Connecticut Ave bike lanes are back!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, the one thing that makes Connecticut Ave such a bad idea for bikes lanes is that it is the gateway for millions of tourists each year. Most of whom are not familiar with DC roads nor used to driving in any city. So to mix those tens of thousands of tourist cars each year with a project that will induce thousands of new cyclists each day seems like a total death wish. For that reason Connecticut Ave is fairly unique as compared to other roads where this has been attempted. It’s just a really bad idea.

To me, that makes Connecticut Ave a GOOD idea for bike lanes. Think about all of the tourists who DON'T arrive or get around DC by car. They use Metro, walk, use Bikeshare bikes, use e-scooters...

The zoo alone gets 2,000,000 visitors a year. They have 3,400 parking spots that are full by 10am every day of the year. Plus the folks who park in the neighborhoods. Plus the tourists driving to the mall. That’s a lot of clueless drivers to have on a road along with thousands of kids riding bikes to school and neighbors snacking on Vace pizza while they cruise wistfully along on their beach cruisers, which seems to be the utopian vision of the proponents. It’s kind of a really bad idea and deep down inside you know it.

In other words, the vast majority of zoo visitors arrive by not-car.

Plus if there are really so many clueless tourists driving dangerously around the touristy parts of DC, DC really needs to do a lot of work immediately to make the streets safer for everyone, tourists and non-tourists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the IDEA of bike lanes. But I have to say that when I was trying to work and raise three kids, at three different schools, with the associated activities, playdates and doctor's appointments, I could barely manage WITH a car. No chance it would have worked on a bike.

If only there was a safe way for some of your kids to get to some of their destination via mode of transportation that they controlled...

Right on. I and a bunch of other kids I went to school with used to ride our bikes to and from school and activities from middle school up through most of high school. Now.. I am a bit older, so back when this was happening pick up trucks were like 2/3rds the size they are today at worst and SUV's didn't really exist.

The whole bigger is better and safer (maybe for the occupants of that vehicle?) craze that has permeated our country has really taken away freedom from both parents and kids and they didn't even consider it.

Kids already bike to all the schools near Connecticut. Doing it on Connecticut is not needed and something no parent would ever allow their elementary school student to do.

More would do it if it were safer.

Where is home/school that would make a major car commuter road your choice for a kid biking to school? Every other option for the local schools is more direct and better.

What if DC transformed Connecticut Avenue from "a major car commuter road" to a street that everyone can use?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, the one thing that makes Connecticut Ave such a bad idea for bikes lanes is that it is the gateway for millions of tourists each year. Most of whom are not familiar with DC roads nor used to driving in any city. So to mix those tens of thousands of tourist cars each year with a project that will induce thousands of new cyclists each day seems like a total death wish. For that reason Connecticut Ave is fairly unique as compared to other roads where this has been attempted. It’s just a really bad idea.

To me, that makes Connecticut Ave a GOOD idea for bike lanes. Think about all of the tourists who DON'T arrive or get around DC by car. They use Metro, walk, use Bikeshare bikes, use e-scooters...

The zoo alone gets 2,000,000 visitors a year. They have 3,400 parking spots that are full by 10am every day of the year. Plus the folks who park in the neighborhoods. Plus the tourists driving to the mall. That’s a lot of clueless drivers to have on a road along with thousands of kids riding bikes to school and neighbors snacking on Vace pizza while they cruise wistfully along on their beach cruisers, which seems to be the utopian vision of the proponents. It’s kind of a really bad idea and deep down inside you know it.

In other words, the vast majority of zoo visitors arrive by not-car.

Plus if there are really so many clueless tourists driving dangerously around the touristy parts of DC, DC really needs to do a lot of work immediately to make the streets safer for everyone, tourists and non-tourists.

Totally agree with you. But bike lanes ain’t it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, the one thing that makes Connecticut Ave such a bad idea for bikes lanes is that it is the gateway for millions of tourists each year. Most of whom are not familiar with DC roads nor used to driving in any city. So to mix those tens of thousands of tourist cars each year with a project that will induce thousands of new cyclists each day seems like a total death wish. For that reason Connecticut Ave is fairly unique as compared to other roads where this has been attempted. It’s just a really bad idea.

To me, that makes Connecticut Ave a GOOD idea for bike lanes. Think about all of the tourists who DON'T arrive or get around DC by car. They use Metro, walk, use Bikeshare bikes, use e-scooters...

The zoo alone gets 2,000,000 visitors a year. They have 3,400 parking spots that are full by 10am every day of the year. Plus the folks who park in the neighborhoods. Plus the tourists driving to the mall. That’s a lot of clueless drivers to have on a road along with thousands of kids riding bikes to school and neighbors snacking on Vace pizza while they cruise wistfully along on their beach cruisers, which seems to be the utopian vision of the proponents. It’s kind of a really bad idea and deep down inside you know it.

In other words, the vast majority of zoo visitors arrive by not-car.

Plus if there are really so many clueless tourists driving dangerously around the touristy parts of DC, DC really needs to do a lot of work immediately to make the streets safer for everyone, tourists and non-tourists.

You might want to check your math. There are 1.2 million day/spaces available, and probably 2+ people in a car for visitors. And a spot can be used by more than 1 car in the course of a day. It may be true that less than half come by car, but its unlikely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the IDEA of bike lanes. But I have to say that when I was trying to work and raise three kids, at three different schools, with the associated activities, playdates and doctor's appointments, I could barely manage WITH a car. No chance it would have worked on a bike.

If only there was a safe way for some of your kids to get to some of their destination via mode of transportation that they controlled...

Right on. I and a bunch of other kids I went to school with used to ride our bikes to and from school and activities from middle school up through most of high school. Now.. I am a bit older, so back when this was happening pick up trucks were like 2/3rds the size they are today at worst and SUV's didn't really exist.

The whole bigger is better and safer (maybe for the occupants of that vehicle?) craze that has permeated our country has really taken away freedom from both parents and kids and they didn't even consider it.

Kids already bike to all the schools near Connecticut. Doing it on Connecticut is not needed and something no parent would ever allow their elementary school student to do.

More would do it if it were safer.

Where is home/school that would make a major car commuter road your choice for a kid biking to school? Every other option for the local schools is more direct and better.

I think kids going to school are sort of a side issue on the Connecticut bike lanes, either pro or against -- there aren't many commutes where it would make much sense to ride on Connecticut, but it's true that it would be safer to do it in protected bike lanes than it is now. I don't think any of the advocates of this plan have really geared the pitch around kids biking to school specifically, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For me, the one thing that makes Connecticut Ave such a bad idea for bikes lanes is that it is the gateway for millions of tourists each year. Most of whom are not familiar with DC roads nor used to driving in any city. So to mix those tens of thousands of tourist cars each year with a project that will induce thousands of new cyclists each day seems like a total death wish. For that reason Connecticut Ave is fairly unique as compared to other roads where this has been attempted. It’s just a really bad idea.

Where are you getting tens of thousands of tourists driving into D.C. every year who aren't familiar with driving in any city? This just seems completely imaginary. Do most tourists drive into D.C. at all, let alone on Connecticut?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the IDEA of bike lanes. But I have to say that when I was trying to work and raise three kids, at three different schools, with the associated activities, playdates and doctor's appointments, I could barely manage WITH a car. No chance it would have worked on a bike.

If only there was a safe way for some of your kids to get to some of their destination via mode of transportation that they controlled...

Right on. I and a bunch of other kids I went to school with used to ride our bikes to and from school and activities from middle school up through most of high school. Now.. I am a bit older, so back when this was happening pick up trucks were like 2/3rds the size they are today at worst and SUV's didn't really exist.

The whole bigger is better and safer (maybe for the occupants of that vehicle?) craze that has permeated our country has really taken away freedom from both parents and kids and they didn't even consider it.

Kids already bike to all the schools near Connecticut. Doing it on Connecticut is not needed and something no parent would ever allow their elementary school student to do.

More would do it if it were safer.

Where is home/school that would make a major car commuter road your choice for a kid biking to school? Every other option for the local schools is more direct and better.

What if DC transformed Connecticut Avenue from "a major car commuter road" to a street that everyone can use?

Its a good long term plan, but in the meantime Connecticut is a straight shot from the beltway to downtown. Its going to be the main commuting route in upper NW.

The best chance Connecticut had was during Covid, but the powers that be want butts in seats downtown again. Getting metro back to functional will help also, but it has a long way to go just to get back pre-Covid ridership.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the IDEA of bike lanes. But I have to say that when I was trying to work and raise three kids, at three different schools, with the associated activities, playdates and doctor's appointments, I could barely manage WITH a car. No chance it would have worked on a bike.

If only there was a safe way for some of your kids to get to some of their destination via mode of transportation that they controlled...

