NPS: Beach Drive May Stay Closed to Traffic During the Summer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Suck it drivers. Parks are for people not cars. I hope they close every single road in Rock Creek Park to cars and only allow bikes and public transit.

I’m fine with that. And major arterials are for moving traffic, not expansive bike lanes. Bikers can use closed Beach Dr to their heart’s content.

Except that's not DDOT's policy

They can’t constrain an arterial like Connecticut Ave and close Beach Drive at the same time. Traffic won’t magically go away. More likely it will cut through neighborhoods looking for a route around the main road congestion.

This. Closing Beach Drive on weekdays hurts far more DC residents than it helps. Most people have to work for a living - they're not using their elliptical bike on Beach Drive at 11am on a Wednesday. Close Beach => more traffic on Conn Ave => more traffic on NWDC residential streets => fewer weekday commuters into DC => fewer patrons for downtown businesses AND fewer jobs. But hey a few UMC bikers will have the roadway all to themselves, just a few years after $33m in our tax dollars were spent in rehabilitating Beach Drive for cars as well as recreational use.

Ok but people working for a living are not commuting by car on beach drive at 11am that much either.

Of course they are. Which is why the road was busy enough that NPS spent $33m to rehab it a few years ago. Why was the MD portion of Beach Drive re-opened last year (it had been closed during the pandemic too.) Because it's needed for car traffic and there's very little recreational use on weekdays anyway.

It’s quite notable that the NPS report doesn’t bother to provide a count of users. I’m sure the number is small and dwindling.

None of these people demanding that it stay closed are out there cycling midday in January.

I agree with the person above who mentioned user fees. If it’s going to stay closed as a park, then they should charge walkers and cyclists $15 per entry like at Shenandoah or make them buy an annual pass. Because if it’s going to be solely a park for recreational use, that’s how NPS manages national parks for recreational use. In fact, they should also do this at other national parkland throughout the area, including Hains Point and the C&O tow path. Pay up folks.

It's not closed as a park. It's open as a park. You can walk, bike, and drive and park you car in it. It's closed as a through road in the north/south direction (you can still use it to go crosstown).

Anything to avoid being managed as NPS manages other parks. The park you want RCP to be costs $15. The park RCP used to be that you don’t want is free.

Which park costs $15 that I want RCP to be?

Restricted access national parks charge user fees. You don’t just get to cycle or even walk into NPS restricted access parks, including Shenandoah NP or Assateague Island National Seashore. Want a restricted access park? Pay up.

C&O canal is free but you can't drive the length of it. You can drive across it at several points though.

You cannot drive on it because it’s a tow path? Vehicles access it from Clara Barton Pkwy. If NPS closed Clara Barton Pkwy to cars so that you can cycle and walk on it (note that it is actually illegal to cycle or walk on Clara Barton Pkwy) then it would be restricted access.

You clearly haven’t thought anything through. Thankfully NPS has and is a lot smarter than you about managing resources to serve multiple stakeholders. It’s almost like they are specialized in it and know how to do it better than you and your buddies who just want exclusive spaces for yourselves.

Keep whining though, I’m sure it will work.

[Anonymous]

Closing Beach Drive to vehicular traffic also closes it to disabled people who cannot enjoy it walking or bicycling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Closing Beach Drive to vehicular traffic also closes it to disabled people who cannot enjoy it walking or bicycling.

The road isn't "closed" - people with accessibility issues can still drive to the parking areas and enjoy the park. The only thing this prevents is commuters driving THROUGH the park.

An actual compromise would have been to keep the road closed to cars except during Rush Hour between Labor Day and Memorial Day, but closed ALL OTHER TIMES.

The ruling the NPS has offered is total crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Closing Beach Drive to vehicular traffic also closes it to disabled people who cannot enjoy it walking or bicycling.

You can drive to several destinations in the park. You can also use mobility devices on the roads that are closed to cars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Suck it drivers. Parks are for people not cars. I hope they close every single road in Rock Creek Park to cars and only allow bikes and public transit.

I’m fine with that. And major arterials are for moving traffic, not expansive bike lanes. Bikers can use closed Beach Dr to their heart’s content.

