M Street NE Cycletrack might be last one for a while

At the most recent DC BAC meeting, DDOT gave an update on its work and included that it is only working on one possible cycletrack at this time - the "East End Bikeway" [nee the 9th Street Cycle-track] a north-south facility located between 4th and 9th NW which might also be bike lanes.

During FY2014 they added 8.5 miles of bike lane and 20 CaBi stations for a total of ~200, and work is underway on the Rhode Island Avenue Metro Pedestrian Bridge and the Kenilworth section of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail.

There is also planning underway for improvements of the Rock Creek Park Trail (complete in 2015), the Fort Totten Section of the Met Branch Trail (2016), the Oxon Run Trail rebuild (2020), Klingle Valley Trail (2015), East Capitol Street EOTR improvements (2015), Maryland Avenue road diet (2016), Suitland Parkway Trail Rehab (2016), and the South Capitol Street Trail (2017). More projects may be added and other projects advanced if more local trail funding can be allocated to bike programs. DDOT is asking for $1 million (place pinky at corner of mouth) extra. 

Update: Just to add to this, DDOT's 2015-2021 project list is out and here are some things I missed:

• A new Benning Road Bridge over Kenilworth Avenue that will have a bike path (2017)
• Rehab of the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge that includes - wait for it - a connection of the downstream sidewalk to Virginia, along with other sidewalk improvements (2021)
• The privately funded "Return to L'Enfant Plan" which will include bicycle connections around and across I-395 associated with the Air Rights property (2016)
• The New York Avenue Trail (2017)
• Met Branch Trail ramp to L Street (2015)

Comments

[Purple Eagle]

M St NE ends at Florida Ave between 6th and 7th, so how can a cycletrack run between 4th and 9th? If it existed the intersection of M and 9th would be on Gallaudet's campus. Is this supposed to be M SE?

[washcycle]

No. The East Side cycletrack - if there is one - would be north-south and run along one of the number streets between 4th and 9th. So maybe 4th, maybe 9th or maybe something in between.

The local ANC wants to extend the M street NE cycletrack to Florida Avenue, but that is just a wish right now.

[Greenbelt]

To follow up Purple Eagle's question, I'm wondering if they're trying to build a bikeway between the Met Branch trailhead at 1st and M Streets to connect up with the L and M street cycletracks downtown?

If so, that would be wonderful. As it is, to get downtown from the Met Branch requires taking R street to 15th (not ideal) or going straight through downtown (not great) or going all the way down to PA Ave (decently protected, except for Louisiana Ave) but pretty far out of the way.

[ACyclistInThePortCity]

Does anyone know the expected time line for the Maine Avenue (SW) cycle track? It is part of the Wharf project, but I assume DDOT will do actual construction - and I also guess the timeline is tied in with the Wharf construction timeline - but I cannot find any info beyond that.

[Jeffb]

And this is my problem with DDOT. The gap between what they promise and what they deliver is wide and grows larger every year.

MoveDC is a cruel joke.

[AtlasCesar]

MoveDC may still have a chance, since Bowser chose Wells for Transport. But yeah, I agree with you: DDOT is currently not capable of providing consistently safe infrastructure for anyone aside from motorists.

[Purple Eagle]

The bike connections in the air-rights area could address the connectivity that Greenbelt ponders above. I do like the idea of a bikeway connecting NoMa to downtown. M St is one-way between NY Ave and North Cap, and the intersection of M and NY is congested - those features would make such a project complicated.

@WC thanks for clarifying the location of the M St area cycletrack.

[Purple Eagle]

There is a project to reconstruct the Monroe St bridge over the RR tracks on that DDOT projects list. I wonder if there is still an opportunity to route the Met Branch Trail under Monroe? Or is that out of the question now?

[Zack Rules]

Purple Eagle, that is exactly what I thought too about rerouting Metro Branch under Monroe, scary road to cross and people don't stop for anything in the crosswalk despite a large reminder sign.

[TransitSnob]

I've always thought that M St, between 1st St NE & 14th St NW could be a great location to use a combination of cycle tracks and bike boulevard techniques. I'd say to continue the 2-way cycle track between 1st St NE & New York Ave, where you'd need a new crossing for bikes. West of New York Ave though, the street changes directions several times, ensuring that it can't be used for large volumes of through traffic. You could easily make it 2-way for bikes and 1-way for cars without needing to remove any parking. Maybe selectively change a few additional blocks directions to further reduce volumes, add some speed humps to keep speeds low, reconfigure the lights so that bikes get a consistent green at 12mph and viola, a bike boulevard, with no parking removal required.

[washcycle]

I think the ship has sailed on the Monroe Avenue Tunnel. The land they needed south of Monroe has a new building on it.

But, it couldn't hurt to ask.

[darren]

@washcycle - the current 'east side' cycletrack study is actually for 'eastern downtown,' looking at 4th-9th NW corridor, not NE

[washcycle]

Darren, I left out the quadrant (now edited). Sorry if that was confusing.

[Joe]

What is the status on finishing the First St NE cycle track and connecting it all the way to Mass Ave? After the majority of the cycle track was completed over the summer the indication was that they would move fairly quickly, "hope to finish the extension by the end of the year." Has this been scrubbed?

[washcycle]

Joe, I was at a meeting with Jim Sebastian and he said that they were basically ready to start work on that any day now. So, it could literally be tomorrow.