CommuterPageBlog

A Bike Thru Window Coming To a Cafe Near You?

Richard Takemoto at the always informative and hip urban place making blog Cool Town Studios tells us about a hangout for bike riders called the Little Red Bike Cafe (A Third Place for Bicyclists, May 12, 2008). The cafe is a genuine third place and boasts lots of bike parking, discounts for bike riders, bike themed food, bike pumps, repair kits and get this, a bike thru pick-up window (pictured here). How fun is that? Of course this wonderful little cafe is located in America's most bike friendly city Portland, Oregon. How long until we get a cafe with a bike thru here?

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Chris Hamilton is the Commuter Services Chief for Arlington County, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a Metro/biking commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria.

The Carbon Emissions of Biking vs. Driving

Just in time for Bike To Work Day this Friday, May 16, the Sierra Club's Answer Guy Hey Mr. Green puts to rest the silly notion that fueling a bike (by feeding a person food that has been grown with fossil fuel inputs and transported to the consumer) is worse for the environment than fueling a car (Is Driving Better Than Cycling, April 29, 2008). Says Hey Mr. Green:

"Of course it takes some energy to make and propel a bike, but nowhere near what's required to make and propel cars that weigh 70 or 80 times as much and demand vastly greater energy for maintenance, from oil changes to tires to new fenders and grilles when they get banged up."

Now that we've cleared that up, we hope to see you out on the trails on the 16th. I'll be riding to the Rosslyn pit stop. With 26 pit stops in all, there should be one close to your home or office. Its not too late to sign up to participate. See you on Friday!

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Chris Hamilton is the Commuter Services Chief for Arlington County, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a Metro/biking commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria.

Innovation Nation

More and more of us carry a cell phone and more and more those cell phones are doing more than just making phone calls. In Chicago, city parking officials are testing a system that allows drivers to use their cell phones to pay for parking. A special meter is installed on the dashboard and the zone and parking value is displayed in such a way that enforcement personnel can see it. The beauty of this system is that value can be added to the on-dash meter remotely. For example, if you are shopping and realize that your meter is about to expire, all you have to do is dial into the system and add 30 minutes or an hour to the meter. It's a program that's been used for some time in Europe, along with the ability to pay for rides on buses and trains just by waving the phone over a sensor.

Speaking of sensors and phones, one of the biggest advancements in traffic information gathering is the use of cell phone signals. This system has been tested along Interstate 95 near Baltimore and in several other locations around the country. It doesn't matter if the cell phone is in use or not. Apparently cell phones continuously emit some sort of generic signal. That signal, and the signal of others around it on a stretch of road or highway, can be converted in computer programs that determine traffic volumes. By tracking the amount of time it takes that signal to go from one cell site to the next, the system can estimate the speed at which the traffic is moving. The real beauty of this system is that it costs a lot less than many of the sensor systems that are out there.

Many systems rely on sensors that are embedded in the road to make their calculations. There are two problems with these systems: 1) they are very expensive to install, and (2) they wear out in a relatively short period of time and have to be replaced at a cost that is roughly what it was to put them in the first time. The cell phone sensors and relay devices can be mounted on existing poles and powered by solar energy.

A lot of people are concerned that cell phone sensors mean that "Big Brother" will be watching and tracking us as we drive down the road, recording every turn we make. As I understand it, although this comes from the cell phone companies, the signal that it emitted by the phone that is used for this purpose does not tie the phone directly to its owner, that it's virtually untraceable. The option for those concerned is to turn the phone off completely and to wrap it in aluminum foil. Oh, and use cash instead of EZ-Pass to pay your tolls if you don't want anyone to know where you have been. The truth is that so many of the "conveniences" that we use; SmarTrip cards, EZ-Pass, keyless building access cards, and even some of the new GPS systems installed in passenger vehicles all leave a trail of electronic cookie crumbs by which we can be tracked if "someone" really wants to know where we have been and when.

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Steve Eldridge is a long-time reporter, observer and commentator on the Washington region's transportation issues. You can contact him directly by writing to: Steve@SprawlandCrawl.com. Unless otherwise requested, letters or portions of letters can be used within future columns. Letter writers will be identified by their first name and city/neighborhood.

