WUSA-9 is reporting today, April 9, that new data show hit-and-run crashes are on the rise throughout the country and references the tragic crash this weekend when a 10-year-old was hit. But, according to its own reporting on April 6, the crash this weekend was a bike-on-bike crash involving no cars, and it happened in a bike lane. Our Coalition joins the mother of the victim in calling for bike regulations.
With bike lanes and rebates, DC promotes and even subsidizes biking but neglects to consider appropriate warnings, safeguards and precautions. While claiming safety, DC is making the streets more dangerous.
On April 6, WUSA-9 itself quoted the mother of the crash victim who suffered brain injury, saying “. . . children aren’t safe, not even in a bike lane that the city provided for [them] to be safe and I just want the mayor or anybody to just see if we can change the laws. . . .”
DC Safe Streets Coalition has started a campaign this election year to regulate e-bikes requiring registration, tags, insurance, certification and protective gear so bikers can be held accountable. DDOT tells us to look to MPD for enforcement, shirking its own responsibility for creating hazards. The police cannot do it. “The Council also is to blame for prodding DDOT to install protected bike lanes and then dedicating $1M for rebates to help residents buy e-bikes, because bike lanes are not being used. E-bikes are motorcycles by another name,” said Nick DelleDonne, representing the DC Safe Streets Coalition.
Please sign our petition to regulate e-bikes https://c.org/GVFzcRN8kP
Nick DelleDonne
DC Safe Streets Coalition
Dupont East Civic Action Association
703 929 6656
April 9, 2026