NPS: Ban Cars Now in DC Urban Parks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Hains Point was glorious about 30 yrs ago. Summertime, bumper to bumper, would take hours to make the park loop. Chillin in the car they spent all day waxin... two miles an hour so everybody sees you... fresh from the barbershop and fly from the beauty salon. Summer madness!

When I read these posts with people getting all worked up about what pretty much boils down to people who use the park as a backyard to barbecue, play ball, have fun, go for a drive with extended families and friends and those who want to use them to race their $3,000 bikes around is kind of depressing. When did everyone get so old and so uptight.

Some people got hit by a car in a park. That sucks. But bad stuff happens all of the time.

You live in the city. It’s a city park. It has cars and people just like just about every NPS park in the country. It would be nice to walk along skyline drive, some people do walk along skyline drive and they get hit by cars, is anyone suggesting we close skyline drive to cars? Of course not. It’s a road and not everyone who wants to enjoy the space has the time, ability or inclination to want to walk the drive or the trails, and that is okay because it is an open space for all to enjoy in whatever way they see fit.

Thanks for your comment, bringing both common sense and levity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't the road two one way lanes throughout most of Haines Point. If cyclists and pedestrians stuck to one lane only this wouldn't be an issue.

But like most things, people get crazy with the I have a right to be here mentality.

Unless you have a bumper on your booty or back wheel, get the heck out of the road, or just walk/bike to the left is walking with traffic and opposite side if going against.

You're proposing the status quo, which is what killed two people.

Cars and people are a dangerous combination. The roads around here are very crowded. I grew up here and as a kid rode my bike in the streets everywhere. On busy roads I stayed on the shoulder of the road (gravel if I had too) I moved out of the way when I heard a car approach from behind.

I was taught not to play in the street as a child my mom would have been horrified if she’d known where I took my bike. But always in the back of my mind was move out of the way whether walking or riding my bike if I heard a car approach. Not worth it even if I had a right to be there. I never so much As had a near miss.

I learned to rollerblade at Haines Point. I went at off times. I watched out for cars and bikes. I stayed vigilant. Was it relaxing? No but I learned to rollerbakde and afterwards found safer places to do it.

The roads are far more crowded now and in balance the cars are not going anywhere. I am training my DC to survive in a car centric culture and rule no.one is live to tell the tale. Yield to cars always. Most drivers are careful but everyone is capable of making a mistake, having a momentary lapse in judgment behind the wheel, even the good guys.

It doesn’t happen everyday that’s why it’s news when someone gets mowed down, but if you do get hit by a car you will lose %100 percent of the time.

Actually that is exactly what we need to change. "Get out of the way when a car comes, or risk getting killed" is not an acceptable approach for transportation in a city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hains Point already has times when it is closed to car traffic. It would be difficult for families with small children if the gates were permanently up, 24 hours per day.

I am sorry this couple was hit, there is actually a sidewalk in the area where they were hit while walking in the street.

Lots of families in DC have small children and no car.

[Anonymous]

At the very least it should be closed to all cars except for EV’s. That’s a reasonable exception.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Hains Point was glorious about 30 yrs ago. Summertime, bumper to bumper, would take hours to make the park loop. Chillin in the car they spent all day waxin... two miles an hour so everybody sees you... fresh from the barbershop and fly from the beauty salon. Summer madness!

When I read these posts with people getting all worked up about what pretty much boils down to people who use the park as a backyard to barbecue, play ball, have fun, go for a drive with extended families and friends and those who want to use them to race their $3,000 bikes around is kind of depressing. When did everyone get so old and so uptight.

Some people got hit by a car in a park. That sucks. But bad stuff happens all of the time.

You live in the city. It’s a city park. It has cars and people just like just about every NPS park in the country. It would be nice to walk along skyline drive, some people do walk along skyline drive and they get hit by cars, is anyone suggesting we close skyline drive to cars? Of course not. It’s a road and not everyone who wants to enjoy the space has the time, ability or inclination to want to walk the drive or the trails, and that is okay because it is an open space for all to enjoy in whatever way they see fit.

