In 2020, thanks to your support and voice, so many of the protected bike lanes we’ve been fighting for over the last year are open for riding or slated for construction this coming spring. We’re a lot closer to a fully protected and connected bicycle network for DC, than when we started this campaign, 18 months ago.
But looking ahead, DC’s network still has major gaps and projects that have not gotten off the ground, projects that will require our collective voices to push them from plans to pavement.
This month we are reflecting on our successes and what we’ve learned over the past year. We want to hear from supporters like you as we develop the next phase of this campaign. Together, we’re organizing grassroots power to build more protected bike lanes and low-stress places to bike, faster.
Take this Survey and Help Shape the Future of this Campaign
As 2021 begins, we need to hear from you to help shape the next phase of our campaign.
Please take a few minutes to fill out this survey that will give us the feedback we need to help shape the future of our campaign to complete the protected bike lane network in DC.
In July 2019, DC had built about 11 miles of protected bike lanes. With the collective and organized action of hundreds of advocates like you, we spoke up, telling Neighborhood Commissioners, Councilembmers, and DDOT staff that we needed a connected, protected and more equitable bike lane network. How did we do?
6.6 miles of new or upgraded protected bike lanes installed Aug 2019 – Dec 2020
4.2 miles of protected bike lane approved & on track for installation in Spring 2021
7+ miles of protected bike lane projects took significant steps in planning, design and community buy-in with completion likely in 2021 or 2022
4th St. NW/SWG St. NWBrentwood Parkway NENew Jersey Ave. SE
Show Up & Get Involved in 2021
We have groups of community advocates working in every ward to build support for the 20×20 projects. Getting involved is easy. Sign up hereto be the first to hear about actions, updates and get involved with planning.
Please support residents of Parkview and Petworth in demanding that The District Department of Transportation complete the North-South leg of the Crosstown Protected Bike Lanes Project!
While the east-west leg has been going swimmingly, (see map above), DDOT has pushed back the development of the North-South segment, which will upgrade existing painted bicycle lanes to fully protected lanes between New Hampshire Avenue and Kenyon Street NW. This delay is unacceptable.
Residents of Parkview and Petworth need safe and easy options to bike and scoot to locations in Brookland and Columbia Heights! Please join us in telling DDOT that there is no time to delay on this project. Parents and kids will need safe, protected routes to school again soon. Local merchants will need the customers and business that easy bicycle access can bring. The temporary unprotected lanes in place now are dangerous to commuters and do nothing to calm traffic or restrict speeding in the area. Please sign the petition now and support the timely completion of this awesome project!
We are cranking up the pressure to finish the 20×20 campaign off strong. Many key protected bike lanes are already done or slated for construction this fall, promising a larger, more protected and connected bicycle network for DC. But too many important projects on the map are still plodding along with an uncertain future. Read on to see where we are and get involved.
A Big Fall for New Protected Bike Lanes
photo from @thisisbossi
As you read this, crews are upgrading bike lanes on 4th St. NW/SW from Maddison Dr NW to I St. SW (0.8 mi) (photos) and New Jersey Ave SE from E St. to H St. NE (0.2 mi). And construction has been teased for almost 6 miles of new protected bike lanes before the end of the year on:
G St. NW from Virginia Ave to 17th St NW (0.7 mi)
20th & 21st St. from Massachusetts Ave to Virginia Ave (1.1 mi) and the link to the National Mall (0.2 mi) is coming in the spring
K St. NW from 7th St NW to 1st St NE (0.9 mi)
First St & Potomac Ave SE from South Capitol St. to I St. SW (0.7 mi)
17th St. NW from T St. to K St. (0.9 mi)
West Virginia Ave from Montana Ave to Mount Olivet Rd NE (0.6 mi)
8th St. NE from Edgewood St. to Monroe St. NE (0.5 mi)
But none of these are a done deal until they’re in the ground. With just a few months to go before it is too cold to stripe lanes, we need your help to keep the pressure up!
