I think he's absolutely right. The only way to really be safe riding is to avoid the traffic. Bikers should be able to do that anyway possible. I can't count the number of times I've almost died around that area b/c of cabs doing illegal U turns or people just speeding. Tell you what...if this happens to me...I'm running.

this makes me happy for two reasons:

1. our police officers are actually doing something other than sitting in front of the 7 Eleven.

2. bikers in this town break traffic laws nonstop! stop signs? f*&! 'em. one way streets? who cares? and then when you almost hit them with your car as they run a stop sign or traffic light, they give you and evil stare or flip you off as if you were the one at fault.

i say the more tickets given to disobedient bikers the better.

*ducks and runs for cover*

I'm with GhettoBurbs--since they changed the traffic pattern in front of the new Harris Teeter to make Kalorama NW one-way, I've been biking on the sidewalk.

I'm also with Moore's argument--this is the absloute wrong response by MPD to the traffic issue around that intersection.

I'm a bike commuter and I started riding this block of NH after my previous route felt too unsafe.
I have never felt great about riding the wrong way on that street, but I didn't know of any good alternatives - the sidewalk's not a bad suggestion.

However, w/r/t to the 14th st. comment - 14th is only safe below U st. ABOVE that point, it gets a rating of "poor" on the DC bike map. Columbia Heights folks (and those north of that) have an extremely difficult time connecting all of the safe routes into 1 continuous route downtown. The best I could do was include a very unsafe section Florida and the one-way section of NH into my otherwise very safe route.

And that cop looks like he's been spending a little too much time at Cakelove. Somebody get his ass on a bike patrol STAT.

monkey, i'm all for shaking down hookers, but i wouldn't be surprised if our fine police force interpreted that as meaning 'dancing with them under the sheets'.

and i agree that they should give out more moving/parking violations, particularly to our insane posse of cab drivers (and anyone with VA or MD plates). i just feel like bikers in this town want their cake and to eat it too.

Just because you're on a bike doesn't mean you get to ignore all the rules. The roads would be a lot safer for EVERYONE (including PEDESTRIANS, who often have to weave through bikers and cars, both of whom are being navigated by people who believe they have the right to run the road their way and screw everyone else) if people would just suck it up and follow the traffic laws. And that means not biking the wrong way down a one-way street.

I'm sick of bikers getting off easy because they're on bikes. I've almost been killed and/or pushed into traffic by bikers far more often than drivers. And the times I've had bad encounters with drivers is usually the product of their attempts to avoide reckless bikers. I'm often on FOOT in DC, because I don't like to drive in the city. I take the metro, then I WALK. Who's looking out for me?

Seriously, bikers, stfu.

This reminds me of when, about a year and half ago, MPD began ticketing jaywalkers after incidents where pedestrians got run over. Even though the victims were not themselves jaywalking when they got run over.

As an FYI, as part of the 16th Street Corridor Study, the District Department of Transportation is strongly considering allowing two way bike traffic on both one way sections of New Hampshire Ave (one north of U, one south of U) to accomodate what is clearly a desireable route for cyclists. In the meantime, it is illegal for cyclists to ride against traffic on any one way street.

If you use that route to get to Dupont, we recommend turning right on V, crossing 16th and turning left onto 17th then right on NH. It's a bit out of the way, but the route is on low volume streets and completely legal.

If you are unclear of the laws as they relate to cyclists, we have an excellent pocket guide to DC bike laws that's available at http://www.waba.org/wabastore/. Soon these will be distributed at all police district stations and we hope will be distributed to the police themselves. DC bike maps with designated bike routes are also available.

Eric
WABA

hey rules is rules. biking is my primary means of transportation and I ride to work daily. I've got no problem with enforcement but isn't this putting the cart in front of the horse?

I am a proud scofflaw waiting to be Novak'd and I know my day is coming, accident or enforcement. But this highlights how cyclists are stuck between a rock and hard place with regards to obeying rules. Another prime example of this is M st. through Georgetown. It's a parking lot during the evening rush hour and with lots of illegal parked cars in the curb lane cyclists are forced to weave through traffic between lanes. It's illegal and unsafe but I do it rather than going a block or two north of M street just to head west.

