Bike Month 2025: May Advocacy Updates

I can’t help but smile when I see families out on fully loaded cargo bikes. I applaud every little one trying out a scooter or push bike. I (mostly) enjoy the unmistakable scent of fresh thermoplastic as new bike lanes are installed. I enthusiastically like posts from my friends’ bike adventures and distribute kudos like confetti for folks getting in their miles. 

These and so many other experiences make me thankful to be a part of our biking community. 

Whenever I get frustrated about the pace of our progress to advance safer streets, hear a heart wrenching or scary story, or allow myself to wallow in the unknowns of changes at the federal level for too long, I remind myself where we are strongest: together in community. 

When we weigh in, show-up, and work together, we can make progress for safer streets, better bicycling, and more inclusive, more joyful communitie where anyone–any age, any background, any ability–can have choices for getting around how they want. We’re making progress, but there’s still more to do. Thank you for all you’re already doing and thanks in advance for keeping up the pressure.

Speaking of momentum, WABA’s Advocacy Team has been on a roll (pun intended) to advance key bills in the Maryland and Virginia state legislative sessions, review plans for road safety projects, create opportunities to gather, and are preparing to weigh-in on upcoming road safety and bicycle infrastructure projects, advocate gatherings, and more.

Check out a recap of WABA’s advocacy work, with highlights and links below for additional information. If you have any questions or want to know more about our work, please reach out! We’re always glad to hear your feedback and provide support.

May 29th: Virginia Celebrates Bike Month: Join WABA and fellow bicycling advocates for a casual meetup in Arlington to toast the end of Bike Month! We’ll gather on the outdoor terrace at Upside on Moore, a food hall featuring a variety of cuisines and conveniently located up the stairs from the Rosslyn Metro.

June 9th: Montgomery County Social: Join Montgomery County Organizer Peter Gray and Montgomery County officials for a social with neighbors and fellow bike advocates. Event details to follow.

Washington, DC Social: We’re working with community partners to follow-up on recent socials in Brightwood and Eckington. Thanks to the folks who joined us and we look forward to seeing you out there soon!

TAKE ACTION

• WASHINGTON, DC: Share feedback on NPS’ plans for Rock Creek Potomac Parkway Reversible Lanes & Rock Creek Park Multi-use Trail (Extended through May 17th): Comment on plans to end the reversible lanes in Rock Creek Park, (we believe they’ll improve traffic safety for road users). The proposal also includes widening the trail (hooray!) and a bunch of intersection safety improvements. 

• PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, MD: Review and Comment on the Preliminary Go Prince George’s Functional Master Plan.The Preliminary Go Prince George’s Master Plan is available for review and comment now! View the draft plan and submit your comments to gopgc@mncppc.org. For general questions and comments, feel free to contact the Go Prince George’s Team directly.

• FAIRFAX CITY, VA: The Fairfax City Council voted on May 13th on whether to proceed with the fully designed, fully funded George Snyder Trail. Opponents want to cancel the trail, which would cost the city $3.7M. Sign the petition and tell Council to approve the trail.

• WASHINGTON, DC: Update DC’s minimum auto insurance requirements! For nearly 40 years, D.C.’s minimum auto insurance requirements have remained unchanged, leaving many crash victims unable to cover the high cost of medical care and recovery. Updating these outdated minimums is a common-sense reform that will provide much-needed financial security for those affected by traffic crashes. Sign the petition.

• ALEXANDRIA, VA: You can provide feedback on Alexandria’s Seminary West Safety Improvements, complementing the Seminary & Beauregard Intersection Improvement Project and West End High-Crash Intersection Safety Audits that together look to rethink travel and safety in the West End. Residents in adjacent Fairfax and nearby Arlington are also encouraged to weigh in, by May 19th.

• ALEXANDRIA, VA: Alexandria is asking residents to weigh in on plans to make Seminary Road safer. The city is looking at ways to improve safety for everyone using the stretch between George Mason Drive and North Beauregard Street. Alexandria’s Vision Zero Program has flagged this area as a high-crash zone. Residents can share their thoughts online until May 19th.

• ALEXANDRIA, VA: Alexandria is seeking community feedback on concept designs for the Edsall Road & Yoakum Parkway Corridor to make it easier and safer to walk, bike, take transit, and drive on these streets – check out the concept then take the survey by May 26th.

• FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA: Take Fairfax County Park Authority’s needs assessment survey as FCPA looks to (re)position itself for the next five years. Comment by June 15th.

