DDOT 15th Street Bicycle Safety Improvements

Preliminary data analysis shows the 15th Street cycletrack decreased crashes (all types) by 59-84%

Nelson\Nygaard led a consultant team to provide planning and design assistance for the District Department of Transportation’s (DDOT’s) Bicycle Program. The goal of this project was to explore opportunities to provide a fully separated bicycle facility through the study area along 15th Street NW. The project connected two existing bicycle facilities that follow the route identified in the National Park Service Paved Trails Plan. The DDOT has installed more than 10 miles of separated cycletracks and 75 miles of bicycle lanes across the District since 2001. These facilities provide multimodal connections for residents, commuters, and visitors to access jobs, amenities, and recreational destinations. Much of this section of 15th Street is owned and managed by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit of the National Park Service.

DDOT is exploring how to fill key gaps in connectivity in the bicycle network. This project evaluated alternatives to improve bicycling from the existing in-road cycletrack on 15th Street, from Pennsylvania Avenue to East Basin Drive past the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, to the separated multi-use trail crossing the 14th Street Bridge. The 15th Street cycletrack is a key component of the regional bicycle network, with more than 2,000 users per day currently sharing sidewalks or the roadway.

The study explored opportunities to provide a fully separated bicycle facility on this heavily used route for bike commuters and visitors. Analysis also included traffic simulation using detailed microsimulation tools to test a variety of traffic and bike scenarios. It modeled traffic diversions that could result from building concepts and assess their impact on the local transportation network. It also analyzed on-street parking, bus transit facilities, and other curbside uses and assess their impacts on the local transportation network.

The project is the product of a robust collaboration between the National Park Service and the District Department of Transportation along with the input of residents and stakeholders. Our final design of a two-way protected bike lane was implemented and constructed in 2021.