Help from our DC ladies!

[7rider]

Here is a summary of DC area bike laws, with links.
Nice letter...thanks for writing it.
Oh, you may want to add (to clarify for those who don't know) that even if a bike path or MUT is available, cyclists are usually *not required* to use it. This is a safety issue, for the very reasons you point out (other users, slower speeds, etc).

[Aint Doody]

Great letter! Well-written. It will indeed be interesting to hear if you get a response.

[aicabsolut]

Here is a summary of DC area bike laws, with links.
Nice letter...thanks for writing it.
Oh, you may want to add (to clarify for those who don't know) that even if a bike path or MUT is available, cyclists are usually *not required* to use it. This is a safety issue, for the very reasons you point out (other users, slower speeds, etc).

This is true. I get yelled at CONSTANTLY, and some of the gestures and words have been very threatening recently, on MacArthur Blvd which runs from Georgetown area to Maryland. This is a road that is covered with road bikes on the weekends. The speed limit is fairly low, but people speed a lot. There is a "bike path" (technically, it's not a MUP, because it's marked for bikes) on one side of the road--sometimes it is on the shoulder like a regular bike lane and sometimes it breaks off and is separate from the road. It's hard to ride on the path going north as it runs on the other side of the street. It's also used more like a MUP. Joggers, walkers, strollers, kids on bikes, slower bikes of all varieties, dogs, people parking. The way people pull out from side streets, it is pretty dangerous to ride on the path going north (they don't look), and if you are going over 15mph, which is very easy on this road, it's pretty dangerous to ride on for the traffic. PLUS, that road is a bike route with "share the road" signs all over the place. We're thus not at all required to actually be on the path.

Sidewalks are so busy and pretty dangerous to be on. The regular MUPs are ridiculous if you're actually trying to train. The only time there are significant numbers of cyclists on them such that you may not have to stop or go off the path regularly is during commuting hours. Even then, it's not so safe. My only wreck so far has been on a DC area MUP.

The Rock Creek path is not very suitable for road bikes. It has so much debris and some rough bridges that it's much more suitable for mountain bike tires.

Thanks for writing the letter. Non-cyclists who use the paths want us on the street. Motorists want us on the paths or sidewalks or home.