From Washington Post coverage of the final mayoral debate.
The polite crowd reacted most strongly not to a candidate, but to a topic: bikes. An audience-generated question about what the candidates would do to encourage bicycle use in the city prompted cheers and a few sharp answers. Wells criticized the Gray administration for altering plans for a separated bike lane on M Street NW, changing the design in the 1500 block at the behest of Metropolitan AME Church. That comment incensed Orange — who left unspoken that he is a Metropolitan congregant — accusing Wells of divisive rhetoric: “Last time I checked, I don’t believe I saw a bike lane in front of National Cathedral over on Wisconsin Avenue,” he said. “You can’t be on both sides of the equation depending on what audience you talk to.” Shallal, meanwhile, won cheers and applause for questioning the city government’s push to install bike lanes. “Just painting a bike on the road doesn’t make it safe,” he said, adding, “I stopped biking in the city because it’s too damn dangerous. … We have to come up with a real understanding of what safety is before we start just painting lanes.”
I'm far from a strong and fearless rider, and I ride in DC, in particular in the bike lanes. Maybe being a lefty doesn't quality you to jump from the restaurant business to political office withoout holding a lesser office first?
And I like forward to CM Organe's proposal for a cycle track in upper NW.
Posted by: ACyclistInTheSuburbs | March 31, 2014 at 09:38 AM
"Orange"
Posted by: ACyclistInTheSuburbs | March 31, 2014 at 09:38 AM
Also, there is a bike lane on Garfield Street NW abutting the St. Albans and Beauvoir campuses (which counts as the National Cathedral to me).
Posted by: tdcjames | March 31, 2014 at 10:44 AM
What is Orange's point? Is it that the bike lanes on M Street are racially motivated or is it that DDOT is somehow anit-Methodist or something? The reason that there are bike lanes on M Street and not Wisconsin is because of where M street is located. There are many many other churches that DDOT has painted bike lanes in front of.
Posted by: washcycle | March 31, 2014 at 10:55 AM
The need for bike lanes is more acute in the denser business district than several miles out on Wisconsin Avenue.
Posted by: SJE | March 31, 2014 at 01:27 PM
It's pretty clear that Orange and many others see this as a racial issue. Most message boards about this issue are filled with comments about race. For the most part it’s just a bunch of illogical garble that’s not worth getting in to.
I’m a proponent of a streetscape that doesn’t cater solely to motor vehicles. If somebody wants to call that racist, by all means go ahead and do so, you’ll only be making yourself look like a fool.
Posted by: UrbanEngineer | March 31, 2014 at 01:48 PM
You guys can chastize Vincent Orange, but I accept his offer. Now when will I get bike lanes on the upper section of Wisconsin? It would be glorious.
Posted by: T | March 31, 2014 at 01:54 PM
I find upper Wisconsin is very bike friendly as it is. Lower Wisconsin is a different story, though I find 35th an acceptable alternative for much of it.
Posted by: Crickey7 | March 31, 2014 at 02:42 PM
I live across the street from the Cathedral,and don't see any need for a bike lane. From Tenley to Glover I try to stay off Wisc to avoid the traffic and the climbs.
What I would like to see is something done about the entrance for Whole Foods and the service entrance for Safeway on Wisc. These create far more danger for cyclists,and peds,than the road does.
Posted by: dynaryder | March 31, 2014 at 07:01 PM
Dang,forgot.
Hey Orange,did you miss all the construction at the Cathedral? They built an underground parking garage. So the folks going there don't need street parking.
Posted by: dynaryder | March 31, 2014 at 07:03 PM
So what? We still need a new cabinet-level position for state subjugation to church affairs. All the candidates say so.
Posted by: Crickey7 | March 31, 2014 at 10:22 PM