This summer, the Maryland State Highway Administration began a temporary experiment by installing a protected bike lane on MD-193/University Boulevard, between Amherst and Arcola Ave, in Wheaton. But now that the pilot period is over, SHA intends to remove the project on November 14, 2021. We need to act now to insist that SHA keep the protected bike lanes in place permanently!
From everything that we’ve seen, the changes on University Blvd have been a tremendous success. The lanes have made it more comfortable to bike and walk on this stretch of University Blvd, increasing safe access to transit and slowing traffic to the speed limit without creating congestion. The SHA should make these lanes permanent, improve them to better protect people on bikes, and extend them further east and west to bring these benefits to a wider set of users.
Use the form below to email MDOT Secretary Slater and SHA Administrator Smith and take a moment to explain why this is important to you.
Since May 2021, we have been eagerly awaiting a DDOT decision on the future design of Connecticut Ave in Ward 3. At stake is whether Connecticut Ave will be transformed into a safe, multimodal street with protected bike lanes or remain a six lane highway, just for driving. But that project, now funded to move ahead immediately, is stuck waiting for a months-late decision from DDOT.
On Tuesday, October 26, the DC Council is holding a confirmation hearing for Mayor Bowser’s pick to lead DDOT, Everett Lott. He has said publicly, as recently as this week, that this decision is currently on his desk. We think that we and the DC Council deserve a clear answer on Connecticut Ave’s future at the hearing.
If the Mayor and her pick for DDOT Director are willing to go against the declared preferences of all four adjacent ANCs, Ward 3 Council Member Mary Cheh, immense resident input, DC’s own long range transportation plan, and the simplest principle of putting safety first on Connecticut Ave, then we need to know that now.
Hundreds of resident advocates wrote letters, attended meetings, and waded into difficult community debates. All four ANCs, dozens of community organizations, and businesses supported Concept C which removes the reversible lanes and repurposes driving and parking lanes for protected bike lanes, safer intersections, and slower speeds. You can find more information on the concepts at DDOT’s project page.
You can weigh in three ways:
Sign up to testify at the hearing on Tuesday, October 26 at 12pm – email abenjamin@dccouncil.us or call (202) 724-8062 before Monday at 11am to add your name to the witness list (details here).
Submit written comments for the hearing record – email your testimony to abenjamin@dccouncil.us or leave voicemail testimony for the Committee by calling (202) 350-1344, which will be transcribed and made part of the hearing record.
Email Committee Chair Mary Cheh and ask that she press Director Lott for a clear answer and a commitment to a Connecticut Ave protected bike lane at the hearing.
Artists rendering of potential protected bike lanes on Connecticut Ave NW (source DDOT)
For more background and guidance on preparing testimony or speaking at a DC Council hearing, click here.
Thanks for speaking up for a safe, inclusive, and bikeable Connecticut Ave!
Earlier this summer, the Maryland State Highway Administration began a temporary experiment by installing a protected bike lane on MD-193/University Boulevard, between Amherst and Arcola Ave, in Wheaton. But now that the pilot period is over, SHA intends to remove the lanes on November 14, 2021. We need to act now to insist that SHA keep the protected bike lanes in place permanently!
From everything that we’ve seen, the changes on University Blvd have been a tremendous success. The lanes have made it more comfortable to bike and walk on this stretch of University Blvd, increasing safe access to transit and slowing traffic to the speed limit without creating congestion. The SHA should make these lanes permanent and extend them further east and west to bring these benefits to a wider set of users.
To show support for this pilot project, the first of its kind on a Maryland State Highway, send a note to the project team, urging MDOT SHA to continue the pilot indefinitely and to extend the protected bike lanes to a longer stretch of University Boulevard. Make a comment on MDOT SHA’s web site for this project by clicking here.
Here are some helpful points you can make in your own words:
I have loved how safe it is to ride my bike along these lanes
I am now able to use University Boulevard to safely bike/walk to restaurants, retail shopping, and other amenities in downtown Wheaton
Please extend the pilot indefinitely. Do not remove the lanes.
Extend the bike lanes permanently eastward past MD-29/Colesville Road
I love that there is now a safe connection between the Sligo Creek Trail and downtown Wheaton
For the first time, I feel safe walking on the sidewalk along University Boulevard
It is much easier now for Northwood High School students to safely bike and walk to school
I am more likely to bike/walk to the outdoor dining area in Wheaton
It is safer for me to access bus stops along University Boulevard
You can learn more about this project on the SHA project page. Thanks for taking action by writing in support of this vital project!