No, I'm sorry, you don't get to use our very limited green space to cruise bumper-to-bumper in your car. If you want to do that, you can go elsewhere. The park is for enjoying the outdoors, out of your car. We can make reasonable accommodations for people to get to the park in their cars (because the transit sucks) but they don't get to drive all over it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the very least it should be closed to all cars except for EV’s. That’s a reasonable exception.

I thought you were trying to "protect" pedestrians. Oh well, I guess it is just a cyclist putsch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't the road two one way lanes throughout most of Haines Point. If cyclists and pedestrians stuck to one lane only this wouldn't be an issue.

But like most things, people get crazy with the I have a right to be here mentality.

Unless you have a bumper on your booty or back wheel, get the heck out of the road, or just walk/bike to the left is walking with traffic and opposite side if going against.

You're proposing the status quo, which is what killed two people.

Cars and people are a dangerous combination. The roads around here are very crowded. I grew up here and as a kid rode my bike in the streets everywhere. On busy roads I stayed on the shoulder of the road (gravel if I had too) I moved out of the way when I heard a car approach from behind.

I was taught not to play in the street as a child my mom would have been horrified if she’d known where I took my bike. But always in the back of my mind was move out of the way whether walking or riding my bike if I heard a car approach. Not worth it even if I had a right to be there. I never so much As had a near miss.

I learned to rollerblade at Haines Point. I went at off times. I watched out for cars and bikes. I stayed vigilant. Was it relaxing? No but I learned to rollerbakde and afterwards found safer places to do it.

The roads are far more crowded now and in balance the cars are not going anywhere. I am training my DC to survive in a car centric culture and rule no.one is live to tell the tale. Yield to cars always. Most drivers are careful but everyone is capable of making a mistake, having a momentary lapse in judgment behind the wheel, even the good guys.

It doesn’t happen everyday that’s why it’s news when someone gets mowed down, but if you do get hit by a car you will lose %100 percent of the time.

Wow you do not make a very persuasive case for the status quo! Believe it or not, we don't actually have to live in constant fear of getting hit by cars. There are alternatives. Such as, limiting cars in the one tiny sector of the city specifically set aside for outdoor recreation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the very least it should be closed to all cars except for EV’s. That’s a reasonable exception.

I thought you were trying to "protect" pedestrians. Oh well, I guess it is just a cyclist putsch.

cyclist putsch? omg. dramatic much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the very least it should be closed to all cars except for EV’s. That’s a reasonable exception.

I thought you were trying to "protect" pedestrians. Oh well, I guess it is just a cyclist putsch.

I’ve literally never heard of a pedestrian being hit by an EV. it just doesn’t happen. EV drivers are far more socially conscious than drivers of regular cars, and that extends to their regard for walkers and cyclists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the very least it should be closed to all cars except for EV’s. That’s a reasonable exception.

I thought you were trying to "protect" pedestrians. Oh well, I guess it is just a cyclist putsch.

I’ve literally never heard of a pedestrian being hit by an EV. it just doesn’t happen. EV drivers are far more socially conscious than drivers of regular cars, and that extends to their regard for walkers and cyclists.

EV engines dont make noises. They are actually more dangerous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't the road two one way lanes throughout most of Haines Point. If cyclists and pedestrians stuck to one lane only this wouldn't be an issue.

But like most things, people get crazy with the I have a right to be here mentality.

Unless you have a bumper on your booty or back wheel, get the heck out of the road, or just walk/bike to the left is walking with traffic and opposite side if going against.

You're proposing the status quo, which is what killed two people.

Cars and people are a dangerous combination. The roads around here are very crowded. I grew up here and as a kid rode my bike in the streets everywhere. On busy roads I stayed on the shoulder of the road (gravel if I had too) I moved out of the way when I heard a car approach from behind.