• VIRGINIA: A little outside our region, but VDOT is studying the possibility of rail with trail in the Shenandoah Valley (rather than just converting to a trail). Given the high cost and lack of economic justification for rail, we and other advocates think VDOT should proceed with a trail-only design as previously funded – share your thoughts via survey here.

2025 STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS RECAP:

MARYLAND

The 2025 Maryland Legislative Session ended on Monday, April 7th. Working in close partnership with Bike Maryland, WABA joined a coalition of local and national advocacy groups to advance bills that promote safety for people on bikes, pedestrians, and people who use assistive mobility devices. Despite this challenging legislative environment, several bills we supported passed both chambers and now go to the Governor for signature! Read on for more details.

VIRGINIA

The 2025 Virginia General Assembly session adjourned on February 22nd. Governor Youngkin had until March 24th to take action on legislation. WABA collaborated with the Virginia Bicycling Federation to support a slate of bills and we’re thrilled that three road safety-focused bills (detailed below) passed both chambers and were signed into law. Read more about the new pieces of legislation and check out WABA’s work during the 2025 Virginia Legislative Session.

Highlight: First State* to Implement Speed limiting Tech for Super Speeders: Virginia became the first state (after DC) to pass a law to address the dangerous behavior of super speeders through speed-limiting technology. Read more about Virginia’s new Intelligent Speed Assistance Law.

USDOT Memo (Re-)reviewing Federal Grants: In March, the US Department of Transportation circulated an internal memo that called for agency-wide review of competitive grants, like RAISE, Safe Streets and Roads for All, and others, to align with the administration’s executive orders aimed at removing DEI and “green new deal” related projects. The memo identifies bicycle infrastructure as “green new deal” or climate related and puts a pause on transportation projects whose eligible activities include bicycle infrastructure. Read more from the League of American Bicyclists. 

USDOT disfavors safety projects that reduce lane capacity for vehicles (possibly impacting the future of road diets): As reported in GGWash and previously in Streetsblog, USDOT’s new grant criteria states that the agency will look less favorably on safety projects that reduce lane capacity for vehicles. Advocates are concerned that the change removes road diets, which are an important tool for slowing down drivers to improve safety for those traveling in vehicles and vulnerable road users. Read more from Kea Wilson.

Speak up for federal transportation funding: Join the League of American Bicyclists’ letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation telling them not to freeze critical transportation funds. Sign-on to protect road safety.

Call for protections for multi-use trails: Use Rails to Trails Conservancy’s tool to tell elected officials that multi-use trails are essential. Contact your Senators, Representative, Governor, State Senator/s, and State Representatives.

FY2026 Budget Season

District of Columbia

DC’s Budget Threatened by US Congress:The DC Council set May 15th as the deadline for Mayor Bowser to submit her budget proposal, a delay of nearly a month and a half, after the initial due date of April 2nd. The budget proposal is expected to address the projected loss in revenue attributed to reductions int he federal workforce. The Mayor’s supplemental budget for FY25 may also address the $410 million in spending cuts required if the House of Representatives does not pass the DC Local Funds Act to fully restore the DC budget.

The DC government announced a freeze after April 27th on hiring, overtime authorization, pay raises, bonuses, and promotions. Additional plans are reportedly underway to review furloughing government employees and temporarily shutting down DC government facilities.

Background from WJLA: The city is still determining how much the freeze could save the District and what additional measures would need to be taken to close a $410 million gap as part of the 6 percent spending solution Mayor Bowser announced in April. Congress had passed a $1.1 billion cut in ithe continuing resolution that treated D.C. as a federal agency and required it to revert to 2024-level spending, even though most of its revenue is locally-sourced… Keep reading. Contact House Speaker Mike Johnson with Free DC..

DC OVERSIGHT HEARINGS: Earlier this year, WABA testified at four departmental performance-oversight hearings meant to review and examine agencies’ activities and accomplishments during the previous year. The convening committees heard from officials and from the public. Check out WABA’s testimony:

• District Department of Transportation (DDOT) testimony, February 5
• Department of Public Works testimony, February 11
• Vision Zero DC program testimony, March 6
• Metropolitan Police Department testimony, March 11

Maryland

Montgomery County: On March 14, 2025, the Council received the County Executive’s $7.7 billion Fiscal Year 2026 Recommended Operating Budget. The FY26 Recommended Operating Budget represents a 7.6 percent increase compared to the approved FY25 Operating Budget. The county council must take final action on the budget no later than June 1st. WABA organized meetings between residents and council members to ensure our input was heard during this process. Reach out to WABA’s Montgomery County Organizer Peter Gray if you’d like to participate. 

