CommuterPageBlog

Blue (or is it Green?) Line Reroute - 30 Months Later

Dr. Gridlock in the Washington Post, discussed today the potential rerouting of some metro trains across the Yellow Line bridge over the Potomac rather than through the Rosslyn tunnel.  Old news.  Virtually the same article was written by Lena Sun in February 2008.  Same question: should they make a new color?  Yes, of course, as I blogged here over two years ago .  (For more on how we name routes, check out my blog post on that here.)

There appears to be a pattern.  The same problems just keep plaguing Metro.  I've been reading about the escalator problems (and experiencing them personally) for more than a decade--along with this passenger who writes in today's post. Robert Thompson (Dr. Gridlock) replied thus:

"The current generation at the transit authority includes some pretty smart people. The consequences of the escalator design have been widely known and discussed since the 1990s. Is it not reasonable to expect that these smart people would be well on their way to solving the problems they inherited? Instead, the transit authority remains far better at articulating the problems than at solving them."

Likewise with the invisible tunnel.  Just do it.

If the rerouting of the trains across the Potomac instead of under it is a good idea, then quit talking about it and do it.  Yes, deciding what to call it is an issue, but surely that is not what is keeping it from being implemented.  

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Steve Offutt of Arlington also blogs at Greater Greater Washington

Army Navy Country Club Expresses Support for Bike Connection in South Arlington

Today's Washington Post printed a letter from Edward A. Urben, the General Manager and CEO of the Army Navy Country Club in South Arlington.  This letter shows support for the County's request to obtain an easement that will allow bike/ped access from Arlington View neighborhood, under I-395, to Pentagon City.  This is a long-sought connection.  Please also see this related post from a few weeks ago, urging cyclists and others to support this connection.

View Hoffman Boston I-395 bike/ped connector in a larger map

Having this letter published in the Post is a huge step toward bringing this issue to fruition.  Here is the complete text of the letter, which was in response to an article which appeared in the Post on July 13.  I have bolded the key statement.

The July 13 Metro article "Plans for bike path at Army Navy club lead to uproar, suit" highlighted sensationalist quotes from a few members of the Army Navy Country Club. I want to provide a fuller perspective.

The Army Navy Country Club (ANCC) is a nonprofit organization that, at a reasonable cost, provides recreational facilities for a cross-section of the community, including active-duty and retired military personnel, schoolteachers and local businesspeople. The Arlington County club invests about $19 million in the community annually, including $10 million for more than 500 jobs and more than $1 million in property taxes. The ANCC prides itself on being a responsible member of the community and hosts many annual events for the public.

In the post-Sept. 11, 2001 environment, the club's Board of Governors believed that granting an easement for emergency access, which could also be used as a bike path on a sliver of property that is removed from other ANCC facilities, was a public benefit that made sense. The 40-member board carefully considered its authority to make decisions in the best interests of its membership.

Edward A. Urben, Arlington

The writer is general manager and chief operating officer of the Army Navy Country Club.

The Seven Corners Pedestrian Bridge - One Year Later

The pedestrian bridge near Seven Corners in Fairfax County opened in May of 2009. Last year I posted twice regarding this feature (here and here).

I recently went back to visit and do another count of bridge users. Here are the results, along with the counts from 2009. Each of these represents one hour of counting during the middle of the day, and the weather was similarly pleasant on all three days.

Based on this simple count, it appears that foot traffic is about the same as last year, with roughly half the observed pedestrians and cyclists crossing at Patrick Henry. This seems sensible to me: the bridge would represent a long detour for many people whose destinations are closer to Patrick Henry Drive. For this count there was only one person who made the mad dash across Route 50. That is fewer than before, although my statistical sample is pretty small.

I find it surprising that few cyclists use the bridge. Perhaps more use it during commuting hours. My counts have been in the middle of the day. Early problems with the bridge have been mostly resolved. The trash cans appear to be regularly emptied and the graffiti is almost all painted over.

