Bike Manual's Top Safety Tip: Avoid Getting Run Over

My wife and I recently bought new Electra Townie bicycles and the manual is basically 54 pages of "if you get hit by a negligent driver, you're done for, so avoid that."

I don't blame Electra, it's just an interesting window into how we take it for granted that the vast majority of our roads aren't designed to be safe for people on bikes. (Wearing a bike helmet does much less to keep you safe than proper bike infrastructure like protected bike lanes.)

Got my first bike since middle school, a Townie #ElectraBike, thanks to nudging from the lovely @bethaniegrant. Going to start a new series, #WorstBikeRacksOfSouthcoast. First one: @riteaid in Fairhaven. (Given lack of racks, most will probably be lean-to's like this.)

A photo posted by Miles Grant (@thegreenmilesgrant) on Jun 18, 2015 at 10:21am PDT

But More People Don't Bike Because #AmericasLoveAffairWithCars!

Mailbox post in trash can filled with cement
in middle of sidewalk in Mattapoisett, MA

We're constantly told Americans drive everywhere because of our mythical love affair with cars, but trying to bike in car-dependent areas feels a lot more like we're trapped in a bad relationship.

Obstacles encountered on the sidewalk of Route 6 in Mattapoisett recently while trying to bike home:

• Utility poles
• Trash carts left by pickup crews in the middle of the sidewalk
• Abandoned traffic cones
• Abandoned utility pole support posts now supporting nothing
• Mailbox posts
• Shards of old mailbox posts sticking up out of the sidewalk
• Mailbox posts built into trash cans filled with cement in the middle of the sidewalk, because mailbox safety clearly trumps people on bicycle safety 
• Untrimmed tree branches hanging down
• Untrimmed bushes pushing out from the side
• Deep driveway curb cuts, because the last thing we'd want to do is make cars slow down while driving across the sidewalk

There's no bike lane on Route 6 and the speed limits range up to 45 miles an hour, which means people drive around 50 miles an hour. For casual bicyclists, the sidewalk is your only option (and there's only sidewalk on one side of the road).

Considering Route 6 is lightly traveled and I-195 parallels it just one mile to the north, it would be easy to add a bike lane, or at least an adequately wide sidewalk.

But that would mean slightly reducing vehicle speeds! How much of our freedom are we really willing to give up for complete streets? As a neighbor asked in nearby Wareham, won't someone think of the children?

"You want them to make room for all these bikers? It'll be a narrower road for ambulances heading to Tobey Hospital and school kids traveling home. There is limited space down there."

Clearly bike paths are death traps that eat the young & sick. The only way to make things safe is to give cars even more room to drive even faster!

I Question the Effectiveness of This Crosswalk

My town of Fairhaven, MA makes little effort to clear sidewalks and crosswalks and this winter's historic snowfall has made things even more dangerous than usual.

"Large stretches of sidewalks disappear entirely on Main and Union streets in Fairhaven," reports Auditi Guha of the Standard-Times. “There’s an ordinance in town that’s, quite honestly, not enforced much,” said Vincent Furtado, Board of Public Works superintendent.

What baffles me is how towns are so interested in looking safe for people on foot, while being totally disinterested in the actual safety of pedestrians. Why spend money on crosswalks and signals if you're going to leave them buried under 8 feet of snow? Why have ordinances if you don't want to enforce them?

Apparently Crosswalks Aren't Legally Binding

Twice in recent weeks, people crossing the street in crosswalks have been hit by cars with no repercussion for the drivers:

• Man in crosswalk seriously injured after being hit by driver in Warwick, RI at twilight without headlights on; driver not charged.
• A 71-year-old New Bedford woman was injured November 24 when she was struck by a car in the crosswalk while she was walking across County Street at Union Street, reported The New Bedford Standard-Times. No citation was issued to the driver, Capt. Dennis Hebert said. (No link available.)

What's the point of crosswalks if drivers can run over people using them and not get charged with anything?

Massachusetts Scores Big on Best Complete Streets Policies

It seems like common sense: Make policies to help people get around, not just to help vehicles get around. Massachusetts does a better job of getting it right than many places, with Littleton and MassDOT earning recognition from Smart Growth America.

Then again, even here, many communities still have a long way to go. Why is it so hard?

Almost all of the key decision makers drive everywhere. At the top, governors and state agency heads are often chauffeured in SUVs and only wait for public transit in photo ops. And studies show politicians at all levels are most responsive to the concerns of wealthy constituents, who are much less likely to have to wait for a bus or bike to work or school than low-income families.

