Divergent/Convergent Thinking

Exercise 7: Bike Trail

Divergent/Convergent Thinking is a deliberate technique for generating creative, practical solutions by alternating between generating ideas and evaluating them. In divergent mode, you brainstorm freely, producing as many ideas as possible without judgment or censorship. In convergent mode, you winnow, cluster, and select the most promising ideas. The core rhythm is to first diverge, then converge, and to keep switching between the two as needed. When working in a group, it helps to verbally signal each mode shift — saying “we’re diverging now” or “let’s converge” — to prevent confusion and ensure the rules of each mode are respected.

A simple example: Suppose people from another division regularly use your department’s copier without permission, causing frequent jams and delaying your team’s work.

• Step 1 (Diverge): Brainstorm corrective measures — lock the machine, charge a fee, move the machine, post a sign, install a keycard system, create a sign-up schedule, confiscate unauthorized copies, etc. List everything, no matter how fanciful.
• Step 2 (Converge): Winnow out impractical ideas and cluster similar ones (e.g., “keycard,” “lock,” and “sign-up schedule” might group under “access control”).
• Step 3 (Converge): Select practical, promising measures — perhaps require a keycard, establish a clear usage policy, or relocate the copier to a more secure area.

The Mount Vernon Bike Trail conflict provides a case for practicing this process. The newspaper report describes the problem; the steps that follow develop possible responses.

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The Mount Vernon Bike Trail Situation

BIKE TRAIL TURNS INTO MEAN STREET Tipper Gore Among Many Victims of Rising Tensions and Tacks by Steve Bates, Washington Post Staff Writer

Riders on a busy Northern Virginia bicycle path faced a tack attack yesterday morning that punctured dozens of tires, delaying biking commuters and recreational cyclists, including the vice president’s wife. It was not a happy trail. It also was not the first time.

In the last two weeks, someone has repeatedly spread tiny carpet tacks on the Mount Vernon Bike Trail, causing what one bicycle shop estimated have been 300 to 500 flat tires. Authorities believe that someone may have a grudge against cyclists.

The crowded trail, which runs 19 miles along the Potomac River, has been the scene of countless run‑ins this spring between cyclists, joggers, walkers and Rollerbladers as they compete for space on the narrow ribbon of asphalt.

Among yesterday’s victims was Tipper Gore, who was riding in northern Old Town Alexandria, accompanied by a Secret Service agent, when one of her tires was punctured. “This is very dangerous, particularly for children,” the vice president’s wife said after the incident.

Many regular users of the path say that even without the tacks, at times the bike trail is hell on wheels. “There is an incredible amount of tension,” among the competing groups on the path, said one rider who commutes daily. He said he has seen collisions, heated arguments and even an occasional fight along the trail. “A lot of people don’t know the rules of the road,” he said. “There needs to be better enforcement.”

In the spring, the trail is crowded with weekday commuters and with evening and weekend recreational riders. On a sunny weekend day, at least 2,500 people use it, the National Park Service says.

Many bicyclists feel that the narrow path is theirs; after all, it’s called the Mount Vernon Bike Trail. Runners and walkers say they have just as much right to use it and shouldn’t have to worry about being run down by 18‑speed bikes. Rollerblade cruisers have added to the dangerous mix in recent years.

A woman who runs on the path regularly said an inexperienced Rollerblader, swinging from side to side, can take up most of both sides of the trail. Cyclists and runners can be dangerous, too, she said. “Last summer I got knocked on the ground” by a group of runners.

Some trail users say commuting and racing bicyclists are the most dangerous. “Coming downhill, they must go 25 or 30 miles per hour,” said a man. “An old person can hardly walk.”

Trail users and U.S. Park Police speculate that the tacks are being spread by someone angry at bicyclists. “It could be somebody who really got ticked off and said, ‘I’m going to get those bikers,’” suggested a bicycle commuter, who said he has had six flat tires in the last two weeks.

“There seems to be more during weekdays, aimed at commuters,” said a Park Police sergeant, who said the Park Service has cleanup crews standing by to clean up the tiny black tacks when they are discovered.

Most of the flat tires have occurred near the Daingerfield Island sailing marina, between National Airport and Old Town Alexandria, but some have been reported as far south as Mount Vernon.

