Since COVID, DC streets have undergone a radical transformation that is supposed to make us safer but is creating confusion instead. Removing traffic lanes and installing bike lanes are creating hazards. The population most at risk to these changes is seniors, but the Department of Aging and Community Living (DACL), the agency charged with addressing senior issues, “has stood by silently and done nothing,” said Nick DelleDonne representing DC Safe Streets Coalition, at a DC Council hearing today.
In neighborhoods throughout the city, seniors are raising a voice of protest. Seniors complain bitterly that bikers are reckless. They ride with impunity wherever they want – on the sidewalk, in the street, in bike lanes. Bikers appear suddenly, silently, surprising seniors trying to walk on the sidewalk or cross the street.
With all the road changes, the Washington Post reported last week that fatalities have not gone down in the last three years. On Christmas eve, a motorist driving on the newly redesigned C St. at 16th St. NE struck and killed a pedestrian walking on the sidewalk.
At a public meeting on the plan to remove traffic lanes on Georgia Ave, the project leader said the plan intends to create congestion to discourage car traffic, and promote public transportation, but DC does not have reliable public transit. “Seniors need their cars for grocery shopping and doctor appointments. They need access to the curb and parking. Even Metro Access cannot park on the curb. Are seniors in wheelchairs supposed to get out of the van into on-coming traffic?” DelleDonne said.
DC Safe Streets Coalition urges DC to pause bike lane installation, hold townhalls to better engage with the community, improve public transit and hold bikers accountable by regulating biking in DC, including registration, licensing, insurance, certification and protective gear.
Nick DelleDonne
DC Safe Streets Coalition
703 929 6656
February 27, 2025