Let's keep the outdoor dining, the streets reserved for walking, and the new bike lanes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two things:

If they keep dining in the curb lane on some major streets, they are going to have to do better than Jersey barriers, which are not just ugly, but also very unsafe to motorists without a transition and cushioning barriers. Second, as traffic rebounds, there has to be so,e consideration of road capacity and traffic diversion from the resulting constraints placed on major thoroughfare carrying capacity.

The rationale was to provide outdoor seating space due to indoor dining restrictions. Now that those restrictions have lifted, so has the rationale. I think as the summer goes on we will slowly see things return to pre-pandemic conditions. Otherwise the problem will be that businesses will complain that their customers cannot get there due to traffic jams.

The streeteries sure don't look like the restaurant customers can't get there...

If Jersey barriers are unsafe for motorists on low-speed streets in cities and urbanized suburbs, only imagine how unsafe they must be on high-speed limited-access highways like the Beltway and 270!

The safety issue is not so much where the barriers are completely parallel to the flow of traffic. Where barriers are unsafe is when they present a sharp edge or a perpendicular barrier to a driver that may not notice the sudden transition or does not maintain control of the vehicle at all times. This is why barriers installed at exit ramps typically have sand barrels or other crash guards. DC is so laissez faire about safety that they have let establishments install barriers that suddenly appear in a travel lane on a major arterial. A driver who is not paying attention or driving even a little fast could have a devastating crash in hitting concrete straight on. It's possible that the vehicle could flip up over the barrier, endangering pedestrians and diners. That's why DC needs to figure out a better system, with block-long lane closures, low-impact planters, etc.

OK, 20 mph speed limits on all streets.

The problem is people don’t follow the speed limit. People regularly drive 40-50 MPH on the streets around my NW neighborhood, especially a night.

Are people saying we can't have streeteries because streeteries protected by Jersey walls are unsafe for dangerous drivers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure why people assume cyclists don't eat at restaurants or spend money on things. I mean, some of those bikes are $15k.

The bottom line is that restaurants are more likely to have cyclists support them than they are the MD commuter in a car trying to zip home to Iiamsville or whatever as quaickly as they can.

Yes! When you're on a bike you're more likely to ride and shop locally. Studies over decade have shown that. The question is how much Amazon shipping is changing that usual narrative. I don't know.

Amazon cannot replace getting a haircut, nails done, in-store dining etc. Yes, Amazon is impacting retail. So did Walmart before that and the Sears Catalog before that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Are people saying we can't have streeteries because streeteries protected by Jersey walls are unsafe for dangerous drivers?

No, they are using it as justification to replace public space back to cars instead of people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alas, people have to get to work again, and not everyone can ride a bike or walk to work.

Maybe we should allow continued teleworking for those whose jobs are suitable - I'm certainly not excited to drive into DC to do the exact same work I'm doing at home now. Win-wim!

The city is soooo much more livable without the commuters’ traffic and annoyance. Keeping my fingers crossed the stay tw!

But you also need a tax base to have a livable city. And you know who doesn’t ride a bike to work? People who make a lot of money. It takes A LOT of non profit workers and GS-9s on bikes to make up for the law firm/lobbyists/financial services folks who support the rest of you. You screw up their commute and this city won’t be so livable. Enjoy your bikes though. And yes, I know you know one high paid lobbyist who rides a bike.

We have to design the city around the perceived desires of the 1%? Nah.

It’s not the desires of the 1%. It’s the desire of the City to spend money. The City can’t stay afloat by catering to bike riders that eat at food trucks for lunch in the park. But you do you.

Yeah, it is. You're saying that if the 1% don't get their way (or what you think their way is), they will take their ball and go somewhere else, and then the city will be doomed with just the tax revenue from the 99%.

I will help you. The 1% pay 40% of the taxes and the top 10% pay 70% of the taxes. I’m saying the vast majority of the top 10% want to drive to work in their air conditioned car. They’ve worked hard and have earned this luxury. You may know a few HHI people who like to ride their bikes or crowd into a smelly METRO car, but they are the exception. If you make the commutes hellish for those 10%, those folks ain’t coming to work downtown. Restaurants will fail, commercial real estate will fail, small businesses of all types will fail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I will help you. The 1% pay 40% of the taxes and the top 10% pay 70% of the taxes. I’m saying the vast majority of the top 10% want to drive to work in their air conditioned car. They’ve worked hard and have earned this luxury. You may know a few HHI people who like to ride their bikes or crowd into a smelly METRO car, but they are the exception. If you make the commutes hellish for those 10%, those folks ain’t coming to work downtown. Restaurants will fail, commercial real estate will fail, small businesses of all types will fail.

