The Morning Commute is an occasional look at meetings or other #BikeSpecific discussions and stories happening in the District. It also looks at interesting bike, scooter, or urban related ideas or concepts from other places across the globe that could possibly work here. Again, this isn’t journalism, just fun.
Today’s commute includes:
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| Bicycling is already diverse, how can it be improved? Image: Author |
The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) sent an email to certain members and organizations asking:
“What would it take to make bicycling more diverse? More inclusive? More equitable?”
Sunday, December 10, 2017, WABA is hoping to bring together regional bicycling groups at the Bellevue (William O. Lockridge) Neighborhood Library, 115 Atlantic Street SW from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm to conduct a charrette, which is an intensive planning session that brings citizens, designers and others together to collaborate on a vision for development. It also provides a space for participants to discuss possibilities, problems and think, creatively about moving people or people moving.
The event is free but participants should register online.
The charrette project partners include advisers Charles Brown of Equitable Cities and Mike Lydon of Open Streets Project and is supported by a grant from the Office of Planning and the Kresge Foundation.
From the WABA email:
Bicycling locally and nationally is overly represented by individuals who are white, male, educated, and with above average incomes. How can we as a community start to change that? How can local bicycling groups, clubs and organizations collaborate to make bicycling more inclusive? How can the city support this goal?
The charette hopes to help foster new ideas regarding the generation and refinement of future programs, events, or initiatives that would help increase diversity in bicycling. The meeting will also provide an opportunity for groups, club, and organization to discuss what they are doing to make bicycling more inclusive as well as discuss their experiences and perspective with people who are typically undeserved.
WABA is inviting several groups to discuss how to meet people of color where they are with regard to bicycling and give them the tools to make their own decisions on how to bike and what bicycling looks like in areas traditionally undeserved. According to the email, the following groups were invited:
| Color of Cycling Slow Roll DC Kidical Mass DC Black Women Bike DC Gearin’ Up Bicycles Artemis WABA’s Women and Bicycles Capital Bikeshare All Walks DC Getting it in Cycling Oxon Hill Bike and Trail Club Anacostia Bicyclist Association Safe Routes to School National Partnership Tour de Bike Lane dVELO |
Cycling Without Age Peace in the Streets Ride Streetwize Foundation Jews on Bikes Red, Bike, Green Phoenix Bikes E. L. Haynes PCS Latin American Youth Center DC Bike Polo DC Bilingual PCS Office of Planning Department of Parks and Recreation |
If there is a group that could potentially contribute, email Greg Billing at greg@waba.org with additional names and groups.
Light snacks and drink provided. All participants will receive a thank you gift of goodies for your participation.
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| Artist conceptualization of the new 1st Street SW |
DC United provided additional information regarding the construction of its new soccer stadium at Buzzard Point. In documents submitted to the District’s Zoning Commission prior to its November 2, 2016 hearing, United unveiled its transportation plan as part of the planned-unit development process. United claims that the new stadium could “become one of, if not the most bike friendly soccer Stadium in the country“.
Let’s take a look at what they plan. Of course, the plans are subject to change.
LEED Certified Spaces
According to the plan exhibit, most of the bicycle parking will be provided along 2nd Street and First Street near stadium entry gates. The stadium will contain at least 83 short-term LEED bicycle parking spaces. Under LEED requirements, the spaces should provide long-term bicycle storage for at least 5 percent of all regular building occupants, but no fewer than four storage spaces per building in addition to the short-term bicycle storage spaces. LEED also requires at least one on-site shower with changing facility.
Capital Bikeshare
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| X marks the spot of the bikeshare desert |
United will work with the District to install at least one Bikeshare docking station of an undetermined size. On certain high volume days, United will partner with Capital Bikeshare to create a corral, allowing users to park their bikes with using the typical docking procedure.
The stadium plan notes that there are five stations along the northern edge of the study area that contain a total of 113 docking stations; however, they are a half-mile away. While the corral system may work on certain game days, the lack of additional station may make it difficult to dock bikes on typical days or days when United does not request a corral. The half mile walk, if the station nearest to the stadium is full, may discourage Bikeshare use. The District, or some other entity, may hopefully provide additional docks.
As part of United’s marketing plan to encourage getting to the stadium by bike, they may provide discounted bikeshare memberships to season-ticket holders in lieu of or in combination with any parking discounts.
Street and Trail Facilities
Along the First Street SW entrance, which is considered a private street, DC United will install enough bike racks to accommodate at least 90 bicycles. This area will be shared with pedestrians and potentially vehicular traffic, also, the street may only be open on game days.
In public space along 2nd Street, United is working with the District to include an as-yet-determined number of bicycle racks in public space. Also, permanent and temporary way-finding signage along the bike route on game days to direct people towards the bike valet location and to other bike parking locations. Temporary cones and barriers could also be used along the access routes to direct bicycle traffic to the Stadium before the match and away from the Stadium at the end.
Like Nationals Stadium, United will have a free bicycle valet service. United will monitor the amount of available bike parking and add more racks or more space to the valet as needed to accommodate demand. The plan suggests that 60 percent of bike parking spaces would be served by bike racks and the remainder accommodated by the bike valet system, with most of it centralized along the north and east sides of the Stadium as more cyclists are likely to be traveling from these directions.
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| Planned bike infrastructure, with rebuilt South Capitol Bridge Gorove / Slade – Zoning Commission |
The District is also considering creating a two-way protected bike lane along 2nd Street SW as addressed in the Buzzard Point Framework Plan, which United supports in its proposal. That plan calls for a protected bicycle lane along Potomac Avenue / R Street that connects to the existing bike lanes on Potomac Avenue across South Capitol Street and a protected bike lane along 2nd Street that will ultimately be part of an extended Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, a part of the Anacostia Waterfront Transportation Plan.
Also, the plan recommends improved pedestrian and bicycle connectivity by increasing sidewalk widths, decreasing vehicular lane widths, improving intersection controls, and organizing curbside restrictions “helping to create a more inclusive environment of all modes of travel”.
As part of the planned reconstruction of the South Capitol Street – Fredrick Douglas Bridge, the trail would be extended under the bridge and connected to the Buzzard Point neighborhood at S Street, SW. According to the Transportation Improvement Program, which coordinates and outlines when and how the area’s larger infrastructure projects are completed, the reconstruction of the bridge is funded and could commence in 2017 or early 2018.
Working with the Bicycling Community
To encourage visitors to get to stadium events by bike, United will partner with bicycling-related organizations like the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA). This includes holding special promotions that focus on bicyclists to include creating apps or websites encouraging bicycling, providing bike-specific swag, and having bike-to-game days with planned activities and prizes. Additionally, DC United states that it will coordinate with the WABA on specific strategies to create a bike friendly environment at the stadium.
Below is the bicycle section of its transportation plan:
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| 2013 Tweed Ride Image: BikeSpecific |
After the ride, participants will meet at Roofers Union from 5:30 to 9 pm to experience the musical stylings of the legendary Dandy Wellington and His Band, and the Fidgety Feet Dancers. While the ride is free, the minimum costs for the Jazz-Age Jam is $20. (Dandies and Quaintrelles)