The biggest problem is that the stairwells are used by loiterers--presumably at night (they were not there while I was there). They leave behind beverage containers (alcoholic and non) and the stench of urine. For future designers, I might recommend a more open architecture that would allow visibility from all angles. The ramps, which are open, are nice and clean and feel safe. The stairwells, which are mostly closed in, have litter and feel a bit less comfortable--probably much more so at night.

All in all, this bridge is a worthwhile complement to the transportation infrastructure in the area. I use it myself, and find it to be quicker and safer than my previous alternatives. However, much more needs to be done. As with last year, the walking routes to and from the bridge are completely insufficient--essentially nonexistent. The crossings at Seven Corners itself need to be redesigned to accommodate pedestrians. The busy crossing at Patrick Henry is still dangerous.  And of course, the entire area could use a long-term strategic plan, so that opportunities to improve it are not missed as various development and redevelopment occurs in the area.

(cross posted on Greater Greater Washington)

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Steve Offutt, Arlington

June Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting

Tonight!  As usual, the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee will meet at its scheduled time and place: first Monday of the month (today, June 7) at 7 PM in a ground floor conference room inside 2100 Clarendon Blvd.

Paul DeMaio is an invited guest, who will bring us up to date on the new DC/Arlington bike sharing program.  All are welcome to attend the meeting.  No reservation required.  Just come.

Hope to see you there.
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Steve Offutt serves on the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee

Orange Line Shuttles, Post 2

This post and the previous post (see below) both appeared on Greater Greater Washington.  In case you don't follow GGW, I am cross posting them here.

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Metro responded to my suggestion for Orange Line shuttle buses during the Memorial Day weekend while Orange Line service was suspended between East Falls Church and West Falls Church. I had forwarded it to Mr. Sarles as commenter John Bennett suggested. Here is the reply:

Dear Mr. Offutt:
Thank you for your May 25, 2010 email message to Richard Sarles, General Manager of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro), with suggestions regarding Orange Line shuttle service during our upcoming closures between East Falls Church and West Falls Church Metrorail stations. Mr. Sarles always welcomes input from our riding public and asked that I respond to your suggestions. When planning for service disruptions, we keep several priorities in mind: customer convenience, service reliability, funding availability and clear communications. For the upcoming weekends, we looked at a variety of shuttle options including the one you have suggested. We decided on one free shuttle between East Falls Church and West Falls Church stations because:

• One shuttle would cost less to operate than running multiple shuttles with multiple station destinations. It was the most cost-effective option and we are committed to using our resources wisely.
• Travel time for multiple shuttles would be heavily impacted by traffic on I-66, which is subject to numerous delays (predictable and unpredictable) especially during the holiday weekend. Without delays on I-66, travel time would most likely be equal.
• Communicating the operation of one shuttle is less confusing to the customer. The one-shuttle method most resembles a 'normal' commute on the Orange Line. If you have multiple shuttles, there are more opportunities for people to board incorrect buses, thus creating more frustration and inconvenience for our riders.

For these reasons, we have opted to operate one shuttle. However, we will evaluate the shuttle operation after this weekend and make any adjustments necessary to minimize customer inconvenience, maximize our funds, preserve service reliability and maintain clear communications for subsequent work. I will ensure your input is considered in the evaluation process. I hope you find this information helpful. Again, thank you for your suggestions. Sincerely, James J. Hughes Managing Director Office of Intermodal Planning

I was pleased that I received a thoughtful response. Kudos to them.

I suspect that their cost analysis did not include the cost savings from not running the trains. I find it hard to believe those savings would not be fairly large. Whatever shuttle system they operate will need to transport the same number of passengers (all of them, right?), so the alternate system would only need to be marginally larger to make for better customer service, not outrageously larger.
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Steve Offutt, Arlington

Orange Line Disruption and Shuttle Buses

This post and the following post (see above) both appeared on Greater Greater Washington.  In case you don't follow GGW, I am cross posting them here.

