DDOT Director Gabe Klein held an online chat today for the first time since the snow storms. Most of the questions were about streetcars but there were three dealing with bikes.
Alan: Hi there - any plans to repave 9th Street NW
through downtown? It has that bus/bike combo lane that drivers ignore,
and the surface condition is among the worst I've seen in the District.
Klein: Yes, and I'm glad you brought that up. We are
going to repave portions of it, and are looking at a dedicated 2 way
cycle track, so it would be separated, therefore the current
problems would go away
Andy in Penn Quarter: I'm really impressed with the work DDOT is doing.
When will we see movement on Smart Bike expansion? The success of
this program really depends on the depth of available bikes and
locations.
Klein: You are 100% correct. We are very very very close to an announcement that will put 1000 bikes on the street (as a start) this year.
John Pickett: am a frequent bike commuter from Alexandria to L'Enfant Plaza. I routinely use the Case Bridge side path. The attached picture shows a recurring problem, debris building up on the path. I think this is unsightly, sends a very negative message to cyclist and pedestrians, and is potentially dangerous (especially at night). Does DDOT ever plan on doing regular maintenance on the multi-use paths in the city? Here's the pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rootchopper/4415255748/
Klein: This is a problem and we are aware of it. We are
working on a program with partner agencies to "maintain" all of these
facilities This is a good case study for us. Jim Sebastian
and team will follow up on it.
On Smartbike, I heard last night that things were very close.
DDOT needs to repave 23rd St., NW, in Foggy Bottom heading toward the Lincoln Memorial. That's a seriously messed-up road. Many of the bumps are close to half a foot high, and those aren't planned speed bumps either.
Constitution Ave., NW, along the western part of the Mall (between the Lincoln Memorial and the WWII Memorial) also has a lot of rough spots. The recent freeze-thaw cycle and winter weather are not the cause either. Both of those roads have been in terrible shape since at least last fall.
Posted by: Michael H. | March 22, 2010 at 04:47 PM