Monday, May 6, 2013
If it's May, it's Bike Month in Arlington.
Arlington celebrates Bike Month in a big way every year. From a massive regional event like Bike to Work Day to the small group discussions at Bike Arlington's Two Wheel Tuesdays, Bike Month events aim to show just how easy and enjoyable it is for anyone to use a bicycle. The easist time to learn how to ride a bike is when you're a kid, of course, and Arlington Public Schools will join in the national celebration of Bike to School Day. This year, it will take place on Wednesday, May 8. Arlington’s an especially good place for kids to bike to school, with lots of multi-use paths connecting low-traffic streets to neigbhorhood schools. So while the adults are still aruging about who can and can't take the bus, the kids can just enjoy the fun …
Monday, December 31, 2012
Ride through the winter? Yes you can. Just be careful about it.
Icy roads and snowy paths. They’re not here yet, but they’re coming. We almost had them this past weekend. While riding in Arlington’s winter conditions does require a bit of extra effort and care, it’s still quite doable. There are plenty of great resources for learning more about winter riding. A couple of years ago I wrote about dealing with extended darkness, the potential for slick surfaces, and extra debris on the streets. The Washington Area Bike Forum continues to be a great place for Arlington-specific cold weather clothing and equipment advice. There’s plenty of discussion of the question of when to use studded tires (ice) or big knobby tires (snow) for the neophyte at the forums. I’m done belaboring the plowing issue — well, …
Monday, December 17, 2012
Almost three years after a major snow storm closed Arlington's main commuter trails for more than a week, the county still doesn't have a plan to deal with snow on our trails.
Clearing snow from Arlington's primary trails became a topic of public conversation again last week. Arlington County's Department of Environmental Services (i.e., the department of transportation) hosted a public chat on Facebook about Arlington's snow plowing and removal plans. Among other things, DES staff explained how they prioritized streets, who was responsible for sidewalks, and which streets depend on VDOT for plowing. When a number of Arlington residents — myself among them — asked about Arlington's plans to clear trails, DES said they had no plans to clear trails, and that in any event, it was the responsibility of the Department of Parks and Recreation. In other words, we've had zero progress on the matter since the last time I…
Monday, October 8, 2012
The Arlington Fun Ride — by hard work and luck — managed to live up to its name this weekend.
This past weekend, the Arlington Fun Ride drew more than 150 people out to enjoy a beautiful Saturday morning riding the Arlington Loop. The ride — in its third year — is put on a by a group of volunteers to demonstrate that Arlington's trails are a great place for all Arlingtonians to have fun and get fit. The idea is that by providing a supportive and safe environment to see how to tie all of our the trails together, participants will discover just how easy it is to enjoy those trails. (Disclosure: I'm on the organizing committee.) The Arlington Loop is a 17-mile trail tying together of the Mount Vernon, Custis, Washington & Old Dominion, and Four Mile Run trails. Participants started behind Phoenix Bikes in Barcroft Park, and wound …
Monday, September 17, 2012
The Arlington Fun Ride is back this year, now with more for families and children.
Arlington's old tradition of a slow-speed and chill "community ride" was revived in the form of the Arlington Fun Ride last year. More than 100 people participated, and the organizers of this community-led ride decided to do it again this year on Saturday, Oct. 6. (Disclosure: I'm somewhat involved in organizing it.) The organizers hope to use the ride to encourage Arlington's youth, adults and families to see the county's trail system as a safe means of transportation and recreation. The fun starts at 8 a.m. at Phoenix Bikes in Barcroft Park, when the main ride gets ready to go. Marshals will help guide riders on a 17-mile route along the Arlington Loop, which allows a cirumnavigtion of the county almost entirely on trails, with just a …
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Arlington’s trail system is a recreational haven. But even havens require some care.
Arlington’s trails are a welcome respite from the noise and traffic of the street. They draw thousands of daily users from the whole of Arlington’s citizenry. Unfortunately that includes some of its lesser element, who take advantage of Arlington’s open and engaging nature. While violent and serious crimes are incredibly rare on Arlington’s trails, this week brought us an awful reminder that it is possible. While this shouldn’t turn us away from our welcoming approach to our neighbors, we do need to stay alert. So in the spirit of expecting the best while preparing for the worst, trail users – especially those who feel vulnerable – should take affirmative steps to stay safe. Among the most effective steps when using the trails alone is …
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Bollards are, in theory, intended to keep people safe. So why do people keep getting hurt by them?
Bollards. You know, those posts they put in the middle of the trails, usually at entrances? In theory, they’re there to keep vehicles from entering the trails and endangering pedestrians and cyclists on the trails. But in practice? It seems, lately, that they’re there to create one more hazard for the users they’re supposed to protect. Arlington cycling advocates have been pushing Arlington County to remove a number of useless and/or dangerous bollards on Arlington’s trails for a while, but there seems to have been an uptick of bollard-related injuries this year. It’s time for the County to formulate a coherent policy on where bollards should be used. Then, it needs to act to remove the bollards that pose an undue danger to trail users. If…
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Following the tragic death of a pedestrian on Four Mile Run Trail, Patch readers are speaking about bike safety.
In his weekly biking column, Patch contributer Mark Blacknell revisited this recent tradegy: On Monday morning, Ita Lapina was out for a walk on Four Mile Run Trail. According to the police, a cyclist travelling in the same direction rang his bell and called out “to your left!” as he attempted to pass. Lapina stepped to the left as she turned towards the cyclist, who struck her. She fell, hitting her head on the trail. She succumbed to her injuries Monday evening. Blacknell also discussed bike safety, the importance of sharing the trails among walkers, runners and cyclists and some common rules of the road - some of his suggestions are as easy as installing a bike bell. As always, the topic of bike safety set off a heated debate on Patch. …
Thursday, June 14, 2012
A tragedy on Four Mile Run Trail should give all of us reason to recommit to safely sharing this common space.
On Monday morning, Ita Lapina was out for a walk on Four Mile Run Trail. According to the police, a cyclist travelling in the same direction rang his bell and called out “to your left!” as he attempted to pass. Lapina stepped to the left as she turned towards the cyclist, who struck her. She fell, hitting her head on the trail. She succumbed to her injuries Monday evening. This is my worst trail nightmare. Nobody seems to have done anything extraordinarily unreasonable, and yet someone died. We’ll likely never know with certainty all of the facts surrounding this collision, so I’m not interested in examining and assigning specific blame in this case. But I am interested in emphasizing just how frequently similar circumstances occur on the…
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Electric bikes are making more frequent appearances in Arlington these days. But the law hasn’t kept up with demand.
Electric bikes can be the perfect solution for the transportation needs of some people. They offer the convenience of a bike, but the power-assist can accommodate a much wider range of abilities. So electric bikes should fit right in with Arlington’s mission to get more people out of cars and on to bikes, right? Well... It’s a little tricky at the moment. Electric bikes in the streets? Arlington’s cool with that. But it looks like electric bikes may not actually be permitted on Arlington’s trails. As recently raised on the Donaldson Run blog, the signs posted at many of the entrances to Arlington’s trails bar “power driven mobility devices.” And yes, that appears to mean electric bikes. The Arlington County Code, Chapter 14.2 - 64.1 (B) …
Michael Josef Basl
4:33 pm on Wednesday, December 26, 2012
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