It's OK To Hit Pedestrians As Long As You're Not Paying Attention

Via NewBedfordGuide.com

Exactly how much leeway should drivers get when they hit a person trying to cross the street?

[New Bedford Police Det. Capt. Steven] Vicente said the victim was heading west from Tedeschi's and across Brock Avenue as she walked to her home nearby. A northbound car stopped to let her cross the street and was about to make a left turn.

A Nissan Sentra, also traveling north on Brock Avenue, passed on the inside of the first car and struck the victim as she crossed the street, according to Vicente. He said no charges have been brought and the accident remains under investigation.

"There is a good possibility the second vehicle didn't see her crossing in front of the first vehicle," Vicente said.

I would certainly hope the driver did not see her and still hit her anyway, but that seems to be an extremely low bar for negligently operating your one-ton gas-powered steel box.

Brock Avenue is one lane in each direction, so the driver had to swerve to try to pass the turning vehicle, and was STILL going fast enough to critically injure the 36-year-old woman. I'm not a police officer, and I'm not saying they should lock up the driver and throw away the key, but ... NO charges? Nothing at all?

New Walking Safety Project Blamed for 40 Years of Car-Centric Decline

From wasting prime real estate by paving it over for parking to funding expensive road-widening projects, some communities are realizing that taking a step back from the car culture is good for business. But much like parts of Appalachia won't give up on their abusive relationships with Big Coal, businesses that have suffered from their car dependency are often surprisingly reluctant to try a different approach.

Take Wareham, MA. A project called Streetscape is progressing on Main Street, hoping to make the business district easier and safer for people to get around on foot:

Finance Committee member Dominic Cammarano said something had to be done to resuscitate downtown, "which was dying even before Wareham Crossing Mall was built." He said Streetscape provides "a badly needed makeover."

Most businesses seem generally happy at the upgrades and some are understandably concerned about construction-related delays and inconveniences. But this business owner takes a special prize for blaming the treatment for the original illness:

She squarely blames the road project. While the end result is beautiful, she said, "people got out of the habit of coming here and driving down Main Street. Many customers were so bummed that they stopped coming because they could never find a parking place."

Maybe shoppers aren't returning in droves quite yet, but other people are. Irving, who has been downtown 24 years, said, "Ever since the '70s and late '80s the number of businesses has declined, as has the clientele."

Clearly, the safety improvements that started in April are to blame for the declines in business that started four decades ago. Maybe folks should give this whole "making people feel like it's not life-threateningly dangerous to window shop" thing a chance.

West Wing Talks Walks

I still prefer this video on the benefits of walking, but there's no better way to reach the DC political nerd crowd than a West Wing reunion:
 

Walk & Talk - The West Wing Reunion from Martin Sheen

Not So Great Moments in Pedestrian Safety

Came upon this as I was walking to work today - a crew digging up the sidewalk at 17th Street and Sycamore Street in Arlington with no warning for pedestrians heading north. Not that a sign would've helped - I'd have had to backtrack four blocks to get to a crosswalk.

As I approached, the guy in the reflective vest further down the street towards me waving his arms trying to get the guy in the backhoe to stop so I could walk in the bike lane as cars flew past at 35 miles an hour.

DC Moves To Protect Pedestrians With New Cameras

During the first 6 months of 2010 (the most recent data period available), 8 pedestrians were killed by cars in DC & 41 pedestrians were run down in Virginia, both sharp increases. Recently, The Green Miles wondered if traffic cameras were possible to protect pedestrians.

Turns out it's not only possible - Lisa Sutter, the head of the MPD’s photo enforcement program, wants to bring crosswalk cameras to DC:

The D.C. police are hoping to install smaller, more mobile cameras in neighborhoods around town, catching drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks, block the box at intersections, or even fail to fully stop at stop signs, among other potential violations. The portable units would probably be battery- or solar-powered and affixed to small concrete pads set up around town, making them far more versatile than the permanent streetside cameras or cruiser cameras now in use. Their modest size would allow them to be used in areas where cameras couldn’t go before. [...]

The department would be continuously moving the cameras around to keep drivers guessing, and they’ll be accompanied by more signs telling drivers to obey the speed limit and stop for pedestrians. With the new technology, the units may be able to detect when a pedestrian has come to a crosswalk, then capture the plates of drivers who fail to yield. “I want to stigmatize [drivers] blowing past pedestrians,” Sutter said.

The new cameras could be on the streets this summer. Any chance we can get some over here in Northern Virginia?

I do have to wonder: Has Lisa Sutter considered the alternative of giant cats?

Time For Crosswalks To Go High-Tech?

