The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) wiped its website of a finding of a dramatic rise in crashes on protected bike lanes following testimony at the DC Council hearing on Monday, June 2.
DDOTs website https://before-after-evaluations.ddot.dc.gov/ had reported ‘before/after’ evaluations of three protected bike lane projects, namely, G Street NW, Virginia Ave. NW, and Pennsylvania Ave SE on Capitol Hill. The website had included a chart showing a dramatic increase in crashes from right turns. In his testimony Nick DelleDonne, representing the city-wide DC Safe Streets Coalition, applied the finding to the upcoming installation on Grant Circle, a traffic circle at New Hampshire Ave. and 5th St NW.
Three strikes and you’re out. All the data argue against putting protected bike lanes on traffic circles, DelleDonne testified.
First, intersections are recognized as the place where most crashes occur. Traffic circles are the juncture of intersections. Grant Circle has 16.
Second, studies from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show that protected bike lanes are dangerous depending on the frequency of interruptions in the lane, for example, by intersections. With 16 intersections on Grant Circle a protected lane will be interrupted every 30 to 50 feet, leaving cyclists exposed.
Third, the final blow is the finding by DDOT on Pennsylvania Ave. of a dramatic increase in crashes as vehicles turn right, crossing the bike lane. All turns on a traffic circle are right turns, both entering and leaving the circle. It’s a death trap.
Solution: There is no need to undertake a multimillion-dollar project at a time of severe budget constraints. If the city diverted biking to side streets and installed speed cameras on the Circle, we would all be safer.
DC Safe Streets Coalition canvassed neighbors at Grant Circle and found a universal complaint that they did not know a protected bike lane would be installed. Two weeks ago, DDOT published a notice of intent on its website (NOI-25-124) with a deadline for comment of June 12. Installation will begin this summer.
DC Safe Streets Coalition has begun a protest petition https://chng.it/9ZjNchxbHX.
Nick DelleDonne
June 4, 2025