Morning Commute – 11/28

Parts Unknown

The Morning Commute is an occasional look at meetings or other #BikeSpecific discussions and stories happening in the District. It also looks at interesting bike ideas or concepts from other places across the globe that could possibly work here. Again, this isn’t journalism, just fun.

Happy thanksgiving to those who suffer through it.

Today’s commute includes:

  • The Brooms get a clean sweep
  • 14th Street is messy
  • We are failing cyclists with our words
  • It’s the trash can’s fault
  • A baker delivers bread in DC “because 2019 was such a shit show“

June the broom would be proud. Tactical urbanism to achieve tangible results equals the broom squad getting its due. If you are unaware, the Department of Transformation has set up brooms in key bike locations to protect bicyclists from drivers and other potential obstructions in or near bike lanes.

In a surprisingly comprehensive article, DCist explains the DCDOTRA, the broom squad, and how this relatively inexpensive action and actions like it can help give us the #VisionZeroDC we are hoping for. DCist, WAMU

Typical cross-section of the rebuilt 14th Street NW (DDOT)

The 14th Street NW streetscaping project is complicated. It’s also brutal and creates significant safety issues for bicyclists and pedestrians due to poor execution of accommodations. And drivers are afraid of potholes. That said, WJLA reports that the project, which will essentially rebuild the street, replace utilities, create integrated bus stop islands, and add protect bike lanes among other features, is once again behind schedule.

While the outcome will helpfully be a significant improvement, the quality of the safety accommodations and the delays have apparently having an impact for businesses. Initially scheduled to be completed during the summer of 2019, that date slipped to this fall and continues to slip to spring of 2020 – weather permitting. WJLA

Why are we as a society failing to make investments in our streets to save some of its most vulnerable people? Bicyclists are being killed. Those who bike or occasionally walk on sidewalks are tired of seeing headlines that seem to imply that crashes are merely accidental, that drivers are framed as victims, and that bicyclists and almost purposely being hit.

Based on new research from Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives and focused in an article by Jessica Coulon of Bicycling Magazine, we get six ways our society uses language to frame our poor understanding of vehicle crashes and how that fails cyclists in critical and basic ways. Bicycling, ScienceDirect

After the death of a teenager in Montgomery County, Council Members want trash and recycling bins off public sidewalks. Bethesda teenager Jacob Cassell was killed in August after he was struck by a car while bicycling on Old Georgetown Road. While the exact cause is still under investigation, County council members want to restrict trash and recycling cans from sidewalks because some suggest that Jacob intended to avoid these cans while biking and fell on the road.

Sort of missing the point, Old Georgetown Road has poor, narrow sidewalks and up to 7 lanes of vehicle travel lanes. Instead of building a safer street with protected sidewalks and bike lanes, this alternative is being considered. Bethesda Magazine

Mysterious Baker Is Spreading Kindness in DC With Free Bread Deliveries. An anonymous Baker on a Surly bike is delivering sourdough bread to people downtown. According to the article, we learn why this person is doing this.

“It’s such a random thing, I know, but 2019 has been such a shitshow,” the baker says. “It really feels good to just share bread with someone and hopefully brighten their day in a tiny way.” Indeed, and thank you, sir. Washingtonian

Tweet of Zen: