DDOT update on M Street cycletrack

[PotomacCyclist]

https://www.facebook.com/DDOTDC/posts/10153507998285023

“Starting on or about Monday (11/25) we’re going to begin installing a protected bike lane (also known as a cycle track) on M Street NW.

The cycle track, with a buffer of parked cars and flexible posts, will span over a mile on the north side of M Street NW between 14th and 28th Streets and will serve as the westbound compliment to the eastbound cycle track on L Street NW. On the 1500 block of M Street NW, the lane will be installed as a “traditional” bike lane. Green paint will also be used for much of the block to increase the visibility of the lane.

Construction Details

Construction activities will take place Monday through Friday between the morning and evening rush-hour period and may also take place during the weekend. Starting next week the work will commence at M Street NW and Rhode Island Avenue NW and by the following week it will begin simultaneously at 14th Street NW and New Hampshire Avenue and proceed west on M Street NW.

Depending on weather conditions, the installation will take approximately four to six weeks to complete. If it rains or snows installation activities will likely shutdown for the day and may delay the schedule.

We will also be coordinating closely with several major construction projects that are currently underway on M Street NW at 17th Street NW and at New Hampshire Avenue NW. These construction projects may possibly extend the installation schedule for the bike lane.

Existing markings will be removed and replaced with new markings for the bike lane. DDOT is installing the lane as a “retrofit” which will not require for the entire roadway to be resurfaced.

We specifically chose to implement the M Street cycle track as a “retrofit” to allow for time to evaluate the design and operations before resurfacing the street and setting it more permanently.

Curbside parking spaces will be temporally restricted to accommodate installation activities.

Cyclists are reminded to be please avoid using the lane while it is under construction. Motorists and pedestrians are reminded to please use extra caution when traveling near the active work zone.

For more information about our Bicycle Program please visit http://ddot.dc.gov/DC/DDOT/On+Your+Street/Bicycles+and+Pedestrians?nav=1&vgnextrefresh=1 “

[Posted on The WashCycle Twitter feed]

Topic

[cyclingfool]

@PotomacCyclist 69910 wrote:

On the 1500 block of M Street NW, the lane will be installed as a “traditional” bike lane.

Damn church!

[PotomacCyclist]

Installation began this week as previously announced.

http://ddotdish.com/2013/11/27/m-street-nw-cycle-track-installation-now-underway/

Looks like the M Street cycletrack may have a more significant buffer between bike and car lanes, at least on some blocks. Crews are adding what appears to be granite barriers to keep cars out of the cycletrack:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4151[/ATTACH]

There are narrow gaps in the barrier, presumably to allow cyclists to ride in and out of the lane. But the gaps are not nearly wide enough to allow a driver to steer a car into the cycletrack. If this is the actual design, then it would be a major upgrade from the existing cycletracks in D.C. If the new design works well, could we see a retrofit of the 15th St. and L St. cycletracks too?

[TwoWheelsDC]

@PotomacCyclist 70370 wrote:

There are narrow gaps in the barrier, presumably to allow cyclists to ride in and out of the lane.

And drainage.

[cyclingfool]

@TwoWheelsDC 70371 wrote:

And drainage.

Good point.

[Riley Casey]

These would be a suitable retrofit for the L St cycle track.

@PotomacCyclist 70370 wrote:

Installation began this week as previously announced.

If the new design works well, could we see a retrofit of the 15th St. and L St. cycletracks too?

[DSalovesh]

That particular curbing at RI & Connecticut is very special because riders have the option to continue unprotected on M or jog right and then left on RI, for proper positioning to continue straight or turn left.

Widening that bottleneck on M was not chosen because it would require shrinking the rain garden (an Ellen Jones project from her days at Golden Triangle BID), and while DDOT may still add sharrows to the straight path I was pretty passionate a couple of years ago in suggesting, well, pretty much what they’re doing, in order to maintain a protected lane from end to end.

Came so very close, too.

[Terpfan]

They are out right now between 15th and 17th working on the lines.

[jrenaut]

@Terpfan 70783 wrote:

They are out right now between 15th and 17th working on the lines.

I’ll bet they’re pissed that this unseasonably warm weather is screwing up their plans to never ever put in the cycletrack. Luckily it’s supposed to rain later this week.

[dasgeh]

@PotomacCyclist 70370 wrote:

There are narrow gaps in the barrier, presumably to allow cyclists to ride in and out of the lane. But the gaps are not nearly wide enough to allow a driver to steer a car into the cycletrack. If this is the actual design, then it would be a major upgrade from the existing cycletracks in D.C. If the new design works well, could we see a retrofit of the 15th St. and L St. cycletracks too?

Hooray for barriers, but will the gaps be usable for all bikes? I’m a little worried that a cargo bike / long-wheelbase could get stuck when something with big enough wheels to roll over the protection blocks the bike lane.

Also, will the protection be visible at night?

[PotomacCyclist]

Maybe they will add standard flexible bollards with reflective tape, in the narrow gap between the parallel granite blocks.

[mstone]

@PotomacCyclist 70843 wrote:

Maybe they will add standard flexible bollards with reflective tape, in the narrow gap between the parallel granite blocks.

Safety first

[Author]

Replies