Managing Success in Center City: Reducing Congestion in Philly

Some of this might look familiar, but here's a video commissioned by the Center City District and the Central Philadelphia Transportation Management Association, documenting the causes of downtown traffic congestion and proposing solutions. The companion report can be downloaded at http://www.centercityphila.org

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Kevin Beekman lives in Alexandria, VA

Rushing to the Bus

Just the other day it was revealed that Metro was having problems with its hybrid buses, buses that run on a combination of an internal combustion engine powered by diesel fuel and an electric-powered motor that powers the vehicle from time to time and saves on fuel costs. These hybrids that Metro bought are breaking down about twice as often as its compressed natural gas buses and that's a bad thing. Even still, Metro officials tell WTOP, the hybrids they bought are still outperforming the national average.

The thing that's interesting is that the historic perspective has been lost. When it was first proposed to buy hybrids they were something very new to the market and didn't have a real track record. The board members at the time were very hesitant to replace the compressed natural gas buses they were scheduled to buy with these new hybrids without knowing how long they would run before repair. It was only after they learned that New York City's transit agency had bought a significant number of the hybrids that they changed their collective minds.

It would be interesting to know just what the repair records are for the New York fleet. If Metro is saying that the time between repairs for its hybrids is half what it is for clean diesel and compressed natural gas buses is that something that was anticipated? When Metro officials say that the hybrids do better than the national average what does that mean?

As someone who got burned as an early adopter of Blu Ray technology I can relate to what Metro is going through. Hybrid cars have proven wildly successful. Using that technology for heavier, working vehicles may be proving a little more difficult.

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Transportation Secretary Mary Peters was the person who ultimately signed off on the change of federal policy when it came to the Dulles Rail Project. That means that for many in the Washington region she is the biggest transportation hero we've got. For those who are into hero worship you can now read Secretary Peter's words on her own blog. It's kind of interesting to read her take on Dulles Rail and on things like the proposed gas tax holiday and high occupancy toll or HOT lanes.

The blog is called Welcome to the Fast Lane, but it doesn't focus just on roads and it isn't Washington-centric. In fact, in the early going this region shares space with Chicago. Virginia Governor Kaine blogs about Metro while Chicago mayor Daley blogs about his city. It's an interesting insight into the way some of these politicians think and I hope it last beyond this administration.

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National Bike to Work Day is a very special event and one in which I have participated on several occasions. It is empowering to get together with dozens of other bicyclists and essentially take over the streets. It happens next Friday, the 16th. The best way to find out where all 26 check points are around the city is to contact the Washington Area Bicyclists Association.

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Steve Eldridge is a long-time reporter, observer and commentator on the Washington region's transportation issues. You can contact him directly by writing to: Steve@SprawlandCrawl.com. Unless otherwise requested, letters or portions of letters can be used within future columns. Letter writers will be identified by their first name and city/neighborhood.

Chicken or Egg on Auto-Oriented Land Use Planning

The good folks at the always interesting Planetizen discuss the chicken and egg nature of doing land use planning for encouraging more people to walk, bike and use public transit (People Like Cars, and There's Not Much We Can Do About It, May 7, 2008, by Christian Peralta). Says Peralta:

"Even though many planners want to think that lots of people would relinquish their cars if they just had a light rail stop nearby, I feel like most Americans remain whole-heartedly committed to private auto ownership, single-family homes, big box retail stores, and the slew of other elements that have created the modern urban landscape."

So he asks if this is a chicken and egg situation where the physical landscape has to change before people consider changing their auto-oriented lifestyle. He seems to posit that it is a combination of city design, policy that increases the costs associated with driving and education to encourage behavior change. Most planners and transportation folks would agree.

I'd say its not so much chicken or egg. Planners do indeed need to move forward with designing for density and more around people and less around cars. They also need to coordinate these efforts with building more transit, bikeways and pedestrian-friendly environments and providing information and services that encourage their use. As an example, here in Arlington we believe that creating the conditions where more people bike, walk and take public transit rest on these three things:

1. Great planning that focuses density in transit corridors,
2. Providing a robust amount of multi-modal transportation infrastructure that focuses on people not vehicles, and
3. Great educational TDM programs.

All together these three things help contribute to a more vibrant, growing, prosperous and sustainable community.

Additional related information.

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Chris Hamilton is the Commuter Services Chief for Arlington County, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a Metro/biking commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria.

Queen of the Mt. Vernon Trail

Ellen Pickering passed away in late April. Without Ms. Pickering's environmental activism we would not have the Mount Vernon Trail. It's unimaginable what the Virginia-side of the Potomac would be like without this trail, one of the most highly used in the U.S.

