let a good crisis go to waste.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But now road space is NOT for drivers???? Great I’ll start motoring on the bike paths and sidewalks. That way we’re all sharing.

Drivers are welcome to use the road space, if they can share it safely with other people.

Then no need to close any roads. Thanks PP! Problem solved!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But now road space is NOT for drivers???? Great I’ll start motoring on the bike paths and sidewalks. That way we’re all sharing.

Drivers are welcome to use the road space, if they can share it safely with other people.

Then no need to close any roads. Thanks PP! Problem solved!

Indeed, there would no need to close roads to car traffic, if drivers could share the road space safely with other people. But it's abundantly clear that lots of drivers can't. Thus, the need to close roads to car traffic.

[Anonymous]

I don’t believe that DC and Maryland residents are really observing local stay at home orders as much anymore. Just from my house window and some brief walks around our NW Washington neighborhood, it seems that vehicle traffic is more than double what it was a week ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But now road space is NOT for drivers???? Great I’ll start motoring on the bike paths and sidewalks. That way we’re all sharing.

Drivers are welcome to use the road space, if they can share it safely with other people.

So this thread has really turned into an anti vehicle thread and not a 'how do we all get exercise using the same spaces' thread?

We have all been in lockdown for a few weeks. The old arguments seem to be resurfacing.

No, it's still a "how do we all get exercise using the same spaces" thread. PP was upset because there were kids playing in the street they wanted to drive on. It's not a problem, if you can share the streets safely while you're driving. It's just a problem if you can't.

It’s a problem when drivers don’t want to slow down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Leaders must move decisively and quickly to seize city streets and convert them to bike lanes for public safety / the environment.

Never let a good crisis go to waste.

Ha. More bike lanes that no one uses? It is pathetic how few people use the bike lanes we already have.