BikeDC

The 5pm Post – Celebrate Capital Bikeshare’s First birthday Sept. 22

By Prince Of Petworth

From an email:

Celebrate Capital Bikeshare’s FIRST birthday and Car Free Day all at one celebration at the Capital Bikeshare Birthday Bash! Please join us on September 22 in The Yards Park from 6-9 pm and enjoy the festivities.

  • Live music from 80’s band The Reflex
  • Food trucks, including Red Hook Lobster Pound, Doug the Food Dude, Eat Wonky, Rolling Ficelle, Carnivore BBQ and Dippin’ Dots
  • Free cupcakes from Sprinkles
  • Free drinks from Honest Tea
  • Games and craft brews from New Belgium Brewing to celebrate their launch into the DC market
  • Giveaways, including exclusive CaBi Birthday Bash t-shirts to the first 1,000 guests, water bottles from Whole Foods, Capital Bikeshare helmets and bike lights from BikeArlington
  • Paper boy and slow bike races
  • Moonbounces, bungee run, gladiator joust and wrecking ball
  • Raffle prizes
  • Hoola hooping garden with HooperNATURAL
  • The Natmobile on site with signups for free giveaways from the Washington Nationals
  • Photos courtesy of Smilebooth

The event is free and open to the public, so bring your friends and help us celebrate the success of Capital Bikeshare. Plenty of bike racks (bring your own lock) and a Capital Bikeshare corral will be available for anyone riding by bicycle to the event. For other ways to get to The Yards Park, click here. Be sure to take the pledge to go car free on September 22, and then come celebrate with Capital Bikeshare. We can’t wait to see you there!

Dear PoPville – Aftermath of a Bike Accident

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

“Dear PoPville,

Last week I was involved in a bike accident and I unfortunately broke the universal rule of accidents and didn’t call the police and failed to get his insurance information on the spot. I did however, get the man’s name, address and phone number. But now he won’t call me back.

My question is; what can I do now? I am physically okay but my bike will need a bunch of work. The accident was not my fault and I don’t want to have to shell out the money to fix my bike. I also don’t want to sue the man, I didn’t get the impression that he had a lot of resources and I don’t want to destroy his life just to fix my bike. But at the same time I would like some sort of compensation.

Since I’m sure that PoPviller’s will want to debate the merits of my accident I’ll describe it: I was going straight under a green light when a vehicle from the oncoming lane attempted to make a left turn right in front of me. I could do nothing but slam into the front quarter panel of his vehicle. Did a number on his windshield too…”

The 5pm Post – Met Branch Trail – Day of Service, Sept. 11

By Prince Of Petworth

If you use the Met Branch Trail (MBT), here’s your chance to get involved in improvements to the trail and surrounding corridor.

Over the past year, a number of local nonprofit groups, including the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and Casey Trees, have done some great things to the MBT, like planting shade and fruit trees, and helping DC Prep paint a colorful mural beside the pathway.

And an active community has grown around the MBT, responding to recent incidents of crime by organizing regular volunteer patrols.

Friends of the Met Branch Trail is organizing a Day of Service on the trail – Saturday, September 10, 9 a.m. to noon – and you can get involved!

Volunteers are needed to pick up trash and weed sections of the trail. Equipment like rakes, utility brooms, yard and garden shears are needed as well. Refreshments will be provided.

Register here. For more information, or to volunteer as a group leader, contact Lindsay Martin: [email protected]

Dear PoPville – Would you be willing to pay a Bike Tax to improve roads?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user JRoseC

“Dear PoPville,

I came across this blog post from Straight Outta Suburbia and thought you might want to bring this idea up to readers: would bikers be willing to pay a bike tax?

Basically, the thesis of the author is this: roads are paid for, at least theoretically, with state and federal gas taxes. These are intended to serve as “user fees.” The people who use the road the most pay for it the most. Bikers often complain about the poor condition of roads, lack of bike lanes, etc. But they also don’t pay the gas taxes needed to maintain those roads and create those bike lanes.

Would they be willing to pay some sort of bike tax to get those improvements? If they are, it would probably provide some cover from fiscal conservatives who oppose these improvements because of their costs.”

Dear PoPville – DC Capital Bike Share Feedback?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

“Dear PoPville,

I live in VA and am currently doing a project for graduate school on bike share kiosk station usability. It looks like you have some readers who are avid cyclists and users of the DC bike share program.

I’m trying to get feedback on what they like and don’t like about the system in general, and the kiosk design in particular, and suggestions for improving it.

I’d also be interested in knowing if they have any opinions or suggestions on improving the mobile application (Spotcycle) or any of the social media sites.”

Personally, I love the system and the kiosk. I just get very frustrated when I go to a kiosk and there are no bikes left. This used to be a very common experience but lately there has been an improvement with at least 1 or 2 bikes available. Also, I’m very glad to hear of the expansion plans.

What do you guys think of the kiosk design itself? What are your thoughts on the system in general now that a bit more time has passed?

PoPville PSA – Road Hazard for bike on 9th St, NW by Convention Center

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I bike down 9th street, NW to get downtown often. There is a strange track-looking thing that extends down 9th between L and M, NW. See the attached pictures. It is a deep groove between two metal plates and it’s been there for as long as I can remember, years? It’s just big enough to trap a bike tire inside and despite me avoiding riding over/near it, I must have turned wrong yesterday and my wheel lodged itself inside the track and catapulted me into the street.

