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The neighborhoods at the north end of downtown, including U Street NW and Shaw, have seen an increase in bike commuting trips in recent years. Although there are multiple east-west dedicated bicycle facilities traversing the areas in and around downtown, only 15th Street NW provides contiguous north-south protected facilities in the city core. This leads to a large downtown north-south gap in the protected bike facility network between the Metropolitan Branch Trail and 15th Street NW. The purpose of Eastern Downtown Protected Bike Lane is to fill-in this gap by developing the final design for a new protected bike lane that will connect central DC neighborhoods to downtown, as well as existing east-west bicycle facilities.

 

The project is currently in the design stage. During the 30% design (preliminary design), the team will develop preliminary drawings and cost estimates for 6th Street NW and 9th Street NW corridors from Pennsylvania Avenue to Florida Avenue NW. At the end of the 30% design stage, DDOT will identify one (1) preferred route for final design. The preferred alternative will be selected to provide the best multimodal transportation option that safely and effectively accommodates bicycle  travel as well as pedestrians, motorists, transit service, parking, taxis, loading/unloading,  businesses, community facilities and local residents.

Welcome to Eastern Downtown

Protected Bike Lanes Project

Click below to learn more about the two (2) alternatives undergoing 30% design.

How did DDOT get here
About the Project

How Did DDOT Get Here?

In 2014, DDOT released moveDC, the District's long-range transportation plan. The plan calls for improved transportation and bicycle facilities and identified 6th Street NW as a potential route for a protected bike lane.

Between 2015 and 2017, DDOT commissioned the Eastern Downtown Protected Bike Lane Study. The study evaluated four (4) alternatives to connect central DC neighborhoods to downtown as well as existing facilities. The study area of the project was defined as the eastern side of Downtown bound by 4th Street, 9th Street, and Florida and Constitution Avenues NW. It included the Shaw neighborhood to the north and Chinatown, Mt. Vernon Square, Penn Quarter, and Judiciary Square neighborhoods to the south. At the end of the project, DDOT identified two potential routes for advancement to preliminary (30%) design: Alternative 3 (6th Street NW) and Alternative 4 (9th Street NW). The gallery below provides links to relevant documents related to this study.

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Site Updated April 2018

© 2018 All Rights Reserved

Managed by Nspiregreen, LLC

Project Manager

George Branyan

george.branyan@dc.gov

202.671.2561

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