Map of University Blvd pilot project (image from SHA)
The Thrive Montgomery 2050 general plan for Montgomery County was recently passed by the Montgomery Planning Board and is now under consideration by the County Council Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee before the Council votes to adopt it. To lower our carbon emissions and make biking and walking safer, you can show support for this Plan that calls for enhancing our biking, walking and transit networks and plans for people not cars!
Thrive Montgomery 2050 will reduce the County’s reliance on single occupancy autos and prioritize completing safe bicycle and walking networks, especially for the majority of our trips that are under 3 miles in length. Use the tool below to email the members of the Council to ask that they support Thrive 2050’s transportation priorities.
The transportation section of Thrive 2050 (read it in full) proposes decreasing our current dependence on single occupancy cars and calls for providing safer and increased options for walking, biking and use of transit. The Plan calls for a cessation of planning and construction of more highways and road widening, while at the same time creating more space on our roads for biking and walking, especially to reach transit nodes. This means narrowing car lanes, placing more dedicated lanes for transit, widening sidewalks and putting in protected bike lanes. 50% of trips people make each day are less than 3 miles. Thrive 2050’s Complete Streets approach aims to transition these from most driving to biking, walking and transit.
Please email the Council to share your support for the Thrive Montgomery 2050 Plan’s transportation priorities which prioritizes people walking and biking over cars!You can also call your district and at-large Council Members using the phone contact information here. To read the full Thrive 2050 Plan, see the Thrive 2050 website and review the Coalition for Smarter Growth’s summary of the other sections here.
Confident City Cycling teaches you the skills you need to ride safely and confidently on streets, bike lanes and trails alike.
This class is broken into two groups to accommodate different skill levels and interests. The Fundamentals track focuses on practicing basic bike handling skills such as shifting, scanning, signaling, gradual braking and weaving. Instructors discuss the importance of trail etiquette while riding on a multi-use path and answer any questions participants may have about trail riding for commuting or recreation.
The Confidence track teaches hazard avoidance maneuvers necessary while riding on the street and in heavily-trafficked areas. Participants learn skills such as the avoidance weave, quick stop, rock dodge, and instant turn, and discuss considerations for sharing space with other road users.
Each track ends the class with an on-street or on-trail group ride, where participants put their newly acquired skills to the test. Have any questions? Email us at education@test.waba.org.
You have recently taken a Learn to Ride class and were riding confidently with 2 pedals by the end of class
You already know how to ride a bike but do not have much experience riding on trails
The Confidence Track is for you if:
You know how to ride a bike and have experience riding on trails
You know how to ride a bike and would like to learn how to ride safely in traffic
You have experience riding in traffic but would like to learn more about traffic law and how to navigate tricky traffic situations
Health and Safety Protocols
Due to the ongoing effects of COVID-19, all participants are expected to adhere to WABA’s health and safety guidelines for in-person events.
Participants should not attend in-person events if they feel sick or show symptoms of illness. WABA will refund registration fees to individuals who cannot attend because they are sick on the day of an event. If you are sick and unable to attend an in-person event, contact WABA for a refund.
WABA Adult Education classes are mask optional. WABA does not require participants to be vaccinated in order to attend class although we strongly encourage all participants to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Those who have not been vaccinated are required to wear a CDC approved facemask for the duration of class. Anyone who has received the COVID-19 vaccine may choose to forgo masks and social distancing. WABA respects anyone’s decision to wear a mask and encourages all people to advocate for themselves. If you would like to wear a mask during class and would like to maintain social distancing we highly encourage you to do so! WABA will not tolerate any disrespect towards WABA staff or participants who choose to wear a mask for their own safety and peace of mind.
Participants will provide their contact information at event registration. Participants consent to WABA contacting them and/or releasing their contact information to necessary authorities if there is a need for contact tracing following an event to contain an outbreak of COVID-19.
Class Details
Class Duration: 3 hours
Equipment: Participants are required to bring their own bicycle and helmet for this class. Bikes must be in good working order. Interested in using a FREE Capital Bikeshare for this class? Email education@test.waba.org for more details.
Registration Policy: Advance registration is required for this event. Be sure to show up for class 15 minutes before the start time.
This class is brought to you thanks to the generous support of BikeArlington.
Class Location
Quincy Street Parking Deck (also known as Washington Liberty parking garage) 4099 15th St N Arlington, VA 22207
The class will take place on the top floor of the parking deck near the tennis courts. WABA Instructors will be wearing teal polo shirts.
