
ScribbleNauts
CLASSIC! a totally wonderful NEO Classic for the Nintendo DS
Candid Camera: Cameras inside Metrobuses designed to help drivers navigate traffic are serving another valuable purpose -- busting tons of driver misbehavior. Kytja Weir reports that video footage of bus drivers speeding, running red lights and talking on cell phones has led to 20 firings and 222 suspensions over the last five months. The cameras, installed in November, have also forced WMATA to admit that a higher percentage of bus accidents were "preventable."
http://dcist.com
GWADZILLA IDEAS FOR BETTER CYCLING IN THE WASHINGTON DC METRO AREA
GET MORE PEOPLE ON BICYCLES
MAKE CYCLING MORE SAFE AND MORE ENJOYABLE
PART ONE
WABA Minority Outreach Campaign
Create a WABA Staff Position focused on MINORITY OUTREACH
Washington DC is a multi-cultural city. WABA should have a position where minority-specific problems are addressed. This of course includes getting more minorities on bicycles and getting more minorities to become WABA Members.
Within the Minority Outreach Campaign there would be an effort to get more of the DC African-American population on bicycles. In a city with such a high percentage of African Americans, it is incongruous that there are so few African American bicycle commuters. The DC road riding community seems to have a strong African American contingent yet somehow the bicycle seems to be overlooked as a utilitarian device by this demographic. And of course this effort would also extend to try and educate the DC African American population about how to safely drive when approaching a cyclist.
WABA should be Bilingual
There is a large Latino population in Washington, DC, many of whom ride bicycles for transportation and recreation around the city. WABA should work to educate the Latino community about cyclists’ laws, cyclists’ rights, and cycling safety. One initiative of this campaign could focus on educating the Latino community about how to drive around cyclists. WABA could offer bilingual bicycle safety classes and bilingual bicycle repair clinics.
WABA and Sport
I would like to see a greater link between WABA and the various bicycle racing communities. A good number of the people in the area who race mountain bikes, road bikes, or cyclocross bikes are also bicycle commuters as well as family people who ride bikes. Networking with already existing cycling groups would be an easy way to make WABA and the DC cycling community stronger.
There are differences… but there may be benefits to be a certain level of solidarity.
More on WABA AND SPORT…
WABA could build greater awareness if it were to sponsor, not necessarily with money but with promotion, various bicycle efforts in and around the city. There are pushes for A VELODROME, a PUMP COURSE, and MOUNTAIN BIKING in the District of Columbia. These options should be explored. Although WABA cannot spearhead every bicycle related project, WABA can certainly support and publicize various projects around the city.
Personally I think that the time has come to make bicycle riding on the dirt trails of Rock Creek Park legal. WABA should work to get Mountain Biking in Rock Creek Park Legal.
Two additional bicycle sport and recreation issues that could be addressed are Beach Drive on weekends and the Haines Point rides. Sections of Beach Drive are closed on weekends. Although these stretches of road may be closed to through traffic there is still plenty of car traffic either going to one of the many picnic groves or just lost. A flip sign and some police attention could be used along with a campaign to educate the people getting grove permits. The Speed Limit Sign could be a FLIP SIGN with information about slower weekend traffic and yielding to pedestrians and cyclists. It is dangerous to have cars flying through at 45MPH while people are walking their dogs, roller blading, or cycling with their families. As for the education… when issuing the permits the officer on duty could simply remind the park user of the rights of the people on the roads and ask that people in the park observe the speed limit.
Although road cycling is not really my scene, I am still aware of various unofficial group rides. There are lunchtime rides at Haines Point several times a week. This area is for recreation. Why not treat it as such? Let the cyclists maintain momentum and roll through the stop signs. A simple sign stating WARNING: Approaching Cyclists Do Not Stop at the Stop Sign a block before the intersection would do the trick. It should not be that hard.
Bikes and the Law
Laws may need to be reviewed and re-written. The Bicyclist is not a Pedestrian and the Bicycle is not a Car… the laws must be written to show this. The breaking of a law on bike is usually closer to the actions of a jaywalking pedestrian than a speeding car. This topic is complex and needs to be investigated.
THREE FEET
This should be common sense. Too many car drivers pass cyclists too fast and too close. A car passing a cyclist closer than three feet is a danger to the cyclist. When people are not behaving in a way that reflects common sense then there need to be a law.
ENFORCE ZERO TOLERANCE FOR AGGRESSIVE DRIVING DIRECTED TOWARDS CYCLISTS
The bully behavior of the car needs to stop. There should be a non-emergency number where cyclists and pedestrians can report aggressive drivers. With the driver’s information given to the officer a warning could be issued to the car driver in the same way that speed cameras issue a ticket. If the driver gets several warnings then an officer would visit their house.
Driver Distraction Law
The DRIVER DISTRACTION LAW NEEDS TO BE PUBLICICZED and ENFORCED.
THINGS TO BE DONE TO MAKE THE STREETS SAFER FOR THE CYCLIST
Create more bike lanes and paint all bike lanes a different color. PAINT IS CHEAP! Striping the lanes is not enough. PAINT THE LANES. Once the lanes are painted, there should be an awareness campaign that educates citizens about the importance refraining from driving and parking in the bike lanes.
SHARROWS or some sort of markings for the roads that are “bike routes.” The roads that connect the Bike Lanes should be marked accordingly.
BIKE TRACKS like the bike lanes being considered on Pennsylvania Avenue should be considered all over the city. A glance at a map of Washington, DC that marks the old Trolley Routes would be a good place to think about creating more BICYCLE TRACKS. A street like Mount Pleasant Street that once had trolley tracks would be a great place for a BICYCLE TRACK. This current “no man’s land” goes virtually unused. Claim this space for the bicycle!
