bicycling | ARLnow.com

Cyclist Issued Warning by ACPD After Accident

Published September 2, 2011 at 10:00AM | Updated July 12, 2017 at 1:53PM

The accident happened on the afternoon of Wednesday, Aug. 10. The cyclist said he was heading eastbound on the Custis Trail, crossing Lynn Street in Rosslyn with the green light, when a car quickly turned in front of him as he was traveling across the intersection. He slammed on the brakes but still hit the vehicle’s rear driver’s side quarter panel.

The cyclist, who did not want to be named, said that police followed his ambulance to the hospital, asked him to write a written statement, and then handed him a warning as soon as he had finished the statement. The warning was for failing to “obey a highway sign.”

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Bike Accident Involving Police Car Along Custis Trail

By ARLnow.com

Published August 16, 2011 at 4:39PM

A bicyclist struck an Arlington County police cruiser on Lee Highway this afternoon as the cruiser was responding to a bicyclist struck by a car a couple of blocks away.

The cyclist was heading downhill on the Custis Trail, toward Rosslyn, at the time of the accident. He struck the front bumper of the police cruiser as it was entering westbound Lee Highway from N. Oak Street, tumbled to the ground and suffered a bloody head wound. The wound was said to be superficial and the cyclist was conscious when medics arrived to treat him.

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Cyclist Recounts Accident at Lynn Street and Lee Hwy

By ARLnow.com

Published August 11, 2011 at 1:35PM | Updated August 11, 2011 at 3:13PM

(Updated at 3:15 p.m.) A cyclist who was struck at the dangerous intersection of Lynn Street and Lee Highway in Rosslyn is recounting her accident with the hopes that it will convince transportation authorities to speed up safety improvements planned for 2013/2014.

Erika, a 24-year-old Rosslyn resident, injured her foot after being struck by a vehicle in the intersection. The accident occurred around 1:20 p.m. on Saturday, making it the first of three instances of bicyclists being struck in the intersection this week.

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Another Cyclist Struck in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Published August 10, 2011 at 3:43PM | Updated July 12, 2017 at 1:54PM

The cyclist was struck by a vehicle on Lynn Street, just past Lee Highway approaching the Key Bridge, around 3:30 p.m. Only minor injuries were reported, but initial reports suggest the cyclist is going to be brought to a hospital.

This is the second reported bicyclist accident at the intersection in three days. Arlington County is the early stages of designing and implementing safety improvements at the intersection. The project is not expected to be complete until 2014.

Around Town

Meet Arlington’s Penny-Farthing Commuter

By ARLnow.com

Published August 10, 2011 at 2:15PM | Updated August 10, 2011 at 4:48PM

You just wouldn’t know it if you saw him riding down the street on his 1891 Columbia Light Roadster “penny-farthing” bicycle, a bike so old that the only replacement tires you can find for it are sold by the Amish.

Matthews, an employee in the Arlington County communications department and self-professed lover of “old stuff,” has been riding a bike to work every day for 10 years now. For a couple of days last week, Matthews caused a bit of a stir when he started commuting from his home in Falls Church to the county government building in Courthouse on the penny-farthing, instead of on his usual, low-key 1972 Peugeot three-speed. Tweets and emails started coming in to ARLnow.com, asking what was up with the guy pedaling through Ballston on the old-school, high-wheel bike.

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Accident Involving Bicyclist Near Key Bridge

By ARLnow.com

Published August 8, 2011 at 8:33AM | Updated July 12, 2017 at 1:54PM

The accident happened on Lynn Street, near the intersection with Lee Highway. Two lanes of Lynn Street were blocked as medics treated the bicyclist and as police took photos of the accident scene.

The bicyclist was taken to George Washington University Hospital with unspecified injuries. So far there’s no indication that those injuries are life-threatening.

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Accident on GW Parkway Narrowly Misses Cyclist

By ARLnow.com

Published July 21, 2011 at 11:47AM | Updated July 12, 2017 at 1:55PM

Two injuries were reported after a pickup truck rear-ended at least one of two cars that had stopped at the crossing. According to a video posted on Facebook by a witness, the female cyclist hesitated before crossing in front of the two cars. That act of vigilance may have saved her life.

“This right here is the worst bike crossing in the entire city,” said a man narrating the video from behind the camera. “The speed limit here is 45 miles per hour, and you have to come to a complete stop for the bike crossing. There should probably be a tunnel here, or something like that, instead.”

Around Town

Bike/Pedestrian Underpass to Columbia Island Marina Now Open

By ARLnow.com

Published July 11, 2011 at 1:49PM | Updated July 11, 2011 at 5:56PM

A bike and pedestrian pathway between the Mt. Vernon Trail and Columbia Island Marina/Lyndon B. Johnson Memorial Grove is now open.

The pathway opened less than two weeks ago. It runs under the new Boundary Channel Humpback Bridge, which carries traffic from the GW Parkway and the Mt. Vernon Trail.

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Morning Poll: Pro-Car or Pro-Pedestrian?

By ARLnow.com

Published June 28, 2011 at 9:30AM

The issue is presented as a set of two mutually-exclusive options: either continue to support transportation policies that make it easy to own and drive a car, at the expense of bike and pedestrian safety; or support policies that make it easier and safer to walk and bike, at the expense of drivers.

Yesterday on the Arlington’s Commuter Page Blog, county Commuter Services Transportation Bureau Chief Chris Hamilton lauded Europe’s pro-pedestrian and anti-car policies, which have “reduced traffic and the number of cars in cities… re-conquering space for pedestrians.”

Around Town

Meeting Tonight to Discuss Bikeshare Expansion

By ARLnow.com

Published June 27, 2011 at 3:51PM

As we reported earlier this month, the meeting will seek input on 33 potential sites for Bikeshare stations throughout the corridor. In addition those sites, the county is also soliciting suggestion for other station locations via an interactive ‘crowdsourced’ map.

The selection criteria for new stations stipulate that the stations get 4+ hours of direct sunlight daily, be on flat ground and avoid creating “a dangerous situation for street users,” among other requirements. A total of 30 stations are expected to be built over the next year.

Around Town

Arlington Cyclist Wins Trip to Tour de France

By ARLnow.com

Published June 23, 2011 at 3:54PM

Arlington resident and competitive cyclist Joe Praino has won a dream trip to the Tour de France after collecting the most votes in a nationwide contest.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published June 23, 2011 at 8:27AM

Pentagon Suspect Suspected in Shootings — The man whose arrest prompted authorities to shut down Washington Boulevard during the Friday morning rush hour is now being investigated for a possible connection to a mysterious series of incidents of shots fired at the Pentagon and various Northern Virginia sites linked to the Marine Corps. Yonathan Melaku, a 22-year-old Marine reservist, is currently being held at a Loudoun County jail. [Inside Nova]

Arlington Cabbies Stage Sit-In — Arlington taxi drivers surprised county officials by packing into a Arlington County office yesterday in protest of regulations that they say give the owners of taxi companies too much control over drivers. [Washington Examiner]