Options for opposing Connecticut Avenue changes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

More would commute if it were safer to do so.

Also, the denominator there is the entire region of 2.5 million people. We could focus just on the people who would use CT Ave and the number would be a lot higher, of course, but for the author to try to make his point, he had to use the most extreme statistics possible. Well, of course the person who live in Prince William County and drives to Springfield for work is not going to bike, much less bike on CT Ave, so why are these included in the author's stats?

The parallels between the bike lanes debate and the police “reform” debate from a few years ago are striking. During the BLM/defund/reform movement there were many who were urging leaders to pump the breaks and warned what would happen in cities. They were shouted down. It’s the same thing with the bike lanes Over 100 businesses along Connecticut and leaders in downtown CRE are warning that these lanes are a very bad idea. But, a handful of activists could care less and want to move full steam ahead. It’s amazing to watch.

Yeah, they always do. And then the bike lanes go in, and then they figure out that it was actually a very good idea. Bike lanes are good for local businesses, not bad.

I don’t know which side to believe. But, in this case I kinda, sorta believe the business owners on issues involving how to stay in business. I’m much less likely to believe a government or non profit worker who has zero experience in the private sector.

I am thankful to live in a city where - I think - a coterie of non-resident business owners don’t exercise a veto over public policy but where said policy is the result of an extensive process of deliberative democracy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

That the person who posted this and the original tweet apparently lives in St. Petersburg, FL tells you about all anyone know about the opposition to the bike lanes.

[Anonymous]

Viewpoint: Want workers back in the office? Stop Connecticut Avenue bike lanes.

What does Washington, D.C., have in common with Portland, Seattle, New York, Boston, Oakland and Rochester? Surprisingly, all these cities and many others have removed protected bike lane infrastructure — known as PBLs — that they found to be highly detrimental to commuting, unsafe and a failed experiment.
Across America and abroad, cities are protesting, canceling, and removing PBLs on main thoroughfares due to their negative impact. You may have noticed the uproar this summer over dedicated PBLs and bus lanes on the proposed K Street Transitway, prompting a review and redesign of this project.
At a time when downtown D.C. is struggling to attract workers back to their offices, shoppers to retail stores, and patrons to downtown restaurants and bars, why is the District Department of Transportation moving ahead with plans to make it harder to travel into the city by adding two bike lanes to an already choked off Connecticut Avenue? This irrational policy is counter to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s D.C. Comeback Plan.

https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2023/09/18/connecticut-avenue-bike-lanes-return-office.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

More would commute if it were safer to do so.

Also, the denominator there is the entire region of 2.5 million people. We could focus just on the people who would use CT Ave and the number would be a lot higher, of course, but for the author to try to make his point, he had to use the most extreme statistics possible. Well, of course the person who live in Prince William County and drives to Springfield for work is not going to bike, much less bike on CT Ave, so why are these included in the author's stats?

The parallels between the bike lanes debate and the police “reform” debate from a few years ago are striking. During the BLM/defund/reform movement there were many who were urging leaders to pump the breaks and warned what would happen in cities. They were shouted down. It’s the same thing with the bike lanes Over 100 businesses along Connecticut and leaders in downtown CRE are warning that these lanes are a very bad idea. But, a handful of activists could care less and want to move full steam ahead. It’s amazing to watch.

Yeah, they always do. And then the bike lanes go in, and then they figure out that it was actually a very good idea. Bike lanes are good for local businesses, not bad.

I don’t know which side to believe. But, in this case I kinda, sorta believe the business owners on issues involving how to stay in business. I’m much less likely to believe a government or non profit worker who has zero experience in the private sector.

I am thankful to live in a city where - I think - a coterie of non-resident business owners don’t exercise a veto over public policy but where said policy is the result of an extensive process of deliberative democracy.

Just like the deliberative process that brought us the Revised Criminal Code bill that national Democrats could not get away from fast enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

More would commute if it were safer to do so.

Also, the denominator there is the entire region of 2.5 million people. We could focus just on the people who would use CT Ave and the number would be a lot higher, of course, but for the author to try to make his point, he had to use the most extreme statistics possible. Well, of course the person who live in Prince William County and drives to Springfield for work is not going to bike, much less bike on CT Ave, so why are these included in the author's stats?

