WABA Alert: Important K Street Meeting Tonight

Sorry for the late notice, but we just found out that a critical meeting on the proposed redesign of K Street is taking place tonight.  We need cyclists to come out in force to support a new design for the proposed transitway that best accommodates cyclists.  Of the three "build options" for the K Street Transitway, which would feature dedicated busways from 9th Street NW to Washington Circle, only Alternative 3 included any facilities for cyclists.  The bike lanes proposed in this option would run against the curb for the length of the project.  However, given the large number of deliveries made on K Street, WABA feels that a standard bike lane would turn into a parking lane for delivery vehicles.  Instead, WABA is recommending a buffered bike lane or cycle track for the K Street Transitway.  This option would protect the bike lane with a curb to prevent vehicles from parking in the lane and would be a more attractive facility for less experienced cyclists.

WABA is also asking for:

1)    Painted bike lanes at intersection crossings and on segments of K Street where a formal cycle track is not a option.
2)    Ample bike parking to replace the loss of parking meters.
3)    A separate signal system for bikes in the cycle track.

For details about WABA's recommendations please visit: http://www.waba.org/documents/K_Street_Transitway_Comments.pdf.

What You Can Do

We strongly urge cyclists to come out to the public meeting tonight to express their support for a modified Alternative 3, which would include cycle tracks with a separate signal system for cyclists, painted bike lanes at intersections and ample bike parking throughout the corridor.  The public meeting for the  project will be held:

Wednesday, October 14th from 6-8:30pm
Carnegie Library
801 K Street NW

If you cannot attend the meeting in person, WABA urges you to send your comments on the project to KStreet.comments@dc.gov.

Comments

[anon]

I went and provided a public comment. unfortunately, not a whole lot of love for alt 3, outside of me and eric :(

[Eric]

Yup. We had the developers, BIDs, restaurant owners, and the Apartment and Office Building Association against us. It was quite funny to hear how they all loved bicycling, just not on K Street. The downtown BID floated an idea for cycle tracks on L and I Streets as a compromise, but to completely rebuild K Street without any provisions for cyclists would be a blow.

[Washcycle]

I wish I could've been there. I drove to work because I had to run by REI to pick up my BikeDC stuff and pick up a bike stand which was too heavy/awkward to carry on a bike. I got stuck in the gap between an Anacostia Freeway closing crash and the last exit before it. Sat there for over an hour. All I could think about is how if I had my bike I could carry it up the hill and be gone...

[Contrarian]

As someone who cycles for transportation, and who uses K Street frequently, I'm not sorry to see the cycle track idea fail. The notion of being stuck between two curbs on a narrow path in a heavily traveled corridor with lots of cross-traffic just scares me.

The main roadway of K Street as it currently exists is easy to ride on. It's narrow enough that there is no question about sharing the lane, you just take your space and go. Traffic moves at about a cycling pace normally so you just ride with traffic.

Sure, I could still ride on the main roadway even if there were a cycle track. But look at other places in town where deficient facilities have been built, and how cyclists get treated there who choose not to use them -- places like MacArthur Blvd. or Beach Drive. I've never had a problem with a motorist on K Street. I wish I could say the same about MacArthur.

[Netwit]

It's unfortunate that WABA would take such a bold stand in favor of a new (for this area) and controversial facility type with a number of problems. The positives of cycletracks are that they attract people who don't feel safe in the road and get more riders out there. The minuses of cycletracks: Bicyclists will ride the wrong way in them (who wouldn't?). Pedestrians will walk in them (why not?). Curbs will lock you into them. And you can't move over to take the lane at intersections to avoid right hooks.

[Washcycle]

Bicyclists will ride the wrong way in them (who wouldn't?). Pedestrians will walk in them (why not?) I don't think people in New York have been doing it on 9th Avenue. Nor have they had many problems with pedestrian intrusions. The reason these things won't happen is because it will dangerous for them to do so.

Curbs will lock you into them. And you can't move over to take the lane at intersections to avoid right hooks. Cyclists would have their own signals - so getting hit by a right hook will not be an issue.

[John Mitchell]

I am a bicycle commuter who lives on Capitol Hill and works on K Street by Farragut North.

Unlike WABA, I am opposed to adding any bike lanes on K Street proper. Bike lanes should run the length of I Street (westbound) and L Street (eastbound). This provides an eminently sensible solution while allowing DC to maximize the usage of K Street as a transitway.

The key bike elements to K Street's redevelopment should simply be safe, well-marked crossings at intersections with north-south roads. There should also be wayfinding signs that direct cyclists onto the adjacent east-west routes.

[Washcycle]

Actually, alternative 3 dedicates three lanes to the bus way (allowing for passing) instead of two. So it's the best one for bikes AND transit. What it removes is parking. Do you think parking is more important than space for buses and bikes?

I also don't want to be in the business of calling out certain streets as "not a place" for bicycles. I'd love bike lanes on I and L, and we can add those too, but bike lanes on K would connect right in to the CCT and go all the way to Mt. Vernon Street.

It's DC's 2nd most famous street, and it should have bike lanes.