DC will add quick-build bus lanes as part of its COVID-19 response

Buses and cyclists will soon have a little more room to traverse the streets as the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced plans today to establish three dedicated lanes throughout DC, with construction starting late July.

The lanes will permit bus, bike and/or truck only traffic at various times of day, allowing people using those modes to move more efficiently and stay more safely spaced on buses, and to help mitigate traffic congestion.

Three of DC’s quadrants will get bus lanes, with variations on timing, regulations, and other facilities like expanded sidewalks and pickup/dropoff zones.

7th Street NW

• Buses, bicycles and trucks only
• Between Massachusetts and Pennsylvania Ave NW
• In operation 24 hours a day
• Right turning cars permitted on 7th Street NW to access garages north of I Street NW and to access Indiana Avenue NW eastbound
• Sidewalks will be expanded for streateries and safe distancing into the parking lane
• Loading and pick-up/drop-off zones will be established on side streets

Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE

• Buses and bikes only
• Between W Street SE and St. Elizabeth’s East Campus
• In operation during peak hours and in peak directions
• Minimal or no parking to be removed

M Street SE

• Buses and bikes only
• Between Half Street SE and 10th Street SE
• In operation during peak hours
• Minimal or no parking to be removed

The 2.6 miles total of “car-free” lanes are part of the second phase of DC’s reopening, which plans for a gradual return to business, services and on-site employment in the District. The lanes will allow people to move around via buses and bikes along these stretches of road without competing with drivers in cars for access.

Some of those efforts, such as the streateries and expanded sidewalks, focus on reconfiguring public spaces to serve the changing needs of District residents, visitors and businesses during a pandemic and ‘recovery’ period that are unfolding at the same time.

Policymakers leading on these efforts have to balance the need to manage the exposure of residents, workers and visitors to coronavirus, while increasingly engaging in life outside their homes since the initial months of lockdown status have been gradually eased.

Several cities are trying out versions of dedicated bus lanes and other adaptations, to shore up urban mobility without inviting a glut of congestion. NYC recently announced plans for 20 miles (out of 60 recommended by advocates) of bus lanes.

Why now?

DDOT is presenting the pilot as an expansion of its quick-build bus lanes on H & I Streets NW, which did yield more efficient bus journeys for riders and likely also built up DDOT’s capacity to implement and manage such facilities.

At a time when public transit is under strain from the need to keep passengers and workers safe, WMATA is running fewer services in a bid to lessen exposure opportunities. But dedicated lanes for buses could allow WMATA to run more buses, and get more passengers moving, without adding to the total time that operators and riders alike are exposed.

More buses on the same routes also means that the same set of passengers can get where they’re going more efficiently, which could improve mobility equity in the city.

For people seeking to move via bike or scooter, lanes that are free of cars (though shared with buses and sometimes trucks) could make these active modes safer, and create a more encouraging environment for those considering cycling or scooting.

What to watch out for

If drivers don’t understand or aren’t motivated to respect the lanes, non-compliance could both scupper DDOT’s objectives for bus service and present major safety issues. It’s worth watching to see what DDOT’s plans are for driver education and compliance. For example, cameras are being looked at in some contexts and could ostensibly be helpful here.

It’ll also be helpful to know what DDOT’s metrics for success will be with the lanes and if the agency plans to expand the pilot in the future.