[Lincolnparkdc] Request for input into the evaluation of the proposed bike lanes

[Sharon Raimo]

Yes Cathie well said!

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 10, 2020, at 7:43 PM, Cathie Woteki <cathie at woteki.com> wrote:

 Dear Steve and Charles,

I’ve been reflecting on last night’s meeting, what I learned that I had not known, what I heard from the DDOT team and my neighbors and what I didn’t hear.
What was news to me is that the proposed changes are temporary and will be evaluated, and that appropriations will be needed to replace the temporary flex posts with permanent changes to the curb configuration if the project is deemed a success.  I also learned that Steve and his ANC colleagues felt you were jammed in approving the plan for Kentucky Avenue and that some tweaks to the proposal may be considered but DDOT thinks the consultation is over.  That only leaves the evaluation as a place where my neighbors’ concerns about safety could be taken into account.  What was lacking was any information about the evaluation, what is being evaluated and what opportunities exist for community input to the evaluation.  Can we get more information about the evaluation?  What are the criteria and data?  What do the baseline data tell us about safety?  Over how many years will the test be conducted?  Who decides what constitutes a successful project and what are the criteria?  Will there be opportunity for community comment at that point?

I think there’s unanimous agreement that safety is everyone’s top priority, and that’s good.  What I didn’t hear is appreciation for the concerns that my neighbors expressed about personal safety and quality of life.  A theme that runs through the 400+ emails and last night’s comments has to do with personal safety and quality of life especially for those 65+ years.  These comments got categorized and dismissed as “parking” but they really have to do with feelings of concern about will I fall, will I be mugged, will services that I rely on not be available to me if parking is restricted and the narrowing of the street eliminates double parking.  My neighbors’ feelings of concern about personal safety are well founded.  We have recent history of swarms of boys on bikes harassing and sometimes robbing pedestrians; we have porch thefts; we rely on food deliveries and other necessary services for people with limited mobility that require double parking.  How will these aspects of safety and quality of life be evaluated?  Can we make sure they are incorporated into the evaluation?

Tom and I were drawn to Kentucky Avenue because of its stunning beauty — the broad boulevard, the huge elm trees arching over the street and the proximity to a historic park.  We share concerns about the bike lane project’s defiling of that urban vista but we are in favor of bike lanes and safety for everyone in our community.  And, in closing, thanks for all that you do to make Capitol Hill the wonderful place it is to live.  We do appreciate how hard your jobs are, and I hope that you will be able to give us a voice in the evaluation of the bike lane project.

Regards,

Cathie Woteki

Catherine E. Woteki, Ph.D.




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