Photo via @WABADC

Mayor Vince Gray today inaugurated the protected L Street bike lane, which runs from New Hampshire Avenue to 12th Street NW and is one of two major east-west bike lanes planned for downtown D.C. Bike lanes, Gray said, are “an inherent part of how we move around.”

Gray, joined by representatives from the D.C. Department of Transportation and Shane Farthing of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, “opened” the lane by cutting a green ribbon.

Construction on the bike lane started in late October and took roughly three weeks to complete. Since then, though, drivers have continually mistaken it for the parking spots that it replaced.

D.C. Department of Transportation officials handed out flier today explaining how cars and cyclists should interact at intersections. According to the handbill, drivers that want to use a left-turn lane have to yield to cyclists in the bike lane before making the merge ahead of an intersection. At the same time, cyclists will briefly exit the protected part of the lane and ride into an exposed section—painted green for visibility—approaching the intersection.

The traffic lanes at some intersections have also been painted with sharrows, indicating to drivers that cyclists might also be present on the main thoroughfare, especially when making right turns.

But not all drivers are taking well to the restructured street. WAMU reported last Friday that some motorists are thrown off by the addition of the cycle track.

Still, there were only cycle enthusiasts at today’s ribbon-cutting. Ellen Jones of the Downtown D.C. Business Improvement District called the new bike lane an “economic asset,” though she also noted the gaping paucity of places for riders to park their bikes. A few lucky riders were able to chain their bikes to one of the few racks near the intersection of 15th and L streets; others settled for parking meters or street signs, while the rest of the dozens in attendance had to settle for leaning their bikes on nearby buildings.

A westbound cycle track is planned for M Street NW, though DDOT spokesman John Lisle said the schedule for its construction has not yet been set.

A flyer explaining how cars and bicycles should handle intersections along L Street NW from now on. Photo by @SharrowsDC