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Following pushback from neighbors who complained about the loss of street parking spaces, D.C. transportation planners have removed one of two bike lanes along Alabama Avenue SE that were recently installed as part of broader changes designed to improve traffic safety on the roadway. The painted, northbound bike lane was erased last week, WJLA first reported.
While the southbound bike lane still remains, bike advocates criticized the apparent about-face. The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) called the move “unprecedented” and a “bad decision.” In a blog post, the organization said it was concerned that the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) was “compromising safety ... to accommodate faster driving and more car parking.” It noted that half of the city’s 2019 traffic fatalities have taken place in Ward 8, the municipal area that includes the relevant stretch of Alabama Avenue SE.
At a community meeting July 1, DDOT’s deputy director cast the change as a “compromise” and said about two dozen parking spots had been restored, according to WJLA. The agency said in a statement obtained by the station that it would continue studying the roadway and conducting community engagement. Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White had challenged the need for the bike lanes in June, saying they upset residents and would not lower speeds.
New statement from @DDOTDCDirector about recent changes on Alabama Avenue Southeast that have prompted frustration from both bicyclists and homeowners —> pic.twitter.com/xOxE6a1NMV
— Heather Graf (@ABC7HeatherGraf) July 3, 2019
WABA, though, said some Ward 8 residents had previously “expressed disappointment that better safety measures like protected bike lanes weren’t implemented in the first place.” “A safer, slower Alabama Avenue is critical to achieving the District’s Vision Zero goal—ending fatal crashes by 2024,” said the group. Six people have died as a result of traffic crashes on the avenue since 2013, and drivers frequently exceed the speed limit there, the city has said.
DDOT’s other plans for Alabama Avenue include new crosswalks, speed-monitoring devices, and pedestrian islands, per the agency. Twelve people have died in crashes in D.C. this year.