
Newly installed rubber curbs on the First St. NE cycle track. Photo: @mattyCampy
Newly installed rubber curbs on the First St. NE cycle track. Photo: @mattyCampy
In order for us to proceed with implementing the M Street cycletrack we need to complete the environmental review process. We are moving towards completion of this process, which will enable us to move quickly into construction. While our construction season is starting to wind down, we are hopeful that we can still complete the project this year. Actual construction will take an estimated three to five weeks to complete. We realize that this project has been in the works for quite some time and that it was scheduled to be implemented this year. This project remains a priority for us and therefore we will continue to work hard to ensure it can be implemented as soon as possible.
DDOT plans to break up the 1.3 mile cycle track on M St NW for just one block. Ask Mayor Gray’s support in brokering a better resolution.
In that spirit, we ask Mayor Gray to bring together representatives of the bicycling community and the Metropolitan AME Church for a discussion of our needs. We want an honest joint effort to resolve the issues surrounding the M Street cycletrack in a way that builds, not undermines, respect. We believe that this will result in a plan for M Street that creates a public space that everyone can safely use. Please click here to send a note to Mayor Gray asking for his support in brokering a better resolution.
The M Street bike lane will share a similar design to its predecessor on L, but officials said it will be safer. For starters, the new bike lane will lie between the sidewalk and parked cars. On L Street, the bike lane is partially wedged between two traffic lanes. “You will have the three foot separation that provides a little more comfort plus the parking lane adjacent to it. So actually the moving traffic will be 11 feet away from you in the cycle track and it will feel more like a trail,” said Mike Goodno, a bike planner at the District Department of Transportation.According to DCist, Wells called the M Street cycletrack a “crucial artery.” We at WABA couldn’t agree more, and we look forward to its installation. See photos of Walk the Tracks below, and check out our Flickr set for even more shots. Did you take pictures at “Walk the Tracks”? Add them to our Flickr pool!