Ride Ohio Drive SW! – eWheel Going Out Group
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*** It’s a great day for an ewheel ride. See you there! ***
UPDATE #3: Weather.com is currently forecasting temperatures in the upper 80s with an 85% chance of no rain (or from a glass half empty perspective, a 15% chance of rain) for the entire duration of our ride, for our location’s zip code. Per the “Rain Policy” section of the full event description, this event is a “go.” See you there!
UPDATE #2: The email with my cell no. has been sent to the yes RSVPs. TEXT me if you need to. If you do not see my email, check your spam folder, and also make sure your email and Meetup settings allow for you to always receive messages from the organizer. If it’s not there, send me a message through my Meetup profile with your cell no. See you there!
UPDATE #1: Weather.com is currently forecasting temperatures in the mid-70s with a 65% chance of thunderstorms for our location’s zip code during our event. Per the “Rain Policy” section of the full event description, and for everyone’s safety, I’m rescheduling to Sat. Aug. 11th (the only date I have available over the next month and a half), same time, same place. An email with this UPDATE has been sent to the yes RSVPs. I look forward to seeing you there!
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Let’s get together for our next ride!
Riders from previous Meetups (Anibal, Brandon, Chris, Dave, Edwin, Haitao, Heather, James, Kris, Loren, Mark, Raul, Richard, Robert, and Shelly), come join us again! New riders, come join us for the first time!
We’ll ride Ohio Drive SW and stop numerous times along the way to enjoy the sites, memorials, landmarks, and to also let some of the slower riders catch up (if some of us decide to go at a quicker speed). Ideally, we will all ride together and at the same speed, but that may or may not be possible with other pedestrians, bicyclists, etc. sharing the same paths, but let’s do our best please! In total, it’s an ~8.5 mile trip that’s sure to be enjoyable!
(Ohio Drive SW ride overview)
We’ll meet up at the Foggy Bottom Metro at 2pm. Then we’ll ride south along 23rd Street NW for ~1 mile, at 2:30pm. Once we come across Constitution Avenue NW, we’ll make a left and ride for ~1 mile.
(Albert Einstein Memorial)
Immediately after we turn onto Constitution Avenue, we’ll arrive at the Albert Einstein Memorial. The Albert Einstein Memorial a monumental bronze statue depicting Albert Einstein seated with manuscript papers in hand. situated in an elm and holly grove in the southwest corner of the grounds of the National Academy of Sciences, it was unveiled at the Academy’s annual meeting, April 22, 1979, in honor of the centennial of Einstein’s birth. At the dedication ceremony, physicist John Archibald Wheeler described the statue as “a monument to the man who united space and time into space-time…a remembrance of the man who taught us…that the universe does not go on from everlasting to everlasting, but begins with a bang.” The statue depicts Einstein seated in casual repose on a three-step bench of Mount Airy (North Carolina) white granite. The bronze figure weighs approximately 4 tons and is 12 feet in height. The monument is supported by three caissons, totaling 135 tons, sunk in bedrock to a depth of 23 to 25 feet.
(Turn right onto 15th Street NW)
When we arrive at 15th Street NW, we’ll turn right onto it, going south for ~0.5 miles.
(Washington Monument)
Next, we‘ll come across the Washington Monument (intersection of Madison Drive NW). Built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and the first President of the United States. Located almost due east of the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial, the monument, made of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss, is both the world’s tallest stone structure and the world’s tallest obelisk, standing 555 feet. It is the tallest monumental column in the world if all are measured above their pedestrian entrances. It was the tallest structure in the world from 1884 to 1889.
(Turn left on Maine Ave SW)
We’ll head south on 15th Street NW, which eventually turns into Raoul Wallenberg Place SW. We’ll turn left on Maine Ave and then veer immediately right onto Ohio Drive SW for a short ~0.2 miles.
