Results tagged “bikes>”

Law-breaking, wasting public funds and an elected official who's increasingly unpopular -- the story had everything you would want in an exposé. So when WTOP's Mark Segraves reported Monday that D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty used a police escort and clogged up area roads on his daily bike ride, everyone jumped on it. Including us.

When in late September the Post all but announced the death of the fixed-gear bicycle fad with a 1,700-word primer on single-speeds, we wondered what would come next. Now we've got our answer -- the Tweed Ride.

       

City officials gathered this morning to open the new Union Station Bike Transit Center, the first secure bicycle parking facility of its kind on the East Coast.

Have you had your bike stolen recently? Has the lack of breeze in your face been causing you to break down in long periods of longing and caused you to endlessly peruse Craigslist for junkers? You're not alone. So not alone, in fact, that the police have recovered enough in-tact sets of wheels from Washington's ubiquitous bike thieves that they might be able to provide you with a cure for your bikeless malady. The Second District Police Station, located at 3320 Idaho Ave., NW, will host a "bike viewing" on Wednesday between 3:30pm until 6:30pm in the community room of the building. For those who have had their bicycle stolen: be sure to bring receipts, serial numbers, and any other identifying information to the station. We'll cross our fingers for you.

That's the route that a couple hundred area bad-asses on bikes are taking through the District today for the 50 States Ride, a commanding 65-mile tour of the city. From Alabama Avenue SE to Wyoming Avenue NW -- though not necessarily in that order -- bikers are riding through all 8 Wards in order to visit each of the District's 50 avenues named after a United State. Organized by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, the 50 States Ride can be a brutal ride. It's a rain-or-shine event, which is a real threat on a day like this, and the District isn't closing off all 50 state avenues to car traffic for the ride. It's not a race, the organizers say (though two participants I spoke to this morning said pffft, 'course it's a race).

Head over to why.i.hate.dc for a photo and update on the 22 ghost bikes that were placed all around the intersection of Connecticut and R NW a week ago. Looks like someone decided to let activist Legba Carrefour know they aren't fond of his bikes.

All of the remaining ghost bikes near Connecticut and R have been piled up at two locations, outside of the Cosi and at the site of the original ghost bike. It's a mess, and the pile near the Cosi is blocking the crosswalk. It appears as though some of the bikes that had been locked are in the pile or missing, as well. It's unclear who may have done this, but I would imagine DPW will be removing the bikes very soon given the state of the street. I urge Legba Carrefour or the Washington Area Bicyclist Association to clean this up as soon as possible. This is no longer a tribute to Alice Swanson or bicycle safety.

       

Early this morning, 22 new ghost bikes appeared around the intersection of Connecticut Avenue, R and 20th Streets NW. There were put there by Columbia Heights resident Legba Carrefour, in an effort to protest the city's recent removal of the Alice Swanson ghost bike by the city. Alice's original ghost bike was placed in front of the La Tomate restaurant by the Washington Area Bicycle Association shortly after her death a little over a year ago, though WABA as an organization is not taking credit for this latest, much larger stunt.

Yeah, getting around town on two wheels sure can be great. But if you're anything like me, if something goes wrong, you're at a total loss. Just looking at the maze of spokes and gears without some kind of help is enough to drive most normal folks to the brink of insanity.

The setting of traps by police at the tricky intersection of U Street, 16th Street and New Hampshire Ave. NW in order to catch bicyclists going the wrong way on New Hampshire: it's certainly been a discussion sparker since their initiation earlier this year. But chalk one up for the bikers, via GGW: Sam DuPont, one of the many who have been ticketed in the traps, won his appeal against the fine. His successful tactic? Arguing, as every biker (and frankly, anyone that's ever walked or probably even driven there) knows, that going the "wrong way" on New Hampshire is the safest way to get through if you're on two wheels. The fact that DDOT has all but recognized this fact surely assisted his argument.

Bill Myers reports in the Examiner that Mayor Adrian Fenty's regular bike rides have chalked up at least 178 man-hours for additional police security. "At least 100 times between January 2007 and June 2008, records show, one or more extra officers were paid to accompany Fenty’s bike team and security detail." The records paint a pretty different picture than the mayor's image as a chief executive who tends to drive himself around town without a large security detail or a motorcade. Police union head Kris Baumann told the Examiner the extra hours are "an embarrassment and a waste."

Sure, sure, we all know the big news about the D.C. Council allowing bars to serve alcohol until 5 a.m. And D.C. Wire delivered the scoop that the District government is hosting their Inaugural Ball "for the people" — at City Hall. This year, District pols are going with a "51st State" theme: For $51, attendees will enjoy the legendary Chuck Brown and an implicit lecture on statehood. Not a bad deal considering how Inaugural Ball tickets tend to closer to four figures.

              

With the U.S. Capitol in the background and Pennsylvania Avenue freshly repaved, some of the country's best cyclists battled it out in yesterday's ING Direct Capital Criterium. But while the main attraction was the presence of a number of professional racers -- including Garmin-Chipotle rider Christian Vande Velde, who placed fifth in the Tour de France -- the event capped off what has been a strong year in local racing for area riders and teams.

"No" bikes? This could only have written by one person. Flickr user AlbinoFlea caught this curious sign down in Gallery Place. We'll leave it to the bike riders to argue what the definition of "no" is here. EXIF.

There was very little else for Londonist to be concerned with when the threat of a Tube strike became a very unpleasant reality. The inconvenience was extreme: there aren't many alternatives to the Tube in London despite the best efforts of the Londonist team to get everyone from A to B. Brighter news came in the form of the first ever female Yeoman Warder, or Beefeater as the position is more commonly known, and...

