<div dir="ltr">Marche,<div>I am a car owner as well as a bicyclist and I have read your comments with interest. I have had discussions about the bike lanes with neighbors over the past year or so and found myself holding erroneous positions a few times. I was supportive of the bike lanes but sympathetic too to the concerns of my neighbors that losing parking was a bad thing. The association of the loss with the bike lanes, however, was one of those ill-informed discussion points.</div><div>How does a bicycle lane, in the active part of the thoroughfare, take away parking space? I see the cross walks and associated space removed for better vision around the corners but the bike lanes are part of the drive space in the traffic lane. Can you explain?</div><div>I recall others on this list serve have made this point before but your repeating this as if it were fact indicates you are not aware of this.</div><div>Paul</div><div><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Sep 22, 2021 at 12:57 PM Marche Maine <<a href="mailto:markrichardgrace@gmail.com">markrichardgrace@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="auto">Sorry Steve, I don't have the answers to your questions. Perhaps others in the community do. Ive included them in this email.</div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Sep 22, 2021, 12:51 PM Steve Marcus <<a href="mailto:sdmarcus@gmail.com" target="_blank">sdmarcus@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">Hi Mark -- I know you're not the author of the list-serv email that you posted, but I had a question about it and since you seem plugged into transportation conversations (although you may not be a municipal budgeting expert!) I wanted to ask you. As a non-car owner in DC, do my regular taxes pay for for road improvements? The message made it seem as if only "gas taxes, automobile taxes, user fees" and other expenses only shouldered by car owners go to pay for road improvements... my impression was the regular income tax in DC goes to pay for road improvements. Do you have a sense of whether the DDOT road improvement budget comes only from gas tax, auto tax, etc., or whether the budget is pooled from all tax revenue?<div><br></div><div>Thanks,</div><div><br></div><div>steve</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Sep 22, 2021 at 11:10 AM Marche Maine <<a href="mailto:markrichardgrace@gmail.com" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">markrichardgrace@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:x-small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Margaret (and others who have written to me ) thank you! This abuse by DDOT and its minions (e.g. WABA zealots) has real effects and is unnecessarily aggravating people.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:x-small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b>Fully blame Charles Allen</b>. If you cannot attend the rally - understanding very real concerns over COVID and groups of people - show your support by letting Councilman Allen know how much you do not appreciate his chilling disregard for the elderly, those who don't want to bike, depend on their vehicles etc..etc... </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:x-small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Write to him and the others, they are cc'd on this email. BE VOCAL! Note that many of us ride bikes and use them actively, we are not anti-bike. My particular beef is with the speeders and scofflaws of traffic safety, those drivers who rip through the neighborhood causing mayhem. MPD has not been stopping them, DDOT and elected officials do not use measures we currently have to slow them down or hit them in the pocket book. They build obscenities like the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2021/09/21/dc-dave-thomas-circle-wendys/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">"Dave Thomas Traffic Circle</a>" , vanity projects such as the two-tracks of the H.Street trolley, or ignore real biker death spots like Mass. Ave. at Columbus Circle/Union Station.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:x-small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,sans-serif"><b>I am sharing another neighbor's eloquent piece::</b></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:x-small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,sans-serif"><b>Cc: </b></span><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,sans-serif">Neighbors Email List <<a href="mailto:neighbors-ch@googlegroups.com" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">neighbors-ch@googlegroups.com</a>></span></i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:x-small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><br></i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:x-small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i>The District of Columbia spent over 350 million dollars creating bike lanes for cyclists, in many cases by depriving residents of parking (e.g., recently proposed elimination of all parking on one side of North Carolina Ave between 13th St NE & beyond). Most of these residential bike lanes are rarely used (e.g. Tennessee Ave NE between Constitution and E. Cap and 13th Street SE to Pa. Ave which created a dangerous dog-leg for motorists at Independence Ave).</i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:x-small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><br></i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:x-small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i>The funding for these bike lanes is paid for, not by cyclists, but by residents, including and unfairly by those who are deprived of a place to park in order to create bike lanes. Unlike motorists, cyclists do not pay for lanes, road improvements nor are they subject to gas taxes, automobile taxes, user fees nor any other fees that are necessary to pay for road improvements. Nor are they subject to insurance requirements (health and liability) or fines for failing to adhere to common road regulations. They are, in fact, “free riders” and, in effect, the recipients of transportation welfare.</i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:x-small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><br></i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:x-small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i>Cyclists are not licensed, do not have to pass a test indicating they know the rules of the road, and indeed, are more guilty than any other class of driver of blowing through stop signs and signals, otherwise unlawful turns, and traffic weaving at peril to themselves, drivers, and pedestrians, including those who have installed trailers and seats to transport young children. Adult cyclists have been seen leading very young child cyclists through stop signs without even slowing down. </i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:x-small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><br></i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:x-small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i>The Washington Area Bicycle Association (WABA) has become one of the most influential lobbyists in the District and has influenced DC Council members to approve parking restrictions, cyclist-welfare, and has consistently resisted any user fees, the licensing of cyclists and their bicycles as well as testing, notwithstanding the fact that they demand the same use of roadways as motorists who pay for those roadways and who, unlike cyclists adhere to rules of the road.</i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:x-small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><br></i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:x-small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i>As the number of cyclists grows and creates greater dangers to others, it’s time for our DC Council Member(s) to step up and require licensing, testing for knowledge of the rules of the road, insurance, and paying for the lanes that are now paid for by motorists. There is not nor has there been a single argument of any value presented against these simple requirements other than a major lobbying effort by WABA. </i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:x-small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><br></i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:x-small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i>A great Senator once noted that, if you want to understand any issue of consequence, "follow the dollar.” Qui bono.</i></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Sep 22, 2021 at 10:12 AM Margaret Rafferty <<a href="mailto:mhrafferty@hotmail.com" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">mhrafferty@hotmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="auto">
Mark,
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</div>
<div>I live at. 103 Kentucky Ave where advisory bike lanes have been installed. Our neighborhood experienced tremendous DDOT overreach. It was an unpleasant (understatement) experience.I sent numerous letters to varying officials. Most were not acknowledged. </div>
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</div>
<div>I am so grateful for this rally and your efforts. You are an awesome writer! I will attend the rally and, if COVID safe, will stay. If not, know I am 100% in. Many on the 100 block of Kentucky are seniors (including myself) so if we don’t show up, know
it’s because of Covid and we will follow you on the list serve & do what we can.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Thank you so much,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Margaret Rafferty<br>
<br>
<div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPhone</div>
<div dir="ltr"><br>
<blockquote type="cite">On Sep 21, 2021, at 3:51 PM, Marche Maine <<a href="mailto:markrichardgrace@gmail.com" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">markrichardgrace@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
<br>
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<blockquote type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">
<div dir="auto">
<div dir="auto">There are growing pockets of resistance to DDOT’S overreach and poor communication with residents on bike lanes. The Lincoln Park neighborhood has been in DDOT’s cross sights as many of us are aware. The social inequities inherent in the placement
of these bike lanes has created an organized resistance. This Friday there will be a rally near Galluduet. Show your support, attend!</div>
<div dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir="auto"><a href="http://www.theluvlounge.com/DCDBP.html" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.theluvlounge.com/DCDBP.html</a><br>
</div>
<div dir="auto"><br>
</div>
</div>
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</blockquote></div><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature">Paul<br>202 255 9008</div>