From the WashCycle Blog:

"A very important person for Washington, DC area bicyclists passed away this past Saturday.  Ellen Pickering was one of the very few hard working activists responsible for the construction of the Mount Vernon Trail.  That trail is still one of the leading facilities in the country for commuting (recently cited as one of the five greatest commutes in the world) and recreational cycling, as well as other activities.  While most of us randonneurs prefer to ride on the street, we certainly welcome the Mount Vernon Trail for serene early morning commutes and a great finish for a great fleche ride.  I suspect that virtually everyone in the DC area who gets interest in distance cycling made their very first trip down to Mount Vernon. In the early 70's, Ellen worked very hard to get the National Park Service to agree to put the trail in.  As a condition to agreeing to the trail, the NPS insisted that she provide volunteers to help spread gravel.  When the NPS gravel truck showed up on the first day (at Gravelly Point, ironically), they had four shovels for the expected volunteers, but Ellen had recruited 50 volunteers.  The NPS went back for more shovels and they had the first day's gravel spread by noon that day.  The volunteers worked throughout the winter (pausing only on one day when it fell below zero) and finished the first leg of the trail that spring. Besides being the Mother of the Mount Vernon Trail (which in turn was the spur for the W&OD, Custis, Crescent and other area trails), Ellen was a tremendous sprit for the Northern Virginia community and a good friend for open space and conservation."

Ms. Pickering's commitment should be a lesson for us all.

Paul DeMaio, BikeArlington

The Balancing Act

There was always that one act at the circus where the clown (I love that commercial on television where the little kid in the high chair talks about making enough money in the market to hire a clown but then says he underestimated the creepiness) spins the plates on top of the sticks until he or she has half a dozen or more going at once. It's an incredible feat that usually ends with the plates crashing to the floor and the clown scurrying away on a miniature bicycle. When it comes to transportation, achieving a balance seems a lot more difficult, if not a lot more serious, and there are a couple examples.

First, I find it amazing how quickly the situation with corn being used to make ethanol for fuel has gotten out of hand. Some on Capital Hill are already beginning to rethink the nation's commitment to this alternative fuel source. On the surface it sounded perfect; corn is rather easy to grow and is a fully renewable crop. Growing corn is one of the things that this nation does very well. Thanks to former Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz and others, this nation uses corn for just about everything that we eat and drink. So who figured that it wouldn't hurt to mandate that corn be used to produce 9 billion gallons of ethanol every year as a way to wean ourselves off of gasoline? The problem is that the balance has been tipped. A global food crisis is being blamed on a shortage of corn although we seem to forget that much of the rest of the world relies on rice which is also in short supply to the point where it's being hoarded.

It seems like everything being considered as an alternative to gasoline has, at least for the near term, some sort of potential negative. For example the increased use of electricity to power cars (and transit trains) may lead to an increase in the use of coal or nuclear plants. Compressed natural gas currently being used in many of the region's buses may emit some dangerous chemicals as exhaust although the level of things like formaldehyde is still being studied. Biodiesel does not burn completely and emits an increased amount of NOx emissions. It's a balancing act.

The other thing that must be balanced is the way that that we budget for roads and for transit. Right now everything comes out of one big pot of money known as the transportation fund. There is little consideration made when it comes to what is new and what is repairing what already exists. It doesn't matter if the money is needed for a new trolley line or for the repair of potholes on an interstate; it comes out of the same pot of money. The "problem" here is that transit, especially heavy rail like Metro, tends to cost a lot more per mile than roads. The leap of faith or understanding is that the payback for these expenditures come many years down the road, pardon the pun. There are also intangibles to transit such as the environmental benefits that don't always get factored into the equation.

We need a lot of new transit because our environment demands it. We also need to make some repairs to our road infrastructure because we will continue to use it for some time. The funny thing that transit proponents seem to forget from time to time is that buses need to use the same road that cars use. It's a balancing act.

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Steve Eldridge is a long-time reporter, observer and commentator on the Washington region's transportation issues. You can contact him directly by writing to: Steve@SprawlandCrawl.com. Unless otherwise requested, letters or portions of letters can be used within future columns. Letter writers will be identified by their first name and city/neighborhood.

Bike to Work Day is Rolling Up

Biking to work is easier than you think. Don't take my word for it, try it yourself... on May 16.

You'll be surprised just how nice biking to work really is. With 24 miles of bike lanes and 46 miles of trails, most of Arlington's neighborhoods are within proximity of great bike facilities which connect to Arlington's commercial corridors, Metro stations, and downtown DC.

Bike to Work Day is an opportunity for folks new to cycling and those who are recreational cyclists to ride with others at a casual pace to the Bike to Work Day celebration nearest their worksite. The event is free and a t-shirt will be provided to the first 7,000 registrants who register by this Friday (May 9).

Arlington will have two Bike to Work Day pitstops - one at Rosslyn's Gateway Park (the intersection of Lee Highway and Lynn St., just off the Custis Trail) and at Crystal City Water Park (1750 Crystal Dr., just off the Mt. Vernon Trail). The Rosslyn pitstop will have beverages, snacks, music, prizes, and comraderie with fellow bike to workers.

Contact the Washington Area Bicyclist Association at 202.518.0524 or email to learn more about how to prepare for biking to work and to register. We'll see you there!

Paul DeMaio, BikeArlington

(More) How Long Does It Take?

Another in my series on people's perceptions on how long it takes to get around by various modes (see my recent post about cycling and this one about driving and this one that worked through various scenarios for a transit trip).

My 3rd-grade daughter has a friend who catches the school bus in the morning.  I was talking with her father about where their bus stop is (and other scintillating topics!).  They have to cross Route 50 in Arlington at Irving Street, where there is a light.  I suggested that they could cross at the pedestrian bridge a block west at Jackson Street and it might be somewhat more pleasant than walking across eight lanes (and possibly having to dodge turning cars).  He said it was a good idea, but they didn't want to take another 10 minutes walking to the bus stop.  Ten minutes!!!  I didn't challenge him at the time, but I went home and used an Internet mapping tool to compare the distances for the two trips: their house to the bus stop via the light vs. via the pedestrian bridge (BTW Washcycle reports that this bridge will be closed this summer for rebuilding).  The bridge trip is exactly 1000 feet longer than waiting for the light.  Even walking with a 3rd grader, one should be able to walk at least 3 mph, in which case covering 1000 feet would take 3' 45."  If they have to wait 45 seconds or more for the light, then their added time is less than 3 minutes at most.

So in their defense it is quicker to wait for the light, but it doesn't take anywhere near 10 additional minutes to take the other route.  It makes me wonder how many people don't take a trip on foot because they think it will take twice as long--or more--than it actually does. 

Be sure to visit WalkArlington for more information on walking around town.  Here are some other people who give getting around on foot some thought:
Always the Planner
That's Fit
Sneezing Weasel Hat
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Steve Offutt, Arlington resident who owns a stopwatch and isn't afraid to use it.

May 15 Community Meeting About Changes to ART 61 Service in Rosslyn

Do you ride ART? Live in or around Rosslyn?

Then join Arlington Transit (ART) staff for a discussion about ART service in the Rosslyn area. Come and share your thoughts on how we can better serve your neighborhood. We'll talk about:

ART 61A Saturday Service Discontinued?
ART 61B Potential Weekday Service Reroute

We'll also have an update on the impact of the contraction in and around the Rosslyn Metrorail Station and how it may impact ART and Metrobus service.

When:   Thursday, May 15
             6:30 - 8:30 pm

Where: Dawson Terrace Community Center
            2133 N. Taft Street (back room)
            Arlington, VA 22201

Light refreshments will be served. The event is accessible via the ART 61A route. For more information contact Andrea Dawood at 703.228.7502 or adawood@arlingtonva.us.

Do you ride ART? Live in or around Rosslyn?

Then join Arlington Transit (ART) staff for a discussion about ART service in the Rosslyn area. Come and share your thoughts on how we can better serve your neighborhood. We'll talk about:

ART 61A Saturday Service Discontinued?
ART 61B Potential Weekday Service Reroute

We'll also have an update on the impact of the contraction in and around the Rosslyn Metrorail Station and how it may impact ART and Metrobus service.

When:   Thursday, May 15
             6:30 - 8:30 pm

Where: Dawson Terrace Community Center
            2133 N. Taft Street (back room)
            Arlington, VA 22201

Light refreshments will be served. The event is accessible via the ART 61A route. For more information contact Andrea Dawood at 703.228.7502 or adawood@arlingtonva.us.

