At the Virginia Avenue Streetscape meeting a few new tidbits trickled out that are relevant to cyclists. And most of it is good news, specifically about the east side of the bikeway (h/t JDLand)
While the presentation about the bikeway seemed to focus on what was already known, Jim Sebastian (DDOT) also mentioned a couple of critical connections for the trail. First of all, in addition to adding green space on the north side of the 100 block of H Street, that block will also reopen (that may have seemed obvious, but I didn't mention it before) and it will now connect 2nd St, SE, and the east end of the bikeway, to New Jersey Ave, SE. More important is that "The Architect of the Capitol will complete their construction project in 2018, and has indicated willingness to reopen Virginia Avenue between South Capitol Street and 2nd Street SE." Those changes will create direct connections between the bikeway and New Jersey Ave and South Capital Street (the left side of the image below).
If those two blocks of Virginia Avenue reopen, DDOT has plans to extend the bikeway to South Capital Street. [If you want to get crazy, they could extend take it across South Capitol to the circle at E Street and Virginia Avenue that I, until recently, used to call "Bruce Springsteen Circle* and from there over I-395 on a bridge parallel to the railroad tracks - thus reconnecting Virginia Ave SW for cyclists and pedestrians]. In addition, the 800 block of Virginia Ave will become a two-way street.
Other future bicycle facility connections include I Street SE/SW, 2nd Street SE, and the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge.
On the downside, the 400 block of Eye Street is no longer being turned into a stub because of community feedback. Along with the lost green space there, the 10-foot wide bike path connection to the remaining Eye Street stub is being removed. Before and after renderings below.
Before
After
Of course, the bike path itself had some detractors. Won't someone think of the children?
Bike lane is highly concerning with young kids and frankly not necessary on the south side of VA Ave. If a bike lane is attractive to others, then it should be located on the north side of the VA Ave, where less children play
*Someone pointed out that if there is to be a Springsteen Circle, the only place to do it would by turning the intersection of New Jersey Ave, E Street, North Carolina Ave and 1st Street SE into a traffic circle and so naming it. To this I must agree.
So the neighbors don't want a bigger lawn for the kids to play on? Weird.
Happy to hear about the Architect of the Capitol opening the block to South Capital.
Posted by: Fong Fong | October 09, 2015 at 01:48 PM