Take Action
map of Crosstown protected bike lane project from DDOT
Here are a few things you can do to help:
Ward 1 & 4 – Neighbors in Wards 1 & 4 are joining forces to push DDOT to complete the North/ South leg of the crosstown cycletrack ASAP! In addition to providing safe and easy access from Parkview and Petworth to Brookland and Columbia Heights, this plan will add trees and other greenery to the Warder and Park Place corridors. If you want to know more or get involved contact james.brady@test.waba.org and join our next meeting
Ward 2
Despite getting all but one vote in support from Dupont Circle’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission in July, and assurances from DDOT that it would be installed this fall, we hear that the timeline is slipping on the 17th St. NW protected bike lanes. Help us remind DDOT Director Marootian and Ward 2 Coulcilmember Pinto why finishing this safety project can’t wait.
Ward 7 – Better trail connections between the Marvin Gaye Trail and Anacostia River Trail, upgrading the Massachusetts Ave SE bike lanes and less stressful walking & biking connections around Kenilworth Ave NE are all on the table for Ward 7. To learn more and get involved contact james.brady@test.waba.org and join our next meeting.
Ward 8 – The 20X20 campaign is working diligently with local supporters and advocates to demonstrate support for better bicycle infrastructure in Ward 8. We are focusing on protected bicycle lanes on Mississippi Avenue SE and we’ll soon be hitting the streets to talk to neighbors and community members about the benefits of this project! To learn more and get involved contact james.brady@test.waba.org and join our next meeting.
Show Up & Get Involved
We have groups of community advocates working in every ward to build support for the 20×20 projects. Getting involved is easy. Sign up hereto be the first to hear about actions, updates and get involved with planning.
Attend a 20×20 Ward Meeting
Join us for our next meeting in your ward! Find dates, times, and join links at waba.org/fun.
September 28 – Ward 8 – 6:30 pm
September 30 – Ward 4 – 6:30 pm
October 6 – Ward 6 – 6:30 pm
October 19 – Ward 5 – 7:00 pm
October 20 – Wards 1 & 2 – 6:30 pm
October 29 – Ward 7 – 6:30 pm
All of this work is made possible by the efforts of our community advocates and the financial support of WABA members. If you are able, support our 20×20 campaign with a monthly contribution. Give Today!
The District Department of Transportation is making plans for more than a mile of protected bike lanes on Pennsylvania Ave SE west of the river to calm traffic and expand the low-stress bike network. There are three possible designs on the table and they want your feedback this week.
All three designs propose a continuous, protected bike lane and fewer driving lanes, meaning less speeding and more people happily biking to shops and around the neighborhood. But in our view, Alternative A, which includes curbside protected bike lanes, bus-only lanes, and easy to navigate intersections, is by far the best option for people who bike, for bus riders, and overall safety on Pennsylvania Ave.
Use the form below to send DDOT a quick email with your comments. Get as detailed as you like and make it personal! Comments are due July 31.
Bike lanes have been planned for Pennsylvania Ave SE since at least the 2005 Bicycle Master Plan and affirmed in the 2014 MoveDC Plan. In 2017 Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6B requested that DDOT study options for adding bike lanes to the corridor.
The Alternatives
For a narrated presentation and more details on the proposals, visit the the Penn Ave SE project site. Here is a quick summary of the options for redesigning Pennsylvania Ave from 2nd St. SE to 17th St. SE.
Alternative A This design repurposes a driving lane in each direction for protected bike lanes against the outer curb. It includes the option for a peak-direction, bus lane just outside the protected bike lane that reverts to parking and loading for most of the day. At bus stops the protected bike lane would rise to sidewalk level to allow bus riders to board and alight onto the narrow shared platform (similar to this design on Brentwood Parkway). Depending on the time of day, the bicyclists would be separated from traffic by concrete curbs or by parked cars. With this setup, intersections would be quite intuitive for drivers and bicyclists.