So I say enforce away and we'll gladly pay (clever, no?) but do us cyclists a favor and put every single bit of that revenue into improving cycling routes so we can all go about lives.

"As a cyclist, I think this is fine. Going through stop signs and red lights when it's completely clear are okay—I really believe—but biking on a one-way-street is not cool."

I agree. When you go through a stop sign or red light (safely, when it's clear, and never at such a speed that you can't know what's coming before you enter intersection), you're able to know exactly what's coming and whether the intersection will be clear for the entire time you'll be in it. When you go the wrong way on a one-way street, you are making a prediction that for the next few minutes, there won't be cars coming down it, or a garbage truck, or several cyclists going the right way. And you have no way of knowing if those predictions will actually be correct.

On those occasions when you need to get someplace that is down a one-way street, get on the sidewalk for the block or two it takes to get where you're going.

When you go the wrong way on a one-way street, you are making a prediction that for the next few minutes

A few minutes to go 2 blocks? Who's on the bike? Estelle Getty?

Correction: 14th does have a bike lane, but not until SOUTH of U Street .

Therefore, when one is biking south, they have no choice but to either share either 14th or 16th street with cars (and trucks and buses), or take the New Hampshire Ave cut through.

I say, leave the cyclists alone, and go after the criminals responsible for the uptick in robberies in Columbia Heights.

i think the pic of the biker with her arms crossed sums up all of the arguments succinctly

"If you use that route to get to Dupont, we recommend turning right on V, crossing 16th and turning left onto 17th then right on NH. It's a bit out of the way, but the route is on low volume streets and completely legal."

Make sure you say hello to your friends at the Police Station when you do. You can't miss the them; they are usually double parked and/or opening a door.

PS. The cop misswrote my name and address yesterday morning. So, I shall not be paying the $25 fine. ( Which I hear is only half of what Novak is fined for his hit and run...)

The gist of the comments is that people being punished for breaking the law is bad. That makes my head hurt.

Why did bikers even bother to stop? There's no way MPD is going to be able to chase someone down with all the traffic on U and 16th...

As a cyclist, I'm thrilled to see a picture of a cop *gasp* actually enforcing traffic laws. The majority of bikers in this town are morons and won't stop riding against traffic on one-way streets until they face the consistent threat of a ticket.

However, if you step up enforcement for cyclists, you also have to do it for the idiot drivers who don't give a shit about operating their 3,000-pound hunks of steel in a way that won't kill people.

That is the same deputy from the pedestrian sting at 18th & N NW 1 year ago. As people wait up to 2 to 3 minutes to cross super-narrow but high speed 18th, they finally have 15 meager seconds to cross during which the cars can't bother to wait or stay out of the crosswalk turning right on red.

I now perform a very wide scan before safely jaywalking at all intersections in the city. So far I haven't been hit by a bicyclist, but that extra second where I'm looking in totally unnecessary directions could be the distraction that I don't need!

"I'm sick of bikers getting off easy because they're on bikes."

That's it, isn't it? That's really what ticks you off: cyclists breaking the rules, when you can't.

(You can, you know...)

I am a cyclist who was hit by a Suburban last night at Vermont and U Street while obeying traffic laws. I'm all for cylists obeying traffic laws, but to facilitate that, we need more bike lanes and safe, legal biking routes. We also need to hold drivers responsible for sharing the roads BEFORE accidents happen.

If you couldn't outrun tub o' love on your ten speed, you deserve the ticket.

JenK, it isn't actually the same thing. A cyclist is not enclosed in a glass and steel chamber, closed off from the sound of the street. A cyclist is not behind 6 to 8 feet of hood. A cyclist is not distracted by the sound of his own enguine. It is always safer for a cyclist to be out of the flow of traffic, running a red light is a great way to get out of the flow of traffic. This isn't about principles, it's about safety. Goose and Gander comparisons don't work when you're talking about apples and oranges.

bye-bye, guest121. we'll miss you.

have fun over there at guest121ist. i hear it's an awesome place.

