The District Department of Transportation is busy installing a new contraflow, south-bound bicycle lane on 15th Street NW, which will extend from U Street NW to Massachusetts Avenue NW. Initial work began on Monday, and DCist spotted the work crew out just above P Street this afternoon as they put down the directional bike lane symbols.

As has been noted by Greater Greater Washington, one of the key features of this new bike lane is that in addition to allowing cyclists to travel legally in the opposite direction of traffic, it is also designed to protect cyclists from traffic by placing it adjacent to the sidewalk. Typical D.C. bike lanes are placed between traffic and parked cars. Northbound cyclists will continue to ride in the right lane on 15th Street, with new signage designed to remind drivers to share that lane with bicyclists.