Steve Eldridge over at the Examiner notes that fewer Washingtonians are driving themselves solo to work than they were three years ago. According to the unfortunately titled “Preliminary Draft Commuter Connections State of the Commute Survey 2007 Survey Technical Report,” the number of those in the region driving by themselves to job locations outside the home was 71 percent, compared with 74.1 percent in the 2004 survey. This survey is put together by the Metropolitan...

Banner week for SFist as the site's new editor introduced himself -- hooray for Brock! While the NY Times weighed in on SF's mayoral race, only SFist had the (insert tongue firmly into cheek) hard-hitting latest on candidate/activist Josh Wolf. Coverage of a protest vs. gentrification spawned a fantastic debate amongst SFist's readers. Finally, from the sublime to the ridiculous: video of a man that confused a Board of Supes meeting with "open mic...

If you've been waiting for an official endorsement of your plan to rollerskate to work, this is about as close as you're going to get. Today the D.C. Council unanimously endorsed legislation that designated September 18, 2007 as "D.C. Car-Free Day." The measure, which follows World Car-Free Day, currently celebrated in 1,500 cities in 40 countries, was sponsored by Councilmembers Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), and Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) and council Chair Vincent Gray. Wells...

It looks like Police Chief Cathy Lanier might have to go back to the drawing board. After her new summer crime initiative enjoyed a successful rollout with a full-scale police deployment and a record number of weekend arrests two weeks back, this last weekend wasn't nearly as peaceful. According to WJLA, four seperate shootings over a two-hour period on Saturday night and Sunday morning (two dead, two injured) forced Lanier to call a meeting today...

Just a little over a month ago, DCist Jeff updated our very occasional series, What We're Missing, with a plea for the introduction of municipal bicycles available for rent all over the city, a la the same deal that Paris, France is about to get. Here's what he said: At first, we cringe at the thought of hundreds of street-clogging lost tourists and a cottage industry of bike thefts. With more examination, though, there's a...

All across the Ist-A-Verse (or at least the American parts thereof), writers and editors are in the midst of enjoying their three-day weekend. But after the week we've all had, we feel like the break is not only needed, but deserved. Just look at everything we've been doing! Gothamist headed into the Memorial Day weekend with a number of tasks accomplished. They worried about Long Islanders giving New Yorkers a bad name. They tried...

Quick, informal poll: Raise your hand if your drive, slug, or Metro to work each day. Now keep your hand raised if you hate your commute. One more -- keep your hand up if you have a bike. For all of you out their that still have your hands up (virtually, at least), why not pull that old dusty Diamondback off the back porch, give it the WD-40 treatment, and ride it to work for...

>> D.C. United host rivals New England in a game nationally televised on ESPN2. Posters and t-shirts await the first 10,000 and 3,000 entrants, respectively. Be sure to get there early for food, drink, and some party rock courtesy of Love Seed Mama Jump in Lot 8. [RFK Stadium (tickets still available), 7 p.m. kickoff; pregame festivities at 5:30 p.m.] >> Don't forget the Onion's D.C. kickoff party with Georgie James, Neil Hamburger, Aziz...

It's been awhile since the last entry in this very occassional series. We love D.C., but we know it's not perfect. Is there something you think we're missing? Let us know. Official Washington likes to think that it is bicycle-friendly. But we often hear a different story, involving dodging bricks, menacing drivers, annoying registrations, and brazen theives. For all but the most hardcore cyclists among us, the thought of negotiating D.C.'s streets on two wheels...

We got an email today from the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District announcing a little lunchtime commuter fair for tomorrow. It's a fairly benign event, but one little detail jumped out at us: Workers and visitors in downtown DC’s central business district can navigate Metro’s online trip planner, pick up bus schedules, register their bikes, get information on car sharing, and learn about MARC, VRE and commuter buses during a lunchtime commuter fair at Farragut...

As the world holds it's breath, teetering precariously on the cusp of the Super Bowl (well, at least in America), the wheels of the -ists keep on turning. Austinist was in a musical frame of mind as they listened to the new Shins album, updated the SXSW band listings and got called "punk rock" for their efforts by MTV. And an ice storm swept through the area. Bostonist said goodbye to John Kerry's plans...

As 2006 ends and 2007 begins, the -ists look back not at the past week, but at the past year. So here it is, your Best of 2006 Spectacular. And from all of us at the -ists, happy New Year! Austinist was all about controversy as new construction to increase urban density ran rampant in 2006, as did threats to the city's image from gigantic corporations looking to set up shop in town, leading...

Afternoon, D.C. Hope you're enjoying your Tuesday, and that your holiday shopping is getting done. Ours sure isn't. Here's some news for you all to get you out the office door. >> We know some people who won't have any problems affording all the items on their Christmas lists this year. The D.C. Council just voted this afternoon to give themselves a raise, making themselves the highest-paid officials in the area. The Post gives us...

As fall settles in and another calendar page gets turned, thoughts turn from bbq's and vacations to holidays and the realization that '06 is coming to an end. With all that going on, with change in the air, we wonder what is it that made that makes the -ists ponder? Phillyist is concerned that the war on Trans fats could affect it's beloved cheese steak sandwiches, something for which we should all be concerned. They...

We had mentioned Borf's "video communique release and street party" a couple of times before, and even though it's been a few days, we thought we'd share DCist's experience at the event. After waiting for about an hour at 11th and O NW on Saturday night, it seemed like the 100 people in attendance (plus a fair number of police officers) had been punk'd. However, there eventually was a brief video about depression, gentrification, and...

Ever had your bicycle stolen? Want to know what comes of it? One District resident did. Yesterday the City Paper reported on the efforts of Chevy Chase resident Evan McAnney, who was looking for ways to end a streak of thefts that had denied him of five bicycles in three years. His plan was to install a small radio transmitter into a bicycle, leave it unattended, and allow police to track it when it was...