Anonymous wrote:Virtually no time would have been devoted to the reconfiguration (part of which was bike lanes - why does the rest of the configuration keep getting ignored?) if a small, very loud, group of people hadn't acted like it was the end of the freaking world.

Small? Please continue to underestimate the Integrity group. Its impact on the upcoming election will be anything but small.

Virtually no time would have been devoted to the reconfiguration (part of which was bike lanes - why does the rest of the configuration keep getting ignored?) if a small, very loud, group of people hadn't acted like it was the end of the freaking world.

Anonymous wrote:Similarly, the (speculative) $800K you cite is for a study for the impact of the entire reconfiguration not the bike lanes only by any means.

What are you people doing? Splitting hairs while ignoring that the entire thing is obsolete and unused? It's pathetic. It's OK to waste 1.6 million dollars, but not 2 million?

There are houses in Rosemont that have flooded 6 times in the last 2 years because TES didn't clean Hoofs Run. They failed to perform basic maintenance for years and years on Wilson's watch.

And yet this much time, energy, and resources is being devoted to an unused, 0.9 mile bike lane that doesn't connect to anything. At some point you need to ask yourself what your end game is.

I'll tell you mine- have my tax dollars spent well and have basic services be provided.

Anonymous wrote:Not a resident, but I know Smith-Parker Gaskins and then Chapman's wife through an organization I am part of.

Smith-Parker Gaskins is very smart and capable. I believe she went through the Emerge program, which is very well thought of and has produced many of our current female elected officials.

[b]I don't know Chapman personally, but his spouse is fantastic.[/b]

Agreed! I know her for some efforts we both worked on for the city, and I would vote for her in a heartbeat!

Anonymous wrote:Where to begin?

The city did not "blow 2 million dollars" on bike lanes. The road was due to be resurfaced anyway. The bike lanes were only a part of the rationale for the new design, by no means the primary one. I'm sympathetic to the concerns of those opposed to the change, but this sort of hyperbole doesn't help their cause.

For the last time, the well known bike lobbyist who heads an organization and advocated for the bike lanes on King that no one uses, who advocated for the speed limit changes on Quaker, Seminary, Janneys and King, etc lives off of Seminary. He wanted to connect his daughter's house off of Howard to his house so the grandkids could bike there. This was his motivation. He said it, his daughters told so many people as well (while asking people to sign the petition). He works with the blind and got several blind people to claim they had a hard time crossing Seminary and Ft. Williams so they need a special pedestrian crosswalk. These people don't even live around here. But that crosswalk is now conveniently in front of the lobbyist's house. A special crosswalk, and bike lanes, for this guy.

The family should not have told everyone their plans and they were shocked at the backlash when this passed and at the price tag. Justin Wilson was the deciding vote. The neighborhood associations did not want the bike lane, the fire station didn't want the road re-configuration. This is a perfect example of catering to special interest and special favors. The price tag is obscene. The idiotic bike lane that goes from Howard to Quaker, and special crosswalk.

It's disgusting the abuse of power here. No one citizen should have this kind of leverage with the city government like this bike lobbyist. Wake up. Facts are facts.

Similarly, the (speculative) $800K you cite is for a study for the impact of the entire reconfiguration not the bike lanes only by any means.

$1.2 million for specifically the stripes indicating the bike lanes? Or is that the difference in cost between the old configuration and the new one (turn lane, pedestrian medians, etc)? Honest question. I know there is a fixation on the bike lanes, but in good faith, that was not the sole driver/rationale for the reconfiguration.

It's pretty funny seeing the same people hurl endless insults, cries of bad faith, insinuations of conspiracies and cover-ups at the Mayor in one breath, and then claim that those who point out Allison's meeting management issues are driving people away from Justin in the next.

Anonymous wrote:Where to begin?

The city did not "blow 2 million dollars" on bike lanes. The road was due to be resurfaced anyway. The bike lanes were only a part of the rationale for the new design, by no means the primary one. I'm sympathetic to the concerns of those opposed to the change, but this sort of hyperbole doesn't help their cause.

