What's the plan

In 2014, Mayor Gray had DDOT lead an effort to create a new transportation plan called MoveDC. MoveDC, finished in May of 2014, included bicycle, pedestrian, transit, vehicle and freight element.  In October of that year they released a two-year action plan. Then Mayor Gray lost re-election.

Now I still point to MoveDC as the District's plan, but when I do government types say "well, yes and no" because it was never officially adopted. Whatever that means. It feels more and more like we don't actually have a bicycle plan. If the MoveDC bicycle element isn't it, and the 2005 Bike plan has run its course, then what is the plan? No one really knows and it would be nice if DC had a new plan, or at least a bike plan we could point to without getting a head tilt and shrugged shoulders and "that's not REALLY the plan."

What's also weird is that they still promote the 2014 2-year action plan on the MoveDC website. If there isn't going to be a new 2 year plan in 2016 or 2018, then it's time to stop putting this on the front page. But looking at we can see how well they did (at least for bike stuff).

1. Start the Frederick Douglass Bridge - this didn't start until this year, so it happened but 100% late by that time. 
2. Four major trails
   
   1. Klingle Trail finished - this was also done but was a year late. 
   2. Kenilworth Anacostia Trail segment - Delivered in 2016. Success.
   3. Rock Creek Trail advanced - Work started in 2016. Success
   4. Metropolitan Branch Trail - There was not a lot of progress until 2017. Gonna call this one late.
3. Build 15 miles of bike facilities - In 2014 they built 10 miles, but most of that before the plan was adopted. In 2015, they built  4.42 miles and in 2016 they were planning to get 6 miles, but did not build that many.
4. Study the east side of downtown bicycle facility - Studied it many times
5. Identify needs and solutions for Crosstown Mutlimodal Study - that part was probably done by 2016
6. Review bicycle laws and implement changes - Success!
7. Issue an annual "State of Transportation" report - if so, I can't find it.

There are other items labeled "bicycle element" that seem less important so I skipped them. 

The two-year plan seems like a mixed bag. They did most of these things eventually, but some behind schedule, and this list was a little cherry-picked to hit things they were already planning to do. MBT and Rock Creek represent projects that date back to the 1990's. 

But back to what the plan is now. In addition to MoveDC, there is also the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). This is the federally mandated multi-year listing of all upcoming projects that will be funded with federal dollars. This is not a plan. But in the short term, it's the best we've got. 

Anyway, I'm not clear on what the Bowser goals are wrt to transportation, what the plan is or she's meeting her goals. I don't know if we're being successful or not, but she must be because she was re-elected.

Comments

[Sean]

There is no comprehensive plan.
DDOT seems to be acting in good faith, but without any real direction from the top.
Every once in a while they'll show up somewhere, stripe a lane and then poof. And that seems to be after a half decade of traffic studies and gathering feedback from the neighborhood months or years previous.

IMO they need to study less, gather less feedback and act tactically. If you go door to door asking if people are okay with their block's parking being taken away they will say 'no'. But the street surface is not theirs, it's everyone's. And bike lanes are not for the people who live adjacent to them. They are for everyone who pass through the neighborhood.

[Adam]

^ +1