DC Trip-Day 2

My 2nd day in DC was even better than the first, since we got to drive around the city and see how the street network performs and the new innovative bike facilities. The city is currently adding to their network and pushing progressive facility initiatives. DC is about to start looking like Portland, from a cyclist's perspective.

• Transform the DC bike-share system into a substantive transit option with 100 stations and 1,000 bicycles.
• Set aside 5% of the capital budget each year as a core program for pedestrian and bicycle improvements.
• Quadruple the lane miles of separated cycle facilities.
• Formally adopt bike boxes for bicyclist safety at intersections into DC standards and implement them in at least 100 locations.
• Repurpose on-street parking spaces for bicycle parking in at least 25 locations.
• Add four more bike stations.
• Increase marketing and private sector promotion of non-motorized modes.
• Improve the District travel-demand model to capture non-motorized trips.
• Update and expand the Bicycle Master Plan for the next decade.
• Support non-vehicular travel and unique place-making in the public space.

More than double bicycle mode share by 2012 from levels in 2009 (2.3% to 5%). By 2012 they aspire to double bike lane mileage to 80 miles, have 0 bike fatalities and reduce crashes from 335 to 250.

Attached is a video that demonstrates DC's new contraflow lanes. All of this stuff is very exciting and shows that "if you build it, they will ride".