Except that's not DDOT's policy

They can’t constrain an arterial like Connecticut Ave and close Beach Drive at the same time. Traffic won’t magically go away. More likely it will cut through neighborhoods looking for a route around the main road congestion.

This. Closing Beach Drive on weekdays hurts far more DC residents than it helps. Most people have to work for a living - they're not using their elliptical bike on Beach Drive at 11am on a Wednesday. Close Beach => more traffic on Conn Ave => more traffic on NWDC residential streets => fewer weekday commuters into DC => fewer patrons for downtown businesses AND fewer jobs. But hey a few UMC bikers will have the roadway all to themselves, just a few years after $33m in our tax dollars were spent in rehabilitating Beach Drive for cars as well as recreational use.

Ok but people working for a living are not commuting by car on beach drive at 11am that much either.

Of course they are. Which is why the road was busy enough that NPS spent $33m to rehab it a few years ago. Why was the MD portion of Beach Drive re-opened last year (it had been closed during the pandemic too.) Because it's needed for car traffic and there's very little recreational use on weekdays anyway.

It’s quite notable that the NPS report doesn’t bother to provide a count of users. I’m sure the number is small and dwindling.

None of these people demanding that it stay closed are out there cycling midday in January.

I agree with the person above who mentioned user fees. If it’s going to stay closed as a park, then they should charge walkers and cyclists $15 per entry like at Shenandoah or make them buy an annual pass. Because if it’s going to be solely a park for recreational use, that’s how NPS manages national parks for recreational use. In fact, they should also do this at other national parkland throughout the area, including Hains Point and the C&O tow path. Pay up folks.

It's not closed as a park. It's open as a park. You can walk, bike, and drive and park you car in it. It's closed as a through road in the north/south direction (you can still use it to go crosstown).

Anything to avoid being managed as NPS manages other parks. The park you want RCP to be costs $15. The park RCP used to be that you don’t want is free.

Which park costs $15 that I want RCP to be?

Restricted access national parks charge user fees. You don’t just get to cycle or even walk into NPS restricted access parks, including Shenandoah NP or Assateague Island National Seashore. Want a restricted access park? Pay up.

C&O canal is free but you can't drive the length of it. You can drive across it at several points though.

You cannot drive on it because it’s a tow path? Vehicles access it from Clara Barton Pkwy. If NPS closed Clara Barton Pkwy to cars so that you can cycle and walk on it (note that it is actually illegal to cycle or walk on Clara Barton Pkwy) then it would be restricted access.

You clearly haven’t thought anything through. Thankfully NPS has and is a lot smarter than you about managing resources to serve multiple stakeholders. It’s almost like they are specialized in it and know how to do it better than you and your buddies who just want exclusive spaces for yourselves.

Keep whining though, I’m sure it will work.

And vehicles have lots of access to RCP as well as C&O. Works great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Suck it drivers. Parks are for people not cars. I hope they close every single road in Rock Creek Park to cars and only allow bikes and public transit.

I’m fine with that. And major arterials are for moving traffic, not expansive bike lanes. Bikers can use closed Beach Dr to their heart’s content.

Except that's not DDOT's policy

They can’t constrain an arterial like Connecticut Ave and close Beach Drive at the same time. Traffic won’t magically go away. More likely it will cut through neighborhoods looking for a route around the main road congestion.

This. Closing Beach Drive on weekdays hurts far more DC residents than it helps. Most people have to work for a living - they're not using their elliptical bike on Beach Drive at 11am on a Wednesday. Close Beach => more traffic on Conn Ave => more traffic on NWDC residential streets => fewer weekday commuters into DC => fewer patrons for downtown businesses AND fewer jobs. But hey a few UMC bikers will have the roadway all to themselves, just a few years after $33m in our tax dollars were spent in rehabilitating Beach Drive for cars as well as recreational use.

Ok but people working for a living are not commuting by car on beach drive at 11am that much either.

Of course they are. Which is why the road was busy enough that NPS spent $33m to rehab it a few years ago. Why was the MD portion of Beach Drive re-opened last year (it had been closed during the pandemic too.) Because it's needed for car traffic and there's very little recreational use on weekdays anyway.

It’s quite notable that the NPS report doesn’t bother to provide a count of users. I’m sure the number is small and dwindling.

None of these people demanding that it stay closed are out there cycling midday in January.

