Cyclists hold a memorial at the intersection of M Street and New Hampshire Avenue NW, where Jeffrey Long was killed while riding a bicycle. (Photo by Aimee Custis)

D.C. is widening the sidewalk and realigning the bike lane where a bicyclist was killed earlier this summer, part of a slate of changes coming to the West End’s Duke Ellington Park.

The small triangle park is bounded by New Hampshire Avenue, M Street, and 21st Street in Northwest. On June 7, Jeffrey Long was cycling on the M Street bike lane when he was struck by a truck turning right onto New Hampshire.

In the immediate wake of Long’s death, as the cycling community clamored for changes at the intersection, the District Department of Transportation removed parking spots, installed new signs, and added safety bollards.

The Golden Triangle BID have now announced plans to widen the sidewalk on M Street and realign the bike lane so that it is adjacent to the park in conjunction with a trio of city agencies. The changes will have the effect of reducing the crossing distance over New Hampshire Avenue, make the right-hand turn onto New Hampshire slightly less sharp, and reduce the likelihood of cars parking illegally (even after DDOT removed the parking spots, vehicles would still frequently be spotted there).

The red area shows the extension of the sidewalk, while the green shows the new border of the bike lane. (Photo via Google Maps, illustration by Samantha Schmieder)

In addition to changes to the streetscape, the park’s landscape is also getting an upgrade, including additional green space and bigger tree boxes.

Leona Agouridis, the executive director of the Golden Triangle BID, says they have been caring for the park for about a decade and have wanted to make some of these improvements for years.

“It’s a crazy narrow sidewalk. There’s always people with luggage trying to get through,” she says. In 2017, the group was able to get a little bit more space by blending the park into the sidewalk, “we’ve always wanted to make that sidewalk wider.”

The work will be completed by the Department of General Services and DDOT, while the Department of Parks and Recreation is funding the effort. It is not clear exactly when construction will begin.

“DDOT is proud to support projects that so closely align with Mayor Bowser’s commitment to Vision Zero,” said DDOT director Jeff Marootian. “The planned improvements will increase safety for pedestrians and bicyclists while also supporting the work of DDOT’s Urban Forestry Division.”

The changes are part of a larger multi-phase project that has been in the works for several years. In the first round of work, which was completed in 2017, the city added several sustainability measures (a rain garden and permeable pavers, among them).

“It’s been something that we’ve been trying to get to happen for a while,” says Agouridis. “People have been on board for a while.”

This story has been updated with comment from Agouridis and to reflect that DPR is funding the project, not the Department of Public Works.

Previously:
Bike And Pedestrian Advocates Plan To Protest D.C.’s Failure To Prevent Road Deaths
D.C. Makes Changes To M Street NW Intersection Where Cyclist Was Killed
Bike Advocates Plan Silent Ride, Demand Changes To M Street Bike Lane After Cyclist’s Death