COMPLETE REWORKING OF THE STREETS
The city is changing. Sadly, when these changes happen, not all variables are taken into account. There are roads where there is NO FLOW. There is always blockage and there needs to be some change. Between Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant on Park Road, there needs to be some change. In my view, the sidewalk is too narrow for all the foot traffic that is going back and forth. While the road is always congested, it may make sense to remove one side of car parking, widen the sidewalk and create a bike lane. This is an idea… just an idea… but such ideas merit consideration.
THE BICYCLE AND SNOW
Plain and simple -- bike paths like The Capital Crescent Trail and The Mount Vernon Trail need to be plowed when it snows. There should be no discussion here. It should be part of the budget and part of the plan. People complain about the bicycles on the street when it snows… well… a good number of those cyclists would be traveling on these paths if they were cleared and safe for cycling.
There should be a program to aid the DC Police to better understand what it is to travel by bicycle in this city. This initiative could involve asking DC Police to bike in plain clothes around town so that they can see what it is like to ride a bicycle with all the cars swarming around them. This same concept could be good for heads of state.
WABA AND SCHOOLS
So much can be done with WABA and the schools in the area. WABA needs to work closely with SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL and each school to try and make things safer. It would be amazing if we could educate parents and children in the same effort. Currently the way that parents drive for drop off and pick up is often unsafe.
NEIGHBORHOOD PACE CAR
Neighborhood pace car is an amazing concept. It is simple and easy and should be promoted and expanded. The SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL program needs to educate parents to drive responsibly around all schools. The driving behavior of parents within the immediate sphere of my children’s school disgusts me. If we could get parents to drive more safely and intelligently when their kids are in the car then this would be a better world.
Parents fail to realize that you do not teach your children to drive a car at 15 years and 8 months. We start teaching our kids to drive the day we take them home from the hospital as newborns. For a father or the mother to drive while talking on the cell phone, to fail to yield to pedestrians, to rush for yellow lights and push reds is unacceptable.
WABA could partner up with OPRAH and her NO CELL PHONE ZONE agenda. We could encourage people to put their cell phones in their bags and ignore them until they arrive at their destination. Teenage Drivers Texting? UNACCEPTABLE.
There needs to be an education program for the high school age kids who drive themselves to school.
BIKE CLUBS
Every school in The District should have a BIKE CLUB. The clubs could organize group rides as well as safety and mechanical clinics. Kids who do not have bikes could learn to ride bikes. Basic bicycle maintenance should be within everyone’s understanding and reach. Fixing a Flat and lubing a chain could easily be basic knowledge.
WABA and The First Lady
The First Lady, Michelle Obama, is vigorously promoting her MOVE IT campaign. It would be beneficial for all if WABA were to link up with her campaign to raise awareness and create enthusiasm about the health benefits of cycling. My idea of opening Rock Creek Park to bicycles is largely linked with the notion of KIDS ON BIKES. The effort to have a child exert the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity is tough when the nearest dirt trail for mountain biking is a 60-minute drive away. This could be easy enough to change.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
I have a million PSA Ideas. New PSA ideas come into my head all the time. Some of these ideas would be fun to develop. But it may be a good idea to push for others to create PSAs.
Washington DC has some high profile residents. Sadly… some of these people may think they are above the law…
(Bob Novak strikes a pedestrian. Marvin Kalb and Tony Kornheiser at telling people to run over cyclists on their radio shows. Maybe their penalty would be create PSA announcements and for the radio shows that hire them to play them.
WABA would do well to make a statement each time there is an outburst like the one from Tony Kornheiser. ) (Not a good idea to defame individuals, even if you’re right…)
WABA and THE WORLD WIDE WEB
The WABA Web Page would do well to expand its capabilities.
POT HOLE HOTLINE
Cyclists could report unsafe sections of road. There are potholes in this city that will take a cyclist down. If the location of these potholes is not identified, bicyclists are at unnecessary risk.
TWO WHEELS AND TWO EARS
WABA PAGE where cyclists and play “show and tell” with their experience with cars.
SOCIAL NETWORKING
WABA should get an Intern or a Volunteer who can focus on SOCIAL NETWORKING. The WABA FACEBOOK PAGE and the WABA BLOG. These are great ways to share information!
WABA should take advantage of them.
WABA and BIKE FRIENDLY STORES
Washington DC storeowners need to realize what valuable consumers we are.
WABA would do well to build a relationship with storeowners and get an idea of who is a BIKE FRIENDLY BUSINESS. Businesses could JOIN WABA for various levels (GOLD SIVER OR BRONZE) and get a sticker in their window. Then, similar to GROUPONS or LIVING SOCIAL deals could be given to WABA Members at these BIKE FRIENDLY BUSINESSES.
The Bicycle Community could be more active in URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
There should be more closing off of streets to cars. Eastern Market on Capital Hill is a great example of a bicycle destination that is much more user-friendly without the stress of in and out traffic. Bethesda Avenue in Montgomery County would do well to have this stretch of road shut off to car traffic on weekends. They would certainly learn the value of being a bike friendly business if this happened.
BIKE SWAPS
BIKE SWAPS where people actually “swap” bikes. These swaps would be held in various neighborhoods. There would already be a base of donated bicycles in working order. People would come and pay a nominal fee to trade their bike. Those without a bike to donate would pay a greater fee. There would also be used parts and accessories onsite for sale. Mechanics would be available to check over used bikes as they are sold. Bikes in need of new tires could make a purchase at a reduced price.
IF YOU WANT A BIKE YOU GOT A BIKE
There should be a program that gets people bikes who could not normally afford a bike. BIKE SWAPS where bikes are actually swapped would be a good way to make this happen. Bicycle Safety could be taught at a Bicycle Rodeo on the same days.