Right on. I and a bunch of other kids I went to school with used to ride our bikes to and from school and activities from middle school up through most of high school. Now.. I am a bit older, so back when this was happening pick up trucks were like 2/3rds the size they are today at worst and SUV's didn't really exist.

The whole bigger is better and safer (maybe for the occupants of that vehicle?) craze that has permeated our country has really taken away freedom from both parents and kids and they didn't even consider it.

Kids already bike to all the schools near Connecticut. Doing it on Connecticut is not needed and something no parent would ever allow their elementary school student to do.

More would do it if it were safer.

Where is home/school that would make a major car commuter road your choice for a kid biking to school? Every other option for the local schools is more direct and better.

What if DC transformed Connecticut Avenue from "a major car commuter road" to a street that everyone can use?

Its a good long term plan, but in the meantime Connecticut is a straight shot from the beltway to downtown. Its going to be the main commuting route in upper NW.

The best chance Connecticut had was during Covid, but the powers that be want butts in seats downtown again. Getting metro back to functional will help also, but it has a long way to go just to get back pre-Covid ridership.

There's no time like the present.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the IDEA of bike lanes. But I have to say that when I was trying to work and raise three kids, at three different schools, with the associated activities, playdates and doctor's appointments, I could barely manage WITH a car. No chance it would have worked on a bike.

If only there was a safe way for some of your kids to get to some of their destination via mode of transportation that they controlled...

Right on. I and a bunch of other kids I went to school with used to ride our bikes to and from school and activities from middle school up through most of high school. Now.. I am a bit older, so back when this was happening pick up trucks were like 2/3rds the size they are today at worst and SUV's didn't really exist.

The whole bigger is better and safer (maybe for the occupants of that vehicle?) craze that has permeated our country has really taken away freedom from both parents and kids and they didn't even consider it.

Kids already bike to all the schools near Connecticut. Doing it on Connecticut is not needed and something no parent would ever allow their elementary school student to do.

More would do it if it were safer.

Where is home/school that would make a major car commuter road your choice for a kid biking to school? Every other option for the local schools is more direct and better.

What if DC transformed Connecticut Avenue from "a major car commuter road" to a street that everyone can use?

Then which other streets then replace Connecticut as a major car commuting road? Unless through magical thinking one simply assumes that the car and truck drivers diverted from Connecticut switch to e-bikes and sparkle ponies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For me, the one thing that makes Connecticut Ave such a bad idea for bikes lanes is that it is the gateway for millions of tourists each year. Most of whom are not familiar with DC roads nor used to driving in any city. So to mix those tens of thousands of tourist cars each year with a project that will induce thousands of new cyclists each day seems like a total death wish. For that reason Connecticut Ave is fairly unique as compared to other roads where this has been attempted. It’s just a really bad idea.

Think of how much better it would be if the tourists were not driving cars but on other modes of transportation? You are making the argument FOR bike lanes, thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, the one thing that makes Connecticut Ave such a bad idea for bikes lanes is that it is the gateway for millions of tourists each year. Most of whom are not familiar with DC roads nor used to driving in any city. So to mix those tens of thousands of tourist cars each year with a project that will induce thousands of new cyclists each day seems like a total death wish. For that reason Connecticut Ave is fairly unique as compared to other roads where this has been attempted. It’s just a really bad idea.

To me, that makes Connecticut Ave a GOOD idea for bike lanes. Think about all of the tourists who DON'T arrive or get around DC by car. They use Metro, walk, use Bikeshare bikes, use e-scooters...

The zoo alone gets 2,000,000 visitors a year. They have 3,400 parking spots that are full by 10am every day of the year. Plus the folks who park in the neighborhoods. Plus the tourists driving to the mall. That’s a lot of clueless drivers to have on a road along with thousands of kids riding bikes to school and neighbors snacking on Vace pizza while they cruise wistfully along on their beach cruisers, which seems to be the utopian vision of the proponents. It’s kind of a really bad idea and deep down inside you know it.

In other words, the vast majority of zoo visitors arrive by not-car.

Plus if there are really so many clueless tourists driving dangerously around the touristy parts of DC, DC really needs to do a lot of work immediately to make the streets safer for everyone, tourists and non-tourists.

You might want to check your math. There are 1.2 million day/spaces available, and probably 2+ people in a car for visitors. And a spot can be used by more than 1 car in the course of a day. It may be true that less than half come by car, but its unlikely.