I agree with the person above who mentioned user fees. If it’s going to stay closed as a park, then they should charge walkers and cyclists $15 per entry like at Shenandoah or make them buy an annual pass. Because if it’s going to be solely a park for recreational use, that’s how NPS manages national parks for recreational use. In fact, they should also do this at other national parkland throughout the area, including Hains Point and the C&O tow path. Pay up folks.

It's not closed as a park. It's open as a park. You can walk, bike, and drive and park you car in it. It's closed as a through road in the north/south direction (you can still use it to go crosstown).

Anything to avoid being managed as NPS manages other parks. The park you want RCP to be costs $15. The park RCP used to be that you don’t want is free.

Which park costs $15 that I want RCP to be?

Restricted access national parks charge user fees. You don’t just get to cycle or even walk into NPS restricted access parks, including Shenandoah NP or Assateague Island National Seashore. Want a restricted access park? Pay up.

C&O canal is free but you can't drive the length of it. You can drive across it at several points though.

You cannot drive on it because it’s a tow path? Vehicles access it from Clara Barton Pkwy. If NPS closed Clara Barton Pkwy to cars so that you can cycle and walk on it (note that it is actually illegal to cycle or walk on Clara Barton Pkwy) then it would be restricted access.

You clearly haven’t thought anything through. Thankfully NPS has and is a lot smarter than you about managing resources to serve multiple stakeholders. It’s almost like they are specialized in it and know how to do it better than you and your buddies who just want exclusive spaces for yourselves.

Keep whining though, I’m sure it will work.

And vehicles have lots of access to RCP as well as C&O. Works great.

Your analogy between the C&O canal and RCP is nonsensical. The only thing they have in common are that they are national parks managed by NPS. One is a historic canal and tow path and the other is a forested riverine habitat.

Keep up the bizarre nonsense. Keep up the whining. I am sure that you are making a strong case to the professional civil servants who are responsible for the park. Maybe this nonsense works with dumb local politicians but it doesn’t work with actual professionals.

[Anonymous]

Why are bicycling enthusiasts so insufferable? They are the blue state version or rolling coal imbeciles. So glad the NPS acted sensibly and in the public interest.

[Anonymous]

It isn't in the public interest to allow vehicle exhaust to spew into theoretically protected ecological areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are bicycling enthusiasts so insufferable? They are the blue state version or rolling coal imbeciles. So glad the NPS acted sensibly and in the public interest.

It’s probably because they are similar in being expressions of white privilege. The cyclists might be worse because they demand that everyone also congratulate them on their hobby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It isn't in the public interest to allow vehicle exhaust to spew into theoretically protected ecological areas.

Carbon fiber, tires, and lycra are all petroleum products.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Suck it drivers. Parks are for people not cars. I hope they close every single road in Rock Creek Park to cars and only allow bikes and public transit.

Sorry, but that’s a HARD “no”. Bike and busses don’t get a pass. Busses pollute, and bikes can run people over just like a car.

Foot traffic ONLY.

No busses.

No bikes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Closing Beach Drive to vehicular traffic also closes it to disabled people who cannot enjoy it walking or bicycling.

No cyclists. Hell NO!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are bicycling enthusiasts so insufferable? They are the blue state version or rolling coal imbeciles. So glad the NPS acted sensibly and in the public interest.

It’s probably because they are similar in being expressions of white privilege. The cyclists might be worse because they demand that everyone also congratulate them on their hobby.

+1

A car will (usually) stop for someone crossing a road. A cyclist will buzz right by inches away from you, often while yelling at you to get out of “their” way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Closing Beach Drive to vehicular traffic also closes it to disabled people who cannot enjoy it walking or bicycling.

No it doesn't. The roads are and would be, open to people who want, or need, to drive to the parking areas. The only thing the closure prevents is commuters using the park as a peak commuting route in cars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are bicycling enthusiasts so insufferable? They are the blue state version or rolling coal imbeciles. So glad the NPS acted sensibly and in the public interest.

It’s probably because they are similar in being expressions of white privilege. The cyclists might be worse because they demand that everyone also congratulate them on their hobby.

+1

A car will (usually) stop for someone crossing a road. A cyclist will buzz right by inches away from you, often while yelling at you to get out of “their” way.

LOL, no, not really.