The parallels between the bike lanes debate and the police “reform” debate from a few years ago are striking. During the BLM/defund/reform movement there were many who were urging leaders to pump the breaks and warned what would happen in cities. They were shouted down. It’s the same thing with the bike lanes Over 100 businesses along Connecticut and leaders in downtown CRE are warning that these lanes are a very bad idea. But, a handful of activists could care less and want to move full steam ahead. It’s amazing to watch.

The difference of course, is that 1) people who ride bikes also shop and are more likely to shop at places they can bike as compared to Maryland commuters who almost never stop to shop on Connecticut Avenue, and 2) bike lanes have been installed all over the country and world with no negative impact on businesses. DC is no different than other great cities around the world other than the forces of stasis who cannot see anything other than the lives they have lived for the last 60 years without any acknowledgement of how the younger, poorer folks live or the future they want and need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

More would commute if it were safer to do so.

Also, the denominator there is the entire region of 2.5 million people. We could focus just on the people who would use CT Ave and the number would be a lot higher, of course, but for the author to try to make his point, he had to use the most extreme statistics possible. Well, of course the person who live in Prince William County and drives to Springfield for work is not going to bike, much less bike on CT Ave, so why are these included in the author's stats?

The parallels between the bike lanes debate and the police “reform” debate from a few years ago are striking. During the BLM/defund/reform movement there were many who were urging leaders to pump the breaks and warned what would happen in cities. They were shouted down. It’s the same thing with the bike lanes Over 100 businesses along Connecticut and leaders in downtown CRE are warning that these lanes are a very bad idea. But, a handful of activists could care less and want to move full steam ahead. It’s amazing to watch.

Yeah, they always do. And then the bike lanes go in, and then they figure out that it was actually a very good idea. Bike lanes are good for local businesses, not bad.

I don’t know which side to believe. But, in this case I kinda, sorta believe the business owners on issues involving how to stay in business. I’m much less likely to believe a government or non profit worker who has zero experience in the private sector.

ironically, the businesses do not generally know how their customers access their establishments. When told to ask their existing customers who drove and parked on Conn Ave, many are shocked to learn it is almost none.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

More would commute if it were safer to do so.

Also, the denominator there is the entire region of 2.5 million people. We could focus just on the people who would use CT Ave and the number would be a lot higher, of course, but for the author to try to make his point, he had to use the most extreme statistics possible. Well, of course the person who live in Prince William County and drives to Springfield for work is not going to bike, much less bike on CT Ave, so why are these included in the author's stats?

The parallels between the bike lanes debate and the police “reform” debate from a few years ago are striking. During the BLM/defund/reform movement there were many who were urging leaders to pump the breaks and warned what would happen in cities. They were shouted down. It’s the same thing with the bike lanes Over 100 businesses along Connecticut and leaders in downtown CRE are warning that these lanes are a very bad idea. But, a handful of activists could care less and want to move full steam ahead. It’s amazing to watch.

Yeah, they always do. And then the bike lanes go in, and then they figure out that it was actually a very good idea. Bike lanes are good for local businesses, not bad.

I don’t know which side to believe. But, in this case I kinda, sorta believe the business owners on issues involving how to stay in business. I’m much less likely to believe a government or non profit worker who has zero experience in the private sector.

ironically, the businesses do not generally know how their customers access their establishments. When told to ask their existing customers who drove and parked on Conn Ave, many are shocked to learn it is almost none.

And yet despite all odds they’ve managed to stay in business for decades. Thank god this new crop of 30 year old public policy professionals have come along to save them from their own stupidity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

More would commute if it were safer to do so.

Also, the denominator there is the entire region of 2.5 million people. We could focus just on the people who would use CT Ave and the number would be a lot higher, of course, but for the author to try to make his point, he had to use the most extreme statistics possible. Well, of course the person who live in Prince William County and drives to Springfield for work is not going to bike, much less bike on CT Ave, so why are these included in the author's stats?