First, what is this thing? Does it serve a purpose? I remember there being an issue on H street when the tracks were installed and had to be fixed because of a similar bike hazard. Do you think DDOT would care about this issue?

– Bruised and bloody Mt Vernon Square resident.”

Unfortunately this issue comes up about every six months after a crash. In previous comments we’ve learned:

“They are expansion joints. Due to changes in weather, hot and cold, materials expand or contract. You will most commonly see these on bridges. The reason why the convention center has these is because of the sky walks over the streets. The expansion joints allow the entire building to move together and prevents cracking.”

Dear PoPville – Stolen bike found but locked!

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

My bike was stolen about a year ago from right outside my office building on K Street (An image of it is attached). At the time, I filed a police report but pretty much expected nothing to come of it. I hadn’t gotten it registered with DC Police and it was relatively cheap (though one of a kind because I built it part by part). Last night, I was walking up 14th Street towards Meridian (where I live) and saw the bike locked to the fence right next to Pan Lourdes bakery. It was locked with another bike with a U lock on the fence that surrounds the rowhouse between the bakery and CC’s liquor store. When I went back later, the bike wasn’t there but my guess is that someone took it inside because I saw someone taking another locked bike inside as I got there.

What are my options here if I go back and see it locked today? Can/should I lock the bike with my own U lock? Should I ask the police to get involved since this is stolen property? Should I leave a note and ask whoever has the bike to give me a call?

Really appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.”

Problems with Bikers Going the Wrong Way on One way Bike Lanes

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user thepostalservice

“Dear PoPville,

While most biking problems involve cars and bikes, mine is different. I’ve noticed a lot of bikers going the wrong way down one way bike lanes. I routinely go out of my way to take one way streets with bike lanes and it drives me crazy to see someone coming at me head on. Tonight there was even a guy with no headlight riding at me so I almost hit him before swerving into traffic.”

I’ve definitely seen this a few times. How do you think the situation can be remedied? MPD enforcement/tickets?

New Capital Bikeshare Stations Announced

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

From DDOT:

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) today announced the locations for 32 new Capital Bikeshare stations to be installed in the fall of 2011. It will be the first major expansion of the system in the District since Capital Bikeshare launched last September. Following weeks of planning and extensive community input, DDOT will install the new stations and expand the size of selected existing stations to better meet demand, while also adding 265 additional bicycles to the system. Additionally, DDOT will install the already planned Capital Bikeshare stations at 6th and H Street, NE and Foggy Bottom Metro.

List of NEW Stations:

· 3rd Street and G Street, SE

· 4th Street and E Street, SW

· 5th Street SE between Alabama and Martin Luther King Avenue, SE

· 6th Street and Florida, NE

· 7th Street and Maryland Avenue, NE

· 7th Street and R Street, NW

· 11th Street and H Street, NE

· 16th Street and Euclid Street, NW

· 17th Street and Rhode Island Ave, NW

· 18th Street and Pennsylvania Ave, NW

· 19th Street and New Hampshire Avenue, NW (Dupont South)

· 38th Street, SE at Pennsylvania Ave – Fairfax Village (INSTALLED TODAY)

· 3000 Connecticut. NW – National Zoo

· 4500 Benning Road, NE (Benning Road Metro Station)

· Calvert Street and 39th Street, NW (Stoddert Recreation Center)

· Columbia Road and Belmont Road, NW
· Alabama Avenue at 13th Street, SE – Congress Heights Metro

· Florida Avenue and California Street, NW

· Gallaudet University – 1st Street and Michigan, NW

· Georgia Avenue and Columbia Road, NW

· Good Hope Road and Minnesota Avenue, SE

· M Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

· Maryland Avenue and Independence Avenue, SW (at 6th Street)

· Massachusetts Avenue and 15th Street, SE

· New Jersey Avenue and D Street, SE

· Rhode Island Avenue and 1st Street, NW

· Anacostia Avenue at Benning Road, NE – River Terrace

· Thomas Circle at 14th Street, NW

· Tingey Street and 3rd Street, SE (Yards Park )

· Upshur Street and 14th Street, NW

· Upshur Street and Georgia Avenue, NW

· W Street and Martin Luther King Avenue, SE

Stations to be expanded after the jump. (more…)

Dear PoPville – kids firing airsoft/bb guns from 2300 Block of 11th St NW at cyclists riding north and south on 11th NW

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user katiecampbell

“Dear PoPville,

Tonight [Tuesday] at about midnight my gf and I were riding south on 11th btw Clifton and Florida. I heard the sound of pellet guns being fired from the 2300 block of 11th St NW and got shot in the left leg by a pellet. It didn’t hurt much and left a small welt but obviously could have resulted in a crash, eye injury, etc. My gf was unscathed fortunately. At the same time we were going south, another cyclist was going north. I heard pellets get fired at him too. We were going down the hill fast and I didn’t want to confront kids with guns so we kept on riding back to our house a few blocks south. I don’t know if this has been a problem for multiple people, or if this is a unique event, but it was whack.

I did not call the police. Didn’t feel that calling 911 was appropriate. I guess w kids, and as someone who has shot my fair share of pellet guns at various things, a non-confrontational response is best.

I’m not sure what the best response so I thought I’d reach out to the PoP community…”

Personally, I believe the appropriate response is to call 911 immediately (once you feel safe.) As you noted, especially on this steep hill, a cyclist could get seriously hurt. I’d have to mark this up to more than just kids being kids.

Anyone else experience/notice this?


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