A ghost bike has been installed at the intersection where cyclist Jeffrey Long was killed over the weekend. (Photo courtesy of Matthew Sampson)

A ghost bike was installed at the intersectionof M Street and New Hampshire Ave, where cyclist Jeffrey Long was killed. (Photo courtesy of Matthew Sampson)

D.C. officials have added signage and removed several parking spots near the West End intersection where a cyclist was killed earlier this month.

Jeffrey Hammond Long was biking on the M Street bike lane on July 7 when he was struck by a truck that was making a right-hand turn onto New Hampshire Avenue. Long died the following day. Bike advocates, many of whom took part in a memorial ride on Thursday, have called on the city to make changes to the intersection.

The District Department of Transportation did so on Monday, removing four parking spots with the aim of improving visibility. DDOT also put up new signs to make it clear to drivers turning right that they must yield to cyclists in the bike lane, according to spokesperson Lauren Stephens.

Within hours, though, cyclists pointed out that drivers have already started using the spots illegally.

“I think that DDOT is listening to an extent and I do appreciate them moving to remove those parking spaces,” says Rachel Maisler, who serves as the Ward 4 representative on D.C.’s Bicycle Advisory Council. “But no sooner did DDOT remove the parking at that intersection that vehicles were illegally parked. Taxis and rideshares and delivery trucks use bike lanes as their personal loading zones.”

She called on the Department of Public Works and the Metropolitan Police Department to step up enforcement of parking and traffic laws.

Maisler also argues that DDOT should adjust the light signal so that drivers can only turn right on a green arrow, particularly given the sharpness of the turn.

“It’s still legal to make a right turn from M onto New Hampshire, which is essentially a hairpin turn, it’s like a 45 degree angle,” she says. “If you had a right turn arrow instead of a plain old green arrow, then cyclists would need to stop like pedestrians, which would be a nice preventative measure.”

Other changes appear to be coming soon. The Golden Triangle BID is planning to extend the existing sidewalk and realign the bike lane, according to DDOT, which added that the project is slated to be announced later this month.

“Our voices are being heard,” says Maisler, who organized the memorial ride on Thursday, during which around 100 people biked to the intersection and stood quietly for 20 minutes in Long’s memory. “Our silence is being heard.”

More:
Cyclist Dies After Being Struck By Truck On M Street NW
Bike Advocates Plan Silent Ride, Demand Changes To M Street Bike Lane After Cyclist’s Death

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