Someone correct me if I am wrong here. A bicyclist, riding in a bike lane and wearing a helmet is struck and killed by a truck. The city responds by writing tickets to bicyclists? I don't follow the logic. Why are we cracking down on bicyclists? Has a driver ever been killed by a bicyclist or a pedestrian. I haven't done my research, but I am going to go out on a limb here and say NO. Where is the crack down on bad drivers, on drivers pulling into crosswalks, on drivers running red lights, on turning against no turn or no night on red signs? If the city wanted to make some money and enforce some safety rules I can point out a number of intersections along my walk to work everyday where they could nab a ton of driving violators every day. Easy money, and Fatty McGee up there wouldn't have to chase down people on bikes. Which brings me to my question, why didn't you guys just ride away?

This is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. No wait, I have lived in the DC area all my life. Hearing stupid things done by DC cops is a regularity. Novak receives a $50 ticket when he actually hit and serious injured someone, according to reports. And now the police are ticketing people for taking the SAFEST route!!! Stop punishing those people trying to be a part of the solution - and start creating a solution. If this is a favorite route of bikers, than make it safe for them so they dont have to be on 16th or 15th. The goal of government should be to promote public safety, not punish those who have to take their safety in their own hands because the local govt is too incompetent.

"Has a driver ever been killed by a bicyclist or a pedestrian. I haven't done my research, but I am going to go out on a limb here and say NO."

If I run a red light in a car, I'm mostly risking my own life. If another vehicle is coming, it will almost certainly T-bone my car, resulting in my death or serious injury, and probably little or no injury to the driver of the vehicle that struck me.

The other possible risk is that a driver will lose control of his car trying to avoid me, possibly causing collateral damage to bystanders or other vehicles.

How is this different than you doing the same in a bicycle?

1. Fine cars for violating traffic laws.

2. Fine pedestrians for violating traffic laws.

3. Fine cyclists for violating traffic laws.

4. Junkpunch anyone who complains about how their group is being targeted for fines and how it's so unfair that MPD is targeting their group before dealing with the other two groups.

5. PROFIT!

In most civilized cities all over the world, it is universally understood that a person on a bike is just a person on a bike- not a car, not a threat to your life. Usually that person enjoying their bike ride is something which can be handled by simply not running into them.

If you can't manage to drive, and at the same time avoid cyclists who may run the occasional light, or swerve down the road with streamers on their handlebars and legs in the air-- you might want to get you skills checked, that, or just fucking relax. You were speeding anyway.

And for those bikers who complain of other bikers going the wrong way on a street, how uptight are you? Did you forget the seat on the end of that post today? Can't you just slow down, swerve around, laugh, say hi, and remember your on a fucking BIKE! not a Boeing 747 you self-important a-hole who is obviously in a massive hurry to get to that dying patient you are rushing to save with your miracle brain surgeon hands, oh right, that’s not you.

loganmo: ok, as soon as all the bikers start using the (too narrow) sidewalks, the peds will get pissed that bikers are infringing on "their" space.

bobarlington: this quote made me think:

If this is a favorite route of bikers, than make it safe for them so they dont have to be on 16th or 15th.

you're advocating the same logic, and it makes sense! since bikers are using this route, instead of punishing every damn biker who bikes from columbia heights and petworth and beyond, why not make that route safe and legal. it would be the common sense thing to do.

oh shit, common sense?!? what the hell is that? we don't do that shit around here.

Put me in the "Bicyclists who are pleased to see traffic enforcement" column, but de facto non-enforcement has been the norm as long as I can remember.

If MPD is stepping up enforcement of laws related to cyclists, then they should announce this to the public, if for no other reason that to build a relationship with the bicycle community. It would also be nice to see some enforcement of common practices that impede bicyclists, such as motorists parking, idling, or driving in bike lanes.

When the city puts in a new stop sign or implements a new traffic condition at a particular location, it's common for enforcement to run a sting operation--but to give warnings rather than tickets for a buffer period. I think there a buffer period when the cell phone thing was implemented. Perhaps bicycle oriented traffic stops could serve positive educational purposes, and further develop a cooperative relationship between the bicyclists and MPD. I hope that's the way this works out.

