Thank Mayor Bowser for Putting People First on Connecticut Ave

On December 15 2021, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that 3+ miles of Connecticut Ave NW will be redesigned with new protected bike lanes, traffic calming, and no more dangerous reversible lanes. “After considering several options, it was clear that this design best meets the needs of our city and moves us closer to a greener DC, a safer DC, and a DC that is less reliant on cars,” Mayor Bowser said in a statement announcing the decision.

Join us in thanking Mayor Bowser and Acting DDOT Director Lott for their bold vision and commitment improving safety and mobility for everyone who travels Connecticut Ave NW. Read WABA’s letter to Mayor Bowser thanking her for choosing a multimodal, safe design for Connecticut Ave in Ward 3 here.

For almost two years, the District Department of Transportation has been thoroughly studying removing the dangerous Connecticut Avenue reversible lanes and adding protected bike lanes from Woodley Park to Chevy Chase DC. It would be a dramatic, transformational change for one of Northwest DC’s busiest car-oriented corridors.

Yet, despite organized support from all four affected Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, dozens of organizations and businesses, Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh, thousands of residents and the District’s own sustainability and vision zero commitments, we know that choosing the status quo is always the easier choice. Debates were heated, and many voices are still defending the car-first status quo for Connecticut Ave. Saying yes to our vision for a safe, multimodal Connecticut Ave is a very big deal.

While there’s still more to do before the projects get underway, City transportation officials said the plan is moving to the design phase, with construction likely to begin in fall 2023.