The added material and labor cost of the actual bike lanes to the resurfacing project was 1.2 million dollars. That is a fact. It's been FOIA'd. The follow up 18 month long study on its use (non use) and staff time is easily $800,000. If this is news to you or if you find it incredulous, that tells me that you have never worked as a PM on any scope of work of any scale in the DMV.

That Justin and his loser buddies can't understand the damage they have done, and continue to do, by standing by it stubbornly for this long in the face of rabid opposition is asinine.

IT DOES NOT GET USED.

It just doesn't. I am up and down Seminary at least twice a day, if not a half dozen times during my children's sports seasons. There are never, ever, ever, ever bikes using it. Literally, never.

It's obnoxious, to put it mildly. You and I both know that if this were put to a vote it would fail miserably. It would be a landslide for returning the road to its previous configuration.

It's all just so.... stupid.

Time for Justin to go.

Where to begin?

The city did not "blow 2 million dollars" on bike lanes. The road was due to be resurfaced anyway. The bike lanes were only a part of the rationale for the new design, by no means the primary one. I'm sympathetic to the concerns of those opposed to the change, but this sort of hyperbole doesn't help their cause.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think for some, who want literally nothing to change or proceed, Allison's incompetence and cluelessness is a feature not a bug.

100%! She is every NIMBY’s candidate.

Justin supporter here (well more, non-Allison supporter). These comments do not help Justin at all. I know his hard core supporters think this is the right way to paint the divide between the two, but I think it’s going to back fire big time. I know SO MANY people who are voting for Allison to “teach Justin a lesson” while actually wanting him to win. You add those misguided folks (who feel pushed into a corner by PPs) and the supporters Allison has gained by drumming up the anti-Justin crowd and he may very well lose. There are a lot of Silberberg signs floating around.

The lemmings screaming "NIMBY" at each person opposed to things like blowing 2 million dollars on a completely unused bike lane to nowhere (seriously- it connects to nothing at either end) are the same lemmings yelling "Nazi!" at anyone that votes R. They are doing their party way more harm than good. Whether they know that or not is actually debatable but one thing is for sure, they are only the majority by an extremely slim margin and that can be overcome.

It's going to be so incredibly funny if Justin loses. Particularly because it will be a declaration against him than a celebration of Silberberg.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think for some, who want literally nothing to change or proceed, Allison's incompetence and cluelessness is a feature not a bug.

100%! She is every NIMBY’s candidate.

Justin supporter here (well more, non-Allison supporter). These comments do not help Justin at all. I know his hard core supporters think this is the right way to paint the divide between the two, but I think it’s going to back fire big time. I know SO MANY people who are voting for Allison to “teach Justin a lesson” while actually wanting him to win. You add those misguided folks (who feel pushed into a corner by PPs) and the supporters Allison has gained by drumming up the anti-Justin crowd and he may very well lose. There are a lot of Silberberg signs floating around.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think for some, who want literally nothing to change or proceed, Allison's incompetence and cluelessness is a feature not a bug.

100%! She is every NIMBY’s candidate.

Why must you divide us with this NIMBY/YIMBY nonsense? Is everyone who doesn't agree with you a NIMBY? Do you not believe reasonable people can look at the same information and come to different conclusions? What's your goal? Hive mind? Living in a city where everything is dictated to us? It's the most annoying part about Alexandria - local politics/issues shouldn't have us all taking sides- "Oh, you hate the bike lanes - you must be a Trumper" - "Oh, you want schools to open? Just ignore the struggling mom - she must be a Republican".

These are just human issues - and you don't need to classify someone as an "other" because they disagree with you.

Anonymous wrote:I think for some, who want literally nothing to change or proceed, Allison's incompetence and cluelessness is a feature not a bug.

100%! She is every NIMBY’s candidate.

I think for some, who want literally nothing to change or proceed, Allison's incompetence and cluelessness is a feature not a bug.