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Metro suspended service between East Falls Church and West Falls Church on Memorial Day weekend and will also suspend service the next two weekends for work on the Silver Line. Instead of shuttling passengers between these two stations, Metro could run sets of shuttles between East Falls Church and each of the three stations to the west.

There are three stations west of East Falls Church on the Orange Line: West Falls Church, Dunn Loring and Vienna. Very few people travel between these stations. Almost everyone who is using these stations is traveling to or from closer in parts of Arlington, transferring at Rosslyn to the Blue line or traveling into DC. There is little reason to run trains back and forth between Vienna and West Falls Church. A typical passenger during this disruption period would board at Vienna, ride two stops to West Falls Church, transfer to a shuttle bus, ride to East Falls Church, transfer back to Metrorail and continue her journey, requiring two transfers. Also, Metro will still have to pay to operate this small western portion of the line.

Instead, Metro could choose to not even open the stations. They would only open the bus bays, with good signage and attendants to help passengers understand what is happening. This solution would allow for a set of shuttle buses that will speed passengers more quickly and directly to and from the affected stations. Because of its easy access to I-66, a shuttle from Vienna directly to East Falls Church can make that journey in only a few more minutes than one from West Falls Church to East Falls Church (and vice versa).

Here are the shuttles they could run, requiring only a single transfer for almost all riders:

• East Falls Church to West Falls church and return.
• East Falls Church to Vienna to Dunn Loring and return. Although this is out of usual order, it would actually be faster and more convenient for a larger majority of passengers than the other way.

The only unserved routes are Vienna to West Falls Church and Dunn Loring to West Falls Church. I suspect that there are vanishingly few passengers who travel between these stations. Metro should analyze their data. Instead of offering a regular shuttle between these two stations, the managers should provide for special shuttle service upon request, like they do for elevator outages. It would probably only be needed a few times per day. If I am wrong and there are a reasonable number of passengers, then I would suggest these shuttles instead:

• East Falls Church to West Falls Church and return.
• East Falls Church to Vienna and return.
• Vienna to Dunn Loring to West Falls Church and return.

With the savings from the station closures and operating costs for this section of the system, Metro could beef up its shuttles to provide more frequent and faster service to everyone. They wouldn't even need to charge for the shuttles; just provide them for free as compensation for the inconvenience to passengers. Using a creative solution like this can be a win-win during an inconvenient time on the system, particularly during Memorial Day weekend, when there are lots of tourists. It can speed everyone's journey, reduce inconvenience and potentially save costs all at the same time.

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Steve Offutt lives in Arlington, not far from the East Falls Church Metro

May Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting on Monday

As I pointed out last month, Arlington's Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) meets on the first Monday of every month at 7:00 PM.  So the next one is Monday, May 3.  The meetings are open to any interested parties, so feel free to join us. 

The meeting will take place in one of the conference rooms on the first floor of the county building at 2100 Clarendon Blvd.  Just look for the conference room with all the bikes parked by it.

Hope to see you there!
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Steve Offutt is a cyclist and member of the BAC

(photo by M. V. Jantzen)

Using Google Bicycle Directions

 Last week I had a couple of opportunities to try out Google's bicycling directions to travel to places I had never gone before.  My experience with the directions was mostly positive, guiding me along routes that for the most part worked well.  The problem of poor trail signage (not Google's fault), however, could have caused a cyclist to become temporarily lost.  Here's the story.

