Bike Laws and Policies

Mayor Bowser Signed the Contributory Negligence Bill

On October 13, Mayor Bowser, Councilmembers Mary Cheh, David Grosso, and Elissa Silverman, DDOT Director Leif Dormsjo, and some of our favorite WABA members joined us for a very special member Happy Hour—to witness and celebrate the public signing of the Motor Vehicle Collision Recovery Act. Read more…

Oversight Roundtable on the Provision of 911 Services in DC

The DC Council’s Committee on the Judiciary held a public oversight roundtable to examine the provision of  911 services in the District. WABA submitted testimony raising ongoing concerns about the dispatch system’s ability to respond to emergencies reported from bike trails. Read our full testimony here.

Low-Stress Bike Network

Capital Trails Coalition Goes Public

The announcement ceremony for the Capital Trails Coalition, of which WABA is a founding member, was held October 13th. Speakers included Congressman Don Beyer (D-Va), multiple National Park Service leaders, a representative from REI, and transportation leaders from Maryland and DC, who lauded the collaboration the Coalition is fostering to connect the region’s trail network. Read more…

Bethesda Downtown Master Plan

Montgomery County Council held a final round of hearings on the updated Bethesda Downtown Master Plan. The plan is a long term guide to future land use, parks and transportation, and includes an impressive network of protected bike lanes, trail access improvements, and standard bike lanes. Read our full testimony here.

Public Scoping for North George Washington Memorial Parkway

The National Park service is in the early stages of an Environmental Assessment for reconstruction of a significant portion of the northern George Washington Parkway. This is an important opportunity to consider how the parkway and the land around it could better accommodate and ensure the safety of people biking and walking. Read our full comments here.

Long Bridge Study Phase II

DDOT is exploring options to replace the century-old Long Bridge, which carries freight and passenger rail from Northern Virginia into downtown DC. Though the study’s scope is currently focused only on expanding the number of railroad tracks across the Potomac river, we made the case for including a high quality bike and pedestrian trail on the new bridge. Read our full comments here.

15th St. NW protected bike lane extension

DDOT just finished work on a short extension to the 15th St. protected bike lane, including a terrific fix for what was a dangerous intersection. Read more…

Georgetown Boathouse Zone Environmental Assessment

National Park Service  is examining sites along the Georgetown waterfront for development of a number of boathouses near the southern terminus of the Capital Crescent Trail. The project will affect bicycle traffic in and around that area. The timing of the project aligns with work that DDOT and Georgetown BID are doing to improve the K/Water Street corridor, which includes a protected bike lane to connect the Capital Crescent Trail with the Rock Creek Park Trail. Read our full comments here.

Oxon Cove Hiker-Biker Trail Environmental Assessment

National Park Service, in cooperation with DDOT, is proposing to construct a multi-use hiker-biker trail in Oxon Cove Park in SE DC. We urged the agencies to create a seamless connection between the future South Capitol Street Trail and the proposed new trail. Read our full comments here.

Trainings and Resources

Virginia Advocacy Training

Want to learn how to be an effective bike advocate in Virginia? Register for the Virginia Advocacy training, which will take place on Saturday, November 19th. Read more…

Traffic Calming 101

Traffic calming is a term used to refer to the variety of strategies traffic planners employ to make streets safer for vulnerable users— like pedestrians, bicyclists, children, the elderly, and the mobility-impaired. But what does it mean, exactly? Read more…

WABA in the News

• D.C. Council advances three-strikes distracted-driving measure—Washington Post, Oct 11
• Tough Distracted Driving Penalties Up For D.C. Council Vote Tuesday—WAMU, Oct 11
• DC Mayor Signs Act Allowing Injured Cyclists and Pedestrians to Sue Drivers—NBC 4, Oct 13
• Coalition Hopes to Connect Every Bike Trail in Washington— NBC 4, Oct 13
• New group’s mission: Connect DC-area trails—WTOP, Oct 13
• 6 Things You Need To Know About Cycling On The Sidewalk—NPR Weekend Edition, Oct 16
• As Collisions with Vehicles Surge, County Police Say Pedestrians and Cyclists Must Take Care—Bethesda Magazine, Oct 20
• Beach Drive construction causing some safety concerns—WJLA ABC 7, Oct 25
• A new trail segment will connect more than 40 miles of PG County paths to D.C.—The Diamondback, Oct 27
• New segment of Anacostia Riverwalk Trail expands the region’s trail network—Oct 31
• Redesign Needed at Site of Fatal Bethesda Crash—Bethesda Magazine, Oct 31
• Montgomery Co. looks to boost safety on Capital Crescent Trail—WTOP, Nov 2