Taylor Street
TAYlor Street Can Be Safer
Bottom Line Up Front
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has published a concept for a protected bike lane (PBL) from Rock Creek Church Road NW, down Harewood NW, Fort NE, and Taylor Street NE to South Dakota. If built in 2025, this would become a major east-west micromobility/bike corridor with a direct connection to the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) and offer a safer transportation option for at least 9 schools. DDOT themselves state, "Research shows that protected bike lanes significantly improve the safety of bicyclists and increase safety for pedestrians and drivers." That's right -- a PBL makes the road safer for EVERYONE.
Project Scope on DDOT Bike Lanes Project Site
Why This Project
Washington DC needs more east-west bicycle corridors, especially ones which connect to the MBT.
This route has been in planning documents since 2014 and most recently in the updated moveDC plan from 2021.
This project will provide additional transportation options and safety improvements for at least 9 schools.
Neighbors have repeatedly raised concerns regarding street safety on Taylor Street NE.
My Actions on Taylor Street
September 25, 2024 - Signed a second Joint Single Member District Letter to Michigan Park Christian Church (emailed Sept. 25)
September 18, 2024 - Introduced and Supported Commission 5B passing a Resolution in Support of DDOT Moving to the "Design" Phase of the Taylor Street PBL Project Based on the Concept of a Two-Way Protected Bike Lane Aligned with the Southern Corridor.
August 28, 2024 - Attended Michigan Park Christian Church's Neighborhood Meeting, with Commissioner Sen (5B02), Commissioner Kapur (5C07), and DDOT, regarding the Taylor Street PBL project.
August 14, 2024 - Assisted as Committee Liaison for the Commission's Transportation and Public Space Committee public meeting to view DDOT's presentation on the project and listened to the public's concerns.
August 12, 2024 - Signed a Joint Single Member District Letter to Michigan Park Christian Church (emailed Aug. 13).
June 26, 2024 - Viewed the DDOT presentation to Commission 5B kicking off the project at the Commission's regular public meeting, and invited them to return to present to the Commission's Transportation and Public Space Committee.
March 20, 2024 - Voted for the Commission 5B Resolution, introduced by Commissioner Sen (5B02), Urging Traffic Safety Improvements to the Bunker Hill Elementary School Campus
February 26, 2024 - Wrote a joint letter with Commissioner Sen (5B02) to Interim Director Kershbaum Urging DDOT to Expeditiously Complete Protected Bike Lane from Rock Creek Church Road NW through Taylor Street NE. We received this response, committing to the spring study [Note: the letter does indeed have the wrong year, it was sent March 1, 2024].
January 7, 2024 - Wrote about the Taylor Street Protected Bike Lane in my January 2024 Newsletter to Neighbors.
March 15, 2023 - Introduced a Resolution, which Commission 5B passed, in support of Councilmember Parker's FY 2024 Budget Requests and Transit and Traffic Safety Priorities, including endorsing the Councilmember's request to deliver protected bike facilities on Bicycle Priority Network routes identified in DDOT's MoveDC plan, especially on Taylor Street and Harewood Road NE, among other priorities.
Taylor Street Could be Safer
There have been numerous wrecks, especially at the intersection with South Dakota Avenue, as well as reports of vehicles travelling at dangerous speeds. For example, here are two separate instances with photos on X/Twitter both from November 2023: Incident 1 and in Incident 2. A PBL not only provides a safe means for micromobility/bicycle transportation, it also calms traffic overall by narrowing the street. This incentivizes drivers to stay at the legal speed limit of 25 -- or in many parts -- 20 MPH.
From January 1, 2023 to April 19, 2024 there have been 33 Crashes with Injuries per the DC Vision Zero Dashboard out of 63 Crashes total on Taylor (b/t 1st NE and 18th) or adjacent to it (nearest intersection) per the Crashes in DC Dataset. Injuries from crashes can still require a visit to the hospital and can leave victims with long term effects!
2 Injury Crashes at 4301 Harewood Road NE
3 Injury Crashes at 100 Fort Drive NE (adjacent to a school)
2 Injury Crashes at 290 Taylor Street NE (in front of a school)
3 Injury Crashes at 333 Hawaii Avenue NE
2 Injury Crashes at 4041 7th Street NE
1 Injury Crash at 828 Taylor Street NE
1 Injury Crash at 907 Taylor Street NE
1 Injury Crash at 921 Taylor Street NE
1 Injury Crash at 4111 12th Street NE
4 Injury Crashes at 4202 13th Street NE
1 Injury Crash at 1300 Michigan Ave NE
1 Injury Crash at 4200 14th Street NE (adjacent to a school)
1 Injury Crash at 1532 Taylor Street NE
6 Injury Crashes at 1715 Taylor Street NE (adjacent to a hospital)
2 Injury Crashes at 1721 Taylor Street NE (adjacent to a hospital)
2 Injury Crashes at 4120 18th Street NE (adjacent to a hospital)
DC Vision Zero Injury Crashes on Taylor Street with Schools (8 stars), Hospitals (2 Hs), and Parks (4) Indicated
during School Drop Off
This kind of driver behavior puts people at risk.
During Morning Rush
An unsafe crosswalk next to Bunker Hill Elementary School.
Take Action
Put in 311 Traffic Safety Input Requests where you see unsafe behaviors!
Contact Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker
Contact DDOT Ward 5 Community Engagement Specialist Dalando Baker
Contact DDOT's Taylor Street PBL Project Manager Anne Welch
Volunteer for / Attend upcoming Commission 5B Traffic and Public Space Committee Meetings