The parallels between the bike lanes debate and the police “reform” debate from a few years ago are striking. During the BLM/defund/reform movement there were many who were urging leaders to pump the breaks and warned what would happen in cities. They were shouted down. It’s the same thing with the bike lanes Over 100 businesses along Connecticut and leaders in downtown CRE are warning that these lanes are a very bad idea. But, a handful of activists could care less and want to move full steam ahead. It’s amazing to watch.

Yeah, they always do. And then the bike lanes go in, and then they figure out that it was actually a very good idea. Bike lanes are good for local businesses, not bad.

I don’t know which side to believe. But, in this case I kinda, sorta believe the business owners on issues involving how to stay in business. I’m much less likely to believe a government or non profit worker who has zero experience in the private sector.

ironically, the businesses do not generally know how their customers access their establishments. When told to ask their existing customers who drove and parked on Conn Ave, many are shocked to learn it is almost none.

And yet despite all odds they’ve managed to stay in business for decades. Thank god this new crop of 30 year old public policy professionals have come along to save them from their own stupidity.

When a vacuum cleaner repair shop is the standard bearer for why one needs to be able to park, when it is just as easy, if not easier, for the store to suggest people drop off their vacuum in the rear alley, or better yet, provide a service to pick up the vacuum and deliver bags, it is a model destined to fail in 2023.

Their bigger threat is that people buy vacuum cleaners via amazon, get new bags via amazon, and they are cheap enough not to be worth it to repair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

That the person who posted this and the original tweet apparently lives in St. Petersburg, FL tells you about all anyone know about the opposition to the bike lanes.

I believe she very recently moved out of Petworth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

More would commute if it were safer to do so.

Also, the denominator there is the entire region of 2.5 million people. We could focus just on the people who would use CT Ave and the number would be a lot higher, of course, but for the author to try to make his point, he had to use the most extreme statistics possible. Well, of course the person who live in Prince William County and drives to Springfield for work is not going to bike, much less bike on CT Ave, so why are these included in the author's stats?

The parallels between the bike lanes debate and the police “reform” debate from a few years ago are striking. During the BLM/defund/reform movement there were many who were urging leaders to pump the breaks and warned what would happen in cities. They were shouted down. It’s the same thing with the bike lanes Over 100 businesses along Connecticut and leaders in downtown CRE are warning that these lanes are a very bad idea. But, a handful of activists could care less and want to move full steam ahead. It’s amazing to watch.

Yeah, they always do. And then the bike lanes go in, and then they figure out that it was actually a very good idea. Bike lanes are good for local businesses, not bad.

I don’t know which side to believe. But, in this case I kinda, sorta believe the business owners on issues involving how to stay in business. I’m much less likely to believe a government or non profit worker who has zero experience in the private sector.

ironically, the businesses do not generally know how their customers access their establishments. When told to ask their existing customers who drove and parked on Conn Ave, many are shocked to learn it is almost none.

And yet despite all odds they’ve managed to stay in business for decades. Thank god this new crop of 30 year old public policy professionals have come along to save them from their own stupidity.

When a vacuum cleaner repair shop is the standard bearer for why one needs to be able to park, when it is just as easy, if not easier, for the store to suggest people drop off their vacuum in the rear alley, or better yet, provide a service to pick up the vacuum and deliver bags, it is a model destined to fail in 2023.

Their bigger threat is that people buy vacuum cleaners via amazon, get new bags via amazon, and they are cheap enough not to be worth it to repair.

More great advice from someone who’s never started a business or to had to make a payroll and rent. The way all these smug activists with worthless, expensive degrees look down upon honest small business people is disturbing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

More would commute if it were safer to do so.

Also, the denominator there is the entire region of 2.5 million people. We could focus just on the people who would use CT Ave and the number would be a lot higher, of course, but for the author to try to make his point, he had to use the most extreme statistics possible. Well, of course the person who live in Prince William County and drives to Springfield for work is not going to bike, much less bike on CT Ave, so why are these included in the author's stats?