The bolded cannot be close to accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the IDEA of bike lanes. But I have to say that when I was trying to work and raise three kids, at three different schools, with the associated activities, playdates and doctor's appointments, I could barely manage WITH a car. No chance it would have worked on a bike.

If only there was a safe way for some of your kids to get to some of their destination via mode of transportation that they controlled...

Right on. I and a bunch of other kids I went to school with used to ride our bikes to and from school and activities from middle school up through most of high school. Now.. I am a bit older, so back when this was happening pick up trucks were like 2/3rds the size they are today at worst and SUV's didn't really exist.

The whole bigger is better and safer (maybe for the occupants of that vehicle?) craze that has permeated our country has really taken away freedom from both parents and kids and they didn't even consider it.

Kids already bike to all the schools near Connecticut. Doing it on Connecticut is not needed and something no parent would ever allow their elementary school student to do.

More would do it if it were safer.

Where is home/school that would make a major car commuter road your choice for a kid biking to school? Every other option for the local schools is more direct and better.

What if DC transformed Connecticut Avenue from "a major car commuter road" to a street that everyone can use?

Then which other streets then replace Connecticut as a major car commuting road? Unless through magical thinking one simply assumes that the car and truck drivers diverted from Connecticut switch to e-bikes and sparkle ponies.

I feel like there's a major transportation option that you have somehow overlooked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, the one thing that makes Connecticut Ave such a bad idea for bikes lanes is that it is the gateway for millions of tourists each year. Most of whom are not familiar with DC roads nor used to driving in any city. So to mix those tens of thousands of tourist cars each year with a project that will induce thousands of new cyclists each day seems like a total death wish. For that reason Connecticut Ave is fairly unique as compared to other roads where this has been attempted. It’s just a really bad idea.

To me, that makes Connecticut Ave a GOOD idea for bike lanes. Think about all of the tourists who DON'T arrive or get around DC by car. They use Metro, walk, use Bikeshare bikes, use e-scooters...

The zoo alone gets 2,000,000 visitors a year. They have 3,400 parking spots that are full by 10am every day of the year. Plus the folks who park in the neighborhoods. Plus the tourists driving to the mall. That’s a lot of clueless drivers to have on a road along with thousands of kids riding bikes to school and neighbors snacking on Vace pizza while they cruise wistfully along on their beach cruisers, which seems to be the utopian vision of the proponents. It’s kind of a really bad idea and deep down inside you know it.

In other words, the vast majority of zoo visitors arrive by not-car.

Plus if there are really so many clueless tourists driving dangerously around the touristy parts of DC, DC really needs to do a lot of work immediately to make the streets safer for everyone, tourists and non-tourists.

You might want to check your math. There are 1.2 million day/spaces available, and probably 2+ people in a car for visitors. And a spot can be used by more than 1 car in the course of a day. It may be true that less than half come by car, but its unlikely.

The bolded cannot be close to accurate.

How many days of the year is the zoo open? 364. How many parking spaces do they have? 3,400. What is 364 times 3,400? 1,241,000. A standard car can hold five people, vans and SUVs more. A space could be used by more than one visitor in a day as well. So there are in fact plenty of spaces to accommodate 2,000,000 visitors in a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, the one thing that makes Connecticut Ave such a bad idea for bikes lanes is that it is the gateway for millions of tourists each year. Most of whom are not familiar with DC roads nor used to driving in any city. So to mix those tens of thousands of tourist cars each year with a project that will induce thousands of new cyclists each day seems like a total death wish. For that reason Connecticut Ave is fairly unique as compared to other roads where this has been attempted. It’s just a really bad idea.

Think of how much better it would be if the tourists were not driving cars but on other modes of transportation? You are making the argument FOR bike lanes, thank you.

The people who drive to the zoo are most definitely not interested in participating in transit lifestyle you covet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, the one thing that makes Connecticut Ave such a bad idea for bikes lanes is that it is the gateway for millions of tourists each year. Most of whom are not familiar with DC roads nor used to driving in any city. So to mix those tens of thousands of tourist cars each year with a project that will induce thousands of new cyclists each day seems like a total death wish. For that reason Connecticut Ave is fairly unique as compared to other roads where this has been attempted. It’s just a really bad idea.

Think of how much better it would be if the tourists were not driving cars but on other modes of transportation? You are making the argument FOR bike lanes, thank you.

The people who drive to the zoo are most definitely not interested in participating in transit lifestyle you covet.

That's silly. Transit isn't a lifestyle, it's transportation. Would you say you participate in car lifestyle?