tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489817553789540332024-02-07T00:46:55.129-08:00River East BicyclistJ.Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316693719016660408noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48981755378954033.post-61143212044780041012010-04-02T18:45:00.000-07:002010-04-02T18:45:51.763-07:00Spring time for South East So spring time has finally come around. It has been absolutely beautiful here in DC. <br />
<br />
That being said, I say its about time to get the neighborhood together, and get out there and clean up. Why do people still in this day and age, not understand the concept of not littering? Seriously? Do you really have no respect for your own enviroment? Im not even talking about the earth, more so the area you are actually living in. Do you just toss trash on the floor of your house? If so, don't the rats and fleas, and bacteria/mold disgust you? How can you live in piles of your own filth? <br />
<br />
If you don't dump trash around your house, why do you think its ok to drop the trash on the street as you walk? J.Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316693719016660408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48981755378954033.post-35307888993629884462010-04-01T16:03:00.000-07:002010-04-01T16:03:29.109-07:00Good bike paths in dc?I've heard that DC has some good places to go biking. Perhaps the C&O Canal Towpath, or the Crescent Trail, but those are two paths that basically run parallel to each other in NW DC. I hear that Rock Creek Park has bike paths in it, but this is also in NW. <br />
<br />
What about ways for commuters to traverse DC with out using cars, or the public transit system? Is there a reasonable system of bike paths and bike routes, to perhaps enable, or even encourage bike commuting in this city? Not one that I've found. So far every bike path or route I've attempted to follow to get to any of my many work locations have ended up with me riding on questionable routes, and through very heavy car and pedestrian (tourist) traffic. While I know that no system is able to be 100% great, I still would like to think that DC could step it up at least a few notches. <br />
<br />
Today, I went on a little photo expedition in my own neighborhood. I followed one of the proposed "Bike Routes" that is supposedly designed to transport commuters from South East DC (read Anacostia) to South Capitol Street bridge, and on towards down town. This route leads us right by both ends of the Anacostia metro station, and through the Park Police training facility, into Anacostia Park. <br />
<br />
Here are a few of the photos I took on my journey.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQjSSn7VTA5quF1s1-gvOieq8NsGxn8ZZ2YhyQDVaTw_mKJ8U-pXNy6YZ-Y-FAfuL8pLwZGpO9L4xJ6jK2T-o6GOsXfZjBV3fMhdXdbD8OTX916hD2AQF4qA_9oSLetr1IjJpcVEgeg/s1600/IMG_1062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQjSSn7VTA5quF1s1-gvOieq8NsGxn8ZZ2YhyQDVaTw_mKJ8U-pXNy6YZ-Y-FAfuL8pLwZGpO9L4xJ6jK2T-o6GOsXfZjBV3fMhdXdbD8OTX916hD2AQF4qA_9oSLetr1IjJpcVEgeg/s320/IMG_1062.JPG" /></a></div>This is across the Howard Road from the Anacostia Bus Terminal and Metro Station.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSa8trvGjtlp2-K2KiDGfCK4AJQWwBXAO77wV2HGw5S2qWAkWgqsfLl0aMzF6BT-Kriw3T5KiAuL-3S0Jn5qtUTCwZCo7cRzXCQ-TXzZyFmvNxyAc2H00xQA5D69AilnZ6SrRoHkdEpw/s1600/IMG_1063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSa8trvGjtlp2-K2KiDGfCK4AJQWwBXAO77wV2HGw5S2qWAkWgqsfLl0aMzF6BT-Kriw3T5KiAuL-3S0Jn5qtUTCwZCo7cRzXCQ-TXzZyFmvNxyAc2H00xQA5D69AilnZ6SrRoHkdEpw/s320/IMG_1063.JPG" /></a></div>This is the intersection of Howard Road and Firth Sterling Ave, where the bike route runs int o a series of curbs with no cut outs for the cross walks.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKsVeAT5fI7CAZctdG2MXg1k0_gn2qFR0H0JPtq36I5ZwuPRl2kFu5F7hELg3hj2lpAURp2-QEKUWi6G-cPI35Ew1ZA1WgXX2OBWRjVXI5vDlyFyF5pMLGxEWkAMLW6SrDonvtCwsvJw/s1600/IMG_1067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKsVeAT5fI7CAZctdG2MXg1k0_gn2qFR0H0JPtq36I5ZwuPRl2kFu5F7hELg3hj2lpAURp2-QEKUWi6G-cPI35Ew1ZA1WgXX2OBWRjVXI5vDlyFyF5pMLGxEWkAMLW6SrDonvtCwsvJw/s320/IMG_1067.JPG" /></a></div>Here the bike path continues under 295 on Howard Road. The side walk becomes very narrow, and would be hard for anyone to pass or for people heading different directions to get by each other.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXyl_OElCxuHx57HeHdTjKUwRzhXxpJq-GSsM5_IkyYY5v02kQwFyKRvFcT2mH8a9ZhKZs0_enP-pPEAVISMpkDUyJ6VNK6HVPEc78U8dr20HEumuVdCRXzm3bqVcjGntvZlnekAtkrQ/s1600/IMG_1069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXyl_OElCxuHx57HeHdTjKUwRzhXxpJq-GSsM5_IkyYY5v02kQwFyKRvFcT2mH8a9ZhKZs0_enP-pPEAVISMpkDUyJ6VNK6HVPEc78U8dr20HEumuVdCRXzm3bqVcjGntvZlnekAtkrQ/s320/IMG_1069.JPG" /></a></div>And here we find a fire hydrant right in the middle of the sidewalk. Which make it impossible to ride through this stretch.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6_A_YthF1WLwdoCDvNwG54o2yu9fxqklBqEduZjeui-lEkRnMXe9qSHI5Fp-3WDgGkeWN8JLsfkuT-NABEZqOccZSFzvfU5uiKDfakFzJRMdO375RPH2wfKRAHUmGShryJCxwNiDew/s1600/IMG_1074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6_A_YthF1WLwdoCDvNwG54o2yu9fxqklBqEduZjeui-lEkRnMXe9qSHI5Fp-3WDgGkeWN8JLsfkuT-NABEZqOccZSFzvfU5uiKDfakFzJRMdO375RPH2wfKRAHUmGShryJCxwNiDew/s320/IMG_1074.JPG" /></a></div><br />
