Laws – bikeSpecific

Public Meeting for Chestnut Street Concept Design Study Findings

Impediments
Image: Author

The District Department of Transportation’s (DDOT) will have a public meeting to discuss the Concept Design Study findings for Chestnut Street NW, from Oregon Avenue to Western Avenue. The meeting will be Wednesday, May 10, 2017, at the Chevy Chase Baptist Church, 5671 Western Avenue and from 6:45 pm through 8:15 pm with a brief presentation about the project to start at 7:15 pm.

This could be a great opportunity to add pedestrian and bike infrastructure to the Hawthorne area, which has a walkscore of 19 out of infinity and a bikescore of 35. The Hawthorne bikescore is basically lower than just about every other community in the District. If you can attend, please advocate for walking and biking. However, adding infrastructure in this upper, upper Northwest DC community isn’t easy.

If you feel strongly about adding bike or pedestrian safety infrastructure on this street, you should first read Sarah Stodder’s article from the June 2016 Washingtonian, “Everyone in This DC Neighborhood Is Freaking Out Over Sidewalks“. One of the unique factors of Chestnut Street, and many streets is the Hawthorne community, is that it has no sidewalks. In a disagreement more like the cold war than a “sidewalk war”, the neighborhood is fighting with itself, and with DDOT about fixing what should have been fixed years ago but more recently, to comply with the Vision Zero initiative, District, and federal laws.

According to DDOT, the purpose of this project is to “develop design solutions for a streetscape that targets multimodal, safety and aesthetic improvements along Chestnut Street NW”. With the word “multimodal” in the project description, one would assume that bicycling and walking are included – one could hope.

One of the easier bits of infrastructure to add would be wayfinding signage. DDOT hopes to hear from the public regarding this street, which provides a connector for bicyclists who travel from Rock Creek Park along Wise Road. The street connects with other roads to lead to Bradley Lane in Chevy Chase, Maryland, allowing cyclists to reach Wisconsin Avenue and points west in Montgomery County.

No Sidewalks. No Bike lanes.
Image: Google

This meeting on the Chestnut Street project should also be related to the design and reconstruction of Oregon Avenue NW. As reported by the Washcycle, on May 17 DDOT will also have a public meeting on the rehabilitation of Oregon Avenue from Military Road to Western Avenue. The meeting will be at 5601 Connecticut Avenue NW (Chevy Chase Community Center), but according to the most recent plans, Oregon Avenue plans will probably exclude bicycling facilities. This is doubly disappointing as the National Park Service supports including a trail along this section of road.

Having a safe connection along Oregon Avenue and Chestnut Street is important. If you can make it, you should, as it could be interesting. Let me know how it goes. If I get a hold of some plans, I’ll post them.

DDOT Accepting Applications for 2018 Transportation Alternatives Projects

Getting Money from the TAP
Image: Author

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) began accepting applications for the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), which is a federal program under the 2015 FAST Act through the Federal Highway Administration that provides funding to projects considered “alternative” to traditional highway construction.

Approximately $1.1 million in funding will be available through a District-wide competitive process.

Transportation Alternative projects categories are geared towards bicycle and pedestrian activities, community improvements, environmental mitigation, and recreational trails. The projects must be consistent with the District initiatives like MOVE DC, Sustainable DC, and other plans.

The District’s Delegate to Congress, Elenor Holmes Norton, held a public meeting last October to discuss how TAP funds could be used in the District.

TAP program participants can include local governments, regional transportation authorities, transit agencies, natural resource or public land agencies, school districts, Tribal governments and other appropriate local or regional governmental entities. While non-profits are not eligible to be direct grant recipients of TAP funds they may partner with eligible participants such as a government agency as a co-sponsor.

According to the DDOT website, projects will be reviewed through a competitive process and selected based upon a number of criteria including the project’s expected benefits to the community, feasibility and project readiness, consistency with agency plans and missions, and the sponsor’s demonstrated ability to manage a federal-aid project.

TAP projects may support the following:

Facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorized forms of transportation
This includes the planning, design, and construction of on-road or off-road facilities. Projects may include sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure, bicycle parking, pedestrian and bicycle signals, traffic calming techniques, lighting and other safety infrastructure, and upgrading facilities for compliance with ADA requirements.
Recreational Trails
Eligible projects include the provision and maintenance of recreational trails for both motorized and non-motorized use. This includes pedestrian uses (hiking, running, wheelchair use), bicycling, in-line skating, skateboarding, equestrian use, off-road motorcycling, or all-terrain vehicle riding. This includes the maintenance and restoration of existing trails, the development of trailside and trailhead facilities, the purchase of construction of maintenance equipment, the construction of new trails, the acquisition of easements, and trail condition assessments.
Safe routes for non-drivers
Eligible cost include the construction, planning, and design of infrastructure-related projects and systems that will provide safe routes for non-drivers, including children, older adults, and individuals with disabilities to access daily needs.
Conversion and use of abandoned railroad corridors for trails
This activity provides for the acquisition of abandoned railway corridors for the development of pedestrian or bicycle trails. Intent must be shown that a pedestrian and bicycle trail will be built within ten years of the acquisition of the corridor. Projects in this category must serve as a mode of transportation and cannot be solely for recreational users.
Community Improvements
This includes vegetation management, environmental mitigation or pollution prevention, streetscape improvements and historic preservation
Safe Routes to School (SRTS)
Eligible projects for SRTS sidewalk improvements, traffic calming, pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements, on-street bicycle facilities, off-street bicycle and pedestrian facilities, secure bicycle parking facilities, and traffic diversion improvements in the vicinity of schools.

Applications will be accepted starting April 17, 2017, through May 15, 2017. In June 2017, a selection panel will review submitted projects. An official announcement of selected projects will be made in August.

A version of this post originally ran on DDOT’s website.

Second Notice of Rulemaking Document for Vision Zero Issued

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) issued its Notice of Second Proposed Rulemaking – Vision Zero. The revised rules reflect how Mayor Bowser will implement the Vision Zero initiative, which aims to reduce the number of transportation-related fatalities to zero by the year 2024.

The proposed rules were initially published in the D.C. Register on December 11, 2015 (62 DCR 15865) and after public feedback, a second version of the proposed rules were issued January 20, 2017.

According to the document, the second iteration “reduces the amount of fines for certain moving violations, adds increased fines or new infractions for dangerous behavior by pedestrians and cyclists, reduces the effective hours of certain safe zones, and clarifies technical language”.

D.C. Council will review this version of the Vision Zero rules over the next 45 days. After which, the new rules will be deemed approved Council does not approve or disapprove the proposed rules by resolution within the review period.

Changes

The rules propose an assortment of changes that include increasing points toward the revocation or suspension of a driver license if motorists fail to drive cautiously. It includes strengthening rules regarding traveling around emergency vehicles; yielding to buses; and speed restrictions around schools, recreational facilities, and senior centers.

Also included is a motor vehicle equipment provision the requires side guards for large vehicles. This large plastic shield reduces or prevents pedestrians and bicyclists from being run over, pushing them from beneath these vehicles. This rule is primarily in response to the death of Alice Swanson, who was killed after being hit by a truck in 2008.

Fines

The rule will primarily be enforced by expanding current or creating new fines. Below are new or revised fines for Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Motor Vehicles. You can see the enter list of fines here.