Dulles or Bust

I have not been a fan of the Dulles Rail Project pretty much since its inception. The whole thing had the stench of political posturing and manipulation that made many of the elements and projections questionable. For example, the ridership projections used for the Environmental Impact Studies were thought by many experts to be overly optimistic. That meant that the impact on the volume of traffic was equally high. Oh yeah, the cost of the project was locked at $2.8 billion and there was no way, according to so many advocates, that it would go higher. Of course, the figure of $5 billion is now used as if nothing had changed. 

The use of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) as a long-term or permanent solution was never able to be considered because the Airports Authority wouldn't allow it. They wanted rail and nothing but rail. Unfortunately that meant Metro rail. I say unfortunately because Metro really has only one way of doing things and just can't seem to think outside the box. Do planners really think that anyone will want to take this service out to the airport to pick up passengers or bring them back?  I'm sure that most airline passengers wouldn't mind adding an extra hour or hour and a half to the time it already takes to catch a flight. 

Here was an excellent chance to change the usual Metro way of doing things and to add an express line that would connect Tysons or East Falls Church to the airport. Most of the rights of way were already paid for and it would have been a great way to show that the system could be a tool for regular commuters and for single use passengers as well. Not enough riders using the airport to justify and cost of an express rail service?  Fine. Then combine rail with BRT. Having the buses run from the airport to a mid-point terminal makes so much more sense than having international air passengers stop at every commuter station on their way in. Too many changes in service? Isn't Dulles the airport that since its inception has required passengers to board a bus to get from their place or from a midfield terminal to the main terminal?

Then there is the question of the increase in tolls on the Dulles Toll Road. Those extra quarters being collected for years tend to add up. Has anyone done an audit of where all this money is going or has gone? I hope that someone keeps a close eye on this element especially as the rates continue to rise...and rise they will.

I won't even speculate as to why the Federal Transit Administration made such a huge about face on this project and committed the federal government to participate in it. I'm sure that political arm twisting was employed, but by whom and how so? This project is a dog with an awful lot of fleas but in the end it looks like some things never change including the blind going forward in the name of feel good politics.

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Today is the 5th of May.  That means that, in the name of Cinco de Mayo, many people may be drinking too much. Like St. Patrick's Day, the 5th of May has become little more than an excuse to overdo it. Be particularly careful when driving or walking today. You never know who has been celebrating and who hasn't so just assume the worst and be extra careful.

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Steve Eldridge is a long-time reporter, observer and commentator on the Washington region's transportation issues. You can contact him directly by writing to: Steve@SprawlandCrawl.com. Unless otherwise requested, letters or portions of letters can be used within future columns. Letter writers will be identified by their first name and city/neighborhood.

And You Thought Metro Was Crowded

A friend emailed me a video of people literally being pushed by gloved, uniformed attendants onto a very crowded subway train in China. Here's the video:

I'm wondering how people can breath inside these crowded trains? How do they get off at the next stop? How does one get the job of being a "pushing attendant"? I espcially love the white gloves they wear. Makes it seem so much more civilized. Can you ever imagine this taking place on Metro?

Bobbi Greenberg is Marketing Director for Arlington County Commuter Services

Welcome to Bizarro World

Several years ago the supposed answer to many of our problems was to develop fuel from alternative sources. How miraculous would it be to take something like corn or even soybeans and turn it into a new gasoline. Every six months a whole new crop would sprout from the ground. Goodbye OPEC and hello American farmer, suddenly made whole after years of neglect and limited markets.

Then some wise guys started to speculate that there might not be enough corn to go around. That even if every acre of exploitable land was converted to the raising of crops for bio-fuels it wouldn't be enough. Oh yeah, it would lead to an ear of corn costing a dollar or more. How crazy was that thinking? How bizarre.

Faster than we could have imagined and without huge ranches being taken over by bio-fuel production the world is apparently experiencing a food shortage. I heard a researcher the other day from AG Research say that the production of bio-fuels has led to an increase in food prices of 33%. Once again, that's with just some of our crop production being dedicated to bio-fuel. Who knew that the balance was so tenuous?  Who knew it was this bizarre.

Maybe if the administration had watched the movie "King Corn" that details how much this country already relies on corn for everything from sweeteners in cereal and soft drinks to the feed for cattle they would have lowered or changed the expectations. Bio-fuel was such a great idea that it's a shame that it's going to require that we make other sacrifices for it to work.