I believe this is in the interest of bicyclists too. If we ride our bikes with modest responsibility, the law is on our side. And in altercations with motorists, enraged or not, it's nice to have allies.

I'm with Cranky, except that (1) the rules shouldn't be enforced against me and people like me and (2) the penalties should be higher for people who are not like me and people I don't like.

another dcist post with whiny biker comments?

how shocking.

if he wants to ticket cyclists for going the wrong way, then sergeant tubbins should head for madison and jefferson drives adjacent the mall. (golden arches at 4th and C SW, officer).

@guest guest, actually, no. It infuriates me when cyclists run stop signs and red lights because I have to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting then, and then, when I roll down my window and yell "thanks for sharing the road," they give me the finger. That is what infuriates me.

You analysis is also incorrect. I am not sure what kind of car you've driven lately, but most modern cars are virtually silent while idling, and hybrid cars are, actually, silent, since there is no engine running. I can assure you my visibility is equally as good in my car as on a bicycle - better, in fact, because I have mirrors and can see nearly 360 degrees without turning my head around.

@JenK
"I find it the height of hypocrisy to read all the posts regarding the tragic death of the bicyclist a few weeks ago (almost all of which were cursing the driver to death or worse for what happened) and yet they now somehow feel it's ok to blatantly break a traffic law themselves."

It might be hard to understand the idea of breaking a traffic law for the sake of safety unless you ride a bike regularly on city streets. In fact (since you brought up Alice Swanson) I've been wondering if she would have been out of the way of the garbage truck if she had gone through that intersection illegally. I'm a bicycle commuter and I follow the rules most of the time, but I break them when it "feels" safer, i.e. to clear an intersection while cars are stopped.

I also do it knowing I could get a ticket, it's the chance you take.

How's that Alice Swanson investigation coming?

My only complaint about cops actually having a sting against bicyclists is that this is DC. How many stabbings and shootings last weekend, heck, every weekend? How many violent crimes are committed around here yearly, and the DC cops are writing bicyclists tickets? If I was in a happy community with no violent crime, I could justify law enforcement being bored and finding ways to fill their shift, but not here. They have more important work than a sting on bicyclists.

Lets face it, all three groups criticize eachother. You know what? I break the law in all. I jaywalk, I ride my bike on sidewalks and through red lights, and driving....well, I guess I do speed occasionally, but not in the city. But you know what? I have common sense about it. When I jaywalk, I'm crossing a street without a single moving car on that block. I think that is perfectly fine. If I was jawalking when cars are storming by, then go ahead, give me a ticket for being an idiot. When I ride my bike, and go on the sidewalk, or go through a red light (which albeit, I stop and look both ways first), I do it in a situation that does not put myself or anyone else in danger. I think that is fine, if I cut off trafic or show signs of paying no attention while crossing that intersection, then I deserve to get hit, and I deserve that ticket.

If people acted with common sense, PAYED ATTENTION TO THEIR SURROUNDINGS and didn't take risks putting themselves or others in harm, then less accidents would occur, and less 'stings on bicyclists' would be necessary. The woman who died a few weeks ago while riding her bike, that was tragic, but you know what? Anytime I ride my bike in the city, I have eye's in the back of my head and I use them. My eye's and ears are peeled to know everything going on around me. To not know that a GIANT LOUD DUMPTRUCK was in your vicinity, none the less about to run you over, is absolutely obsurd. How can you not hear or see something like that when riding your bike around if you are paying the least bit of attention to your surroundings? Maybe it technically wasn't her fault, but she should have known it was there. If she did see it, did she just assume it would stop? Assume nothing that is out of your control (which is pretty much everything in a city).

Sorry for my rant. I'm tired of hearing everyone bicker at eachother. If a bicyclist blows a red light without looking around, by all means hit them with your car, throw a stick in their wheel, or clothesline them. This is coming from someone who has spent his whole life on a friggin bicycle. I have no tolernace for ignorance "I hate bicyclists because they don't stop for the entire duration of a red light." Get over it.

