D.C. Bicycle Advisory Council

The District Department of  Transportation (DDOT) reports that it will begin repaving Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, between 3 rd and 14 th Streets Tuesday, November 13, weather permitting. This repaving project coincides with the Presidential Inauguration, which occurs Monday, January 21, 2013. The project will impact the bicycle lanes in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue. The bike lanes will be unavailable when the center of the roadway is repaved and bicyclists will need to share the travel lanes with motor vehicles . Drivers are urged to use caution and watch for additional bicyclists in traffic. The bicycle lanes will be re-striped once the roadway is repaved. However, please note that the plastic bollards at intersections along the bike lanes will not be reinstalled until after the Presidential Inauguration. The work will be conducted overnight, between 8 pm and 5 am, Monday through Saturday, and is anticipated to take approximately 10 days to complete. A

As posted on the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) Facebook page, the MBT will be closed from L to M Streets NE (south of New York Avenue to the ramp down to L) from this Tuesday to Thursday (November 13-15th) from 10 am to 3:30 pm while contractors install a cover to protect trail users from the adjacent development. To descent the trail, use the elevator at the New York Avenue - Galludet Metrorail station. View Met Branch Closure in a larger map

The bimonthly BAC meeting is this evening. We have a fairly long agenda (below) including a "blue sky" brainstorming session on what BAC priorities should be in the next year. For the purpose of leaving time to do the brainstorming, committee and hearing reports will be condensed so we can get through the agenda at a reasonable hour. The meeting starts at 6pm and will take place at 441 4th Street, NW at One Judiciary Square, in Room 1114, which is on the 11th floor. Please remember to bring government identification to enter the building. As always, the meeting is open to the public.   BAC Agenda 11-7-2012 Introductions Approval of Minutes Announcements Public statements Committee Reports:  Facilities Legislative Safety Hearing Reports: Motor-driven cycle hearing (Randall Myers) Automated enforcement (Jameel Alsalam) Discussion: DCBAC role in reviewing development projects (15 minutes) Blue Sky Brainstorming / Discussion

This morning I will be testifying on behalf of the DC Bicycle Advisory Council on the topic of legislation introduced by Councilmembers Cheh, Wells, and Barry which would set fines for speed camera fines based on traffic safety research. I had the opportunity to participate in a series of task force meeting which led to the development of this legislation. First, I want to say that the Councilmembers should be commended for taking an inclusive, public approach to developing the legislation. Second, I will suggest changes to make sure the legislation enhances traffic safety in Washington, D.C. The automated enforcement task force focused on how to change behavior to make people act more safely on the road – is the answer high fines, or is the answer more certain enforcement? In the case of speeding, the task force did not find evidence that higher fines enhance safety. By contrast, there is ample evidence that the presence of automated enforcement cameras does reduce infractions and e