Petition: Save the 15th Street Protected Bike Lane

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The protected bike lanes on 15th St NW/SW and East Basin Drive from Constitution Avenue to the 14th Street Bridge are a critical link in the regional biking network for local residents and visitors from across the country and the globe. Thousands of people use the bike lane to get between Virginia and Washington, DC and to explore the National Mall every day. The project was completed through a partnership between the National Park Service and the District Department of Transportation, with segments completed in 2023 and 2021.

Rumors have circulated for weeks about unilateral removal of the 15th St Bike Lanes by federal agencies. The targeted section of the corridor is on National Park Service land and is under federal control, leaving DC sidelined, so we’re calling on the US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, and National Park Service to halt the unilateral removal efforts until these analyses have been completed.

A recent evaluation of part of this corridor found that the project made all travelers safer, made vehicle travel faster, and increased the number of bicyclists.

This outstanding facility serves thousands of residents and tourists every day.
The project reduced all roadway crashes by 46% and bicycle injury crashes by 91%.
The project decreased travel times and increased speeds by 17% during peak hours.

Any change to the bike lane must follow established procedures: requiring an analysis of the negative impacts removing the project will have and one that seeks and considers public input.

Want to further support the fight? Donate to our campaign here.

More about Complete Streets

Complete Streets are streets designed to accommodate all users, and that prioritize historically underinvested modes of transportation like transit, walking, and biking. An incomplete street might lack adequate sidewalks, low-stress bike infrastructure, or safe and comfortable access to transit.

Effective Complete Streets policies change the way a jurisdiction plans and builds transportation infrastructure—sidewalks, low stress bike infrastructure, and transit should be included in any new or rebuilt street by default, rather than as an add-on when there's space or demand.

While most regional jurisdictions have a Complete Streets policy of some sort, they lack teeth and permit transportation departments to continue to build streets that put cars first and squeeze other modes into the margins.

More about Advocacy

WABA fights for a region where biking, walking and transit are the best ways to get around.

We educate policymakers and organize grassroots advocates for to speak up for safer places to bike and walk; and for laws and policies that protect people who are walking and biking, reduce dangerous driving, and facilitate changes to the built environment.