Listen: Perspectives on DDOT’s downtown bicycle plans
At Thursday’s downtown cycle track meeting, the room was full of people with a lot to say about DDOT’s ambitious plans.
DDOT envisions physically separated bicycle lanes on major downtown streets - including Pennsylvania Avenue and 15th, 9th, L and I Streets - as early as May. At last week’s meeting, cyclists, residents, advocates, DDOT staffers and area workers offered comment on the designs. Here is some of what they had to say:
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“We were at CFA today; we got some feedback. We should get their final report next week. NCPC has sent us a letter supporting the concept… It seems quick, but we’ve been working on this for a while. It was surprising how many of the stakeholders were supportive.”
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“We really like the cycle tracks. At the same time, we have some suggestions… We wonder why there’s not a cycle track on M as opposed to I and L… We’d really like to see better bicycle facility integration around Mt. Vernon Square.”
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“This is fantastic for the city… The key concerns I have is on I Street. Metro and DDOT just worked together on a study… It proposed … a dedicated transit lane [on H and I Streets] during rush hour. I’m disappointed that the same DDOT has created plans for a protected bike lane that will not include provisions for buses.”
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“Compared to Baltimore, DC is eons ahead… If it was going to be innovative to them then it had to be out of sight. We had a test pattern for a green bike lane and it’s held up pretty well… adjacent to where we had it done, the bike lane is not green and people park in it all the time.”
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“There aren’t a lot of bike facilities right in downtown…You come down either from the east or the north and then you’re just out of luck… Having been a bike commuter in New York City and utilized the 9th Avenue cycle track, I think it’s a great, safe idea.”