Over at GreaterGreaterWashington.org, they track crashes between cars, bikes & pedestrians on a weekly basis. It's a stark reminder that while shootings & stabbings lead the 5pm news, as a society we've quietly decided that cars smooshing a certain amount of cyclists & walkers are the cost of getting those drivers to work on time.

If pedestrians are lucky, their interests will be taken into consideration when deciding whether to put a traffic signal at an intersection. If they don't have a signal, what safety do we offer pedestrians? Crosswalks, which are about as effective protection as crossing lion territory wielding a paper towel tube.

What percent of drivers actually stop when you're waiting in the crosswalk? Maybe 10%? I get that up to maybe 30% by taking a step into the crosswalk & looking like I might do the Matrix stomp on their hood. I don't think that's the best option though for, say, my mom.

But the "solution" of crosswalks fails to protect pedestrians a vast majority of the time - or even lulls them into a false sense of security - and we've just sorta shrugged & moved on. And drivers know we don't care about enforcement & act accordingly.

What if we attacked crosswalk enforcement with the same zeal for safety (and revenue) that lawmakers have with traffic red light cameras? What if there was a button you could push that signaled drivers to stop AND activated a small video camera that recorded what happened next, with steep tickets given out to drivers who didn't stop if they safely could have?

Given such a system might be relatively pricey to install, you could do it at just a few particularly busy intersections. The benefit could be widespread if it changed the wiring in drivers' brains by sending a clear signal with enforcement & penalties that we actually cared about getting them to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.

Bad idea? Good idea? Already being tried somewhere? Let me know & I may use your comments in a follow-up post.

Sidewalk Closed. Detour Plan: Run!

Would a construction crew walk out into the middle of an intersection & drop "road closed" signs without plans for detours?

Then why would a crew in Arlington start jackhammering the sidewalk at one end of the heavily used Sycamore & 17th St crosswalk with no pedestrian detour?

I've talked to Arlington County Board members & staff about issues like this before and I know it drives them as crazy as it does me. But it would be nice if the road crews got the message as well.

Pedestrian to Restaurants: I Want You To Want Me

I was walking through Clarendon the other day around 5:30pm. From a financial point of view, I figured I should wait until I got home to make myself dinner. And yet, if some restaurant had tempted me with a discount burger & beer and the evening edition of SportsCenter on a big screen ... well, sense of hunger would've easily overwhelmed my financial sense.

Yet as I walked down Wilson Blvd none of Clarendon's bars & restaurants tried to lure me in. While you can't walk through the streets of most major cities without sandwich boards out on the sidewalk pitching that evening's specials, there was nothing like that in Clarendon. I ended up heading home. Which was fine, it just wasn't necessarily fun.

So I was very happy to see Arlington County Board Member Chris Zimmerman working to change it:

THUMBS UP: To County Board Vice Chairman Chris Zimmerman, for pressing to end the county government’s overzealous regulation of what are generally called “sandwich boards,” those freestanding signs beckoning the public into shops and restaurants.

As Zimmerman notes, it is awfully hard to get permission to put those out in Arlington. And that’s just plain silly.

Some parts of a walkable community are obvious (public transit, crossable streets). Others are subtle. Good to know Chris Zimmerman gets the big picture AND the little details. Just one more reason Chris deserves re-election.

Arlington County Board Doesn't Flake Out, Passes Snow Removal Rule

If you'd ever tried telling Grammy Grant she was too old & feeble to be expected to clear her driveway, you'd be risking getting beaten with a shovel.

The Arlington County Board deserves our thanks for passing a sidewalk snow removal ordinance over the ridiculous objections of its opponents, who shamelessly conjured up images of little old ladies with a cane in one hand & a shovel in the other to cover for their own laziness, miserliness, or Tea Party anti-government dogma.

It's not Arlington's older residents who were the biggest problems in the recent snowstorm. Seniors have enormous pride in maintaining their homes & just like Grammy Grant did, they work damn hard to make sure no whipper snapper's gonna try to turn them into a snowbird.

The biggest problems weren't on the side streets -- they were on the main streets & trails that commuters rely on, where businesses and local & state governments often did a lousy job of keeping a path clear:

Look, this snow removal ordinance is going to go down in history with Virginia's smoking ban in bars & restaurants as something that was debated endlessly with predictions of doom from opponents that, once implemented, turns out to be no big deal.

A job well done by the County Board led by Chris Zimmerman & supported by Barbara Favola, Mary Hynes & Walter Tejada.

