May 2, 2008
Cyclists Rejoice: Re-Paving Season Has Started
As any cyclist in the District can tell you, there really isn't anything much worse than the rough, potholed pavement that dots many of the city's main traffic arteries. From the jarring jolts to the inevitable pinch flats, crappy roads make cycling in the city a holy pain.
Rejoice then, fellow cyclists, because the District Department of Transportation has announced $41 million in road, sidewalk, and alley repairs to take place through 2008 and into 2009. If you follow that link, you'll find a few PDFs containing handy lists of repairs to take place in every ward; peruse the lists to make sure your most hated pothole or broken stretch of sidewalk is slated for an overhaul. Thankfully, my biggest cycling headache -- Massachusetts Avenue NW climbing from the Dupont Circle area to the Cathedral -- was recently re-paved, just in time for Pope Benedict XVI's visit. (The Holy See's embassy and residence, where the pope bunked, is on Massachusetts Avenue across from the Naval Observatory. Even DDOT didn't want to piss off God.)
If they missed anything, remember this -- DDOT is supposed to respond to complaints about potholes within 72 hours. If they don't, be fearful of the residents who believe in DIY pothole repair. If all else fails, let us know. We have a pretty great track record of getting the nastiest of potholes repaired, and fast.
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The funny part is that, although the holes were rather small, DDOT had to count them all. Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.
i'm loving the art work, who can i purchase that from?
thanks, martin. you just put a damn big smile on my face. i just hope that's not davy dcist drowning at the bottom of lake t street there. (please tell me they're repaving t street from 16th over to 13th)
Shouldn't someone throw a mattress in that pothole?
Since a da Pope-a come-a to town-a, I have been SOOOOOOO TEMPTED to venture out on Mass Ave at the wee hours of 5 AM on a weekend on my longboard. Pure sexual asphalt.
Arghlghlghlhlghlhglhlgh!!!!!
I wonder what the guards at Dick's Crib would think about that?
hallelujah!!!
Wow, the comment thread on that DIY post is harsh.
Sidewalk repair in DC often consists of ripping up perfectly good concrete and installing anachronistic and dangerous red brick -- with federal funds.
Bicyclist and sidewalk should never be mentioned in the same sentence as they should have nothing to do with each other ever.
It's called a sideWALK, not a sideRIDE.
And yet we still park in a driveway, and drive on a parkway. Won't someone please think of the children?
That's some clutch artwork.
All in favor of adding a "Davy DCist" tag, look for the "add a tag" feature, not find it, search the website for "add tags," realize that the functionality must have been removed without you noticing in a fit of anti-Web 2.0 realism, come back here, and post your support.
And then make me a pie.
Won't someone please think of Gallagher?
"Bicyclist and sidewalk should never be mentioned in the same sentence as they should have nothing to do with each other ever."
Seeing as riding a bike on the sidewalk is legal pretty much everywhere in the District I don't see why they are not related.
yeah, i was noticing that myself, cminus. what happened to the ability of the commentariat to add our own tags?
Tell you what, Warshington, as soon as DC makes sure that every street in the city is safe at every time of day for bike traffic, I'll stay off of every sidewalk. Until then, certain roads require acts of Knievel-esque stupidity to ride on them (roads that have no curb lane at rush hour and have drivers flying along at 10-20 mph over the speed limit in their hurry to get the hell home, for instance). So I'll keep to the sidewalk in those cases, where I can keep from getting squished like grape. I respect the fact that walkers can't go as fast as I do, and make sure that my trip on the sidewalk doesn't impact them at all. If I'm stuck behind them, that's my problem, not theirs.
(That said, I'm not referring to busy downtown sidewalks at all; those are off limits by law. And if there's a bike lane, or a curb lane with parked cars, you're right, there's no excuse for a bike to be on a crowded sidewalk in those cases)
Ward 1 FY2008 Repaving Map
Bicyclist and sidewalk should never be mentioned in the same sentence
I agree. but despite the title and accomplished illustration, this post refers to $41 million in road, sidewalk, and alley repairs and links to the DC press release DDOT Announces FY08 and FY09 Local Street, Alley and Sidewalk Schedules (Revised).
While bike riders on sidewalks are a source of pedestrian injuries, "stump-and-fall" and "slip-and-fall" injuries caused by brick sidewalks support a growing population of personal injury lawyers and orthopedic surgeons.
It is my opinion that unless every single person I ever see on a bicycle follows every single traffic rule to the letter, at all times, I should be have free rein to run them down with my pearlescent Yukon XL.
That is all.
LOVE the artwork