Washington, DC

(Washington, DC) The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) today celebrated the public opening of the 4th Street, NW to SW, bicycle route with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, setting an unprecedented record for bike lane installations in 2014; making it more than nine miles of bike lane construction this year.

“DDOT is building a sustainable, bicycle transportation network and infrastructure around the District of Columbia,” said DDOT Director Matthew Brown. “With the 4th Street bike lanes, residents and visitors can ride a bicycle from Nationals Ballpark, across the Mall to downtown and beyond. We are pleased with this accomplishment as it contributes to Mayor Vincent Gray’s vision of a multimodal city, where everyone is offered an option for his or her transportation choices.”

The new 4^th Street bike lanes connect from School Street, SW, to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, and connect an important gap between the Pennsylvania Avenue protected bike lanes and the growing Southwest Waterfront and Capital Riverfront neighborhoods.

Since 2005, with the creation of the Bicycle Master Plan, DDOT committed to having 60 miles of bicycle lanes in place throughout the city by 2015. However, the agency surpassed its goal in 2014 when it reached a total of 69 miles on the ground today in all eight wards. (Three miles were already in place in 2001.)

The new bike lanes make it easier and safer for people to travel by bike throughout the city. New lanes were recently installed in the NoMA, Petworth, Brightwood and Foggy Bottom neighborhoods. In 2014, DDOT installed its first bike lanes in Ward 8 on Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. avenues. Additionally, DDOT has installed nearly six miles of protected bike lanes, which offer a more appealing place on the street to ride a bicycle for those who may not be as comfortable riding near cars and trucks.

Bike lanes help to improve safety for both motorists and bicyclists and encourage more people to opt for this mode of transportation. Since 2000, the number of DC residents bicycling to work has quadrupled, and DDOT expects that number to rise as more lanes are built. According to the US Census, as of 2013, approximately 4.5 percent of the District’s population commuted to work on bike—totaling nearly 15,000 people each day.

In October, DDOT released moveDC and a “2-Year Action Plan,” which calls for adding or upgrading 15 miles of on-street bike lanes in the next two years, as well as expanding the District’s trail network. The moveDC plan lays out a long-term network of bike lanes, protected bike lanes and trails totaling nearly 350 miles in the next 25 years.

For more information, please visit DDOT’s webpage on bike lanes. To learn more about moveDC, visit http://www.wemovedc.org/

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The mission of the District of Columbia government's Department of Transportation (DDOT) is to enhance the quality of life for District residents and visitors by ensuring that people, goods, and information move efficiently and safely with minimal adverse impact on residents and the environment. Follow us on Twitter; like us on Facebook and visit the website at www.ddot.dc.gov. Visit goDCgo.com for more information on transportation options in the District.