Get There Archive: Biking

How to Stay Warm and Dry at Bike DC

I see Arlington biking enthusiast Paul DeMaio is offering some good advice on the CommuterPageBlog for people participating in Saturday's BikeDC. The forecast, he notes, is not so swell: high of 48 degrees with rain very likely. So Paul advises on riding attire, with an emphasis on the waterproof. That includes jacket, pants and gloves. He says he got a pair of waterproof pants at Filene's for $15. -- Contact lenses beat glasses, because rain beads on glasses. -- A scarf solves the problem of a cold neck. (Though if it was me, I'd be afraid of doing an Isadora Duncan. But Paul probably doesn't mean a long scarf.) You bikers have any other advice for fellow riders? See some more details about the event in The Weekend and Beyond below....

Public Hearing on The K Street Transitway

The D.C. Department of Transportation will hold a hearing Wednesday to receive public comment on a proposal to transform K Street into a transitway to better accommodate commuter buses. Two proposals are under consideration. One would create a two-lane, bus-only corridor down the center of the street. The other would provide three lanes for the buses. The Wednesday night, Oct. 14, hearing will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Carnegie Library, 801 K St. NW. A presentation will be made at 7 p.m.; public testimony will begin at 7:30 pm. Maps will be on display. The formal comment period is scheduled to end on Oct. 30. Comments may be e-mailed to KStreet.Comments@dc.gov or by mail to: Faisal Hameed District Department of Transportation TPPA, 2000 14th Street, NW, 7th Floor Washington, DC 20009...

Cyclists Can Sign Up to Use D.C. Bike Station

The long-awaited Bicycle center on the west side of Union Station is scheduled to open early next month, and bikers can register now, for a fee, to use it. Here's a link to the Bikestation sign-up page. This is operated by the Bikestation network, which has been operating bike parking centers in urban areas on the West Coast. Memberships and round the clock access will cost $30 a month, or $96 a year, plus a $20 annual administrative fee. You'll get a membership card in the mail. The center's design is very modern and sleek. Travelers who haven't been watching the construction of the steel and glass building during the past year might think the space ship from "The Day the Earth Stood Still" took a wrong turn at the Mall and parked next to the train station. In addition to secure parking for about 130 bicycles, the Bikestation also...

New Hampshire Avenue Lane Shifts Next Week

If the weather allows, traffic on New Hampshire Avenue (MD 650) will be shifted next Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 9-10, near Bonifant Road/Good Hope Road to allow for construction of the permanent northbound MD 650 Bridge over the future $2.5 billion Intercounty Connector (ICC). During this two-day transition, crews will shift southbound MD 650 slightly to the right and northbound MD 650 to the left, adjacent to the southbound lanes separated by concrete barrier. SHA will install concrete barrier to provide a temporary hiker/biker path along the eastside of MD 650, which will help maintain pedestrian access through the work zone. Motorists should expect temporary lane closures during the traffic pattern change. The traffic shift along southbound MD 650 will begin south of Bonifant Road/Good Hope Road and continue to Colesville Manor Drive. On Thursday night, Sept. 10, crews will shift northbound MD 650 beginning north of the Orchard Way...

DC Traffic Control Officers Get Teeth

This is a step in the right direction and should be good news to everyone who wants better traffic control on D.C. streets: The Department of Transportation's traffic control officers can now write tickets for parking infractions and minor moving violations such as parking in a prohibited zone, double parking, using a cell phone while driving or blocking a crosswalk. The traffic control officers are the people in the yellow vests you see at downtown intersections or on M Street and South Capitol Street before and after games at Nationals Park. They direct traffic and help pedestrians get across. But only recently did the District enact legislation and give the officers the training to allow them to stop drivers, bikers and pedestrians and give them tickets. I admire the traffic control officers. When I cross a downtown intersection, it's often the TCO who's standing between me and an oncoming truck....

Join Me at Noon For Online Chat

Our weekly gathering to discuss local traffic and transit is at noon today. The two big topics I've been hearing about during the past week are the Red Line -- still -- and the new traffic configuration on the Beltway's outer loop at the Eisenhower Connector. Our discussion is never limited to a couple of topics. Travelers have a wide range of interests that include best vacation routes, solutions to local traffic congestion and how to provide more transit options. Walkers and bikers are welcome, too. I've got a letter from a biker I'm hoping to get some help with. Jodi Williams of Alexandria writes: "I started riding my bicycle once or twice a week from my home along Franconia Road to my office in Georgetown this May (14 miles each way). Until recently, that is. The pedestrian/bicycle passageway at the Eisenhower Avenue connector has been closed for construction associated...

Older Entries in This Category »

Metro Looking For Ideas From Bikers, Walkers, Robert Thomson , July 17, 2009

Connector Construction Affects Route 29, Robert Thomson , July 7, 2009

Beautiful Day For a Wilson Bridge Bike Ride, Robert Thomson , June 27, 2009

Section of D.C. Hiker-Biker Trail Under Construction, Robert Thomson , June 9, 2009

Wilson Bridge Trail Opens, Robert Thomson , June 6, 2009

Riders, Remember: 1 p.m. at Wilson Bridge Trail, Robert Thomson , June 6, 2009

The Week Ahead For Highways and Transit, Robert Thomson , June 1, 2009

Watch Out for Bicyclists on "National Bike to Work Day", Washington Post Editors , May 15, 2009

Bike Light Giveaway, Robert Thomson , October 23, 2008

'Car Free Day' on Monday, Robert Thomson , September 17, 2008

Advocating Eye Contact in Traffic, Robert Thomson , August 14, 2008

SmartBike Open for Business in DC, Robert Thomson , August 13, 2008

Bikers Question Trail Speed Limit, Robert Thomson , June 10, 2008

DC Ending Mandatory Bike Registration, Robert Thomson , May 29, 2008

This Is Bike to Work Day, Robert Thomson , May 16, 2008

Community Bike Ride on Sunday, Robert Thomson , May 31, 2007

D.C. Bike Station Proposed, Robert Thomson , December 12, 2006