Pay attention to your surroundings, be responsible, use common sense.

awww poor dwiver got the finger. and had to swam on the bwakes! just tewwible!

Fair enough. Just don't complain when I decide not to.

see, the driving crowd will say "the speed limit on x street is too low; please change it to match the prevailing speed", and they'll get the speed changed to match.

That is not how speed limits are raised. It usually takes an act of god for that to happen. Most of the time when speed limits are changed, it is because the limit is being lowered. That is no easy process either. DC ain't gonna bend over backwards to accommodate Maryland commuters.

back to the topic:
There is precedent for those who suggest a contraflow bike lane for that short block in question. DDOT could add a short signal phase for cyclists at that intersection to allow diagonal movement from the northeast corner to the southwest corner. 15 seconds could cover it... add that time to the Walk phases for pedestrians traveling north/south across U Street (giving them an extra 15 car-free seconds to start their crossing) and then release the traffic on 16th Street with a green. Bikers and pedestrians both win.

this is a great predicament. i bike up new hampshire there all the time going from dupont to upper 14th. and do it because that street is ultra wide, quiet and safe.

while i think it is a total insult for the police to be giving tickets there, probably the most nonthreatening route in the vicinity for a bicyclist and doubly insulting in the wake of alice swanson's death, it is still illegal. if we don't like it, change the laws, lobby for a two way bike lane, hop your bike onto the sidewalk for that block (i never do), or take the ticket if you insist on riding into that mess. rules is rules, even if they suck.

one last point is that it is triply insulting that the overseer giving tickets to bicyclists is fat and out of shape. couldn't they get a bike cop to do it to one of their own? probably not.

jamie, sorry, unless you are in some sort of space age car that does not yet exist, your visibility with what is in front of you is not the same as what a cyclist experiences. Even if a car has a silent engine, tires on road makes a noise that can always be heard 2 hundred feet away on a bicycle. Of course, if you are using George Jetson's hovercraft, then you have a strong argument. Otherwise, you are inventing.

Like IMGoph said, I'm sorry that you come across so many obnoxious cyclists that are constantly flipping you off. I don't ride that way. I ride defensively. And yes, when I'm at an intersection with a red light for a minor street, and no cars are coming from either direction, and I know this because I am on a bicycle, then I will run it knowing that I have a 100% percent chance of crossing the street safely.

@guest guest: I thought we were discussing running red lights. Typically one would be stopped, at the red light, before deciding to proceed through it. If you don't even bother to stop before blowing through a light, then I think we can assume you won't be around much longer.

So, tell me again how you, on a bike, sitting at a light, have better visibility than me in a car doing exactly the same thing. What is it that you can see from your vantage point, stopped at the intersection, that I cannot, before proceeding through the light? You look left, I look left. You look right, I look right. I'm still at a loss as to why it's safer for you to cruise the light than me.

that's it.

i'm going to VA this weekend, buying a handgun, registering it (of course), and shooting every biker that runs a stop sign, runs a red light, or goes the wrong way down a one way street. i'll shoot out of my living room window though since the 2nd Amendment says that i have the right to protect myself in my home.

awww poor bike wider got a bullet. and had to go to hospital! just tewwible!

if you're a biker and see me knowingly breaking traffic laws for the sake of safety, feel free to shoot me out of your window with your registered handgun.

League of Concerned Scofflaw Cyclists?

Awesome. Do you have a newsletter? I would like to subscribe.

jaynuze: thanks, that cartoon was sweet!

@rob: When you are accelerating from a stop, and suddenly something that's not supposed to be in front of you appears in front of you, the typical reaction is to try not to run it over.

That would be by slamming on the brakes. You don't need to be going 60 miles an hour to make skidmarks. Try it sometime. 3,000 pounds at 5-10 MPH still makes quite a jolt when you stamp on the brake.

Yes, I stop at stop signs and red lights. And then I go when it's my turn. Except, many cyclists don't believe in this taking turns thing at 4-way stop signs.

V St over to 17th St when going S and W.