Shorter PP: I prefer to drive and believe that society should be structured around this preference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alas, people have to get to work again, and not everyone can ride a bike or walk to work.

Maybe we should allow continued teleworking for those whose jobs are suitable - I'm certainly not excited to drive into DC to do the exact same work I'm doing at home now. Win-wim!

The city is soooo much more livable without the commuters’ traffic and annoyance. Keeping my fingers crossed the stay tw!

But you also need a tax base to have a livable city. And you know who doesn’t ride a bike to work? People who make a lot of money. It takes A LOT of non profit workers and GS-9s on bikes to make up for the law firm/lobbyists/financial services folks who support the rest of you. You screw up their commute and this city won’t be so livable. Enjoy your bikes though. And yes, I know you know one high paid lobbyist who rides a bike.

We have to design the city around the perceived desires of the 1%? Nah.

It’s not the desires of the 1%. It’s the desire of the City to spend money. The City can’t stay afloat by catering to bike riders that eat at food trucks for lunch in the park. But you do you.

Yeah, it is. You're saying that if the 1% don't get their way (or what you think their way is), they will take their ball and go somewhere else, and then the city will be doomed with just the tax revenue from the 99%.

I will help you. The 1% pay 40% of the taxes and the top 10% pay 70% of the taxes. I’m saying the vast majority of the top 10% want to drive to work in their air conditioned car. They’ve worked hard and have earned this luxury. You may know a few HHI people who like to ride their bikes or crowd into a smelly METRO car, but they are the exception. If you make the commutes hellish for those 10%, those folks ain’t coming to work downtown. Restaurants will fail, commercial real estate will fail, small businesses of all types will fail.

The commuters aren’t going to come back regardless of bike lanes. WFH is here to stay and it is successful. We are better off without them choking our spaces. The District needs to be redesigned around the desires of its residents not commuters. They are happy in their McMansions in Loudoun or Frederick or wherever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alas, people have to get to work again, and not everyone can ride a bike or walk to work.

Maybe we should allow continued teleworking for those whose jobs are suitable - I'm certainly not excited to drive into DC to do the exact same work I'm doing at home now. Win-wim!

The city is soooo much more livable without the commuters’ traffic and annoyance. Keeping my fingers crossed the stay tw!

But you also need a tax base to have a livable city. And you know who doesn’t ride a bike to work? People who make a lot of money. It takes A LOT of non profit workers and GS-9s on bikes to make up for the law firm/lobbyists/financial services folks who support the rest of you. You screw up their commute and this city won’t be so livable. Enjoy your bikes though. And yes, I know you know one high paid lobbyist who rides a bike.

We have to design the city around the perceived desires of the 1%? Nah.

It’s not the desires of the 1%. It’s the desire of the City to spend money. The City can’t stay afloat by catering to bike riders that eat at food trucks for lunch in the park. But you do you.

Yeah, it is. You're saying that if the 1% don't get their way (or what you think their way is), they will take their ball and go somewhere else, and then the city will be doomed with just the tax revenue from the 99%.

I will help you. The 1% pay 40% of the taxes and the top 10% pay 70% of the taxes. I’m saying the vast majority of the top 10% want to drive to work in their air conditioned car. They’ve worked hard and have earned this luxury. You may know a few HHI people who like to ride their bikes or crowd into a smelly METRO car, but they are the exception. If you make the commutes hellish for those 10%, those folks ain’t coming to work downtown. Restaurants will fail, commercial real estate will fail, small businesses of all types will fail.

Firs ot all, the more people who ride bikes and take metro mean the people who want to drive will have an easier time of it. Second, all of the studies contradict what you assert in the bolded. Please stop repeating it. Repeating lies often don't make them true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alas, people have to get to work again, and not everyone can ride a bike or walk to work.

Maybe we should allow continued teleworking for those whose jobs are suitable - I'm certainly not excited to drive into DC to do the exact same work I'm doing at home now. Win-wim!

The city is soooo much more livable without the commuters’ traffic and annoyance. Keeping my fingers crossed the stay tw!

But you also need a tax base to have a livable city. And you know who doesn’t ride a bike to work? People who make a lot of money. It takes A LOT of non profit workers and GS-9s on bikes to make up for the law firm/lobbyists/financial services folks who support the rest of you. You screw up their commute and this city won’t be so livable. Enjoy your bikes though. And yes, I know you know one high paid lobbyist who rides a bike.

We have to design the city around the perceived desires of the 1%? Nah.

It’s not the desires of the 1%. It’s the desire of the City to spend money. The City can’t stay afloat by catering to bike riders that eat at food trucks for lunch in the park. But you do you.