Alternative B This design also repurposes a driving lane for protected bike lanes againsts the outer curbs. But, instead of bus lanes, full-time parking would protect the slightly wider bike lanes. Bus stops would include wide “floating bus stops” which separate bus boarding from bike lane crossing for fewer conflicts. Under this option, buses would share the two lanes in each direction (down from 4) with all other drivers, and almost certainly suffer in reliability and speed.
Alternative C This design puts the protected bike lanes against the median and includes an option for peak-direction, bus lanes against the outer curb where they travel today. By putting bikes on the left side, it is much more difficult to enter and exit the lane, to turn left, or access mid-block destinations. The bike lane will be adjacent to the “fast lane” and never have more than a 3’ buffer and curb+post separation from car traffic. Also, due to the median design, this creates inevitable conflict between left turning drivers and bicyclists at every intersection. The median is not wide enough to store more than two turning cars so they will spill out into the lane and block the bike lanes. It will be very difficult to make this design function and feel safe for most people who bike.
WABA Supports alternative A with bus lanes and improvements
Though not perfect, this design creates a continuous protected bike lane that will be safe, intuitive and comfortable for most people who bike AND bus lanes to speed up buses in this priority transit corridor. The design can be improved by:
Moving some bus stops to the far side of the intersection to improve visibility,
Extending the bus lane hours to more than peak-direction. Buses move even slower when traveling against the peak direction and in the middle of the day, and
Plan to upgrade the busiest bus stops with floating bus islands to minimize conflicts between bus riders and people on bikes.
Pennsylvania Ave SE sees between 18 and 24 buses per hour during peak times (every 2.5 minutes) serving routes that carry 22,000 daily trips. Yet, those busses crawl at 8-11mph on average, getting stuck in traffic behind people driving alone. Bus only lanes move that traffic out of the way, making buses more reliable, faster and more attractive. Better bus service on Pennsylvania Ave SE will radiate benefits across the city, including neighborhoods east of the river where transit travel times are often double those from northwest neighborhoods.
Why protected bike lanes?
The state of the practice for safe and low-stress bicycling has changed substantially since 2014. Protected bike lanes are preferred over unprotected lanes for roads with multiple driving lanes,, frequent buses, speeds greater than 25mph, and high parking turnover. Pennsylvania Ave is all of these. If we want most people to feel safe biking on Pennsylvania Ave, we cannot accept anything less than protected bike lanes. See this guidance on Choosing an All Ages and Abilities Bike Facility from the National Association of City Transportation Officials.
Why not move curbs?
You may notice that this project is only working with the road between existing curbs. This is intentional. Moving curbs would increase the complexity, cost, environmental review, and timeline of a project like this by years or even a decade. We need safer bicycling and faster buses on Pennsylvania Ave yesterday.
This project will improve Pennsylvania Ave SE from 2nd St. SE to 17th St. SE
This summer, our campaign for 20 miles of new protected bike lanes and more livable streets across the District of Columbia marches forward. Thanks to community advocates showing up and speaking up across the city, we have so many exciting projects moving forward at a fast clip!
Much to Celebrate
In just the past two months, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions in Wards 6 and 2 gave the green light to 4 miles of new protected bike lanes and traffic calming plans in WABA’s 20×20 network! Expect construction later this fall.
ANC 6E voted to support protected bike lanes on K St NW from 7th NW to 1st NE connecting Mount Vernon Square to NoMa (0.8 mile)
ANC 2A and 2B voted to support the protected bike lanes on 20th & 21st St. from Massachusetts Ave to Constitution and insisted that DDOT fill a critical 3 block gap to connect these lanes to the R St. NW bike lanes (1.3 mile)
ANC 2B also voted 7-1 to support the 17th St. NW protected bike lanes from T St. NW to K St NW to finally create a safe northbound alternative to the crowded 15th St. lanes (0.7 mile)
ANC 6D supported the First & Potomac Ave SE protected bike lanes from South Capitol St. to Eye St. SE (0.7 mile) and the 4th St. SW protected lanes from Eye St. to C St. SW (0.5)
When you list them out like that, it looks easy. But behind every vote is between dozens and hundreds of advocates working together, engaging with elected decisionmakers, building trust, earning buy-in, showing up to occasional marathon meetings, and pressing for more bikeable, thriving streets.
