Organizing to advocate for bike routes to new charter locations?

[Anonymous]

Completely anecdotal, but of the five people I know who (have) biked to work on a regular basis, four have had major injuries that required hospitalization and multiple surgeries after collisions with cars. Head injuries, concussions, major bone breaks, and dental reconstruction. Total nightmares for them, and their families. None commute on bike any more. I can read all the statistics there are about safety and cycling, but all I can think about are my friends.

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[Anonymous]

PP here: forgot to mention, none of the drivers stopped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, I think all these scary stories just point to the need to have safe protected bike lanes like the beautiful bike line on first street NW which sadly ends at K street.

Protected? I do not consider that protected. It is not like there is a barrier that protects the bikes from the cars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, I think all these scary stories just point to the need to have safe protected bike lanes like the beautiful bike line on first street NW which sadly ends at K street.

I think you mean the brand new, just opened bike lane on first street NE.

[Anonymous]

I must have mixed it up sorry. Anyway it is a really wonderful, if too short, protected bike lane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I must have mixed it up sorry. Anyway it is a really wonderful, if too short, protected bike lane.

It looks nice: the only truly safe bike lane in the city. Alas, it doesn't really go from anywhere to anywhere. You can barely get from NoMa to Union Station, and even then it's not like children could use this for school. Without a couple hundred more miles of lanes like these? Every time I see a parent cycling their child in that plastic-tented trailer behind their bike I'll think "Sure, why don't you just give him a Bloody Mary for the ride?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No cyclists have died in the DC metro area since last June. http://www.thewashcycle.com/2014/05/the-dc-area-has-set-a-record-for-safety.html

I couldn't find more recent stats, but in 2012 8 drivers, 6 pedestrians, and no cyclists were killed in DC
http://washingtonexaminer.com/d.c-traffic-fatalities-fall-to-record-low-in-2012/article/2518072

Anyone with a "death wish" would be better off driving than biking.

I canT trust this report. There was a long post just last year about the cyclist killed near or in rock creek park. DCUM posters were pointing out that they would see the woman and her husband riding every morning. As for the DC metro area, do you consider Largo, Davidson, and Annapolis MD the DC area. The female cyclist killed on RT 202 in Largo/Mitchellville MD last year, maybe it was 2012. Her body was left in the road as the driver kept going. How about the female cyclist killed outside Annapolis in 2013 where the grand jury refused to indict for manslaughter. These are just four cyclist deaths that I recall off the top off my head that have occurred within the last couple of years. I am sure there are others. And forget about deaths, what about the collisions that dont make the news because the cyclists survived only to live with serious bodily injuries or maiming. That article you posted is faulty/shoddy as heck, or the writer is just lying to foster an agenda.

Do you realize that over 400 people are killed in cars in a typical year in the DC region? Bike fatalities make the news because they are so rare. People die in car crashes literally every day , they're not even newsworthy.

[Anonymous]

Look at a prior post that mentions person-hours of exposure. Many more people are in cars than on bikes. You have to consider the denominator in these discussions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow PP husband is a cop, avid biker, completes centuries and yet is afraid to ride in the city? That's kind of weird. I ride my bike all across town and my kids do too with me and on their own. Using bike lanes is great, and I think all the time how much safer biking in DC would be if only car drivers would slow down and follow red light signals. They are the ones who can kill people, and yet, everyone says bicycling is too dangerous, as if we can't ever hope to change car driver behaviors!

It's because he knows that MPD does not enforce laws regarding aggressive drivers vs bicyclists. There was an incident reported on the news where the cyclist had video of an aggressive driver who cut him off then took his bike and threw it. The police cited the cyclist and let the driver go free. When we get our new mayor, it's time for new leadership at MPD as well.

[Anonymous]

to the original question:
Anyone at Inspired Teaching, Lee, or Mundo Verde make any progress advocating for safe bike routes to these schools' new locations. Wondering if there may be a way to join forces.

I know that MV is working on bike transportation issues to its new location at 1st and P. I'm not sure it's advocacy at the city level so much as support for families. OP- if you're interested in getting in touch with the coordinator I can provide an email.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Yes I am specifically interested in how to build out the 1st ST NE bike lane so that it is long enough to be useful for commuting from U Station to MV. Would also need a way to safely cross over from 1st NE to MV, but could probably figure something out.

[Anonymous]

Probably the safest way would be to get on the mbt and exit at r street ne. Take r street and hang a left at first street nw. Not totally direct, but r street has sharrows and is a popular route to head west.

[Anonymous]

I've biked on Michigan Avenue from North Capitol to Monroe a lot. There isn't an on street bike lane but the sidewalk is complete and there are few pedestrians on that stretch. So it works well for biking.

Bring on more bike lanes too!

[Anonymous]

Tomorrow there is a ribbon cutting ceremony for the 1st ST NE bike lane, which is a model for a great bike lane. If only it were a bit longer it could be really useful.

http://www.waba.org/blog/2014/05/first-st-ne-cycle-track-ribbon-cutting-tomorrow/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I am specifically interested in how to build out the 1st ST NE bike lane so that it is long enough to be useful for commuting from U Station to MV. Would also need a way to safely cross over from 1st NE to MV, but could probably figure something out.

I used to drive that stretch every day last year when my daughter was at the Bright Horizons at FERC. I realize the bike lane is "protected" but I have to say that whole stretch is a terrifying freaking nightmare. Between the pedestrians, bikes, commuter shuttles, cabs, and cars in that area, I honestly think it is a miracle that I never got in an accident and/or ran over someone. Seriously. The people coming out of Union Station go across the street without looking, and not in crosswalks. I would try biking it at rush hour, OP, before you see it as a legitimate commuting option. There is no way in hell I would do it with a child.