Snow Removal Rule Melts Memories, Makes Meteorologists

The Arlington County Board took action on sidewalk snow removal yesterday, passing a 60-day ordinance until a permanent can be considered this spring:

“With today’s action, Arlington for the first time formally establishes the expectation that sidewalks are to be cleared following snowfall,” said County Board Vice Chairman Christopher Zimmerman, who presented the motion. “This is fully consistent with our commitment to be a walkable, transit-oriented community.”

The emergency ordinance applies to areas zoned for commercial use throughout the County. It requires the owner, occupant or other person in charge of properties in such districts to remove more than two inches of snow from their sidewalks within 24 hours after the snow ceases to fall. The ordinance also applies to commercial rental properties with more than four units and condominiums with more than four units.

Persons more than 65 years old, or who are disabled or otherwise determined to be physically incapable of meeting the requirements are exempt. Violators shall be assessed a civil penalty of $50 for sidewalks less than 200 linear feet long and $100 for sidewalks longer than 200 linear feet.

The Board acted after noting that historic snowfalls this winter resulted in sidewalks in some areas remaining impassable for days or even weeks, making it difficult or even impossible for persons to walk safely to transit, schools or shops.

The emergency ordinance does not apply to residential areas. The vote was 3 to 2.

Major thanks to Chris Zimmerman, Mary Hynes & Walter Tejada for voting to pass the temporary ordinance, and I look forward to the Board passing a permanent law in the months ahead.  

Barbara Favola said the temporary rule wasn't needed because we won't get any significant snow in the next 60 days. But that's a roll of the dice -- for just one recent example, Arlington got about 9" of snow on March 9, 1999. And as a friend commented on my Facebook page, "If it doesn't snow, then this ordinance isn't used. Nothing gained, nothing lost. But if it does snow, then everyone will be really glad they enacted it. Everyone except for lazy business owners, that is."

Business opposition to the ordinance was led by Arlington Chamber of Commerce:

The Chamber also took issue with Zimmerman’s assertion that many owners of commercial property failed to adequately clear their sidewalks of snow and ice.

“The vast majority of Arlington business and commercial property owners performed exceptionally well,” the letter to Fisette said.

It's ridiculous to claim the "vast majority" of commercial property owners cleared their sidewalks. Why do they think citizens are pushing for an ordinance in the first place? Did any Chamber members attempt to walk Wilson Boulevard or Columbia Pike in the wake of this winter's storms? Do they think people were walking in the street just for fun?

One question for you as we look ahead to the permanent ordinance: Should it apply to residential properties? I understand sidewalk snow removal isn't as much of a concern on back streets (some of which may not even have sidewalks to begin with). 

But then again, there are plenty of single-family homes on busy pedestrian streets like Washington Boulevard. Shouldn't they have to clear their sidewalks? Let me know what you think in comments.

Arlington Takes First Step Towards Sidewalk Snow Removal Policy

The County Board voted yesterday to begin moving forward on a new sidewalk snow removal ordinance:

In the end, board Vice Chairman Chris Zimmerman carried the day, winning support for a proposal that:

* Sets a March 13 hearing to potentially adopt a 60-day measure putting temporary snow-removal requirements in place.

* Sets a hearing, likely in April, to consider a broader and more permanent measure.

* And requires the county manager to take steps to make sure the county government itself is clearing snow from its property.

Great work by Chris Zimmerman leading the charge towards filling a major gap in Arlington's walkability! Thanks also go to the Arlington Civic Federation, Arlington Young Democrats & all the individuals who wrote in to ask for action.

Still, it's strange to hear that some board members don't see a need to enact a policy quickly. One asked, "What is the urgency?" 

The urgency is forecast to arrive late tonight. We could get up to 6" of it.

Arlington County Board Hints at Action on Sidewalk Snow Removal Policy

It ain't easy bein' an Arlington County Board member. Arlington County did a great job of clearing the roads in the wake of February's Snowpocalypse's #2 & #3. So what did the County Board hear about at today's meeting? The sidewalks & trails have been a mess. You just can't win.

I've heard community listservs in neighborhoods like Lyon Park have been buzzing with complaints about icy sidewalks, blocked crosswalks, and pedestrian areas generally being used as storage for snow plowed from roads. In addition to The Green Miles' call for a sidewalk snow removal policy, Steve Offutt and Jess Dillman have pointed out major issues on commuter paths like the Custis Trail.

