tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655972254756722998.post2717839945827214633..comments2024-02-16T04:11:30.642-05:00Comments on Tales From The Sharrows: Ride Home 6/29Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655972254756722998.post-83456977251236870752011-07-05T21:50:24.875-04:002011-07-05T21:50:24.875-04:00@Brian -- you can still take a ride on the beautif...@Brian -- you can still take a ride on the beautiful old carousel. (There's no upper age limit!)<br /><br />The old streetcar right-of-way would make for a really cool completely separated trail from Glen Echo to Georgetown, but for various reasons, this has not turned into a reality.<br /><br />You also raise a good point about motorISTs being angry at cyclists who don't use this "perfectly good" sidepath and instead choose to ride completely legally in the travel lanes of MacArthur. I have had motorists yell at me, "Get on the sidewalk!" even when there isn't a sidewalk. MotorISTs are irrational. They just want you to get out of the way, even if they have to stop and lecture you for 5 minutes about where they think you should ride. (They can't be in that much of a hurry if they can afford to stop and lecture you, can they?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655972254756722998.post-80968988950215940652011-07-04T16:48:07.952-04:002011-07-04T16:48:07.952-04:00@David- Segregated amusement parks and streetcars?...@David- Segregated amusement parks and streetcars? Wow, we are talking a long time ago. It seems like the current version of the park does various arts and cultural programming (and that's admirable), but it's a shame it's still not an old-timey amusement park.Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08336664610270023779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655972254756722998.post-28169243118895194232011-07-04T16:43:37.464-04:002011-07-04T16:43:37.464-04:00Thanks for the very-thorough rundown of the issues...Thanks for the very-thorough rundown of the issues with MacArthur. It was my first time riding it and my initial impression was that it was fine, but I definitely understand the concerns about the separation and the debris (I picked up a flat along the way, so point 2 is especially resonant). It sounds like it could benefit from some more permanent separation, even just a little raised curb between the roadway and the path might serve to keep the debris off the trail. As for parking, dog walkers and drivers making turns, I don't know- this seems to befall any on-street bike route/sidepath. It's just puts bike advocacy types in a tough position to say thanks for the path, but I'm gonna take the street because most drivers are quite unfamiliar with these kinds of problems and would be unlikely to acquaint themselves with them. All they see is a path right there and people eschewing it.Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08336664610270023779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655972254756722998.post-42521532646480880612011-07-04T10:55:11.630-04:002011-07-04T10:55:11.630-04:00Glen Echo Park? It _was_ DC's Coney Island unt...Glen Echo Park? It _was_ DC's Coney Island until it refused to integrate in the 1960s. My mom tells stories of taking the streetcar to get there in the '50s.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13601092971406547119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655972254756722998.post-61042557646910824082011-07-01T17:31:33.873-04:002011-07-01T17:31:33.873-04:00The MacArthur sidepath isn't really very good,...The MacArthur sidepath isn't really very good, IMO. I used to ride on it from Wilson Lane and back, before I knew any better. Here are some of the problems with it.<br />1--It's a two-way bikeway that for much of its length is not even separated from the regular travel lanes. There is no room for error, especially if you are riding in the against-traffic direction (west).<br />2--The path has more debris than the road. (The path is rarely swept, but the road is constantly "swept" by the tires of cars and trucks.) I have gotten flats riding on the path, but not on MacArthur.<br />3--It is very dangerous to ride on a sidewalk or sidepath in the against-traffic direction, even if the path is separated, because drivers trying to turn onto MacArthur tend to only look for fast-moving vehicles coming from their left.<br />4--The sidepath is often used as a parking area, even though signs are posted forbidding parking.<br />5--People often walk their dogs/push their babies/amble aimlessly on the sidepath. It's much easier and safer just riding with traffic on the road.<br />There are probably more reasons that I'm forgetting at the moment...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com