After turning off Howard Road, and up towards the Anacostia Metro and parking lot, you come to this point, where the route seems to either disappear completely, or turn into the road.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSK1h6qHodI5c25lxATOxd2Z51pm53ALvhvaZKJlcQUKPtQfWfzZVkX_zJQiX2xw_LUHD-Fms8Q5bL0h73wz3K0_kyHDTqHp_K59nhpMNUU0_e7K693DEfZESrHzK89fUs5_9DUubBeQ/s1600/IMG_1080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSK1h6qHodI5c25lxATOxd2Z51pm53ALvhvaZKJlcQUKPtQfWfzZVkX_zJQiX2xw_LUHD-Fms8Q5bL0h73wz3K0_kyHDTqHp_K59nhpMNUU0_e7K693DEfZESrHzK89fUs5_9DUubBeQ/s320/IMG_1080.JPG" /></a></div>Here we find a 2 foot wall that you would have to carry your bike over, if you chose to not ride the road, and bike up into the parking garage.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtfHs5QdEM3LeQoQaq1cTQ3PLGlulztO9Zt6uMYpesRvlRW4JUhzUktJ9VIlXhXvRUFbjJ2bU-WgyrENOTDN4g0KZKiTWR0V-p7uetEpqvcQfI2yoVCgtmuyQhJlOw5CymT9EqIORRTQ/s1600/IMG_1081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtfHs5QdEM3LeQoQaq1cTQ3PLGlulztO9Zt6uMYpesRvlRW4JUhzUktJ9VIlXhXvRUFbjJ2bU-WgyrENOTDN4g0KZKiTWR0V-p7uetEpqvcQfI2yoVCgtmuyQhJlOw5CymT9EqIORRTQ/s320/IMG_1081.JPG" /></a></div>And across the road from the 2 foot wall, or down the road from the entrance to the metro access road, we find what they call a bike path, which I call a single person wide gate, that you have to cross a dirt path to reach. <br />
<br />
<br />
When it comes down to it, this is unacceptable. How does DC expect people to ride their bikes to work, when they haven't established the proper infrastructure to enable it? What benefits would creating safe bike routes for commuters? Well they are cheaper to maintain than regular roads, bicyclists put less stress on the roads if they use them, and if more people biked to work, then there would be fewer cars on the road. If DC's priorities were in the right place they would put more emphasis on creating alternatives to driving to work. Whether it is creating a real system of bike routes, or furthering the public transit system, or building a system that encorperates the two together, this city has a lot of progress that still needs to be made. <br />
<br />
More reports like this to follow......J.Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316693719016660408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48981755378954033.post-25651123508553643742010-03-02T12:45:00.000-08:002010-03-02T12:45:34.880-08:00Marion BarryIs officially Censured by the DC City Council! Its about time! Now if we could only get Ward 8 to boot the loser! Don't get me wrong, he has done a number of great things for this city over the years, but at this point, its really coming down to a "what have you done for me lately," sort of situation. I think that he needs to bow out, as he is no longer the champion of the people he had once been. At this point he is riding his political career out, and potentially trying to pocket some additional benefits as long as he can.<br />
<br />
People, its time for a change, lets see some new voices in power. Lets see some new policies, and fresh ways of thinking.<br />
<br />
There comes a point when its best to fade away, before you dig your hole any deeper....J.Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316693719016660408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48981755378954033.post-3501211688773441652010-01-17T13:05:00.000-08:002010-01-17T13:05:00.009-08:00Big Chair CoffeeIf you haven't already been to Big Chair Coffee, you should check it out some time. The staff are incredibly nice, and they are striving to improve their service, from the already attentive and helpful. They seem to want to know what everyone thinks about their products. <br />
<br />
We helped to get their wifi up and running the other day. The shop is quite nicely appointed.J.Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316693719016660408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48981755378954033.post-22987339146219098042010-01-06T06:50:00.000-08:002010-01-06T06:50:26.233-08:00I want to say...DC you did a pretty good job of clearing the roads, post the "blizzard." J.Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316693719016660408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48981755378954033.post-27208831696390078312009-10-08T12:33:00.000-07:002009-10-08T12:33:04.798-07:00Hey local high school kids........When you try to break into a condo, that has a fair amount of upstanding people, including atleast one person who is a federal agent, and another who works for MPD, you might run into some jail issues.<br />
<br />
