CCT/Purple Line » CycleMoco

Woodmont Ave cycle track options

Jan 112015

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation is considering construction of a cycle track, also known as protected bike lanes, on Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda. The project would require removal of one lane (often used for parking) between Old Georgetown Road and Hampden Lane. The county is suggesting a two-way cycle track on the west side of Woodmont, but this might not be the best option. On a two-way street, one-way cycle tracks are superior to two-way cycle tracks because they make for much simpler intersections and avoid putting cyclists on the “wrong” side of the street (going the wrong direction for the side of the street they’re on, catching drivers by surprise). On a one-way street, a two-way cycle track […]

Council members support CCT and sidewalk snow removal

Feb 242014

Five County Council members have signed on to a letter by Roger Berliner asking for a cost estimate of clearing snow on the Capital Crescent Trail, with an eye towards covering it in the county operating budget this year. This is something cyclists have been requesting for years, but the requests (like bikes in the snow) never got much traction. The letter is directed to county DOT and the Parks Department, though the latter department owns the trail. Also, Councilmember Hans Riemer has asked DOT to draft a plan for better snow removal from sidewalks. Forcing pedestrians to walk in the street because plows have dumped snow onto sidewalks is unacceptable. A local pedestrian was killed in recent years doing […]

Cedar St. contraflow bike lane: is it safe to use the wrong way?

Apr 252013

The Cedar Street bike lane in Silver Spring is a contraflow bike lane. My question: Is it safe to ride the wrong direction in this one-way bike lane? View Larger Map A cyclist I rode with last week did exactly that. A contraflow bike lane is one that provides for cyclists riding against the flow of car traffic on a one-way street. If you’re riding in the same direction as cars, you’re supposed to use the travel lane. If you’re riding against the flow, you’re supposed to use the bike lane. But the cyclist I was with, unfamiliar with the contraflow concept, rode the wrong way in the one-way bike lane despite the directional arrows painted there. I urged her […]

Montgomery County Sierra Club’s excellent bike statement

Feb 182013

The Montgomery County Sierra Club has just published a superb bike statement outlining changes needed to support biking in the county. A printable version (as of Jan. 28 2013) is here. These are the six points made in the 5-page statement (my paraphrasing): Make a complete network: The statement recommends connecting bike lanes to major destinations and completing facilities such as the Bethesda Trolley Trail, Capital Crescent Trail, ICC Trail and routes parallel to arterials like Georgia Ave. Be context-appropriate: It recommends providing a context-appropriate variety of facilities such as bike lanes, sharrows, cycle tracks, bicycle boulevards and grade-separated trails. Provide comfort: It recommends providing multiple route options, wayfinding signs, secure bike parking, meeting plazas and good trail maintenance. Safety: […]

WABA and MoBike’s recommendations to support BikeShare

Oct 182012

WABA and MoBike just presented their list of recommendations of needed bike improvements in Bethesda, Silver Spring, Takoma Park and Friendship Heights to help BikeShare fulfill its tremendous promise in Montgomery County. The improvements are designed to encourage people to use bikes as transportation. They include bike lanes, intersection changes, road diets (lane or parking removal), sharrows (shared lane markings) and off-road paths. Bike lanes may be positioned next to traffic (traditional bike lanes) or separated from traffic (buffered bike lanes or cycle tracks). Sharrows are a way to make existing travel lanes more hospitable to bikes, and are often accompanied by “Bikes May Use Full Lane” signs. The recommendations also include finishing key transportation trails that have been left […]

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