Arlington Memorial Bridge Road Diet

NPS is planning to rehabilitate the Arlington Memorial Bridge. During construction, there will be either a full or partial closure of the bridge. WABA is suggesting that this is a good opportunity to put the bridge onto a road diet.

If there is a minimal impact of closing a single lane of car traffic in each direction on the bridge during reconstruction, it should be repurposed entirely as a single travel lane for bicycle traffic.... This road diet does not change the historic design of the sidewalk, curbs, or roadway space. The protected bike lanes could be achieved by painting a buffer between the bike lanes and car lanes, or with decorative brick pavers or colored concrete.

NPS staffers are pursuing safe and separated trail crossings across the GW Parkway to improve access to the bridge. They will begin an environmental assessment of the Memorial Circle in 2014.

The bridge will continue to connect many historically and culturally significant parks, places, and memorials. The inclusion of protected bicycle lanes in the Arlington Memorial Bridge EA could dovetail nicely into the Memorial Circle EA, resulting in a significantly improved connection between the District of Columbia and Virginia for residents and visitors to our Nation’s Capital.

The comment period ends next Monday, Dec. 2. Please take a moment and as the National Park Service to rebuild the Arlington Memorial Bridge with dedicated space for bicycles, pedestrians and cars.

Comments

[Rachael]

You already realize that living healthy is important, otherwise you
could not be here. That 30 minutes will help you avoid speeding
tickets, tardiness and other unnecessary headaches. Two delicious healthy
snacks will also be recommended.

[Kolohe]

as has been said elsewhere, doing anything to the bridge itself without fixing the connections on both sides (but particularly the side closest to Arlington Cemetery) is kinda pointless and would make this a trail to nowhere.

[MM]

@kolohe

I could be wrong, but I don't think it's likely that NPS would be willing to reconfigure the bridge outside of the already planned rehab work, so this may be the only chance we have of getting some bike infrastructure installed. Working out the connections on the ends of the bridge would not only be the simpler part of this process, but it would be easier to justify if infrastructure on the bridge was put in place.

[Kolohe]

fair point.