T St over to 15th St when going N and E.

Am I missing anything? Oneway St. check. You can even take T St to jamie's 11th St paradise.

avoids 16th and U St intersection either direction. There y'are. next.

To those to got ticketed: How much is the ticket, does it include points on your driving record?

On another weird note, I had an officer thank me for stopping at a light on my bike today at 5th and E NW...

As for all of this, someone mentioned above that he'd take his "lumps for breaking law." Isn't that the whole thing here? We're all aware of the law, it's bad (we believe)...so we break it for safety (or impatience), but the truth is that this is civil disobediance...and in that case, you can't be bitter when the laws are enforced. They are, afterall, the laws. They may be stupid (or not...that's not my point here), but we CHOOSE to break them...

so let me get this straight. because an insurance company reports that DC is full of bad drivers, that makes it OK for bikers to break the law in the name of "safety"? by running stop signs, traffic lights, and going the wrong way down the street? that's the biggest sack of horse puckey i've heard in a long time.

whether you're a pedestrian, biker, or driver, if you knowingly break the laws of the road and injure or endanger yourself and/or others, you deserve to be ticketed, fined, jailed, whipped, and/or crucified.

However, I think a better way to approach this would have been to issue warnings to cyclists and educate them on the rules for a couple of days, which would have fostered a sense of appreciation for the officers working to make things safer for us rather than the hostility we're now predisposed toward.

"I say, leave the cyclists alone, and go after the criminals responsible for the uptick in robberies in Columbia Heights."

But that would require, you know, effort on MPD's part.

If you ask me, it's about time they cracked down on these scofflaw cyclists. After that female cyclist killed the garbage truck driver a few weeks ago, a tough response was needed.

Kudos!

@ihatemuseums: cycling on the sidewalk is legal in DC outside of the central business district (and the area where these cyclists were ticketed is not in the CBD). It's not necessarily safe, mind you, but it *is* legal.

Speaking as a cyclist, I am pissed off by the way a lot of bikers ride. It is one thing to, as many of your are saying, exercise your best judgment at the red light/red stop sign, and proceed when the coast is clear; it is quite another when the self-professed prudent cyclist fucks up and either a) does himself in (or comes close) when he misjudges the speed of the approaching traffic, and/or b) takes out a pedestrian as he is orbiting the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, waiting for the coast to clear.

In the first case: Learn how to trackstand; I did.

In the second case: Will you, my fellow cyclists, please start looking out for pedestrians? That means observing the sanctity of the crosswalk--just like drivers are supposed to do. Peds in this town have enough to worry about (Novak), they don't need to be catching more shit from cyclists.

"@ihatemuseums: cycling on the sidewalk is legal in DC outside of the central business district (and the area where these cyclists were ticketed is not in the CBD). It's not necessarily safe, mind you, but it *is* legal."

I don't care if it's legal. It's unsafe. Furthermore, with some rare exceptions, it indicates that the biker doesn't really know what he/she's doing. Any biker who knows how to bike properly knows that it's 1) safer and 2) much more fun to ride in the street, with a few exceptions. I see so many clueless DC bikers on the sidewalks, weaving in and out, that I can only conclude one thing: they don't really know how to ride bikes.

I've been biking as a main form of transportations for decades, and the only times I've ever wiped out or almost been hit by cars has been biking on the sidewalk.

DC bikers: learn how to bike safely. I don't care if it's legal or not.

I still feel violated.

"Or should I stand there in the middle of a busy intersection, waiting for the gap in 11th St. traffic that never comes?"

"This is a great question, exactly the reason that I think urban bikers need more training! In my opinion, it's safer to wait in the intersection. You are very visible there are are probably not going to be hit. If you feel too scared to do this, you should probably get off your bike and walk through that intersection. Any other opinions, though?"

I think what he does sounds perfectly safe. He checks all ways of traffic before proceeding to make his turn. Standing in the middle of the intersection I don't feel is safer than that. With what little attention drivers pay, who's to say one of the people driving through the intersection doesn't notice him sitting in the middle of the intersection and just plows him over. Like I said earlier, never assume anything, and especially don't assume that a driver is going to see you. So why sit in the middle of the intersection like a sitting duck waiting to get plowed into, just to simply be following the law?