Let’s also celebrate expansions to Ward 5’s protected bike lane network.
The Irving St and Kenyon St. protected bike lanes are transforming the hostile 1 mile Brookland to Park View bike route from a harrowing sidewalk to a low-stress, curb-protected bike lane. Crews have been making steady progress on this project and should finish in August.
The Brentwood Parkway protected bike lanes, completed in July, extends the NoMa and Union Market network 0.3 miles up to Mt Olivet Rd and the 9th St. NE bridge. This short segment is already curbing speeding, and serves as a good test of an innovative bus stop design. Learn more about the project in DDOT’s peppy video.
In a few weeks, crews will install the 0.7 mile G St. NW protected bike lanes in Foggy Bottom to connect Virginia Ave to 17th St. and link the 20th & 21st St. protected bike lanes when they are built later this fall.
Take Action
We’re getting things done because of folks like you stepping up and taking action. Here are a few things you can do to help:
Send a short email to DDOT in support of new protected bike lane projects. Find details on who to contact below:
Pennsylvania Ave SE protected bike lanes and bus lanes (project site) – weigh in on the three concept design by July 31
17th St. NW protected bike lanes (plans) – comments due by Aug 13
First & Potomac Ave SE protected bike lanes (plans) – comments due by Aug 25
4th St. NW//SW protected bike lanes (plans) – comments due by Aug 29
20th & 21st St. protected bike lanes (plans) – comments due by Sept 7
Connecticut Ave NW protected bike lanes (project site) – comment on the four concept alternatives
Show Up & Get Involved
We have groups of community advocates working in every ward to build support for the 20×20 projects. Getting involved is easy. Sign up hereto be the first to hear about actions and updates.
Attend a 20×20 Ward Meeting
Join us for our next meeting in your ward! Find dates, times, and join links at waba.org/fun.
July 28 – Ward 6 6:30 pm (Special Guest Councilmember Charles Allen)
July 29 – Ward 7 6:30 pm
July 30 – Ward 4 6:30 pm
August 17 – Ward 5 7 pm
August 18 – Wards 1 & 2 6:30 pm
August 20 – Ward 8 7 pm
All of this work is made possible by the efforts of our community advocates and the financial support of WABA members. If you are able, consider supporting our 20×20 campaign with a monthly contribution. Give Today!
It has been a few months since our last update on WABA’s 20×20 campaign, and so much has happened. The world has been turned upside down and we find ourselves with new rules for getting around and new demands on our streets. For many, this crisis is proving how liberating getting around by bike could be, if only there were a complete network of reliable, safe, and low-stress places to ride across the city.
We are working many angles to build that network, and you can read about them and sign your name in support here. The 20×20 campaign to add 20 miles of protected bike lanes to DC’s network by the end of 2020 remains critical to getting it all done.
Roll Up Your Sleeves & Get Involved
Summer Advocate Training Series
We are excited to announce a new weekly training series to help get community advocates like you fit for a productive summer of fighting for safe streets. Over the next couple weeks, hop on Zoom for a 30-60 minute session on the core skills, background, and tools for moving the 20×20 campaign for more protected bike lanes throughout the city.
To keep our momentum and the support for 20×20 projects growing, we are doing a weekly call to action. Each week, you will get a new opportunity to make the case for safer streets to a community stakeholder or elected leader. With your help we can bring new allies to the table, find common ground, and keep putting pressure where it is needed. Sign up for your Ward’s 20×20 group to get started!
Attend a DC Council Candidate Forum
Next week, we are pleased to host candidates for DC Council seats to discuss their perspectives and priorities on transportation, biking, and safe streets in DC.