Yeah, it is. You're saying that if the 1% don't get their way (or what you think their way is), they will take their ball and go somewhere else, and then the city will be doomed with just the tax revenue from the 99%.

I will help you. The 1% pay 40% of the taxes and the top 10% pay 70% of the taxes. I’m saying the vast majority of the top 10% want to drive to work in their air conditioned car. They’ve worked hard and have earned this luxury. You may know a few HHI people who like to ride their bikes or crowd into a smelly METRO car, but they are the exception. If you make the commutes hellish for those 10%, those folks ain’t coming to work downtown. Restaurants will fail, commercial real estate will fail, small businesses of all types will fail.

LOL

[Anonymous]

We need to make the bike paths a bit wider. It should be able to accommodate at least one obese man and a normal sized companion cycling side by side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alas, people have to get to work again, and not everyone can ride a bike or walk to work.

Maybe we should allow continued teleworking for those whose jobs are suitable - I'm certainly not excited to drive into DC to do the exact same work I'm doing at home now. Win-wim!

The city is soooo much more livable without the commuters’ traffic and annoyance. Keeping my fingers crossed the stay tw!

But you also need a tax base to have a livable city. And you know who doesn’t ride a bike to work? People who make a lot of money. It takes A LOT of non profit workers and GS-9s on bikes to make up for the law firm/lobbyists/financial services folks who support the rest of you. You screw up their commute and this city won’t be so livable. Enjoy your bikes though. And yes, I know you know one high paid lobbyist who rides a bike.

We have to design the city around the perceived desires of the 1%? Nah.

It’s not the desires of the 1%. It’s the desire of the City to spend money. The City can’t stay afloat by catering to bike riders that eat at food trucks for lunch in the park. But you do you.

Yeah, it is. You're saying that if the 1% don't get their way (or what you think their way is), they will take their ball and go somewhere else, and then the city will be doomed with just the tax revenue from the 99%.

I will help you. The 1% pay 40% of the taxes and the top 10% pay 70% of the taxes. I’m saying the vast majority of the top 10% want to drive to work in their air conditioned car. They’ve worked hard and have earned this luxury. You may know a few HHI people who like to ride their bikes or crowd into a smelly METRO car, but they are the exception. If you make the commutes hellish for those 10%, those folks ain’t coming to work downtown. Restaurants will fail, commercial real estate will fail, small businesses of all types will fail.

Firs ot all, the more people who ride bikes and take metro mean the people who want to drive will have an easier time of it. Second, all of the studies contradict what you assert in the bolded. Please stop repeating it. Repeating lies often don't make them true.

You think a guy on a bike is going to pick up $2000 dinner check at the Palm a couple of times a month? Look, if you want a city full of Potbellys then keep building bike lanes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alas, people have to get to work again, and not everyone can ride a bike or walk to work.

Maybe we should allow continued teleworking for those whose jobs are suitable - I'm certainly not excited to drive into DC to do the exact same work I'm doing at home now. Win-wim!

The city is soooo much more livable without the commuters’ traffic and annoyance. Keeping my fingers crossed the stay tw!

But you also need a tax base to have a livable city. And you know who doesn’t ride a bike to work? People who make a lot of money. It takes A LOT of non profit workers and GS-9s on bikes to make up for the law firm/lobbyists/financial services folks who support the rest of you. You screw up their commute and this city won’t be so livable. Enjoy your bikes though. And yes, I know you know one high paid lobbyist who rides a bike.

We have to design the city around the perceived desires of the 1%? Nah.

It’s not the desires of the 1%. It’s the desire of the City to spend money. The City can’t stay afloat by catering to bike riders that eat at food trucks for lunch in the park. But you do you.

Yeah, it is. You're saying that if the 1% don't get their way (or what you think their way is), they will take their ball and go somewhere else, and then the city will be doomed with just the tax revenue from the 99%.

I will help you. The 1% pay 40% of the taxes and the top 10% pay 70% of the taxes. I’m saying the vast majority of the top 10% want to drive to work in their air conditioned car. They’ve worked hard and have earned this luxury. You may know a few HHI people who like to ride their bikes or crowd into a smelly METRO car, but they are the exception. If you make the commutes hellish for those 10%, those folks ain’t coming to work downtown. Restaurants will fail, commercial real estate will fail, small businesses of all types will fail.

LOL

Ok I'm done laughing. The whole premise that the 1% or even 10% deserve preferential treatment from the government is pretty sick. What's next: give the 10% better funded public schools? Faster fire department response times? Better selection of books at the library? A VIP line at the DMV?

