DC should define a loop route around DC for tourists

I read something not so long ago about San Diego's Downtown/Uptown Bike Loop. It seemed like a cool idea, a 7 mile long network of bike facilities that would take one on a loop around downtown connection riders to businesses and tourist locations. Unfortunately it relies almost entirely on shared lanes. Even the "separated lanes" are just buffered lanes. 

But even if the execution leaves something to be desired, the idea is still cool. So, what would a DC loop look like? If it needs to go around downtown, hit local businesses and tourist attractions and use some of the higher quality bike facilities. 

Here's what I'd do. Starting at the White House, it would go down Pennsylvania to the Capitol and around it. Then use Delaware Ave and 1st NE to get to the Met Branch Trail up to R. West on R (or east on Q and R if going counter-clockwise) to New Hampshire and then south on New Hampshire to M (or L if going counter-clockwise). Take M to 33rd and then go south to Water Street. Use the new Water Street PBL to get to the Rock Creek Park Trail and follow that to the Lincoln Memorial. Then use the sidepath along Constitution to get to 15th and take that back to the White House.

It's not all on protected bike facilities, but it mostly is. 

It would hit the White House, Pennsylvania Avenue, the Capitol and its visitor Center, Union Station, Dupont Circle, Georgetown, the Kennedy Center, the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. And it would connect commercial areas along Pennsylvania Avenue, in NoMa, along 14th, in Dupont Circle and Georgetown as well as some one-off businesses like Big Bear Cafe.

Likely an expert in tourism who had enough sleep could do better, but there's actually a lot to work with here. 

Comments

[Rasputin]

I like it, especially if it encourages an upgrade in facilities.
R/Q streets being the 'best' cross-town bike routes is just depressing. Is a pot-hole filled 2' wide painted strip really the best we can do in a city with a $14 billion dollar budget?

[drumz]

Arlington loves to talk about their trail loops in their various bike literature. It's not totally for tourism purposes but it is a very close-by example of highlight special routes one can take.

With new lanes on the western half of Pennsylvania and maybe the Lousiana ave cycletrack you could have a smaller one as well.

[Nik]

This is an excellent idea. This route also has multiple CaBi stations along the way, allowing for easy, station-to-station riding with breaks along the way to enjoy the sights.

One modification I'd make is to send folks across Georgetown higher up. M St has lot to offer, but it's (sadly) irresponsible to send tourists down this three-lane pseduohighway. All the DC commuter cyclists I know use P or Q to cross Georgetown (and this could be motivation to finally add a protected bike lane on that stretch of M!)

[Will Handsfield]

Concur on the excellence of the idea. For Georgetown though, I'd deviate at M/Rose Park to go up to N St, then take it to Potomac St, which can link to 33rd crossing of the canal (a dismount and walk down a bike ramp). M St could be a future route when we get a bike facility there. I also would make the Louisiana Ave Cycletrack the future route.

[washcycle]

That's a good point about M Street in Georgetown.

I considered an alternate route that would not go around the Capitol and instead go up Louisiana.

[Crickey]

Rockville has a loop that goes all the way around it, the Millenium Trail. Really, a sidewalk.

[darren]

if you squint, it's kinda shaped like bizarro mirror-image CONUS.

(great idea, & great route suggestion!)

[Michael]

Boy we still have a ways to go to make DC bike-friendly for tourists. The Tidal Basin is notoriously unwelcoming: https://goo.gl/maps/nz48vZE7SUG2
We should create another map of the route we WANT for bike tourists, and make it happen.

[David]

Love this concept.

[Jon]

I agree with Michael. We need a map that prioritizes a route that would be built for tourists. That said, I think such a map should cut out most of Northeast and run up Mass Ave from Union Station to Dupont. The route should make its way up to the Zoo and across to National Cathedral and down to Georgetown, across the Key Bridge so we can include the new observation deck in Rosslyn and Arlington Cemetery. Then get across to Lincoln Memorial and around the Tidal Basin. Again, my idea is in no way bicycle friendly but a vision is needed to help guide City Council in prioritizing where we need more bike lanes.

[contrarian]

I lived in Shaw in the 90's. What I remember from back then is that tourist maps would always put the key over Shaw -- nothing to see there! Glad to see it finally hitting the big time.

[washycle]

Originally I saw the Shaw section is something of an unfortunate necessity, but then I thought about it again and realized it's key. Tourists SHOULD see the part of DC where people actually live. They should see a neighborhood. When I did the Baltimore Marathon so many years ago, my favorite part was running through all the neighborhoods I'd never seen before.

[huskerdont]

Agree on Shaw. And there's good stuff there too that a certain type of tourist (my type) would enjoy: Howard Theater, Right Proper, etc.

Same experience as WC when I ran the Richmond marathon. Went through areas I had never been to even though I went to grad school there.

The RCP trail portion in front of the Kennedy Center isn't fit for bikes, although yes, we use it. Just another improvement that would need to be made, I know.

[Phil K.]

The best model for this that I've seen is the Indianapolis Cultural Trail- fully off road & linking neighborhoods, universities & other institutions, and tourist destinations. Plus there are art installations, wayfinding, & informative signage along the route.

[washcycle]

huskerdont, it's being planned for -

http://www.thewashcycle.com/2018/08/improving-the-lower-rock-creek-park-trail.html

[paytonc]

Creating a neighborhood-tourism loop trail around downtown was the impetus behind Indianapolis' first protected bike facility, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.

Could be an interesting project for Cultural Tourism DC, which sees part of its job as promoting tourism away from downtown.