Section 10-A409. T-2.3 BICYCLE ACCESS, FACILITIES, AND SAFETY

 

409.1Bicycling has long been a part of the transportation mix in the District. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bicyclists, pedestrians, buggies, and streetcars all shared District streets. The District’s interest in bicycling as an alternative to motorized transportation grew in the 1970s in response to the energy crisis and the first District Bicycle Plan was adopted in 1976. 409.1

 

409.2The use of bicycles for transportation and recreation is increasing within the District. Between 1990 and 2000, bicycle commuting grew by 55 percent, from a 0.75 percent share to a 1.16 percent share of all District-based work trips. Continued increases in bicycling as a percent of work trips is desired. 409.2

 

409.3Currently, the District has 17 miles of bike lanes, 50 miles of bike paths, and 64 miles of bicycle routes. The city is also working to improve bicycle connections through parks and green spaces. Map 4.3 shows the city’s bicycle trail network. 409.3

 

409.4While existing conditions provide a firm foundation for bicycling, many parts of the city are not as bicycle-friendly as they should be. Many parts of the city have no bicycle facilities at all and many workplaces and other destinations have no facilities for storing or locking bicycles. 409.4

 

409.5Safety is another big concern. On average there are 270 bicycle crashes in the city each year. Between 1992 and 2001, close to one-third of all fatalities from motor vehicle crashes in the District were pedestrians or bicyclists as compared to about 20 percent nationally and 27 percent for large urban areas. 409.5

 

409.6Map 4.3: Bicycle Routes and Trails

 

http://planning.dc.gov/planning/frames.asp?doc=/planning/lib/planning/2006_revised_comp_plan/4_transportation.pdf.

 

409.7In 2003, the District Department of Transportation estimated the Bicycle Level of Services (Bicycle LOS) along 400 miles of major collector and arterial streets in the District. The Department of Transportation evaluated roadway lane and shoulder width, speed limit, pavement condition, and on-street parking data. The analysis found that about 70 percent of the study network received below average Bicycle LOS grades. The recently completed Bicycle Master Plan includes many recommendations to improve bicycle facilities and infrastructure and should be consulted for more detail. 409.7

 

The use of bicycles for transportation and recreation is increasing within the District. Between 1990 and 2000, bicycle commuting grew by 55 percent, from a 0.75 percent share to a 1.16 percent share of all District-based work trips.

 

Please refer to the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Element for additional policies and actions related to bicycle and pedestrian trails.

 

409.8Policy T-2.3.1: Better Integration of Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning

 

Integrate bicycle and pedestrian planning and safety considerations more fully into the planning and design of District roads, transit facilities, public buildings, and parks. 409.8

 

409.9 Policy T-2.3.2: Bicycle Network

 

Provide and maintain a safe, direct, and comprehensive bicycle network connecting neighborhoods, employment locations, public facilities, transit stations, parks, and other key destinations.  Eliminate system gaps to provide continuous bicycle facilities. Increase dedicated bike-use infrastructure, such as bike-sharing programs like Capital Bikeshare, and identify bike boulevards or bike-only rights of way.

 

409.10Policy T-2.3.3: Bicycle Safety

 

Increase bicycle safety through traffic calming measures, provision of public bicycle parking, enforcement of regulations requiring private bicycle parking, and improving bicycle access where barriers to bicycle travel now exist. 409.10

 

409.11Action T-2.3.A: Bicycle Facilities

 

Wherever feasible, require large new commercial and residential buildings to be designed with features such as secure bicycle parking and lockers, bike racks, shower facilities, and other amenities that accommodate bicycle users. 409.11

 

409.12Action T-2.3.B: Bicycle Master Plan

 

Implement the recommendations of the Bicycle Master Plan to: Improve and expand the bike route system a

 

a.and provide functional and distinctive signs for the system;

 

b.Provide additional bike facilities on roadways;

 

c.Complete ongoing trail development and improvement projects to close gaps in the system;

 

d.Improve bridge access for bicyclists;

 

e.Provide bicycle parking in public space and encourage bicycle parking in private space;

 

f.Update the District laws, regulations and policy documents to address bicycle accommodation;

 

g.Review District projects to accommodate bicycles;

 

h.Educate motorists and bicyclists about safe operating behavior;

 

i.Enforce traffic laws related to bicycling;

 

j.Establish a Youth Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Education Program;

 

k.Distribute the District Bicycle Map to a wide audience; and

 

l.Set standards for safe bicycle operation, especially where bikes and pedestrians share the same space. 409.12

 

409.13Action T-2.3.C: Performance Measures

 

Develop, apply, and report on walking and bicycle transportation performance measures to identify strengths, deficiencies, and potential improvements and to support the development of new and innovative facilities and programs. 409.13

 

409.14  Action T-2.3.D:  Bicycle Sharing

 

Support the expansion of bicycle sharing kiosks throughout the District to develop a complete bicycle-sharing network and encourage bicycling.

 

authority

Pursuant to the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1-306.01 et seq.), the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital: District Elements of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (10 DCMR A300 through A2520) (“Comprehensive Plan”).

source

Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-300) published at 54 DCR 924 (February 2, 2007); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2010, effective April 8, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-361) published at 58 DCR 908, 913 (February 4, 2011).

notation

The provisions of Title 10, Part A of the DCMR accessible through this web interface are codification of the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. As such, they do not represent the organic provisions adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia. The official version of the District Elements only appears as a hard copy volume of Title 10, Part A published pursuant to section 9a of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1994, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1 -301.66)) . In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions accessible through this site and the provisions contained in the published version of Title 10, Part A, the provisions contained in the published version govern. A copy of the published District Elements is available www.planning.dc.gov.