DC Strategic Bikeways Plan 2025: Ward 5 Opportunities
Let’s make sure key Ward 5 needs are included as District Strategic Bikeways Plan (SBP) priorities!
The District Dept. of Transportation (DDOT) states that “the Bike Lane Program plans to build an additional 50 miles of bicycle lanes across the District over the next 5 years.” Please communicate your bicycling, safety concerns, network gaps, and project ideas to DDOT via the Strategic Bikeways Plan Public Comment Map.
We’ll call out four key Ward 5 priority bikeway routes, focusing on longer-distance, corridor routes rather than local connections, which DDOT should pursue as a matter of course:
- Protected bike lanes on Q & R Streets between Sheridan Circle, NW (northwest of Dupont Circle) and the Metropolitan Branch Trail.
- Bladensburg Road, NE, implementing the preferred concept put forward in 2023 Bladensburg Road NE Multimodal Safety and Access Study process.
- Taylor Street, NE, making DDOT’s Taylor Street NE and Fort Drive NE project happen, which is currently in a concept-planning phase.
- Implementation of the Lincoln Road NE Protected Bike Lane project, also currently in a concept-planning phase.
Our priorities are based on discussions with Ward 5 Family Biking and other community discussion and our own extensive experience in the ward. W5FB’s list of asks (MBT = Metropolitan Branch Trail):
- FINISH PLANNED/DESIGNED ROUTES SOON!!
- Lincoln, Taylor, Bladensburg protected bike lanes
- PROTECTED & CONNECTED RR TRACK CROSSINGS
- Extend 6th St/Brentwood lanes over bridge to Rhode Island Ave
- Implement road diet with protected bike lanes on South Dakota Ave
- NORTH-SOUTH ROUTES TO EASE MBT CROWDING
- Extend 18th St lanes from MI Ave <-> WV Ave/17th/Mt. Olivet lanes
- Connect neighborhoods east of the railroad right-of-way via 10th or 13th St
- EAST-WEST ROUTES TO ADD CONNECTIVITY
- Upgrade Q & R St lanes with protection
- Connect MBT to N. Brookland & Woodridge via Monroe or Newton
- Connect MBT to S. Brookland & Langdon via Franklin or Hamlin
- Extend Taylor to Bunker Hill to Eastern Ave
You can provide your comments NOW via DDOT’s Strategic Bikeways Plan Public Comment Map.
Are there other priorities WABA should post? Please let us know by e-mail to advocacy@waba.org or via our DC Bikeway Priorities form.