“There have easily been 300 to 500 flats in the last couple of weeks,” said the owner of a bicycle shop in Alexandria. The owner, who rents bikes and Rollerblades and considers himself a “Rollerblade missionary,” said he encourages users of the in‑line roller skates to head for a nice, big parking lot to enjoy their sport.

“There have been some gruesome accidents on the trail,” said the executive director of the Road Runners Club of America, a jogging group. “Common courtesy isn’t being obeyed.”

Except at one Alexandria bike shop, that is. The manager of Big Wheel Bikes said he didn’t charge Tipper Gore for fixing yesterday’s flat. He said he’s had plenty of business in the past two weeks, and “I considered it a public service.”

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Step 1: Diverge – Brainstorm Remedies

In divergent mode, aim for many ideas, defer judgment, welcome unusual suggestions, and combine or build on others’ thoughts. For the bike trail conflict, possible remedies include:

• Widen the trail into separate lanes for bikes, runners, and skaters.
• Post speed limits for cyclists.
• Require bells or horns on bikes.
• Ban cyclists during peak pedestrian hours.
• Ban pedestrians from the bike trail entirely.
• Install speed bumps.
• Create a permitting system with fees.
• Deploy park police on bicycles to enforce rules.
• Paint lane dividers and directional arrows.
• Build an entirely separate trail for pedestrians.
• Educate users with signs and pamphlets about rules and etiquette.
• Offer free safety and etiquette classes.
• Encourage skaters to use nearby parking lots.
• Install video cameras to catch the tack‑spreader.
• Increase fines for reckless riding or jogging.
• Station volunteer trail monitors (like crossing guards).
• Use magnetic rollers or careful sweeping to remove tacks.
• Hold public meetings to air grievances.
• Impose curfews on certain user groups.
• Require liability insurance for trail users.
• Put up a fence alongside the trail to prevent off‑trail shortcut conflicts.
• … and many more.

Step 2: Converge – Winnow and Cluster

After exhausting the idea pool, switch to convergent mode. Set aside ideas that fail the relevant constraints and group the remaining ones. A fence along the entire 19‑mile trail, for example, would need scrutiny of cost, access, and land use. The brainstormed remedies can be grouped into six clusters for evaluation:

1. Rules and Regulations: Speed limits, mandatory bells, bans or curfews on user groups, a permitting system.
2. Enforcement and Punishment: More police patrols, stiffer fines, community service for violators, cameras to identify offenders.
3. Physical Construction: Widening the trail, adding dedicated lanes, building a separate pedestrian path, or installing speed bumps.
4. Cleanup: Magnetic rollers or sweeping crews to remove tacks.
5. Education and Courtesy: Public‑awareness signs, etiquette pamphlets, free classes, public meetings to foster respect.
6. Safety Promotion: Volunteer monitors, better sightlines, emergency call boxes.

A seventh “category” contains the winnowed‑out fragments — ideas that are too costly, unenforceable, or simply unworkable — which are set aside.

Step 3: Converge – Select Practical, Promising Ideas

Review the clustered categories and pick those that seem immediately plausible and impactful. For a realistic short‑term program, one might choose:

• A public‑appeal campaign urging courtesy and explaining the rules.
• Posting simple, enforceable rules: a speed limit of 15 mph for cyclists, a “keep right” rule for all traffic, and a requirement that skaters stay in marked zones.
• Modest penalties (warnings, then fines) for violations, enforced by occasional park patrols.
• Rapid‑response tack‑cleanup teams with magnetic sweepers until the offender is caught.

For the longer term, widening the trail and separating user groups could reduce conflicts over space. That option needs comparison with alternatives, including its cost, land requirements, and environmental effects.

Beyond Step 3: Revision, Pros‑Cons‑and‑Fixes

Selecting promising ideas does not mean the creative work stops. The chosen fixes can (and should) be further refined. For instance, a speed limit may need to define exactly where it applies and how it will be measured. A lane‑widening plan must consider cost, environmental impact, and right‑of‑way. This refinement is itself a return to divergent thinking — exploring variations and improvements within a chosen solution.

A further convergent check is the Pros‑Cons‑and‑Fixes step: list the pros and cons of a selected idea, then brainstorm ways to mitigate the cons. For example, “widening the trail” could reduce conflicts over space, but would involve financial cost and construction disruption. Fixes: phase the project over several years, seek federal grants, and schedule construction during low‑use months. Use this pass to identify unresolved problems and decide which options need testing before adoption.