We have groups of community advocates working in every ward to build support for the 20×20 projects. Join us for our next meeting! Find dates, times, and join links at waba.org/fun.
Updates
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Meet James Brady!
In March, we welcomed James Brady to the team to lead our 20×20 organizing in wards 4, 7, and 8. You can get to know him in his intro blog post. And if you live in one of those wards, he’d love to get to know you and get you plugged in! To start, fill out this survey and make sure to sign up for a 20×20 group at waba.org/20×20.
DDOT Ramping Up Planning
In August 2019, we challenged DDOT to build 20 miles of protected bike lanes by the end of 2020. That’s nearly 10 times the protected lane mileage the agency has ever built in a single year. By February, the agency committed to 20 miles by 2022 — not nearly good enough, but still a substantial increase in pace and ambition. We have seen that DDOT is pooling resources from across the agency to plan, design and install more lanes faster. Our organizing and your voices are making this change possible, so, it’s time to step it up!
Franklin St. NE protected bike lanes
Construction Season Has Started
From winter to spring, short protected bike lanes opened on P St. SW, 6th St. NE, Franklin St. NE, Monroe St. NE, and 4th St. NW adding about 0.75 miles to the network.
Construction started this month on the long-awaited Crosstown protected bike lane connecting Brookland to Park View. It will run one mile from Harewood St. NE to Warder Pl. NW on Irving and Kenyon Streets. The design includes wide curb-protected bike lanes, safer pedestrian crossings, and a handful of changes to make this highway a more pleasant place for people.
Work also starts this month on the 0.3 mile Brentwood Parkway protected bike lanes to extend the 6th St. NE lanes to the 9th St bridge. It will make a new low-stress route to three school campuses and future links into the New York Ave Trail, Brentwood, Union Market, and Trinidad neighborhoods.
And just around the corner, DDOT is on the last step of public input before installation can start on 1.6 miles of protected bike lanes on G St. NW in Foggy Bottom, K St NW in Mount Vernon Triangle, and Water St. NW in Georgetown.
4th St NW protected contraflow lane
Momentum & Major Milestones
Those projects are marching along because community advocates are working with their neighbors, getting decisionmakers on board, and putting pressure on DDOT to deliver. Thanks to that work, in the past few months:
ANCs passed resolutions in support of protected bike lanes on West Virginia Ave NE, G St NW, K St NW/NE, and Kenyon St. NW,
DDOT drew up preliminary plans for protected bike lanes on 4th St SW, 1st St/Potomac Ave SE, New Jersey Ave SE, 17th St. NW, and West Virginia Ave NE,
DDOT began planning protected bike lanes and bus only lanes on Pennsylvania Ave SE from 2nd St. SE to the Anacostia River, and
Planners are nearing the final design for the 1.5 mile 20th, 21st St. NW protected bike lanes
Thanks for reading. If you want to keep this work going, this week is a great time to renew your WABA Membership! Join the Bike Anywhere Week fun, grab a bingo card, and order your rad Bike Anywhere Week t-shirt today!
Last year WABA launched our 20 X 20 campaign, an ambitious plan to add 20 miles of new protected bike lanes in DC. In response, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) released their own plans for a faster pace for new protected bicycle infrastructure in the District. While this crisis has rearranged many priorities, we know that our shared goals and campaigns can’t take a break while the world gets sorted out. To that end, we’re asking you to use your voice to hold DDOT to their commitments to continuing bicycle infrastructure development in the District.
Right now, many people who are considered essential workers are biking and walking to work everyday and the least that we can do is to try to use our voices to make those commutes as safe and stress-free as possible. Protected bicycle lanes remain a part of the critical infrastructure work that is essential to street safety and to the well-being of all DC commuters.
We support DDOT’s ambitious 2020 goals for developing new bicycle infrastructure in DC and the continued focus on safer streets and sidewalks. We strongly encourage DDOT to remain committed to their stated 2020 plans at this time when commuter transportation and safety is critical to the overall health of so many of our communities.