(Jefferson Memorial)
We’ll arrive at the Jefferson Memorial (intersection of East Basin Drive SW), dedicated to Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), one of the most important of the American Founding Fathers as the main drafter and writer of the Declaration of Independence, member of the Continental Congress, governor of the newly independent Commonwealth of Virginia, American minister to King Louis XVI, and the Kingdom of France, first U.S. Secretary of State under the first President George Washington, the second Vice President of the United States under second President John Adams, and also the third President (1801–1809), as well as being the founder of the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, Virginia. Construction of the building began in 1939 and was completed in 1943. The bronze statue of Jefferson was added in 1947. In 2007, it was ranked fourth on the “List of America’s Favorite Architecture” by the American Institute of Architects.
(Head south on Ohio Drive SW)
From the Jefferson Memorial, we’ll head directly southeast on Ohio Drive SW for ~2 miles to Haines Point.
(Hains Point)
Hains Point is located at the southern tip of East Potomac Park. It offers beautiful views of the encompassing rivers. Surrounded by greenery and trees, the area is a popular destination for a delightful picnic and relaxation. The land on which the park is located is sometimes described as a peninsula but is actually an island. The island is artificial: it was built up from Potomac dredging material from 1880 to 1892. The confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers is at Hains Point.
(Head south on Ohio Drive SW)
From Haines Point, we’ll travel ~2 miles northwest.
(George Mason Memorial)
We’ll come across the George Mason Memorial (intersection of East Basin Dr SW and just before a small bridge), a national memorial that commemorates the neglected contributions of Founding Father George Mason, the author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which served as an inspiration to Thomas Jefferson while drafting the country’s Declaration of Independence. Perhaps Masons’ greatest act was withholding his signature from the United States Constitution because it did not abolish the slave trade and lacked necessary protection for the individual from the federal government. Authorized in 1990, with a groundbreaking in 2000 and dedication in 2002, the memorial includes a sculpture of Mason, a pool, trellis, circular hedges, and numerous inscriptions. This is the first memorial to be dedicated not to a former president in the Tidal Basin.
(John Ericsson Memorial)
From there, we’ll continue northwest on Ohio Drive SW for ~1 mile to the John Ericsson Memorial (intersection of Independence Ave SW), dedicated to the man who revolutionized naval history with his invention of the screw propeller. The Swedish engineer John Ericsson was also the designer of the USS Monitor, the ship that ensured Union naval supremacy during the American Civil War. The national memorial was authorized by Congress August 31, 1916, and dedicated May 29, 1926 by President Calvin Coolidge and Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden. Congress appropriated $35,000 for the creation of the memorial, and Americans chiefly of Scandinavian descent raised an additional $25,000. Constructed on a site near the Lincoln Memorial between September 1926 and April 1927, the pink Milford granite memorial is 20 feet high with a 150-foot diameter base. Sculpted by James Earle Fraser, it features a seated figure of Ericsson 6 feet 5 inches high, and three standing figures representing adventure, labor, and vision.
(Turn right on 23rd Street SW)
We’ll turn right on 23rd Street SW and head north for 0.2 miles.
(Lincoln Memorial)
We’ll arrive at the Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln Memorial is an American national monument built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the western end of the National Mall across from the Washington Monument. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is the largest of the many reflecting pools in DC. Part of the iconic image of Washington, the reflecting pool hosts many of the 24 million visitors a year who visit the National Mall. It is lined by walking paths and shade trees on both sides. Depending on the viewer’s vantage point, it dramatically reflects the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Mall’s trees, and the expansive sky.
(Continue north on 23rd Street NW)
We’ll then continue north for another ~1 mile back to the Foggy Bottom Metro.
Come join us as we spend an afternoon together exploring the sites, memorials, and landmarks Ohio Drive SW have to offer! Please also help spread the word of our group and event, especially since this is relatively new technology and we are a small community!
I look forward to seeing you there!
– J.T.
