Joint Bike Segway Event in Washington DC

[wwhopper]

The DC Bike Advisory Committee and DC SEG will be encouraging bikers and gliders to come together to work on some new trail ideas in NW DC.

This is from the Committee.

DCBAC Facilities Committee Members and Everyone Else!

At our February joint meeting of the DC BAC Facilities Committee and the
DC Recreational Trails Advisory Committee we decided that the April
Committee meeting should be a field trip to look at Bike/Segway facility
opportunities in the Pallisades area. That joint field trip/committee
meeting will take place on Saturday April 22. Keep reading for details.

We decided to open up this field trip to any interested members of the
public and DDOT's Chris Holben is making the arrangements for us.

This low mileage/low speed ride will focus on the proposed new trail
along Dalecarlia Parkway and integration with the Sibley master plan,
and repairs to the existing Capitol Crescent and C&O Canal trails as
well look at new opportunities in the area.

The ride will be on Saturday April 22nd, starting at 10am and until
noon.

The ride will take place on DC streets and trails.

The tentative route will start at Westmoreland Circle and end up at the
Palisades Recreation Center where we will set out a map and can discuss
any issues seen on the ride.

For more details or to RSVP, contact Chris Holben at DDOT, 202-671-2638
or chris.holben@dc.gov

Ellen Jones
Director of Transportation
Downtown Business Improvement District
1250 H Street NW #1000
Washington, D.C. 20005
(p)202-626-1145
(f)202-661-7599
(c)202-821-9064
www.downtowndc.org

[wwhopper]

As I had posted earlier this month there will be a combined bike and
Segway trail glide/ride in upper Northwest DC this Saturday from
10am to noon.

As dDot is looking at Segways for the DC City Council, and as of
right now we are allowed on DC trails (though they are few and far
between.) This will be a good time for folks from the DC Bicycle
Advisory Committee to see Segways up close and in action and
interacting with bike users.

This low mileage/low speed ride/glide will focus on the proposed new
trail along Dalecarlia Parkway and integration with the Sibley
master plan, and repairs to the existing Capitol Crescent and C&O
Canal trails as well look at new opportunities in the area.

The ride will be on Saturday April 22nd, starting at 10am and until
noon.

The ride will take place on DC streets and trails.

The tentative route will start at Westmoreland Circle and end up at
the Palisades Recreation Center where we will set out a map and can
discuss any issues seen on the ride.

For more details or to RSVP, contact Chris Holben at DDOT, 202-671-
2638 or chris.holben@dc.gov

Let me know if you will be attending, it would be good if we have at
least a couple of Segway users in attendance.

Or you could bring your bike, and say - I wish I had a Segway!

[wwhopper]

Here is the latest on the issues of weather:

There have been some concerns about rain this Saturday. If it is pouring down rain, we will plan on meeting at the Palisades Recreation Center at 10:30am to discuss the proposed projects. The Rec. Center is located at

5200 Sherier Place, NW
Washington, DC 20016
(202) 282-2186

If the roads are wet but not raining, we will plan to meet at 10am at Westmoreland Circle and proceed as planned.

Thanks, Chris, Christopher Holben, Bicycle Program Specialist
----
The meeting place for the ride/glide if it is not pouring is Westmoreland Circle. That is Mass Ave NW and Western Ave NW, right on the boarder of DC and Maryland. The closest Metro Stop would be Friendship Heights on the Red Line and go South West on Western Avenue - cross over River Road and go to the Circle at Mass - about two miles.

What we are going to do is park a car at the Palisades Rec Center, and then take a car with the Segs and Park close to the Circle, and use the other to take us back to the first car - since we still both have the lower range batteries. I will try to be there about 9:45 am on Saturday Morning if it is not pouring down RAIN!

The more of us on Segways they see, the more they will think we are not just
some passing fad!

[wwhopper]

Good turn out today; we had almost equal number of cyclists and gliders. Though the pedestrians did get into their cars and met us at the meeting site.

Bikers did whine about the rain, but we all did the ride/glide, especially when they saw that the HT gliders were ready to go for it.

I met, demoed, and really had a good talk with the NPS Superintendent for the Canal Tow Path and the Capital Crescent Trail. We talked about the Segways, and he said they really are waiting to follow the Mall on the issue about how they are dealt with on his part of NPS property. He said he did not think they would be allowed on the towpath, due to the changing surfaces there (I think we can get him to see that a little bit better, with some more demos) but he really saw no reason they should not be on the Capital Crescent Trail.

He loved the Segway, and I could see him thinking about the use of the XT's for some patrol work.

Also the DC bike group members were very positive about Segways, one guy (one of the real avid cyclists) kept making comments that these trails are for Segways as well as bikes and pedestrians - and he was being very honest, he sees that they should be all over down town! (YES!)

I glided as the Executive Director of WABA (the Washington Area Bicycle Association) biked beside me, and we had a good talk about trails and Segway usage.

The neighborhood group we met with liked Segways in the neighborhood more than the speeding bikes. Many residents had issues with bikes speeding down their trails and onto the Capital Crescent Trail and were fine with the HT.s

The DC Department of Transportation folks were happy to see us out there too, and were very impressed at our performance in the rain. Yet one more good thing, as they are advising the City Council on HT usage within DC.

All it takes is a little education, and as folks become less wary of the HT, I think we can make some strides, as long as we get to the right people.

[Sal]

It makes me happy to hear that meetings like this happen, where people can all get together and form a united front rather than one group over another group. There are positive aspects to both bicycles and Segways.

At least the powers that be were open to demos so they can get a better idea of what they will be "ruling?" on.

Good Job, Will and the rest!

Looking forward to seeing you again in Columbus. Our meeting in Indy was far too short.

-Sal

[Desert_Seg]

Will,

You must be commended for being such an avid supporter and believer in the Segway.

Your efforst to make the Segway a part of mainstream America are a good example for all of us to follow. The more you do the easier it becomes for the rest of us.

Thanks and I wish I could have been there to glide with y'all.

Steven