The preferred alternative for 18th St. NW in Adams Morgan, DC

WABA letter calling for protected bike lanes, or a pedestrianized space, as the preferred alternative for 18th St. NW in Adams Morgan, Washington DC.

You can view this document in PDF form here.

WABA prefers the bike-lane option for 18th St. NW that DDOT presented during a May 27, 2026 public meeting about DDOT’s 18th St NW Restriping Plan. However the bike lanes should be fully protected in accordance with moveDC standards for arterials such as 18th St. NW.

As an alternative, DDOT should consider converting 18th St. NW between Florida Ave. NW (or the Kalorama Road NW southern limit of the restriping project) and Columbia Road NW into a pedestrian space with other access limited to transit, delivery vehicles, emergency responders, handicapped drop-off and pick-up, and bikes and scooters. We prefer a pedestrianized space with limited vehicle use as the best 18th St. NW Adams Morgan solution.

More about The DC Low Stress Network

Bike lanes are most effective when they connects to other bike lanes, protected bike lanes, even more so.

WABA works with teams of grassroots volunteers across the District to demand a network of low-stress places to bike. A network where you, your kids, nephews, nieces, or grandkids, can all get where you need to go safely, easily, happily on bikes.

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.