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DDOT workers were out putting the finishing touches on the contraflow bike lane on 15th Street NW today, installing the permanent plastic pylons that separate the line of parked cars from the new sidewalk-adjacent bike lane.
But it looks like there are still a few wrinkles to get ironed out with the signage. DCist spotted this pretty large "typo" today:
After we snapped this photo, we noticed Greater Greater Washington had spotted another spelling mistake on the lane over the weekend, but we didn't see the "YEILD" spelling on our walk of the entire lane today, so it's possible that one's been fixed already.
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First thought upon seeing this: "DC Public Schools"
amen, deesee.
And they need to replace all the DONT WALK signs ... or don't they?
ContraFAIL.
I thought the same thing, DeeSee. Does anyone recall that DCPS bus placard mishap from the early 90s?
The "Stay in Class: It A Blast" ones? Good times, good times.
More wasteful spending on the District's part. There hasn't been a Trun or a Yeild on 15th Street since the '68 riots, yet they deserve their own lane? That's gentrification for you.
This reminds me of the Snickers commercial where the guy has just finished painting the endzone and the football player, clearly a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, comes up and asks who are the Chefs...
This whole project has been a disaster. It's not safe for cyclists who share a northbound lane with motorists. Contraflow cyclists are in danger from cross traffic on streets like Swann where there is no light and vehicles have to creep into bike lane to get a view of oncoming traffic on 15th. Contraflow cyclists are also in danger from vehicles on 15th taking a left because their vision is blocked by parked cars. It doesn't slow down traffic. It doesn't make 15th feel like part of the neighborhood. The street sweeper won't be able to clean in the bike lane. I have only seen a couple of cyclists use the contraflow lane and they were going the wrong way. Other than that, it works pretty well.
+1,000,000.
Precisely. If I'm making a left hand turn, I can't see these f*er's over a row of cars.
why have a couple commenters been using the "doesn't make 15th feel like part of the neighborhood" line?
is that an approved talking point for the opponents to bike lanes?
That's because making 15th street part of the neighborhood was a stated goal of DDOT when they took this project on:
"In the 21st century, however, the situation looks different. People are moving into the District. Residents enjoy biking and walking to nearby destinations and to downtown. 15th Street itself, with one-way, high-speed traffic, resembles an urban freeway and does not reflect the neighborhood through which it flows. The capacity of the street (four lanes, one-way) is more than necessary for the traffic volume, particularly since the street narrows to one lane at the north end."
http://ddot.dc.gov/ddot/cwp/view,a,1249,q,643030,ddotNav_GID,1586,ddotNav,%7C32399%7C.asp
Also, I am not a bike lane opponent. I'm actually all for them. They just need to be well thought out and properly executed. This plan was neither.
Too bad residents didn't come out more strongly in favor of making 15th two way, with a central turn lane.
exactly, downtown rez. i thought from the beginning, knowing that DDOT wasn't going to get a consensus no matter what they did, they should have just gone balls out and done the right thing, making the road two-way and telling the suburbanites who use it as a freeway that they'll just have to suck up the extra 2 minutes in their commute.
to every thing trun trun trun
there is a season trun trun trun
That sign is really truning me on. IN MY PANTS.
Already saw my first cyclist going down the new lane the wrong way.
This is going to be a common thing, since traffic enforcement in DC is nonexistent. When you go down it the wrong way, there's absolutely no way cars can see you when they turn left and squash you flat.
Bwahaha!
Why mess with the best street to drive on in DC? Seriously, those timed lights were fantastic. Now, with one less lane, everything is off. It's like when Harold Crick's watch broke in "Stranger Than Fiction".
I wasn't aware that since "no clear consensus" was reached by the residents of this area, that they would be given a fait accompli by DDOT for a ill-conceived "compromise." We both know commuters and cyclists got what they wanted. Not the residents.
http://www.thewashcycle.com/2009/02/ddot-going-with-5th-alternative-for-15th-street.html
52 opinions were discounted by DDOT.
How am I supposed to ride my 10 speed with all those leaves acting as speed bumps. I think the homeowners should be required to sweep them to protect my safety. And I sure wish the Jeep from Massachusetts would move. I'm not quite sure how the city will tow it.
Riding against traffic flow is incredibly dangerous, but at least the smarter among cyclists who do this are hyper alert for all of the pitfalls they may face. This lane will encourage cyclists to write the wrong way and think, falsely, that they're safe. It's only a matter of time before this new lane gets some cyclist killed.