Driving/Parking Parking is available at this location. Please enter the parking deck using the eastern entrance, closest to the corner of 15th St. N and Quincy St. Please park along the wall of the parking deck, not in the middle.
Metro The nearest Metro stop is the Ballston stop on the Orange line. From the stop, walk north on Stafford St. until you reach 15th St. N, then turn right. The parking deck will be on your right, please walk to the entrance closest to Quincy St.
Biking From the Custis Trail: Follow the trail until you reach the access point on Quincy St. Cross Quincy at the intersection with 15th St. The parking deck entrance will be immediately on your left.
The nearest Capital Bikeshare station is five blocks south on Quincy St. at the Arlington Central Library.
The best way to ensure walkers, bicyclists, and bus riders have safe commutes is to fund safe infrastructure to change driver behavior, and to educate drivers on safety rules and regulations.
We can start to move the pace towards investing in safe infrastructure by moving away from the dated status quo of relying on armed police enforcement! If we move enforcement to DDOT or DPW, we can reduce the likelihood of police interactions escalating into violence which disproportionately affect people of color, since there will be far fewer reasons for an officer to initiate a stop.
Research shows that more police stops does not make our streets safer. We can use the money saved from investing in more MPD personnel to invest in safe infrastructure measures that are proven to work! Tell the DC Council you want to divest in solutions that don’t work and invest in a sustainable system for all!
Work is finally starting to transform nearly a mile of C St. NE and North Carolina Ave from an auto speedway to a neighborhood boulevard with gold-standard protected bike lanes. Unfortunately, this plan stops one long block shy of Lincoln Park, leaving a block-long gap in Capitol Hill’s near-future, low-stress bicycle network.
The Good News: The District Department of Transportation has committed to filling this gap and drawn up preliminary options.
The Bad News: Some residents are pushing back over the choice of reducing car parking or turning this one block to one-way car traffic to make room for a low-stress bike option.
People choose to hop on a bike when it is safe, convenient, and low-stress. Even when most of the route is blissful, it is the most stressful block that turns someone away.
North Carolina Ave needs a continuous, low-stress, all ages and abilities bike connection from Lincoln Park to C St, the Fields at RFK, and the Anacostia River Trail to fill out the Capitol Hill network. Shared lanes, sharrows, or narrow painted bike lanes squeezed next to high-volume driving lanes are no substitute for a truly low-stress and safe bikeway.
See more details and the preliminary designs here.
DC’s Ward 3, especially west of Wisconsin Ave, has a serious lack of safe and low-stress options for making trips by bike. But the District Department of Transportation has some big plans for a whole bike network, starting with a 1.7 mile corridor on New Mexico, Tunlaw, and 37th stretching from Nebraska Ave to Whitehaven Parkway in Burleith.
Last night, the neighborhood commission for 3D, which covers New Mexico Ave, voted 9-0 in support of protected bike lanes on New Mexico Ave! But just to the south, in ANC 3B, protected bike lanes — and any dedicated space for people who bike, really — are facing some fierce opposition over loss of car parking. Now is the time to speak up for a low stress and safe bicycling option on Tunlaw & 37th.
Commissioners in ANC 3B want to hear from people who live and work the area before they take a formal position. Please take minute to email anc3bmail@gmail.com to share your priorities before Friday, July 9.
To learn more about the corridor and DDOT’s proposals, see DDOT’s recent presentation to ANC 3B. Send your comments directly to anc3bmail@gmail.com by Friday, July 9. And if you can, attend the July 15 ANC meeting to see the latest from DDOT and speak up for a low stress and safe bicycling option for Tunlaw & 37th. Find the ANC Join link and agenda here.
Not sure what to say? Short and simple is best. Here’s some inspiration:
How would protected bike lanes on Tunlaw and 37th make your life easier, safer or better?
What trips would you like to make by bike, but don’t because it doesn’t feel safe? Trips to school, work, groceries? What’s holding you back?
Adding bike lanes alone can help reduce speeding and aggressive driving, but a street redesign is also an opportunity to add pedestrian crossings, improve visibility at intersections and traffic calming. What traffic safety issues do you see that should be addressed as part of this project?
Safe, comfortable options for biking help reduce the demand for parking by creating additional options for getting around, while excluding those options creates a vicious circle of ever-expanding demand for car parking. What is your vision for the neighborhood? What transportation options should people have?
Don’t forget to email your thoughts to anc3bmail@gmail.com by Friday, July 9 and if you can, attend the ANC meeting. Please bcc advocacy@test.waba.org to help us track responses.
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