If those three kids who broke our drive in gate, and broke into one car, and came back later to try to break into a unit, and when they developer came to chase you off, you ran, and threw a rock through his window, are reading this, why don't you go be a productive member of society? I didn't go to school, and I still am at a point where I bought a place at age 24. You want to know how I did it? Well it wasn't through a life of crime, attempting to steal things to get the things I wanted. Instead, I went and got a job, I worked hard, and saved until I could afford what I wanted. Theft, will get you no where, except where you have already been. Crime is cyclical, so why start.J.Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316693719016660408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48981755378954033.post-66243406559298698062009-10-02T08:32:00.000-07:002009-10-02T08:43:14.321-07:00River East Walmart.....Supporters of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Walmart</span> coming to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Anacostia</span> area, are seriously underestimating the impact that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Walmart</span> will have on the neighborhood. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Walmarts</span> only pay their employees enough to really shop at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Walmart</span>. Thus they create an company store type situation. This also leads to the neighborhoods seeing economic decline, with less money going to smaller "mom & pop" type stores, and more money going to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Walmart</span>, thus forcing the employees of the "mom & pop" store to shop at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Walmart</span>, until nothing is left but <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Walmart</span>. While the prospect of bringing in a giant box store seems nice to a neighborhood initially, it has long lasting economic effects that are devastating. <br /><br />Plus any attempt of the employees of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Walmarts</span> to unionize, for better wages, or conditions have been met with hostility, and eventual store closings, siting loss of profitability. <br /><br />On top of that, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Walmarts</span> demands for lower bulk pricing, often pushes manufacturers to sell their goods for less than cost, and this in turn cripples manufacturing jobs to the point where <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">at least</span> one company has gone under.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Walmart</span> should have no place in America, let alone <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Anacostia</span>. Lets do our best to keep them out!J.Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316693719016660408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48981755378954033.post-14850802058487139462009-09-29T17:34:00.000-07:002009-09-29T17:39:23.907-07:008% average increase in MPGSo I just read this article:<br /><br /> http://ecogeek.org/automobiles/2960-august-marked-highest-new-car-average-mpg<br /><br />That's a good bit of news, even 8% increases are significant, though it would be nice to see higher averages than the 23 MPG that we have now attained. Hopefully we will see greater increases in full economy in the near future.J.Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316693719016660408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48981755378954033.post-27947107494097329252009-09-21T05:24:00.000-07:002009-09-21T05:39:25.387-07:00Hey DC government, people ride bicycles in SE too....Based on the status of the bike paths, and routes in SE, you would think that DC government does not believe that the people of SE ride bicycles. The path along Suitland Parkway is crumbling, and covered in broken glass and overgrowth. The bike path up over the 11th Street bridge is covered in trash, is so narrow that you can barely put one bike down it, and has such a low guardrail between it and the cars whizzing by on the bridge that if you fell over, you would be roadkill shortly. <br /><br />It seems like it would benefit the city to enable people to bike to work/around town, as it would reduce the number of cars on the road, plus the city should be interested in reducing their carbon footprint.J.Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316693719016660408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48981755378954033.post-15449062081536557792009-09-21T05:09:00.000-07:002009-09-21T05:23:18.045-07:00Warning, A small rant follows.I do not understand how many of the residents of Anacostia think that it is acceptable to just toss litter into the streets. Do they not live here as well? I can not imagine the thought process of an individual, who does not have an issue with living in a neighborhood that is scattered with candy wrappers, and smashed glass. I understand that a completely litter-less society is not a realistic view of the world, but one would think that people would take an effort to not toss trash everywhere.<br /><br />ARGH....J.Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16316693719016660408noreply@blogger.com0