Clearly, voluntary efforts aren't cutting it. At today's Arlington County Board meeting, two speakers in the public comment session called for an ordinance or law requiring sidewalk snow removal. Longtime Arlington County Democratic Committee leader Carrie Johnson was followed by Arlington Young Democrats President Gordon Simonett:

Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette said the board is listening closely to the community's concerns & talking to county staff about a workable solution. The board plans to talk more about a potential policy at Tuesday's meeting. I hope the board will implement a policy that mandates sidewalk snow removal for residential, commercial & government property and includes penalties for noncompliance (with provisions for residents with health issues).

In the meantime, you can report problems with snow removal at snow@arlingtonva.us, or you can reach the Department of Environmental Services Call Center at 703-228-6570.

Why Doesn't Arlington Have a Sidewalk Snow Removal Law?

At last night’s Arlington Young Democrats meeting, there was lots of grumbling about sidewalks that haven’t seen a shovel since Snowpocalypse #2 began two weeks ago. Here’s a typical scene:

We all pay higher rents, property taxes and mortgages to live in Arlington in large part because we love its walkability & enjoy not needing to drive in the snow. While it’s understandable roads need to take priority in snow emergencies to clear routes for ambulances & fire trucks, why are sidewalks near the bottom of the totem pole?

Incredibly, Arlington has no ordinance or law for clearing snow from sidewalks. Instead, the county hopes to guilt trip you into doing it: "It is the civic responsibility of residents and business owners to clear snow from sidewalks/entryways around their property." 

One big question: Then why isn't it Arlington County government's "civic responsibility" to clear around its property? I've heard from people reporting particularly bad sidewalks in front of the Wilson School and around North Quincy Park. (Three years ago, I wrote about how the county never cleared the sidewalk in front of Mosaic Park.) 

Arlington's lack of any policy stands in contrast to Alexandria, which has a law with a mild fine: "Snow and ice must be cleared from all paved sidewalks abutting your property within 24 hours of the end of the snowfall. Failure to clear sidewalks may result in the City having the work done and charging the cost to the property owner, or fining the property owner $50."

It's not like citizens don't want a law. In 2000 and again in 2007 (PDF) the Arlington Civic Federation asked for a sidewalk snow removal zoning ordinance (with an exemption for people who are either physically unable or out of town during the storm). I realize you can't make policy based on one record-breaking winter. But it seems like a good idea in general, especially in a community that prides itself on walkability. 

Anyone know why Arlington doesn't have a sidewalk snow removal requirement already?

UPDATE: Via Twitter's @JDillman, check out this epic fail on the Custis Trail (be sure to click picture #2).

That Was Fast: Sidewalk Solved

It's a miracle:


One day after complaining that there was room for private parking spots but no sidewalk at a construction site at Wilson & Oakland, this morning I noticed the new sidewalk has suddenly opened for business. I have not heard a word from the county, but seems like a remarkable coincidence that the problem was solved less than 24 hours after the post went up (the "sidewalk closed" signs are even still hanging from the pushed-back fence).

Arlington County keeps such a close eye on the net, it's now actually faster to solve a problem by posting it to a blog than it is call in a complaint. And certainly light years faster than writing a letter ever was. Amazing.

As for the next generation of the interwebs, Arlington is slowly getting on Twitter, though updates seem to be sporadic. You can follow ArlingtonAlert, ArlingtonVAWeb, and CarFreeDiet (and of course, you can follow me.)

As I run for House of Delegates, I've been telling voters that far from being confusing and scary, new technologies like blogs and Twitter bring us closer together than ever and make problems easier to solve. Hopefully, stories like this will make convincing them a little easier.

Sidewalk Closed. Private Parking Now Available.

I've always been amazed that Arlington lets construction companies completely close off the sidewalk on one side of the street without providing temporary space for pedestrians to walk. It's not only unsafe, inevitably forcing pedestrians into the street or at least to cross the street outside of a crosswalk. It also flies in the face of the County's well-deserved pedestrian-friendly reputation.

One stretch of Wilson Blvd. in Virginia Square has been shut down for months now. I've just been walking around the fence, but I can imagine it must be troublesome for residents of the Brighton Senior Living Center next door, who are now shut off from Oakland Park. To walk down to the next crosswalk with a signal (Quincy & Wilson) then back to the Oakland & Wilson signaled crosswalk is a half-mile round-trip.

But the problem wasn't blog-worthy until the construction crew rolled out this ballsy move last week:


You see, there's no room for pedestrians here, but there is space for two private parking spots for the construction crew's vans. Those vans aren't there temporarily being loaded and unloaded -- they're parked there every day.

In fact, these might be the only two on-street, unmetered parking spots on Wilson Blvd. from Ballston all the way to Rosslyn. Pretty primo. Just don't try to walk past.