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METRO & PARKING
We’ll meet at the Foggy Bottom Metro (Orange, Blue, Silver lines). I suggest Metro / cabbing / Uber’ing if you can. I also recommend using wmata.com for travel planning. Don’t forget to account for Metro, traffic, and parking delays. If you are driving, you will need to find street parking or a garage. I recommend using parkopedia.com for garage parking planning.
DRESS
Please dress appropriately for the weather. For those with problems having their feet go numb or tired during long rides, I recommend wearing shoes with a stiff and flat sole.
RIDING ETIQUETTE
Since e-wheels are relatively new technology, please be as courteous as possible to other pedestrians, bicyclists, etc. Being new, riding etiquette is not something that’s really been quite established. However, based on personal experience (I’ve been riding daily since 2015), I’ve noticed some general good practices and rules to follow. 1) ALWAYS give pedestrians the right of way. 2) When riding on a narrow sidewalk, and you’re coming up behind a pedestrian and you need to pass them, either a) wait until there’s an opening, or b) clear your throat and say “excuse me” in a *gentle* manner (I’ve noticed people tend to get startled / surprised when they see and hear a tall figure behind them on a wheel) before passing them. 3) SLOW DOWN to a pedestrian’s walking pace (until you are completely clear of them) whenever approaching or passing (whichever direction they are walking). Only after passing a pedestrian for a little distance is it a good idea to go faster than walking pace. Whatever you do, please do NOT wiz by them. 4) Thank the pedestrian as you are passing. 5) Slow down as you are going around a turn (whether there are other pedestrians in sight or not) with a lot of bushes or other obstacles next to the sidewalk, as they can be coming from the other end of the turn (and not be visible initially).
RIDING SKILL
For the safety of others and ourselves, we will all be required to be able to perform all of the following: (1) comfortably balance on the wheel while riding straight and turning left or right (2) ride at a snail’s pace and (3) start and stop comfortably without the need to hold onto any wall, post, or similar structure.
LEGALITY
People have asked me questions regarding the laws pertaining to riding our wheels in the DC metro area. I did a lot of research before purchasing my wheel to ensure I could make use of it. In short, they are considered Personal Mobility Devices or Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Device. (1) Virginia: “An electric personal assistive mobility device or motorized skateboard or foot-scooter may be operated on any highway with a maximum speed limit of twenty-five miles per hour or less. An electric personal assistive mobility device shall only operate on any highway authorized by this section if a sidewalk is not provided along such highway…” See link here. (2) Washington DC: “Personal Mobility Device (“PMD”) means a motorized propulsion device designed to transport one person, OR a self-balancing, two non-tandem wheeled device, designed to transport only one person with an electric propulsion system. Permitted on Sidewalk – Yes, except PMDs are generally not permitted on sidewalk space in the Central Business District. Permitted on Bike Lanes – Yes.” See link here. (3) Maryland: “‘Electric personal assistive mobility device’ or ‘EPAMD’ means a pedestrian device that: (1) has two nontandem wheels; (2) is self-balancing; (3) is powered by an electric propulsion system; (4) has a maximum speed capability of 15 miles per hour; and (5) is designed to transport one person” and “At an intersection, a person using an EPAMD is subject to all traffic control signals, as provided in §§ 21-202 and 21-203 of this title. However, at any other place, a person using an EPAMD has the rights and is subject to the restrictions applicable to pedestrians under this title.” De jure, the law applies to devices with 2 wheels, as the law was written when only Segways existed and electric unicycles, et al. did not. De facto, for practical purposes, and based on our members’ interaction with law enforcement officers thusfar, our devices have been treated as being covered under this statute (they are explicitly covered under DC and Virginia law). “Green” devices for the win! See link here and here.
RAIN
If there’s a greater than a 35% chance of rain, we’ll cancel or reschedule. I’ll post an update to the top of the event posting by 11:30am on the day of the event, and also send an email out to the yes RSVPs.
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