The parallels between the bike lanes debate and the police “reform” debate from a few years ago are striking. During the BLM/defund/reform movement there were many who were urging leaders to pump the breaks and warned what would happen in cities. They were shouted down. It’s the same thing with the bike lanes Over 100 businesses along Connecticut and leaders in downtown CRE are warning that these lanes are a very bad idea. But, a handful of activists could care less and want to move full steam ahead. It’s amazing to watch.

Yeah, they always do. And then the bike lanes go in, and then they figure out that it was actually a very good idea. Bike lanes are good for local businesses, not bad.

I don’t know which side to believe. But, in this case I kinda, sorta believe the business owners on issues involving how to stay in business. I’m much less likely to believe a government or non profit worker who has zero experience in the private sector.

ironically, the businesses do not generally know how their customers access their establishments. When told to ask their existing customers who drove and parked on Conn Ave, many are shocked to learn it is almost none.

And yet despite all odds they’ve managed to stay in business for decades. Thank god this new crop of 30 year old public policy professionals have come along to save them from their own stupidity.

What an odd statement. Why would they need to know how people arrive at their business in order to stay in business? Why would a restaurant need to know that someone walked or biked there, or a dry cleaner need to know that someone took the bus there, or whatever?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

More would commute if it were safer to do so.

Also, the denominator there is the entire region of 2.5 million people. We could focus just on the people who would use CT Ave and the number would be a lot higher, of course, but for the author to try to make his point, he had to use the most extreme statistics possible. Well, of course the person who live in Prince William County and drives to Springfield for work is not going to bike, much less bike on CT Ave, so why are these included in the author's stats?

The parallels between the bike lanes debate and the police “reform” debate from a few years ago are striking. During the BLM/defund/reform movement there were many who were urging leaders to pump the breaks and warned what would happen in cities. They were shouted down. It’s the same thing with the bike lanes Over 100 businesses along Connecticut and leaders in downtown CRE are warning that these lanes are a very bad idea. But, a handful of activists could care less and want to move full steam ahead. It’s amazing to watch.

Yeah, they always do. And then the bike lanes go in, and then they figure out that it was actually a very good idea. Bike lanes are good for local businesses, not bad.

I don’t know which side to believe. But, in this case I kinda, sorta believe the business owners on issues involving how to stay in business. I’m much less likely to believe a government or non profit worker who has zero experience in the private sector.

I am thankful to live in a city where - I think - a coterie of non-resident business owners don’t exercise a veto over public policy but where said policy is the result of an extensive process of deliberative democracy.

Just like the deliberative process that brought us the Revised Criminal Code bill that national Democrats could not get away from fast enough.

Please read the following article about what happened and stop being such an ignoramus: https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-crime/the-war-on-cities

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

More would commute if it were safer to do so.

Also, the denominator there is the entire region of 2.5 million people. We could focus just on the people who would use CT Ave and the number would be a lot higher, of course, but for the author to try to make his point, he had to use the most extreme statistics possible. Well, of course the person who live in Prince William County and drives to Springfield for work is not going to bike, much less bike on CT Ave, so why are these included in the author's stats?

The parallels between the bike lanes debate and the police “reform” debate from a few years ago are striking. During the BLM/defund/reform movement there were many who were urging leaders to pump the breaks and warned what would happen in cities. They were shouted down. It’s the same thing with the bike lanes Over 100 businesses along Connecticut and leaders in downtown CRE are warning that these lanes are a very bad idea. But, a handful of activists could care less and want to move full steam ahead. It’s amazing to watch.

Yeah, they always do. And then the bike lanes go in, and then they figure out that it was actually a very good idea. Bike lanes are good for local businesses, not bad.

I don’t know which side to believe. But, in this case I kinda, sorta believe the business owners on issues involving how to stay in business. I’m much less likely to believe a government or non profit worker who has zero experience in the private sector.

ironically, the businesses do not generally know how their customers access their establishments. When told to ask their existing customers who drove and parked on Conn Ave, many are shocked to learn it is almost none.

And yet despite all odds they’ve managed to stay in business for decades. Thank god this new crop of 30 year old public policy professionals have come along to save them from their own stupidity.