The alternative fuel that seems to have the most potential now is hydrogen but it will still be years before the infrastructure is in place. Right now it costs more in pollution to produce the hydrogen. That will go way down as the demand for hydrogen increases. Of course there also has to be the same kind of support from the auto industry to make the cars that burn hydrogen as there has been in the past couple of years for hybrids.

I hope that those manufacturers learned the lesson of the hybrid that drivers don't want something too different. Look at the success of Honda's Insight with it's long tail and fenderskirts compared to the Toyota Prius which looks not too different from the other cars on the road. Convert the cars and trucks that we already know to run on hydrogen and they will be accepted by a much broader audience.

Hopefully the "Hydrogen Highways" in Scandinavia and in California will prove that this can work and will demand the amount of production to make the technology economically and environmentally worthwhile. These two projects involve a network of hydrogen filling stations along well-traveled corridors. California currently has 24 hydrogen filling stations but hopes to increase that number several times over as part of the Hydrogen Highway.  More filling stations means that car makers can sell more hydrogen fuel-cell cars. It will take a leap of faith on the part of all sides but from some of the BMW commercials being aired and the proclamations of politicians in California and elsewhere it appears that the stars are close to being in alignment within a few years. Let's hope so because this whole corn thing just ain't working.

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Steve Eldridge is a long-time reporter, observer and commentator on the Washington region's transportation issues. You can contact him directly by writing to: Steve@SprawlandCrawl.com. Unless otherwise requested, letters or portions of letters can be used within future columns. Letter writers will be identified by their first name and city/neighborhood.

Pander Politics On Gasoline

So at the same time our own Governor Tim Kaine tries to do the right thing and discusses considering raising Virginia's gas tax to provide some desperately needed funds for transportation (Kaine Again Ponders Gas Tax Hike To Raise Transit Funds, April 29, 2008; by Tim Craig, Washington Post), two of the three people running for President pander to the American people and call for a temporary repeal of the the $18.4 cents Federal Gas Tax.

According to The Fact Checker (A Holiday From Gas Prices?, April 29, 2008, by Michael Dobbs) in Tuesday's Washington Post both John McCain and Hillary Clinton are calling on Congress to temporarily repeal the Federal Gas Tax in time for the summer driving season in order to give consumers relief as prices near $4 a gallon. According to the Post:

"The advocates of a "gas tax holiday" are exaggerating the benefits to consumers from their proposal. If the Illinois experience is a guide, there is likely to be some reduction in the price of gas, but it would fall well short of the size of the tax reduction. In order to pay for the tax cut, the government would have to cut back on highway construction and maintenance or find some other way of plugging the shortfall in revenues to the Highway Trust Fund."

For this, the Post gives the candidates two Pinocchios. Agreed. This country needs to do more to invest in it's transportation infrastructure and should be encouraging conservation of fuels not lowering the price which encourages more consumption. Thank goodness the other candidate hasn't succumbed to this pandering (Obama Says Rivals Clinton, McCain Pandering On Gas Tax, April 29, 2008, By Mike Glove, Washington Post). At least not yet anyway.

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Chris Hamilton is the Commuter Services Chief for Arlington County, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a Metro/biking commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria.

The Fastest Way There

The other day my wife drove over to Washington Hospital Center for a routine medical test while I was at home in Arlington.  She called after her test to let me know that some medication she had received made her uncomfortable driving home and would I mind coming to pick her up (plaudits for her sense of responsibility: not taking a chance driving while not feeling right).  She had the car, though.  She suggested I take a cab (I could have Metroed there, too), but I countered that by the time I waited for the cab I could probably bike there. . .and it was a nice day out, to boot.  I estimated it would take about 45 minutes to ride; if I waited 15 minutes for a 25-minute cab ride, that would be 40 minutes--a wash in terms of time; big savings on the cab fare.

So I biked over.  It was a bit shorter than my estimate: 38 minutes.  She was amazed that I had arrived so quickly when I called from outside the hospital to ask where to come get her.  She told me later that it had taken her about that long to drive over herself.

Travel in urban areas by bicycle is often the fastest and most efficient way to travel.  This has been my experience for years as a bike commuter.  It's always faster than transit.  And often faster than cars--especially during rush hour.  Here are some links supporting this point:

- Average speed of a car in London is just 7mph, says Citroen
- Travelling by bicycle is faster than you think
- Proof that biking is the fastest way to get around town (Scroll down to page 4)
- Crosstown traffic in New York City was 5.2 mph in 2000 (you can almost walk this fast!)
- This European Commission study indicates trips of 5 km or less are fastest by bicycle.