Prince George’s County: The Prince George’s County Council is conducting its Budget Review and Adoption Process throughout April and May, including staff reviews, committee and Council meetings, and critically important public hearings. The new fiscal year begins July 1st, and pursuant to the County Charter, the Council must adopt a new County Budget on or before June 1st. Public participation is encouraged! Check out the operating budget and CIP here.

Virginia

Alexandria City: City Manager Jim Parajon presented the Alexandria City Council with a proposed Fiscal Year 2026 General Fund Operating Budget of $956.4 million, which represents an increase of 3.2% over the current year in February. The budget proposal also includes increased funds for Alexandria City Public Schools; significant capital investments for stormwater management infrastructure; educational facilities; and maintenance of existing City assets and facilities, totaling $2.07 billion over 10 years in Alexandria’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP). For a brief description and highlights of the budget, please refer to the FY 2026 Budget in Brief. The deadline to adopt the budget is April 30th.

Arlington County: The Arlington County Board voted on April 9, 2025, to adopt a $1.69 billion balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2026, a 2.3 increase over FY 2025. All items related to the Budget were approved except for the solid waste fees, which was deferred for adoption at the June 14, 2025, County Board meeting. The adopted budget focuses on foundational services for the community, including housing, human services, environmental sustainability, public safety, workforce investments and public schools.

Fairfax County: Fairfax County Executive Hill released the fiscal year 2026 advertised budget for the county in February, announcing a proposed 1.5-cent real estate tax increase, $60 million in spending cuts, and a 2% transient occupancy tax increase. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to mark-up the FY26 budget on May 6th. Final budget adoption is set for May 13.

PROGRESS & CELEBRATIONS

MD: Bladensburg Waterfront Bridge redecking is a MAJOR improvement: If you’ve been to Bladensburg Waterfront Park along the Anacostia River Trail, you’ll remember how jarringly bumpy the old bridge was. Completed earlier this year, the rehabbed decking is smooth and inviting!

DC: Riggs Road NE Protected Bike Lane creates a low-stress connection:In March 2025, DDOT installed atwo-way protected bike lane on the south side of Riggs Road NEconnecting neighborhoods east of the train tracks to the Metropolitan Branch Trail at 1st Place NE.

MD: Oxon Cove Trail rehab is complete! The long awaited rehab and improvement to the Oxon Cove Trail/Oxon Run Trail is completed. Forest Heights, the National Park Service, and Prince George’s County officials joined to celebrate the ribbon cutting of a new bridge and fresh trail in late April. Check it out.

DC/VA: Rehabilitation of the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge (ongoing): DDOT began the years long project to upgrade the Roosevelt Bridge including widening the north sidewalk/bikeway, replacing the deck, performing structural repairs, upgrading traffic barriers and railings, and more. Read on.

MD: Montgomery County continues Metropolitan Branch Trail construction on Georgia Ave: MCDOT is continuing construction on Georgia Avenue and along the proposed shared-use path route through early May. Read more. Just across the border, DC continues it’s project to extend the MBT between Fort Totten and Takoma.

DC: Connecticut Ave Streetscape Deckover: (starting construction soon!) DDOT hosted a pre-construction meeting to share the final timeline for the Connecticut Ave Streetscape and Deckover project, which will feature improved pedestrian space and multi-modal options. Review the project.

VA: Alexandria adding protection to FOUR bike lanes: The City of Alexandria announced that they will upgrade painted bike lanes with physical separation on King Street (Janneys Lane to Radford Street), North Van Dorn Street (Braddock Road to Menokin Drive), Pegram Street (Polk Avenue to North Pickett Street), and Seminary Road (North Howard Street to Quaker Lane). Read on.

VA: Arlington to improve Columbia Pike Bicycle Boulevard intersections: Arlington completed analysis of intersections along the Columbia Pike Bicycle Boulevard Corridor and will be installing four-way stops this summer along with other safety improvements like daylighting and high visibility crosswalks.

MD: Marinelli Road Separated Bike Lane (Phase 1): Construction on this Montgomery County project is slated for this spring and should be completed this summer, weather permitting. More from MCDOT.