I wanted to travel to a friend's house who lives just off Braddock Road in Springfield about one mile west of the Beltway.  I live in Arlington not far from Seven Corners.  I had never been to my friend's house before, so I asked Google to give me cycling directions there.  What I look for in the directions is how it overcomes the major obstacles, in this case, Route 50 and the Beltway were two major roads I had to cross.  Google did not have me cross Route 50 at the new pedestrian overpass at Seven Corners, which I think is a better option than what it showed me.  It did, however, have me cross the beltway at the pedestrian overpass that is north of Braddock Road about 1/2 mile, which is definitely the best option.  All in all, the directions were not bad.  A less experienced cyclist might have found some of the roads--particularly Braddock Road--a bit daunting to ride on.  However, the directions worked for getting me there.

My second trip was to travel from this same friend's house in Springfield to the Whole Foods in Vienna.  Unlike the first trip above, in which I was familiar with the first part of the route (and could adjust based on my knowledge), in this case I was completely dependent on the Google directions.  I had never ridden in this area before.

In this case, the directions proved to be excellent, with one exception.  The implementation of the directions presented some problems, but the actual route worked almost perfectly--taking me along mostly back streets and some trail connectors right to my destination.  The major obstacles in this case were Route 50 and I-66.  The crossing at Route 50 actually turned out to be better than expected, because there was a trail connector that Google Maps was unaware of that I noticed when I reached the intersection of Pickett Road and Arlington Blvd.  I-66 was crossed on Vaden Drive, a back street that crosses the Interstate with no interchange. 

The biggest problem presented by Google biking directions is that trail signage is typically so poor--or not designed the way street signage is--so it presents challenges for giving and following directions.  At every single intersection of two streets, there is a street sign.  It was simple to follow the directions: Turn right at XXYZ St. or left at ABBC St.  At each of these points, I was virtually 100% confident that I was following the directions as indicated.  However, each time I had to travel on a trail, I lost confidence, because the trails did not have signs like the streets.  On this trip, even the trails with signs had different names than what Google indicated them as.  The most disconcerting part was when I was traveling along a trail and would encounter an intersection or fork in the trail.  Google does its best, but without any signage, it just states "Turn left toward Vaden Dr." or the like.  If the cyclists doesn't know where the named street is, then there is no way of knowing what those directions mean.  Thankfully it was a sunny day, so I could at least tell what direction I was going and could correlate that with the line on my map.

Google biking directions is a good tool for cyclists.  If jurisdictions would now please put up signage that will help cyclists navigate those directions, it would make the tool work much better.

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Steve Offutt is a cyclist and can tell direction by the position of the sun.

Car-Free in Seattle

I came across this blog post: Why I Choose to Live Car Free on the site PubliCola (Seattle's News Elixir) by a woman named Erica Barnett.

I think her experience of slowly easing into the idea is not uncommon:
"For me, the decision to get rid of my car came slowly, with a series of incremental changes that eventually made it clear I was better off without a car than with one. The first sign came when I kept getting tickets—not because I was driving poorly, but because I wasn’t driving enough—city law requires you to move your car every 72 hours, ostensibly to prevent people from ditching junkers on the street. I could have made a point of moving my car every three days (at this point, I was driving, at most, once a week), but parking in my neighborhood was a nightmare, and frankly, after a while I just started to kind of forget I owned a car."

There have been more than 50 comments and reactions to the post--mostly positive and supportive.  Check out Arlington's Car-Free Diet for more information on going Car-Free here in N. Virginia.
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Steve Offutt -- car-free when his wife has the car

Bicycle Advisory Committee Meetings

Arlington's Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) meets on the first Monday of every month at 7:00 PM (that's April 5--coming up).  The meetings are open to any interested parties, so feel free to join us.  Meetings focus on improving bicycle infrastructure, culture and events in Arlington, and the committee provides considerable input to county staff.

County Board Chair Jay Fisette has identified cycling as a top priority for 2010, so now's the time to get involved.

The meetings take place in one of the conference rooms on the first floor of the county building at 2100 Clarendon Blvd.  Just look for the conference room with all the bikes parked by it.

Hope to see you there!
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Steve Offutt is a cyclist and member of the BAC
www.twitter.com/steveoffutt