Do what you need to feel safe, but don't put anyone else in harms way in the process. I do agree with you though on this, if you don't feel fully comfortable with going through an intersection on your bike, walk it through.

Looks like the tickets won't give the cyclists any points....

http://www.ddot.dc.gov/ddot/frames.asp?doc=/ddot/lib/ddot/information/bicycle/laws/18_dcmr_12.pdf

"Or should I stand there in the middle of a busy intersection, waiting for the gap in 11th St. traffic that never comes?"

At an intersection like that, where I have little or no faith in the drivers, I'll frequently do a "jug-handle" maneuver if it's not clear: I come up to the cross street on the right, flip 3/4's clockwise to orient to the cross-street's red light on the right side of the lane, and wait for it to turn green.

It's not the most efficient thing to do, and I'm not taking the right-of-way that I should be allowed, but I got kids and I'd rather be safe than injured and right.

I see a lot of people here arguing that bikes can safely go through red lights and stop signs. In an urban setting, that same argument can be made for cars, with equal merit.

It can't, actually. The differences between peds or bikes and cars or trucks crossing a street, in terms of the physics and consequences, are not comparable. You can make the argument, but not with equal merit.

Biking south on 16th, taking a whole lane is perfectly safe, and legal, for a cyclist to do. People freak out about this, but don't understand the statistics. Accidents described as "motorist overtaking cyclist" come out consistently in the 5% range, and most of those are on rural highways, not urban settings. Meanwhile, about 12% of bike accidents involve a cyclist going the wrong way/using the wrong side of the road.

http://www.johnforester.com/Articles/Facilities/TransQuart01.htm

I'm a 15 year bike commuter that just beat a ticket in Arlington that I got for not staying to the right of the road. I told the judge I was occupying my lane traveling the speed limit. Not guilty. Southbound 16th Street is an ideal bicycle route. The only drawback is the light at Florida, I hate to lose all that momentum, but better red then dead.

Ok -- Why are bicyclers advocating using the sidewalk? The bicyclist killed on July 8th was riding on the sidewalk parallel to the dump truck that killed her. When the light turned green the truck driver looked right to make a turn and there were no pedestrians. The driver is obligated to look for pedestrians at the curb, not 4-5 houses up to see a bicycle coming down the sidewalk. You know the rest of the story here.

I am sure she may have had some "rational" reason for riding on the sidewalk. If she were alive today, she may have been thanking the "Tub of Love" officer for a ticket.

Now we have a police force trying to curb some poor behaviors of cyclists, hopefully no one else will be killed; such a novel approach to deal with an issue.

@stevenc: you're mixing apples and oranges. The people were getting tickets today for going the wrong way on a one-way. It had nothing to do with riding on the sidewalk.

Aww, and all those irresponsible scofflaws in that photo are wearing bicycle helmets. Don't give them a ticket, give them a cookie for being so good to wear their helmets and so smart to take the safest shortcut.

But please god, DCIST, can you stop it with these bike-traffic articles, it's the same motherfucking debate every single goddamn time.

Hey, this time it was different. A cop was actually doing something, something that didn't involve shaking down hookers.

Agreed that this is a debate that will never end.

Drivers need to be more cognizant of their environment and respect all applicable traffic laws.

Bicyclists need to be more cognizant of their environment and respect all applicable traffic laws.

Same goes for pedestrians. Only when all three groups of people actually obey all of the rules/regulations will you see a change.

Unless the laws are changed for vehicle types -- if you're biking down the wrong side of the street, you should get a ticket -- just as if I were driving on the wrong side of the street. Or walking across the street in the middle of the block just asking to be hit.

Suances: bikes can go on the sidewalk because they're bicycles. I never said the regulations were consistent, just that they're not gray. The bike chapter in the traffic code is like 3 pages long, but almost no one ever reads it.

All drivers speed and all bikes go through stop signs and red lights. Some do it dangerously for others. Some do it dangerously for themselves. No one's special. Everyone's jealous.