DC: Anacostia Metro Pedestrian and Bike Bridge: ( in design) DDOT is continuing the design process for a new pedestrian bridge to improve access and safety for travelers from Barry Farm to get to the Anacostia Metrorail Station. Watch the March 6th public meeting recording.

MD: Prince George’s County DPW&T is working on a series of seven projects throughout the county to improve multimodal safety and accessibility. DPW&T received $21.2 million in grant funding from the USDOT for these projects, covering more than 2/3rs of the total expected costs ($30.6 million). Projects include: Marlboro Pike Pedestrian Safety Improvements (Phase 2), Langley Park Safety Improvements, Cool Spring-Adelphi Pedestrian/Bicycle Access Project, Sheriff Road Safety Improvement Project, Belcrest Road Safety Improvement project, Adelphi Roadway Improvement Project, and Metzerott Road. Read a summary of each project from an Active Transportation Advisory Group meeting. 

VA/DC: Long Bridge Pre-Construction meetings: The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority is hosting public meetings to keep residents, businesses, and commuters informed about the long bridge project. Construction is currently underway and expected to finish in 2030. Review details.

DC: Lincoln Road NE: DDOT proposed concepts to improve safety on Lincoln Road NE by adding a two-way protected cycle track.Review plans presented to ANC 5F.

DC: Arboretum Bridge to Maryland Ave Project Meeting: Check-out updated plansfor the proposed connection from the Arboretum Bridge to Maryland Avenue through the US Arboretum following a public meeting in March.

VA: Fairfax County to improve connectivity in Fair Oaks: Construction on new shared-use paths in the Fair Oaks area of Fairfax County is underway along Post Forest Drive and Random Hills Road, part of the growing trail network along I-66. More details here.

VA: Alexandria nearing re-opening of Holmes Run Trail (!!!): Crews in Alexandria are repairing and repaving sections of the Holmes Run Trail with restriping scheduled for June. Six years(!) after devastating flooding, we’re nearing the end of trail reconstruction.

VA: Arlington County is piloting the new Downhill Protected Bike Lane & Right Turn Conflict Pilot Safety Project. The County is conducting this pilot to address potentially high-risk conflict points, where a driver can make a right turn across a bicyclist traveling downhill in the protected bike lane. The pilot will test the use of tactical materials at four locations to slow drivers down before turning and increase awareness of oncoming bicyclists, who have high momentum due to the downhill slope. 

 Pilot Locations:

• Clarendon Blvd & 17th St N
• Clarendon Blvd & N Scott St
• Clarendon Blvd & Driveway Across from N Troy St 
• Wilson Blvd & N Manchester St

DC: DC’s Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb filedfive lawsuits against drivers in Virginia and Maryland accused of not paying fines for traffic violations with authority under the STEER Act. In total, the five defendants owe the District $425,000 in unpaid fines, penalties, and fees with more than 1,100 accumulated traffic citations for speeding, running stop signs and read lights, and other moving infractions. [Stay tuned: We plan to call on DC Council to fully fund the rest of the STEER Act.]

MD: MCDOT advances plans for Cheltenham Drive Bikeway: MCDOT hosted a meeting in March to provide updates on the project. Learn more.

VA: Automated enforcement in school Corridors – Alexandria is deploying automated speed cameras in 3 additional school corridors this April to discourage too-fast driving and improve safety. Locations include:

• Alexandria City High School (King Street campus) along King Street
• Alexandria City High School (Minnie Howard campus) along Braddock Road
• William Ramsay Elementary School along North Beauregard Street

The City is also lowering speeds from 35 MPH to 25 MPH on South Pickett Street (between Duke Street & Edsall Road) and Eisenhower Avenue (between South Van Dorn Street & Telegraph Road). Map showing changes here.

VA: Fairfax Healthy Communities Calls on Dominion to Halt W&OD Trail Clear-Cutting: WABA jointly submitted this letter to Dominion Energy on March 28th, calling for an immediate end to clear-cutting all vegetation along the W&OD Trail in Northern Virginia.

Northern Virginia: WABA jointly submitted this letter to Dominion Energy on March 28th, calling for an immediate end to clear-cutting all vegetation along the W&OD Trail in Northern Virginia. Read the letter.

VA: Crystal City Bike Network expansion: Over the next several weeks, contractors will repave segments of S Clark Street and Crystal Drive, adding in new protected bike facilities per the Crystal City Bike Network. Block by block, we’re getting the network we need and deserve in National Landing!