A WABA DC budget brief + quick actions to boost DC biking

If there’s a silver lining to the federal attack on DC’s Cherry Blossom bike lane – the bike lane on 15th St. SW between  Constitution Ave. SW and the Jefferson Memorial – it’s the huge outpouring of community support. We’ve been thrilled by the protest turnout, petition signatures, and support for WABA’s legal action challenging the administration’s misguided, “arbitrary and capricious” (that’s our legal team’s term) actions. Thank you for showing up, speaking out, and supporting!

• Want to do more? Read an April 9 15th St. update, sign our petition (link on that page), and mark your calendar for an April 21st  15th St. Bike Lane Community Rally on the National Mall 

Let’s also keep the heat on the DC government, through budget and project advocacy.  

DC’s FY27 budget: Budgets are a reflection of priorities. It’s critical that we use our voices to make sure our safety and mobility priorities are covered. Check out Mayor Bowser’s proposed budget for next fiscal year, starting October 1: FY27 budget presentation and Full Budget Book & Capital Plan.

The public is invited to comment on the proposed FY27 budget during public oversight hearings for each agency. WABA is preparing testimony for several of the council’s hearings: for the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) on April 27, the Office of Unified Communications (DC 311) on April 29, and the Department of Public Works on April 30. (Here’s the FY27 council budget schedule.) 

• Join us for an online session on Biking & Safe Streets in DC’s FY27 Budget next Thursday evening, April 23rd, 7:30–8:30 pm via Zoom. We’ll cover the budget process and invite you to share your thoughts about biking and safe streets priorities.

And project advocacy: We’ve made it quick and easy for you to weigh in (we hope!):

• The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) is redesigning Pennsylvania Ave. NW between the Capitol and the White House complex. Use their online form to share your comments on the design concepts for the corridor. Our suggested comment: “I’m pleased that the NCPC’s Pennsylvania Ave. design concepts include buffered two-way bike lanes, relocated to the southern side of the avenue. The Commission should ensure that the designs reinforce the separation of pedestrians from bike and scooter riders, and the Commission should explicitly include bicycle parking at the public spaces in the next iterations of the designs.” (Comment by April 30.) 
• Support a protected bikeway on Taylor Street NE. DDOT recently hosted a Taylor Street NE Bikeway open house. By and large, the two-way protected bike lane plan, for an east-west route across Ward 5, is great! WABA prefers Concept A (South-Side Two-Way Protected Bike Lanes) for the easternmost block but finds Concept B (Sidepath on North Side) acceptable as well. Expressions of community support for the project  are important! Visit DDOT’s Taylor Street NE and Fort Drive NE project page to share your thoughts. (Comment by April 30.)
• DDOT abandoned plans for a two-way, protected bike lane  on 15th St NW between NY Ave & H St NW and now plans to convert the west-side driving lane to parking including valet spots. The project page still says: “This key connection will provide a safe connection for bicyclists outside of the White House security perimeter,” but this change appears to prioritize parking over safety. Click here to comment on DDOT’s notice of intent, to tell them DON’T! (Deadline May 1).
• Submit a comment in support of buffered bike lanes on Vermont Ave., NW. This project will repurpose a general purpose travel lane in each direction to create buffered bike lanes to connect between 9th St/Florida Ave NW and 11th St NW. (Comment by May 5).
• Have you responded to WABA’s Safety First! campaign? Ask Mayor Muriel Bowser and DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum to return to prioritizing safety over politics, to build planned (and previously planned) bike lanes and associated traffic calming measures without further delay. DDOT removed protections from  bike lanes on Arizona Ave. NW and stripped PBLs out of East Capitol St. project plans. They put the Jenifer St. NW project – design is 100% complete! – on hold. Join us to tell them Safety First!

Thanks for taking these actions. It’s important that we all show up and speak out. 

P.S. Mark your calendar for upcoming community rides! You’re invited to join WABA Advocacy and our community partners for a Ward 3 Community Bike Ride on Saturday morning, April 25, and a Ward 8 Community Bike Ride on Saturday afternoon, May 16. We’ll look at bicycling infrastructure, needs, and opportunities in the two wards, the two DC wards with the fewest miles of protected bike lanes.