I also recently visited Toronto. Thought you should know that there are many, many accidents caused by streetcars and streetcar tracks in Toronto and bicyclists there are fed up. A bicyclist was killed last month after slipping on unused streetcar tracks. Toronto bicyclists want unused streetcar tracks torn up or paved over and want bicycle lanes physically separated from streetcar tracks.
Streetcar tracks are particularly treacherous for all vehicles when it rains. If you ride a bicycle in the winter you don't want to ride anywhere near streetcar tracks.
We don't need the safety problems streetcars would cause in Arlington. I'm all for more city buses, double deck buses, articulated buses, whatever works best in Arlington. Let Portland have its streetcars. Not here.
Judy, 22204
35 comments:
If bicycles are restricted on the Pike because of streetcar tracks they will use streets parallel to the Pike. Our residential neighborhoods weren't designed for that. Drop the streetcar and go with advanced design buses on the Pike.
I visited Toronto in June. FYI, Toronto bicyclists have become a cult, they're way beyond the anti-motor vehicle bicycle special interests in NoVa and DC.
Bicycles perfectly fit into the "planning" for the Pike which is being done by people who don't live here, with the exception of the County Board who are all at or beyond retirement age and will not be living here in 5 years.
The plan is simple - make the Pike a canyon and demolish the older housing in the Pike corridor and replace with 5 story mixed-use condos and apartments. Add thousands of new parking spaces under the new buildings. Put streetcars on the Pike. Resulting traffic mess will force residents to walk or use bicycles, and leave their cars parked in garages. Neighborhood residential streets will become what the planners call linear parks, because no open space except plazas will be added and there will be no other outdoor open space or recreation for thousands more people packed into the in-fill.
You forgot that what's left of the working class in Arlington will be driving out of Arlington to find employment that pays more than $9 per hour, which is why the Federal Transit Administration is giving grants to buy used cars for them so they can drive to Gaithersburg, Vienna, etc. So more SOVs on the streets and roads.
I've spoken to retail workers in Shirlington and they are bringing lunches to work from home (usually PW County) because they can't afford to spend $12 per day for lunch.
How much disposable income is anyone who is renting in Arlington going to have - working class, middle class, creative class - after paying the rent?
Now that the Rail to Dulles has been planned, the Chamber of Commerce boosters will be starting their next planning crusade, massive redevelopment of inside the beltway for the 2024 Olympics.
"Captain, it appears the Torontonians are worshiping a machine".
County Board pays off the bicycle groups in various ways so they won't complain about streetcar tracks.
Bicycle fanatics are another special interest that gets a free ride from the police (no pun intended) like Arlington's prostitutes and drug dealers.
Twelve dollars for lunch is about right in Shirlington. Costs $10 for gas to commute in one way from PW.
Bicycles are all about sports, recreation, entertainment. Not about commuting to work. Seen the huge deal being made about the bicycle events in Crystal City this weekend? Streets in my neighborhood are already becoming linear parks.
BTW, the "community leaders" are retiring to gated communities where no one is going to bother THEM at 6 AM Sunday morning.
"Community Leaders" are laughing all the way to their offshore banks, thanks to the Sister Cities Program.
Fisette's indoor velodrome will be included in Tejada's $100+ million indoor soccer - lacrosse - field hockey center at Long Bridge Park.
You don't think Arlington's Nanny Nancy Elitists are going to retire to a community where someone driving an SUV can pull up in front of their homes at 7 AM Sunday morning, noisily unload a couple of bicycles and race around the neighborhood, then noisily reload the bicycles and drive to a yuptard bistro for brunch, do you?
How about an organized bicycle ride through Barbarra Donnellan's neighborhood in Clifton some Sunday morning?
Yes, bicycle fanatics are a cult in Toronto.
Anonymous said...
"You don't think Arlington's Nanny Nancy Elitists are going to retire to a community where someone driving an SUV can pull up in front of their homes at 7 AM Sunday morning, noisily unload a couple of bicycles and race around the neighborhood, then noisily reload the bicycles and drive to a yuptard bistro for brunch, do you?"
Excellent! That made my day! What you wrote is so true!
County Board can't pave Arlington's crumbling streets, can paint a variety of markings on Arlington's streets to benefit another gimme group.
Rather than putting slurry mix on cracked streets to extend the service life of the pavement the streets are being marked for bicycles. Your tax dollars at work...for the County Board's pet organizations.
Arlington's bicycle groups are so in the pockets of County Board that they won't complain about badly deteriorated streets. Whose interests do they represent?
We are TOTALLY CONTROLLED by Nanny organizations, whether the civic associations, the media (national,state,local), or the hundreds of non-profits that receive tax dollars from the County.
Local print newspapers are the worst Nannies. And becoming even more pedantic.
Pedantic? They ARE ALL pedantic, the for-profit blogs are worse than the newspapers.
Libby Garvey decided to go along with a future 3-2 charade vote. Where's she retiring to from Fairlington?
Hey, All,
Alexandria PD decided to put police officers on bicycles in Old Town.
Sure cuts down on the illegal behavior by the biketards - running traffic lights and stop signs.
Put police officers on bicycles on Arlington's streets and roads. Sooner the better.
I would LOVE seeing two ACPD officers on bicycles chasing and arresting the Lance Spandex biketards who routinely run stop signs and traffic lights. Give the biketards a field sobriety test while the cops are at it.
Biketard is the latest iteration of Yuptard.
That was last year, latest iteration is backyardchickentard.
Anonymous wrote: "I would LOVE seeing two ACPD officers on bicycles chasing and arresting the Lance Spandex biketards who routinely run stop signs and traffic lights. Give the biketards a field sobriety test while the cops are at it."
Right on! Back when I was growing up, myself and the other kids in the neighborhood were taught that bicycles were vehicles and how we were to obey laws such as stopping at stop signs, signaling turns and stops with hand gestures, have lights for our bikes if we wrote at night, etc. Guess people aren't taught that any more. Oh, and we were also taught to ride bikes safely and with consideration for others. Of course, that was in the days before all these "racing" bikes ridden at breakneck speeds along the W&OD and Custis trails by fancy-schmancy spandex Lance Armstrong wannabes who thing the trails are the Tour d'France!
Arlington Police are a bunch a Pu$$ies. Only people they go after are the homeless, minorities, and non-resident drivers. Certainly not Lance Spandex, who is a Yuptard K Street lawyer when he isn't behaving like an a$$hole on Arlington's streets and trails.
Second that. Arlington Police ARE a bunch of Pussies. I asked an Arlington Police Lt. why the Yuptard Mommies are allowed to push their 3-wheel strollers down the middle of residential streets in Westover, right past Theo Stamos's home. Response: "We're not allowed to enforce traffic ordinances in neighborhoods."
Duh.
Bicyclist in Arlington 2017 = Potential Organ Donor
Don't hit a backyard chicken crossing the road in 2017, or you will be in big trouble.
Hey, A.Y., County Board just approved another 700+ vehicle garage, this one in Crystal City. "Car Free Diet"? For whom? Not the SOV drivers who live in the outer burbs who can't afford to live here. Those of us who do live here will have to get used to riding bicycles.
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