Learn More about the Impact to Cyclists

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A marquee item in the Conn Ave. improvements is the implementation of two, one-way cycle lanes on Conn Ave. presently from Legation Street in the north to Calvert Street in the south (with an option to extend all the way to Chevy Chase Circle in the north).

The lanes will provide a minimum of a 4 ft wide active lane with a minimum of a 1.5 ft buffer against traffic for a total of 5.5 ft.  At various areas, there is more room for the lane (for instance, the bridge just south of Macomb Street) where the total space allocated goes to 9 ft.  In those areas, we are requesting DDOT to consider allocating 7 ft to the lanes and 2 ft to the barriers to enable passing within the cycle track every few blocks.

The design of the new Protected Bike Lanes and other traffic safety improvements will make biking to and from local residences and businesses via Conn Ave. open to people of all age groups and cycling experience.  People will be able to use their own bikes, rent a local Capital Bikeshare, or some of the scooter and detached bikes, including e-bikes.

Right now there is very little dedicated bike lane infrastructure within Ward 3.  The addition of this PBL will help connect the existing painted lane and residential areas to the growing downtown network.  Key integrations with this network include the following going from North to South:

• Access to Tenleytown/Reno Road via the west-bound cycle track at Van Ness.
• Access to Rock Creek Park and Mount Pleasant via the east-bound Tilden cycle track or Reno Road via the west-bound lanes.
• Access to Rock Creek Park and Columbia Heights via the east-bound cycle track at Porter.
• Access to Adams Morgan/U Street Corridor and the 17th, 15th, and 14th street cycle tracks via Calvert east-bound or the RCP trail west-bound.
• Connection for 8 existing Capital Bikeshare stations (with likely more to be installed once this project is completed).

Bike boxes are large areas at intersections with traffic signals that let cyclists move to the front of stopped traffic and can facilitate left-hand turns safely.  Presently plans from DDOT only have on bike box in them (at Calvert and Conn. Ave southbound to access the bridge to AdMo).  We have asked DDOT to consider adding this to all signalized intersections along the corridor, or at the least to those where there is left-ward bike infrastructure.