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.
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