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Dupont – Logan – U Street

Watch for 2-Way Bike Traffic in 15th Street Bike Lane


TrafficSigns

These new traffic signs on 15th Street NW warn motorists about southbound cyclists, not northbound ones. The new bike lane has unofficially become two-way.

The southbound 15th Street NW bike lane (yes, the one between the curb and parked cars) has quickly become a TWO-WAY bike lane, with cyclists riding both north and south in it. Not surprising; everyone who lives in this part of Dupont-Logan same it coming

So a warning to bikers who are riding north: Cars are probably NOT going to see you. In addition, people getting out of their cars are opening their doors into the bike lane.

Please be extremely careful. All of the signs that have been put up are warning northbound motorists about southound bikers—there are no warnings for drivers about northbound cyclists. Those of us in the hood may remember to look for you, but that guy in the Mercedes SUV going 50 mph up 15th so he can get home to Potomac 3 minutes sooner? He won’t be looking for you. For one thing, he will be busy honking his horn at me as I try to park on the street.

November 9, 2009 - Posted by | news, politics and government | , ,

9 Comments »

  1. […] Watch for 2-Way Bike Traffic in 15th Street Bike Lane […]

    Pingback by DDoT Survey on 15th Street Bike Lane, Traffic, Safety « Borderstan | May 12, 2010 | Reply

  2. […] danger to northbound cyclists (and other users) is that there drivers are not looking for them. The signage put up by DDoT with the bike lane only instructs drivers to look for southbound cyclists when […]

    Pingback by 15th Street: The 2-Way, Multi-Purpose Bike Lane « Borderstan | March 22, 2010 | Reply

  3. i live on 14th and drive a Lexus SUV and don’t honk at any biker or parker, i’d of had a stroke by now if i tried to drive like that during this biker takeover. i do not appreciate this stereotyping of luxury automotive drivers.

    Comment by 14th St Binx | November 19, 2009 | Reply

  4. […] is one more story about the 15th Street bike lane. This one started with a flurry of activity outside our house this morning: numerous trucks, mini […]

    Pingback by 15th Street: City Poobahs Speak, Cut Ribbon, Ride Bikes « Borderstan | November 19, 2009 | Reply

  5. Leaves and acorns making the surface treacherous. Parked cars and granite curbs giving no room for evasive maneuvers. Wrong way cyclists.

    A cyclist is going to get seriously hurt. And I’m a bike commuter with 15 years experience.

    Don’t know about numbers on 15th Street, but when I Metro to work and walk 14th Street between K and U, I consistently count 75-100 bikes in 20 minutes.

    Comment by crin | November 11, 2009 | Reply

  6. I live on the 1500 block of S, am retired and haven’t seen more than a handful of cyclists…anyone have an idea how many cyclists use that street a day as opposed to the number of cars? I guess bike lanes are good ideas but they’re also a great way to discourage people from coming INTO DC by making traffic more unbearable.

    Comment by Pat | November 10, 2009 | Reply

  7. When I learned that this was to be a southbound bike lane, ON A NORTHBOUND STREET, I took it off my list of routes. To now make this a two-lane bike lane is crazy foolishness. Is this temporary until a Northbound lane is built, or their work done?

    Oy! As a cyclist, I want to offer my apologies for the ensuing anger over the lousy way this was handled. Now all commuters are in greater danger (drivers, bikers, pedestrians, etc.).

    Comment by Avi | November 9, 2009 | Reply

  8. I was biking in the right lane northbound (the one that’s being marked with “shared lane” markings) and a Maryland motorist actually rolled down her window to yell at me to use the new bike lane.

    1) Cyclists are not required to use bike lanes and 2) as we all know here, that’s a southbound bike lane.

    To which I say: ugh, why didn’t DDOT just make this two-way to begin with!?

    Comment by Stephen | November 9, 2009 | Reply

  9. Does anybody know if they will do away with street sweeping on that west side of 15th street now? Not that I have ever seen a street sweeper go down 15th street, but thats besides the point.

    Comment by Sean Mackay | November 9, 2009 | Reply


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