Almost eight years ago, the District Department of Transportation began looking at redesigning Florida Avenue NE, between New York Avenue and H Street NE, to address chronic speeding and an alarming pattern of severe crashes. Through studies and design iterations, plans emerged to calm traffic, create better options for biking and walking, and make more livable spaces along the corridor.
Sadly, while that planning was underway, the corridor produced unthinkable carnage and traffic violence, taking the lives and livelihood of community members and bringing grief and loss into the lives of thousands across the region. But we can also put credit where it is due—after a crash that took the life of a dear member of our BikeDC community, the DC Council and DDOT sprang into action. In just a few months, DDOT designed and installed a temporary road diet and protected bike lane on Florida Ave, which has already reduced speeding in the corridor.
Late last year, DDOT held a public meeting to present the 60% plans for the complete reconstruction of Florida Ave NE as well as 30% plans for the complicated intersection of Florida Ave, New York Ave, 1st St, and Eckington Pl NE.
These plans propose many high-quality improvements to sidewalks, trees, curb-protected bike lanes and intersections, reflecting many lessons learned from the interim treatments installed last year. You can find the plans and presentation materials on the project website.
However the proposals are far from perfect. We believe DDOT can and must go further to create safe spaces for walking and biking and limit opportunities for unsafe speeding. WABA submitted detailed comments for both the corridor and intersection reconstructions. Read WABA’s full comments here.In particular, we would like to see improvements to include:
More aggressive traffic calming and a lower design speed
protected intersections especially at 4th, 6th, West Virginia Ave, and at the many intersections at New York Ave
Wider protected bike lanes and wider buffer from traffic
A wider north side sidewalk under the rail bridge to meet Union Market’s pedestrian needs
More complete and rational connections for people who bike across New York Ave, to the future New York Ave Trail, and further west on Florida Ave to meet the future needs of people who use the corridor
Once built (scheduled for 2021), this street design will remain in place for decades, so it is critical that the city gets it right, not just better.
Hi! My name is James Brady and I’m excited to be taking on the role of 20 X 20 Campaign Organizer with WABA.
My fascination with bicycles started when, as a twelve year old, I saw the movie Breaking Away in 1979. Soon after my friends and I had all managed to acquire 10-speeds with which we terrorized the city because there were no protected bike lanes and none of us understood weird concepts like “right of way.” Despite the danger of street riding without a helmet (which, to be fair, no one wore at that time) I survived to move to DC in 1992 where I have lived and worked ever since. My background is in environmental activism so I’m happy to be able to continue combining bikes, outreach, and action like the time I organized a bicycle blockade to shut down Olympic events in Beijing. Just kidding. I mean, I did do that but that’s not what I’ll be doing here at WABA.
I’m excited to work on the 20 X 20 campaign because it’s an opportunity to support not only street safety but issues of access, opportunity, and equity in DC and the surrounding area. As the parent of a thirteen year old who regularly bikes all over the city, I’m happy to be a part of ensuring that he and his friends have safe and protected places to ride and are as safety minded as is possible considering that they are a bunch of unsupervised thirteen year olds who believe that they are invincible. I’m equally happy to be engaged in looking for ways to improve all forms of access in the city for all of our residents whether that means safer streets for drivers and cyclists, better walkability for pedestrians and families, or any of the many other transportation issues that DC needs to address on the regular.Our goal is to have 20 more miles of protected bike lanes in DC by the end of the year so if that seems like a campaign you’re interested in feel free to contact me at James.brady@test.waba.org.
Let’s get to work on protected bike lanes in Ward 4! Join us to get involved in strategizing and campaign planning.
The Ward 4 Action Group meeting (Ward 4 20×20 meeting) primarily works on WABA 20×20 projects – bike lane projects across DC that are in some stage of study, planning or design, so we know they are possible. And we want them built by the end of 2020.
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