When a vacuum cleaner repair shop is the standard bearer for why one needs to be able to park, when it is just as easy, if not easier, for the store to suggest people drop off their vacuum in the rear alley, or better yet, provide a service to pick up the vacuum and deliver bags, it is a model destined to fail in 2023.

Their bigger threat is that people buy vacuum cleaners via amazon, get new bags via amazon, and they are cheap enough not to be worth it to repair.

More great advice from someone who’s never started a business or to had to make a payroll and rent. The way all these smug activists with worthless, expensive degrees look down upon honest small business people is disturbing.

I wouldn't pretend to tell a purveyor of vacuum cleaners how to run a good business selling vacuum cleaners and it is for precisely that reason that their word shouldn't count for much when it comes to a debate about whether bike lanes may or may not be necessary. Their opinion is not irrelevant, but it doesn't count for any more than those of the residents of northwest DC who have provided input throughout the process and certainly not more than the studied opinions of the commissoners and councilmembers who have been elected by the population to design public policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

More would commute if it were safer to do so.

Also, the denominator there is the entire region of 2.5 million people. We could focus just on the people who would use CT Ave and the number would be a lot higher, of course, but for the author to try to make his point, he had to use the most extreme statistics possible. Well, of course the person who live in Prince William County and drives to Springfield for work is not going to bike, much less bike on CT Ave, so why are these included in the author's stats?

The parallels between the bike lanes debate and the police “reform” debate from a few years ago are striking. During the BLM/defund/reform movement there were many who were urging leaders to pump the breaks and warned what would happen in cities. They were shouted down. It’s the same thing with the bike lanes Over 100 businesses along Connecticut and leaders in downtown CRE are warning that these lanes are a very bad idea. But, a handful of activists could care less and want to move full steam ahead. It’s amazing to watch.

Yeah, they always do. And then the bike lanes go in, and then they figure out that it was actually a very good idea. Bike lanes are good for local businesses, not bad.

I don’t know which side to believe. But, in this case I kinda, sorta believe the business owners on issues involving how to stay in business. I’m much less likely to believe a government or non profit worker who has zero experience in the private sector.

ironically, the businesses do not generally know how their customers access their establishments. When told to ask their existing customers who drove and parked on Conn Ave, many are shocked to learn it is almost none.

And yet despite all odds they’ve managed to stay in business for decades. Thank god this new crop of 30 year old public policy professionals have come along to save them from their own stupidity.

When a vacuum cleaner repair shop is the standard bearer for why one needs to be able to park, when it is just as easy, if not easier, for the store to suggest people drop off their vacuum in the rear alley, or better yet, provide a service to pick up the vacuum and deliver bags, it is a model destined to fail in 2023.

Their bigger threat is that people buy vacuum cleaners via amazon, get new bags via amazon, and they are cheap enough not to be worth it to repair.

More great advice from someone who’s never started a business or to had to make a payroll and rent. The way all these smug activists with worthless, expensive degrees look down upon honest small business people is disturbing.

You know nothing about me. Yes, I own a business, yes, I meet a payroll, and yes, I have had my business adapt to changing technology and preferences. If I owned a vaccm cleaner repair shop, you better believe I would be doing just as I posted, because that is reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Viewpoint: Want workers back in the office? Stop Connecticut Avenue bike lanes.

What does Washington, D.C., have in common with Portland, Seattle, New York, Boston, Oakland and Rochester? Surprisingly, all these cities and many others have removed protected bike lane infrastructure — known as PBLs — that they found to be highly detrimental to commuting, unsafe and a failed experiment.
Across America and abroad, cities are protesting, canceling, and removing PBLs on main thoroughfares due to their negative impact. You may have noticed the uproar this summer over dedicated PBLs and bus lanes on the proposed K Street Transitway, prompting a review and redesign of this project.
At a time when downtown D.C. is struggling to attract workers back to their offices, shoppers to retail stores, and patrons to downtown restaurants and bars, why is the District Department of Transportation moving ahead with plans to make it harder to travel into the city by adding two bike lanes to an already choked off Connecticut Avenue? This irrational policy is counter to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s D.C. Comeback Plan.

https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2023/09/18/connecticut-avenue-bike-lanes-return-office.html