We have a foldable bike rack that we keep in the trunk of the car, which I can mount in a minute or two.  I got my wife, we put the bike on the car, and I drove her home.  We hit a bit of traffic on N. Capitol Street which bogged us down.  So guess how long it took us to drive home (and not even rush hour yet)?  That's right - 38 minutes!

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Steve Offutt, Arlington resident who has a stopwatch and is not afraid to use it.

Major press covers DC's bike-sharing

DC's imminent bike-sharing is getting some ink lately.  Today's Washington Post Express had an article about it on page 9, featuring Jim Sebastian of DDOT.  Our own Paul DeMaio was quoted in a New York Times article about it.  And Bicycling magazine named DC the most improved in urban cycling, with a paragraph of their article talking about the bike-sharing component.   

It's also featured in the Express question of the day, "Would you consider driving less if you had access to a bike-sharing service?"  (The poll is on their homepage, under the big story in the center.)  Right now the bikes are losing to the automotive gods, so I don't know what sort of Earth-haters are voting, but if you'd like to have your voice heard in the debate, head on over. 

Melissa Esposito is the Car-Sharing and Bike-Sharing Program Coordinator for Arlington County and a Metro/bike commuter.

Time for Rationing or Just Another Oil Scam?

I am old enough to remember the last gas crisis. Nobody is calling this a crisis? Please tell me that four dollars a gallon for what cost two and a half bucks a year ago isn't a crisis.  Let's talk about peak oil and the end of dead dinosaurs. The administration and the oil companies, who are by the way making record profits, tell us that the weak U.S. dollar and increased demand are driving prices higher. Maybe it is time for the federal government to start rationing gas.

In the late 1970's rationing was done by only allowing cars with license plates that were either even or odd to fill up on days whose numbers were either even or odd. The big difference now is that there are no long lines, there are few if any gas stations closed because they were out of gas. I remember driving to a gas station close to my parent's home before the crack of dawn to sit (sleep) and wait for the station to open to get some gas before they ran out. I remember being on empty in the middle of nowhere-ville Delaware trying to get to the beach in the wee small hours of the morning and waiting until dawn to find out whether the little gas station connected to the general store was going to get a gas delivery.

Funny how the price of gas keeps going through the roof and yet the availability doesn't wane.

I also wonder if the rationing 30 years really did any good. Did it actually reduce the amount of gas consumed or did it lead to hording? Did it lead to drivers making sure that their tanks were topped off to the rim every time they saw a station that was actually open for business?

Maybe this is all just a big scam by the oil producing countries (including the states in our own country that seem to be doing pretty well with the increased prices) as well as the big and little oil companies. Sure, take that tax rebate check you get from the government and sign it over to Exxon/Mobil or Texaco/Chevron. Economic stimulus package? How about just enough to pay for the increases in food and fuel for a month? Thanks for nothing.

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Paul DeMaio manages Arlington County's Bicycle Promotions and Carsharing Program and writes with some corrections and details about the county's upcoming bike sharing program: "We're actually going to use Nextbike's technology. It's a mobile phone based system and much less expensive than Clear Channel's. More about Nextbike is at Nextbike.net. 

"Both Arlington's and DC's bikes won't be allowed in the other's jurisdictions. This is due to liability issues. I've spoken with the DC bike program manager about co-locating stations in Rosslyn at the Key Bridge so folks would be able to seamlessly go from one of Arlington's bike to DC's. DC actually owns a bit of land on the VA side of the Bridge."

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Rodney from Silver Spring writes: "Regarding your post about pedestrian tunnels. Instead of the expense of digging, we can use technology and the announced upgrade to SmarTrip cards to accomplish the exact same thing. Someone who uses a SmarTrip card could get an automatic ten minute 'time-out' to leave either of the Farragut stations so long as he or she re-enters the system at the other station before the ten minutes has expired. We are talking about crossing I street at 17th, and crossing K street at Connecticut Ave. Both intersections are well regulated by lights and pedestrian safety marking and sidewalks exist along the entire path."

