Thursday, December 8, 2011
Bike Plan area meeting comments now online
During each meeting notes are compiled for use in developing the final plan recommendations. Toole Design folks have done a good job of summarizing comments from each meeting and those notes are now posted online on the Materials & Resources page of the bike plan website. Below are some selected comments from the meeting notes:
Clifton Area Meeting (Oct 6, 2011):
- For blind corners and steep grades, put signs with blinking lights that detect cyclists (when the sign detects a cyclist, the lights begin blinking to warn motorists that a cyclist is around the corner/going up the hill. They continue blinking until the cyclist is out of the way).
- If the BIKES MAY USE FULL LANE is used, it may be helpful to add a plaque to the sign assembly that says “FOR SAFETY”, to remind motorists that cyclists who may be in the middle of the lane are not doing so just to annoy the motorist, but rather because it is the safest location for the cyclist to be in when there is no shoulder.
- Where feasible, [in the uphill direction of narrow roads,] construct a segment of shoulder for bicyclists to use, which allows them to ride outside of the travel lane and then merge in again.
Reston-Herndon Area Meeting (Oct 20, 2011):
- Focus on making areas around schools safer to allow all children to bike to school.
- Focus on education materials to share the road signs, sharrows.
- Focus on making multi-use path crossings more visible throughout Reston.
- Ensure that there is dedicated funding for the implementation of the plan.
- Work with schools to create Safe Routes to School program.
- Accommodate cyclists at intersections: time traffic lights for bicycle speeds, add loop detector markings, bike boxes, bike signal leads and video detection.
- Make sure bike parking facilities meet/exceed standards.
- Please make sure that all bike facilities meet NACTO standards.
- Ft Hunt Road is a preferred connection for bicycle commuters.
- Bike Lanes, a adequate and consistent paved shoulder width, and/or shared roadway signs are desired to increase safety and visibility of cyclists
- Residential streets parallel to the GW Memorial Parkway serve as an alternative route to the very busy Mt Vernon Trail, especially when it is crowded.
- Short neighborhood connecting paths through parks and school grounds exist but need signage.
- An off-road path along Ft Hunt from Westgrove Rd, past the Library towards Belle View Road needs to be resurfaced and widened and would improve safety for young people bicycling to/from the library and a school across the street.
- Conflicts with high speed vehicular traffic, during AM/PM rush hours especially, make it difficult to connect to shopping destinations along the entire Route 1 corridor.
- Two choke points make it difficult to travel on parallel side streets: one at Route 1 and Buckman Road and one at Beacon Hill Road and Route 1.
- Crossing Route 1 is also challenging at these and most other intersections.
Labels: bicycle master plan, clifton, great falls, herndon, mclean, mt. vernon, reston
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