Matt Donahue

Friday, December 22, 2006

Bikes Forgotten by NPS on National Mall

A friend sent me this interesting and frustrating piece on the WABA website:
http://www.waba.org/new/issues/NPSMallStudy.php

In a nutshell, this draft Environmental Assessment for the Visitor Transportation Study for the National Mall and Surrounding Park Areas failed to take into account the thousands of visitors and commuters that bicycle in the National Mall. But they did include Segway users. That's amazing. Did the company who drafted the assessment actually go to the mall to evaluate anything? Did they do it on a snowy 10 degree day when no bikers are out? (Even on that kind of day, there may actually have been a bike or two out there).

I actually read parts of the Assessment. Bikes are mentioned, but with equal weight to Segways and with no real commitment to the current status quo:


All alternatives would include the following
provisions at a minimum:
  • continued access for pedestrians and
    bicycles on all multimodal trails within
    national park system areas

  • continued access for persons with disabilities
    by Segway® HT and electric
    scooter throughout the National Mall &
    Memorial Parks. This access would not
    be changed under any alternative. All
    other use of Segway® HTs or electric
    scooters within this document is referred
    to as “recreational use.”

  • replacement of bicycle racks in disrepair
    and the installation of additional bicycle
    racks at key locations throughout the National
    Mall & Memorial Parks, specifically
    focusing on the East Coast Greenway.*
    Through the National Mall & Me-
    public transit access to the visitor core
    and improved visitor information about longterm
    parking facilities adjacent to public
    transportation, and encourages tour bus management
    and increased bicycle use (NCPC
    2004).


  • Bicycles
    Bicycles would continue to be permitted on
    any designated multi-use trail within the
    National Mall & Memorial Parks. Use regulations
    as described above under “Proposed
    Policies” would also apply to all bicycle riders
    in park areas. As previously stated in “Planning
    Considerations and Assumptions,” existing
    bicycle racks would be upgraded and
    additional racks installed, with particular
    focus on the East Coast Greenway route.
    Constitution Avenue NW (west of 15th Street
    NW/SW), Independence Avenue SW, Ohio
    Drive SW, and other select locations throughout
    the National Mall.


    So there is a way to take action on the WABA website. A letter is a available to use as a template to send comments to the NPS. Do what you think is necessary.

    2 Comments:

    • update me! I want to hear about cross nats!

      By Blogger JB, at 12:43 PM  

    • my god!

      now i get it

      while i am blogging
      you are doing home repair

      you are a better man than myself

      By Blogger gwadzilla, at 6:02 PM  

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