Drivers, bikers covet space on Washington region’s parkways

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I was surprised to learn that the National Park Service policy barring bicyclists from the George Washington Parkway has been in place since 2007 but that signs have only recently been placed along the parkway south of Alexandria [Dr. Gridlock, Sept. 11]. That 2007 policy decision has been largely ignored, and not a single occasion of my using the parkway goes by without encountering and maneuvering to avoid bicyclists.

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To be effective, the policy needs to be enforced through ticketing and fines, just like the procedures used along the parkway for speeding motorists. The days of the parkway being primarily a scenic route are many decades in the past; it is now also a major commuter route.

Bicycling on the parkway presents the case of an accident waiting to happen and jeopardizes motorists’ safety as well as that of bicyclists. In addition, biking on the parkway is extremely discourteous to the numerous motorists using that roadway when an alternate path exists parallel to the road. Perhaps the refusal of bicyclists to use the Mount Vernon Trail also confirms their inability to be courteous to pedestrians and other users of that trail. Regardless, there will be no alleviation of the current dangerous situation until enforcement begins — and the sooner, the better.

Bill Bennett, Alexandria

DG: Discussions about sharing the roads tend to pit different types of travelers against each other, and that happened in response to the Sept. 11 letter expressing dismay at the Park Service’s restatement of its bike ban on the George Washington and Clara Barton parkways. The Park Service says conditions on the parkways are just too dangerous to mingle bikes and cars. The Washington Area Bicyclist Association believes the policy is unfair and questions the Park Service view that adequate alternatives exist for bikers.

Sharing a parkway

Some travelers are looking for compromises for the south end of the GW Parkway.

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I have often ridden my bike on the parkway from Belle Haven to Mount Vernon, and I relished the chance to take my bike up to high gear for several miles on a relatively flat, straight stretch of well-paved road.

But I did so only on early weekend mornings because I would not have wanted to bike in rush-hour or weekend afternoon traffic. That suggests a possible solution, which is to permit bicycles during certain off-peak hours but prohibit them during periods of heavy vehicle traffic.

Edwin Fountain, Arlington County

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I use the south end of the George Washington Parkway for both biking and commuting into Old Town. It seems to me that a reasonable compromise would be to allow biking at certain times and on certain days. I usually ride the George Washington Parkway on weekends before 9 or 9:30 a.m. It’s a safer connector to rides south of Mount Vernon than Route 1, and it is not very crowded at those times.

I am also amazed, however, when I see bike riders on it during rush hour, when it is dangerous. (This doesn’t happen very often.)

Rather than just closing it to all bikes all the time, one compromise could be to keep it open on weekends to bikes, whether it be all day or only till noon. During the week, either close it to bikes all day, or open it only from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.