D.C. Bicycle Advisory Council

Please join the Bicycle Advisory Council's Facilities Committee (BAC FAC) for a ride August 10, 2013 to check on signage and trail connectivity between the District and the trails of Prince Georges County.  The ride will began at approximately 10:00am at the NOMA Gallaudet Metrorail station . Please arrive at the starting point a few minutes beforehand. The ride should last no more than three hours. Specifically, the ride will begin at the NOMA Gallaudet Metrorail station (near the N Street NE entrance) and will travel north on the Metropolitan Branch Trail . The route will pass the new trail extension, which runs besides the nearly completed Monroe Street Market . The ride will then turn east near Fort Totten and use the streets and trails that connect the District to the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia Tributary trail system in Maryland. We will return using a similar route. This connection differs from the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail route, which runs parallel to the ...

The Safety, Education and Enforcement Committee (SEE) will hold its bimonthly meeting Wednesday, August 21st, 6 PM at Busboys and Poets , 5th and K Street, NW. Hopefully, we can sit outside on the patio. We invite all interested bicyclists to attend as the meeting is open to the public. Please RSVP Ellen Jones, the Ward 3 Bicycle Advisory Council Chair, at ward3@dcbac.org and bring your ideas on the 21st. The purpose of the meeting is 2-fold: Establish priorities for the SEE committee to work on in the coming fiscal year Elect a chairperson. Appointed BAC members will be able to vote for the chairperson, but the chairperson need not be an appointed BAC member. Ellen Jones attended the most recent DC Pedestrian Advisory Council (PAC) meeting. The PAC expressed ideas that they are considering for its FY 14 workplan , which BAC shares with the PAC.

Bridge Connections by Ranpuba, on Flickr The South Capitol Street Corridor Project will dramatically change major street so that it becomes an inviting thoroughfare that leads people to the District's core. The question is will it be a good bridge for bicyclists and pedestrians? Officially called the South Capitol Street Final Environmental Impact Study (FEIS) , a meeting will be held Tuesday, July 30, 2013 to discuss the current plans for the street, which includes the replacement of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, its approaches on both sides of the Anacostia River in Wards 6 and 8, and the rebuilding of highway interchanges at interstate 295 and the Suitland Parkway to its beginnings near the Capitol grounds. The South Capitol Street Corridor Project Information Update Meeting will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 “I” Street, SW. The nearest Metrorail station is the Green Line (Navy Yard-Ballpark). Bike parking will be limit...

The Spanish term " Ciclovía " ( pronunciation ) or open streets effectively means a temporary and periodic closing of a street to motorized vehicle traffic and opening it for pedestrians, bicycles and other uses. Created in Bogota, Columbia in the 1970s, it's an event that typically happens once a month or more, removing automobile parking and closing streets to car traffic for part or all of a day. While bicycling is the major attraction, many the streets are opened for mass exercising, small concerts and other activities. In many cases, local businesses participate by temporarily moving seating or functions into the street or onto the sidewalk. While other cities like Portland , Atlanta , Baltimore and New York have events like this regularly, the District does not. What if we did? What if U Street were closed each Sunday morning from Georgia Avenue to 18th Street NW? What about M Street NW between the Key Bridge and 28th Street one Saturday morning a month? ...

The Idaho Stop is an Idaho traffic law that effectively allows bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs and not come to a complete stop at most signed intersections. This effectively allows for a rolling stop at signs. BAC wants to know what you think of the Idaho Stop law and if it, or something like it, should be enacted in the District. Create in 1982, the Idaho Stop does not give bicyclists carte blanche , they must yield to the right of way if there are other vehicles or pedestrians at intersections. UrbanVelo has a nice video ( at the end of this page ) explaining the Idaho Stop and its potential implementation in Oregon. BikePortland also provides a FAQ page explaining how it works. Currently according to WABA's Pocket Guide , DC regulations state that bicyclists "have all the general rights and duties of drivers of vehicles " but bicyclists but must also follow "the instructions of official traffic control signals, signs, and other con...

Please join the Bicycle Advisory Council's Facilities Committee (BAC-FAC) on a ride or 'rolling meeting' Saturday July 20, 2013, beginning at 1:30p. The second ride of the season will explore access the Capital Crescent trail within the District. The Capital Crescent trail (CCT) is a popular transportation route for bicyclists, however, access to the trail for District residents is limited. The main access points in the District are in Georgetown beneath the Key Bridge, Norton Street, NW and Fletcher's Boathouse .  Access to the boathouse location is particularly difficult for cyclists and pedestrians because the of a lack of sidewalks or signalization along Canal Road NW. Access at Norton Street is also difficult do to a lack of signage identifying the location of the trail entrance. The BAC-FAC team will be riding the CCT starting from the Georgetown entrance continuing to Norton Street and into Ward 3, stopping along the way to view access points.  We will likel...

The Grist posted a nifty video (see below) that provides tips to new bicyclists on how to push that first pedal. While the video is fun to watch, it also suggest two different left turning techniques that could appear on our streets -- the "Standard Left" and the "Copenhagen Left". The standard left makes the turn just like a vehicle - the bicyclist signals, moves into the left lane, and then turns left. The Copenhagen left is like how a pedestrian crosses a street - a bicyclist stays right and crosses the street that they would like to turn left on, turns their bike so that they are going the correct direction, then waits for the signal (Sounds complicated but it's not). While the Copenhagen left seem to take longer than the standard left, many feel that it is generally a safer way to turn because it reduces the chance of an auto crash. While not popular in the US, it's gaining popularity as communities create bike-specific signalization and r...

Prior to July 1, there were no provisions for bicycle parking near for the July 4 Independence Day celebration on the National Mall. BAC drew attention to this issue and appears that bike parking is now available. The July 4th festivities on the National Mall allow visitors and those who live in the greater Washington area, the opportunity to celebrate the nation's independence. However, given the enhanced security checkpoints surrounding the area, getting to the Mall is nothing to celebrate. With Metrorail setting  ridership records and well has suffering break downs routinely, visitors and residents turned to bicycles. In prior years, the National Park Service (NPS) contracted with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association to manage bike valets at large Mall events like the Presidential Inauguration, the Cherry Blossom Festival and the Independence Day celebrations. As of July 1, GoDCGo , which is a transportation initiative sponsored by the District Department of Trans...

The bimonthly BAC meeting is Wednesday, July 10, beginning at 6pm. BAC will discuss reports from our subcommittees and other bike-related topics including the status of bicycle facilities by the District Department of Transportation. The meeting 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. To get to the meeting room, please use the South lobby elevators. Bicycle parking is available in front of the building, please remember to also bring your bike lock. As always, BAC meetings are open to the public and we encourage you sharing your thoughts.