Consideration of Cyclists for E. Monroe Ave Traffic Calming

[Erin McMahon]

I concur with Clarence's recommendations.  Feel free to add my name in support of his recommendation.  Especially the Sharrows.  I frequently suffer near misses on that street.  King street likewise needs a sharrows. For those living off King we have to ride on King before we can cut into the Del Ray neighborhood and for some reason motorists think its perfectly acceptable to honk at us when we are more then a foot off the curb!
Erin McMahon


Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2007 09:42:53 -0400From: cwdillon at gmail.comTo: sandra.marks at alexandriava.govSubject: Consideration of Cyclists for E. Monroe Ave Traffic CalmingCC: yon.lambert at alexandria.gov; bsc at bicycle.alexandria.va.usMs Marks,I will not be able to attend Wednesday's 7pm meeting at GW Middle School on the proposed traffic calming project, but I have some input that I hope you will consider.  I live on E. Monroe Ave and feel I am attentive to the traffic along this street.  My family and I walk in our neighborhood quite a bit, so I am generally in favor of traffic calming throughout the neighborhood.  I am also a bicycle commuter and so I pay close attention to efforts that are supposed to calm traffic and enable cyclists and pedestrians.  I have made these observations about traffic on Monroe Ave: 1.  The Alexandria DASH buses are some of the worst offenders, speeding along E. Monroe Ave.  Speeding cars are dangerous and noisy; speeding buses so much more dangerous and noisy.  2.  As the pear trees along E. Monroe Ave disappear (the city arbor cuts the dying ones down but does not replace them), the street opens up and people seem more inclined to speed.  I suppose, because the street has the look of a bypass and not a tree-covered lane...  I can think of at least 5 trees that have been taken down and none have been replaced. 3.  The traffic calming on Monroe Ave, near CVS and the YMCA has made that area more difficult to navigate on a bike.  Because many drivers do not recognize the legitimacy of cyclists in the traffic lanes, and cyclists ride in the far right side of the traffic lane, motorists do not yield the lane to cyclists who are forced to move closer to the center of the lane at bump-outs.   (In all my years of riding I've never seen a cyclists suddenly disappear while riding, though the roadway afforded to cyclists comes and goes!) ...and I have these recommendations:1.  Alexandria Police should occasionally enforce the speed limit along E. Monroe Ave, especially watching for DASH buses.2.  The City Arborist should replant trees along E. Monroe Ave, especially taking advantage of the new bump-outs at crossings. 3.  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE paint "Sharrows" on E. Monroe Ave (and all traffic calming projects) where the road narrows or lanes shift.  This indicates to motorists that cyclists should be in the middle of the traffic lane, not forced into the gutters when the road narrows.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions or follow-up.Respectfully,Clarence Dillon223 E. Monroe AveAlexandria, VA 22301703-981-6593
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