 

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Steve Eldridge is a long-time reporter, observer and commentator on the Washington region's transportation issues. You can contact him directly by writing to: Steve@SprawlandCrawl.com. Unless otherwise requested, letters or portions of letters can be used within future columns. Letter writers will be identified by their first name and city/neighborhood.

Enough Already

District Mayor Adrian Fenty has gone out of his way to try to appease the cab drivers in this city and their associations. He has raised the drop fee or the fee that would first show up on the new time and distance meters when the drivers lowers the flag at the beginning of a fare. He has extended by a month the mandatory start date whereby all District cabbies must have the meters installed in their vehicles. What is the response? More foot dragging and the filing of legal papers to get the courts involved in the process.  Enough already.

For too long cab drivers in the District have enjoined their own system. A zone fare system that was confusing and open to abuse. Out of towners frequently complained about paying wildly different fares to go from the same Point A to the same Point B. A lot of locals, who knew better, had the same issues.  Many District cabbies were making a lot of money under and around the table because of the zone system. Enough already.

Good for the mayor for making the right decision to force these cabbies to use a system that is in place in the majority of big cities around the country. The more the cab drivers complain, the more you know that they are losing the ability to rip us off by perpetuating the zone system.

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I find it interesting that Metro is pushing the idea of pedestrian tunnels once again as a way to connect some of its rail stations. I also think it's a very good idea that can make the system even more useful at a somewhat reasonable cost. The one tunnel that I think makes the most sense in the near is the one that would connect the two Farragut stations. To be able to transfer from the red line at the Farragut North station to the blue/orange lines at the Farragut West station will take some of the traffic away from Metro Center. This idea was proposed several years ago and, although it seemed to be very well-received, the cost of roughly $50-million was too much to consider.

According to the Examiner newspaper, Metro officials are also considering inter-line connectors or train runs from one point to another within the system. The big problem with these is that the estimated cost is in the area of $200-million per mile, a bit more than Metro has left in its rainy day fund.

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Hey, here's an idea for Metro to spend a bunch of money: hire a company to provide "mystery riders" that will evaluate the service. Let's spend...oh how about a million dollars? In this way we can get roughly the same information that we get from the passengers that have been riding the system every day for years and know what works and what doesn't work. Maybe we can give this company a three-year contract so that it can spend the first year or so just getting up to speed on what the riding experience is and what it should be. If we're lucky we can even make sure that the contract goes to a "friend of a friend" and then everyone can be happy.

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Steve Eldridge is a long-time reporter, observer and commentator on the Washington region's transportation issues. You can contact him directly by writing to: Steve@SprawlandCrawl.com. Unless otherwise requested, letters or portions of letters can be used within future columns. Letter writers will be identified by their first name and city/neighborhood.

FREE Confident City Cycling Class This Weekend

This Saturday, April 26, BikeArlington and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) are hosting a FREE Confident City Cycling class from 1:00 - 4:00pm at Walter Reed Community Center. To be a confident city cyclist, there are many things you need to know. Here are the topics which will be discussed in this class:

Rules of the Road: Knowing is half the battle! Did you know that you have to adhere to the same rules of the road as a car or truck does? Did you know that you have the same rights that the operator of a car or truck does? Well its true- you do! Our course offers some great tips and tricks for safely and legally using our roadways.

Avoiding the Common Causes of Crashes: Believe it or not, most crashes are avoidable. Learn what to do if a car turns suddenly in front of you, if you have to stop suddenly, what to do to avoid the dreaded car door and much more!

Lane Positioning: Do you ever feel like cars are passing you too closely or running you into the gutter? Learn proper lane positioning to encourage drivers to pass you at a safe distance. Also learn how to safely cross lanes of traffic in order to made turns or avoid obstacles in the road.

Improving Pedaling Efficiency: Bicycling shouldn’t be backbreaking work! The bicycle is one of the most efficient inventions of all time- make the most of it! Learn how to shift gears in anticipation of a hill, achieve a good cadence, and minimize the wear and tear on your knees.

Useful Accessory Equipment: We all know you need a helmet, but learn some other   helpful and handy equipment to make your ride more enjoyable.

Basic Bike Maintenance and Repair: Everyone who rides a bike should know some basic repair and maintenance skills. Learn how to change a flat tire and other emergency repair tips.

Registration is free for the class, but spaces are filling up for this popular offering. Sign-up now!

Can't make this class, but still want to take the class? We're hosting more classes over the spring and summer, so visit WABA for more dates.

Paul DeMaio, BikeArlington