That's not how public infrastructure should work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alas, people have to get to work again, and not everyone can ride a bike or walk to work.

Maybe we should allow continued teleworking for those whose jobs are suitable - I'm certainly not excited to drive into DC to do the exact same work I'm doing at home now. Win-wim!

The city is soooo much more livable without the commuters’ traffic and annoyance. Keeping my fingers crossed the stay tw!

But you also need a tax base to have a livable city. And you know who doesn’t ride a bike to work? People who make a lot of money. It takes A LOT of non profit workers and GS-9s on bikes to make up for the law firm/lobbyists/financial services folks who support the rest of you. You screw up their commute and this city won’t be so livable. Enjoy your bikes though. And yes, I know you know one high paid lobbyist who rides a bike.

We have to design the city around the perceived desires of the 1%? Nah.

It’s not the desires of the 1%. It’s the desire of the City to spend money. The City can’t stay afloat by catering to bike riders that eat at food trucks for lunch in the park. But you do you.

Yeah, it is. You're saying that if the 1% don't get their way (or what you think their way is), they will take their ball and go somewhere else, and then the city will be doomed with just the tax revenue from the 99%.

I will help you. The 1% pay 40% of the taxes and the top 10% pay 70% of the taxes. I’m saying the vast majority of the top 10% want to drive to work in their air conditioned car. They’ve worked hard and have earned this luxury. You may know a few HHI people who like to ride their bikes or crowd into a smelly METRO car, but they are the exception. If you make the commutes hellish for those 10%, those folks ain’t coming to work downtown. Restaurants will fail, commercial real estate will fail, small businesses of all types will fail.

Firs ot all, the more people who ride bikes and take metro mean the people who want to drive will have an easier time of it. Second, all of the studies contradict what you assert in the bolded. Please stop repeating it. Repeating lies often don't make them true.

You think a guy on a bike is going to pick up $2000 dinner check at the Palm a couple of times a month? Look, if you want a city full of Potbellys then keep building bike lanes.

Why should I care about someone dropping $2k on a dinner? I really don't care if a place like that closes. I'd rather have more room for a mom & pop shop where I can get a good meal for $10-$15.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I will help you. The 1% pay 40% of the taxes and the top 10% pay 70% of the taxes. I’m saying the vast majority of the top 10% want to drive to work in their air conditioned car. They’ve worked hard and have earned this luxury. You may know a few HHI people who like to ride their bikes or crowd into a smelly METRO car, but they are the exception. If you make the commutes hellish for those 10%, those folks ain’t coming to work downtown. Restaurants will fail, commercial real estate will fail, small businesses of all types will fail.

Shorter PP: I prefer to drive and believe that society should be structured around this preference.

There's 360,000 cars registered in DC. There's approximately seven 25-year old white guys in DC who are really into bike lanes. Maybe we should do majority rules?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I will help you. The 1% pay 40% of the taxes and the top 10% pay 70% of the taxes. I’m saying the vast majority of the top 10% want to drive to work in their air conditioned car. They’ve worked hard and have earned this luxury. You may know a few HHI people who like to ride their bikes or crowd into a smelly METRO car, but they are the exception. If you make the commutes hellish for those 10%, those folks ain’t coming to work downtown. Restaurants will fail, commercial real estate will fail, small businesses of all types will fail.

Shorter PP: I prefer to drive and believe that society should be structured around this preference.

There's 360,000 cars registered in DC. There's approximately seven 25-year old white guys in DC who are really into bike lanes. Maybe we should do majority rules?

The majority of people in DC don't drive to work, my dude. I believe the number is around 40%.

You're welcome to come up with whatever rules you'd like in your own sofa fortress. It has no bearing on reality here, which is: more and better bike / pedestrian infrastructure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I will help you. The 1% pay 40% of the taxes and the top 10% pay 70% of the taxes. I’m saying the vast majority of the top 10% want to drive to work in their air conditioned car. They’ve worked hard and have earned this luxury. You may know a few HHI people who like to ride their bikes or crowd into a smelly METRO car, but they are the exception. If you make the commutes hellish for those 10%, those folks ain’t coming to work downtown. Restaurants will fail, commercial real estate will fail, small businesses of all types will fail.

Shorter PP: I prefer to drive and believe that society should be structured around this preference.

There's 360,000 cars registered in DC. There's approximately seven 25-year old white guys in DC who are really into bike lanes. Maybe we should do majority rules?

Good news, that's what DC is doing. The voters of DC vote for the mayor and city council, the mayor is in charge of the executive branch (which includes DDOT), the city council funds the city budget (which includes the DDOT budget). Majority rules.