One big happy family.

I don't think that anyone has explained where these southbound cyclists are supposed to go when they hit the U St-16 St intersection. The only "exits" from New Hampshire are the right turns from 16 northbound and U westbound--both of which are one-ways for cars.

Unless maybe the bicycles jump onto the pedestrian island at the northeast corner of the intersection and then transit U or 16 via the crosswalks? That's classy, transforming from a pseudo-vehicle going the wrong way down a one-way into a pseudo-pedestrian using the crosswalk and back again.

Also, to be fair to the police, I've seen them staking out that exact spot (with the squad car turned the opposite way from the picture) and ticketing cars that take the "shortcut" right turn from U to 16th.

fullcarbon: this will never end, but it's not pointless. we can have a great time seeing how many times we can say the same thing without getting tired. maybe one of us will trip up and say something crazy!

IMGoph: is so

Hillman: is not

IMGoph: is so

Hillman: is not

IMGoph: is so

Hillman: is not

IMGoph: is not

Hillman: is so

IMGoph: a-HA! so it IS so!

Hillman: [crying]

(small rant) I think heading down the wrong way on the street is one of the few things that is not cool (be that a one way street or riding on the other side of the road) ... the other week I almost hit someone that took a right turn from 7th ST SE into K straight into the oncoming traffic.

Running a stop sign or a red light where you can see what is going on is fine, crossing in front of a car coming from a direction that one does not usually except traffic to come from is just suicidal.

I walk a lot, I actually don't dare to bike in this city, the bike lanes don't seem to get any respect from the drivers. But as their are taking on bikers going the wrong way they should take on talking on the phone and blocking the pedestrian crossing, it would make me feel a lot safer.

Here we go:

Nykisha Cleveland, OPC's Public Affairs Specialist, (202) 727-3838

and people who wear sunglasses indoors. i'd like to see them incarcerated too...

no

I don't think that I would have stopped for fat boy. Sort of ironic having a fat slob handing you a biking ticket. Look at him, he really needs to lose some weight for his own good. I would even dare to say that his lifestyle habits are more of a burden than some middle aged bike riders.

This is rich - they don't have time to stop bike thieves - that jack bike in broad day light with power tools, but they can hand you a traffic ticket for ridding down empty street. I can see this in the suburbs but in a major metropolitan city? Here - www.spotcrime.com - this will help you find something to do.

And for all of you way too uptight people, you really need to get a life. You are taking this rule thing way to far.If my not stopping when there isn't traffic or ridding down the wrong way of an empty street then you really have some serious control issues. As long as I am not acting reckless, like ridding on the sidewalk, then what do you care? If it bothers you that much then maybe it's just time to get that anxiety medication dosage checked? Seriously, just because your life sucks doesn't mean that you have to drag me into it.

Hey manicallday - you need to lay off the caffeine or crack or whatever it is you're on.

DCPS have never given a crap about property crimes. That's just the way it is. What do they care if some rich asshole gets his four thousand dollar bike stolen? So if you're worried, then you need to take your widdle bike inside.

And ridding [sic] the wrong way down a one way street and not obeying the traffic laws is reckless. I personally hope the next time you're riding the wrong way down a one way street after blowing off a red light (because you're a REBEL, man!) you meet an inattentive, ML driving Soccer Mom coming the other way who's busy texting her husband because she spilled her four dollar latte in her lap. Maybe while you're in the hospital recovering, it'll get through your thick head that the traffic laws are there for a purpose

Dude, didn't you tell that gun nut a couple threads ago to go off and die or something? Not that s/h/it didn't deserve it, but still.

Hey Goph - rereading my post I see what you mean. I really didn't wish him pain and suffering. I just wanted to point out that doing the kind of stupid shit he was bragging about is going to get him seriously hurt. There are an awful lot of careless drivers out there: reckless cycling and inattentive driving is a recipe for disaster.

drlronhoover

Whatever you control freak. I hope that I do get hit by that car and I hope the driver is you so I can just get up and beat your happy ass senseless.