[Lincolnparkdc] How DC Council became enthralled with the idea of bike lanes

[Peter R]

Interesting article.

As a driver, pedestrian, and biker, it seems reasonable that every street should include a bike lane.  There don’t need to be as many lanes for bikes as there are for cars, but nowadays a bike lane should be as normal and common as a sidewalk.  And BTW, bike lanes keep the bikes and electric scooters off the sidewalks, for those who are annoyed by that.  (Yes, bikes are legal on the sidewalks of Cap Hill, but scooters are not.)

If adding a bike lane means converting a street to one-way for cars, that is an added bonus.  Many urban areas similar to the Hill in other cities have mostly one-way streets.  Many of the Hill’s streets are too narrow for today’s two-way traffic, especially when so much of the traffic is now trucks (think of 9th and 10th as examples).  Giving half a lane for bikes while converting it to one-way would reduce the number of knocked-off mirrors (each of which was six inches from being a sideswiping), make it safer for pedestrians to cross, and possibly reduce the cut-through traffic by non-residents.  For drivers, it might mean going a block or two out of your way while in your climate-controlled vehicle; not a major imposition.  One-way streets might even add a parking space or two on each block, due to the vagaries of DC law.

Bike and scooter traffic has grown tremendously over the past years.  It is now common to see parents with one, two, or even three kids on the back of their bike or in a cargo-style bike.  There are many Hill residents who bike to work daily.  People grocery shop by bike.  As some people work from home more, they can forego a commuting car in favor of a bike or scooters.  If only 10% of the bikes you see belong a person who got rid of their car, that still represents a bit of reduced pressure on the parking situation.  It is time to recognize the increased level of bike traffic, and how it helps us all, by realizing that bike lanes are now as necessary as sidewalks.

It is not just the City Council that is enthralled by bike lanes, it is many of the people that they represent (but not all of them, I get it).

--Peter--

From: Marche Maine <uygp-hs47 at DoofusCorp.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2021 3:20 PM
To: List server for the Lincoln Park DC neighborhood <lincolnparkdc at lincolnparkdc.info>
Subject: [Lincolnparkdc] How DC Council became enthralled with the idea of bike lanes

This article gives insight into how Charles Allen became enthralled with bike lanes and why his constituents should not expect much. I argue that DC is 10 x larger than Cambridge and is a very different city.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-02/how-d-c-s-mandatory-bike-lane-law-happened
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