I was taught not to play in the street as a child my mom would have been horrified if she’d known where I took my bike. But always in the back of my mind was move out of the way whether walking or riding my bike if I heard a car approach. Not worth it even if I had a right to be there. I never so much As had a near miss.

I learned to rollerblade at Haines Point. I went at off times. I watched out for cars and bikes. I stayed vigilant. Was it relaxing? No but I learned to rollerbakde and afterwards found safer places to do it.

The roads are far more crowded now and in balance the cars are not going anywhere. I am training my DC to survive in a car centric culture and rule no.one is live to tell the tale. Yield to cars always. Most drivers are careful but everyone is capable of making a mistake, having a momentary lapse in judgment behind the wheel, even the good guys.

It doesn’t happen everyday that’s why it’s news when someone gets mowed down, but if you do get hit by a car you will lose %100 percent of the time.

Wow you do not make a very persuasive case for the status quo! Believe it or not, we don't actually have to live in constant fear of getting hit by cars. There are alternatives. Such as, limiting cars in the one tiny sector of the city specifically set aside for outdoor recreation.

No. Stop trying to prevent non-cyclists from enjoying the park. If we just got rid of the cyxlists then oedestrians could walk on the sidewalk uninhibited.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the very least it should be closed to all cars except for EV’s. That’s a reasonable exception.

I thought you were trying to "protect" pedestrians. Oh well, I guess it is just a cyclist putsch.

*sigh* These cyclists actually think they are morally superior and that other people actually care. They are so beyond that many have been working to get e-bikes banned because cycling is about the purity of human powered travel or something, something. Just Google "e-bikes cheating" for a trip into bizarro world.

I guess the obvious next step is that they get to be put in charge of who is morally acceptable to use parks. I look forward to the interrogation: do you recycle? what's your step count? how long since your last randonneuring? vegan or pescatarian?

No joke, ya'll are straight up Maoists! LOL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the very least it should be closed to all cars except for EV’s. That’s a reasonable exception.

I thought you were trying to "protect" pedestrians. Oh well, I guess it is just a cyclist putsch.

I’ve literally never heard of a pedestrian being hit by an EV. it just doesn’t happen. EV drivers are far more socially conscious than drivers of regular cars, and that extends to their regard for walkers and cyclists.

EV engines dont make noises. They are actually more dangerous.

It's not the technology, it's the people driving the Tesla's. They are just morally superior people and only the righteous and pure are allowed to use parks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the very least it should be closed to all cars except for EV’s. That’s a reasonable exception.

I thought you were trying to "protect" pedestrians. Oh well, I guess it is just a cyclist putsch.

I’ve literally never heard of a pedestrian being hit by an EV. it just doesn’t happen. EV drivers are far more socially conscious than drivers of regular cars, and that extends to their regard for walkers and cyclists.

EV engines dont make noises. They are actually more dangerous.

It's not the technology, it's the people driving the Tesla's. They are just morally superior people and only the righteous and pure are allowed to use parks.

As a Tesla owner, I 100% agree with you. I am morally superior to you (if you drive an ICE vehicle). And there should be perks to that. If being able to have exclusive use of park roads, then it’s fine with me. I’ve earned it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the very least it should be closed to all cars except for EV’s. That’s a reasonable exception.

I thought you were trying to "protect" pedestrians. Oh well, I guess it is just a cyclist putsch.

I’ve literally never heard of a pedestrian being hit by an EV. it just doesn’t happen. EV drivers are far more socially conscious than drivers of regular cars, and that extends to their regard for walkers and cyclists.

EV engines dont make noises. They are actually more dangerous.

It's not the technology, it's the people driving the Tesla's. They are just morally superior people and only the righteous and pure are allowed to use parks.

As a Tesla owner, I 100% agree with you. I am morally superior to you (if you drive an ICE vehicle). And there should be perks to that. If being able to have exclusive use of park roads, then it’s fine with me. I’ve earned it.

Model 3's dont count!