When I moved to DC in 1997, there weren't many bike lanes; in fact by 2001, when DC hired its first bicycle coordinator since 1992, there were still only 2 miles total. This despite the District's 1976 Bicycle Transportation Plan's goal of 16 miles (a number not reached until 2005). The only bike lanes I remembered from back then were the ones on East Capitol. Turns out they're the District's oldest - by a long shot. [What was built in 1969 was a bike route, not bike lanes]
The first bike lanes in the United States were built in Davis, CA in 1967 - to mimic the designs in Netherlands. Previously bike lanes weren't even legal, but a bill to change that had just been signed into law by Governor Ronald Reagan.
Almost immediately people began advocating for similar lanes in DC, and then Councilmember Polly Shackleton led the effort to install a bike route as an experimental proto-type for a citywide network. Finally, on December 15, 1969 DC's first bike route, on East Capitol Street between RFK and the Capitol Opened.
The first leg of the bikeway will start at the parking lot north or the stadium. The bikeway will run along East Capitol St. to Lincoln Park, through Lincoln Park on paths now being constructed, and again over East Capitol Street to the Capitol grounds.
From there the plan was to continue the path across the Capitol Grounds (Negotiations were reportedly "underway"), then along the Mall using Jefferson and Madison Drives (there still aren't bike lanes on those streets, but sharrows were added in 2011), beside the Potomac Parkway to K and then under the Whitehurst Freeway to Wisconsin. You can ride most of this on bike facilities today.
International-type bike signs will mark the route and the General Services Administration has agreed to establish bike stands at government buildings. Mrs. Shackleton reports that the District may also provide bike stands at appropriate District buildings.
How adorable.
Sidewalk cycling was illegal citywide back then
The experimental bikeway will not use District sidewalks — to do so would require a change in the law— but if the route proves popular enough, restrictions against use of sidewalks for bikes may be relaxed.
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