D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10-A, § 410
410.1 Bicycling has long been a part of the transportation mix in the District. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bicyclists, pedestrians, buggies, and streetcars all shared District streets. The District's interest in bicycling as an alternative to motorized transportation grew in the 1970s in response to the energy crisis, and the first District Bicycle Plan was adopted in 1976.
410.2 The use of bicycles for transportation and recreation is increasing within the District. Between 2000 and 2017, bicycle commuting grew significantly, by 514 percent, from a 1.2 percent share to a 4.5 percent share of all District-based work trips. Continued increases in bicycling as a percent of work trips is desired.
410.3 As of 2017, the District has 75 miles of bike lanes, nine miles of cycle track, 60 miles of bike paths, 100 miles of bicycle routes, and 300 Capital Bikeshare stations. The District is also working to improve bicycle connections through parks and green spaces. Map 4.3 shows Washington, DC's bicycle trail network.
410.4 While existing conditions provide a firm foundation for bicycling, many parts of Washington, DC could be more bicycle-friendly. Some parts of the District have no bicycle facilities at all, and many workplaces and other destinations have no facilities for storing or locking bicycles, showering, or changing.
410.5 Safety is another big concern. There were 660 crashes involving bicycles in 2016. Close to one-third of all fatalities from motor vehicle crashes in the District were pedestrians or bicyclists, compared to about 20 percent nationally and 27 percent for other large urban areas.
410.6 Map 4.3: Bicycle Routes and Trails
OPB0029216
Source: DC Office of Planning, 2018
410.7
In 2014, DDOT estimated the bicycle LOS on all 1,171 miles of District streets. DDOT evaluated roadway lane and shoulder width, speed limit, pavement condition, and on-street parking data. The analysis found that about 46 percent of the study network received below-average bicycle LOS grades, a 23 percent improvement from 2003, when 70 percent of the network was below average. The recently completed Bicycle Element of moveDC includes many recommendations
to improve bicycle facilities and infrastructure and should be consulted for more detail. When all requirements of the Bicycle Element of moveDC are fully implemented in 2040, the percentage of below-average streets will drop to 32 percent.
Please refer to the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Element for additional policies and actions related to bicycle and pedestrian trails.
410.8 DDOT has established a Capital Bikeshare station expansion policy that balances stations by location type. The DDOT development plan breaks the District down into three market areas: High Ridership, High Revenue, and Accessibility. Stations located in each of these three areas are expected to have different ridership characteristics and revenue-generating potential. The expansion policy will help the District diversify the program's ridership base and use Capital Bikeshare to connect residents to new opportunities.
410.9 Policy T-2.3.1: Better Integration of Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Integrate bicycle and pedestrian planning and safety considerations more fully into the planning and design of District roads, transit facilities, public buildings, and parks such that residents of each of the District's wards have access to high-quality bicycling and pedestrian facilities.
410.10 Policy T-2.3.2: Bicycle Network Provide and maintain a safe, direct, and comprehensive bicycle network connecting neighborhoods, employment locations, public facilities, transit stations, parks, and other key destinations. Eliminate system gaps to provide continuous bicycle facilities. Increase the amount of protected bike lanes, wayfinding signage, and Capital Bikeshare stations.
410.11 Policy T-2.3.3: Bicycle Safety Increase bicycle safety through continued expansion of protected bike lanes (cycle tracks) and other separated facilities, traffic-calming measures, provision of public bicycle parking, enforcement of regulations requiring private bicycle parking, and improved bicycle access where barriers to bicycle travel now exist.
410.12 Policy T-2.3.4: Capital Bikeshare Expansion Continue the expansion of Capital Bikeshare stations throughout the District to develop a complete bicycle-sharing network and encourage bicycling. Expansion of the system should balance service provisions, system costs, public input, and revenue-generation concerns. The cost of a Capital Bikeshare membership or the technology used to become a member should not be a barrier to using the system.
410.13 Policy T-2.3.5: Capital Bikeshare Access Continue to increase utility of the system for users by locating stations so that 65
percent of residents and 90 percent of employees are within a quarter mile of a Capital Bikeshare station. Expand user access to destinations, including jobs and services; promote retail and entertainment access; and expand access to residential neighborhoods to encourage annual ridership increases.
410.14 Policy T-2.3.6: Dockless Programs
Dockless bike-share, scooter and other mobility systems should supplement and be compatible with the multimodal and accessibility priorities of the District through the permitting of private vendor-provided services. These systems should complement existing mobility services in the District, including Capital Bikeshare, Metrorail, Metrobus, and the DC Circulator.
410.15 Action T-2.3.A: Capital Bikeshare Community Partners
Continue investment in the Community Partners Program to reach unemployed persons, underemployed persons, and persons experiencing homelessness with subsidized Capital Bikeshare memberships to increase access to transportation.
410.16 Action T-2.3.B: Bicycle Facilities
Wherever feasible, require large, new commercial and residential buildings to be designed with features such as secure bicycle parking and lockers, bike racks, shower facilities, and other amenities that accommodate bicycle users. Residential buildings with eight or more units shall comply with regulations that require secure bicycle parking spaces.
410.17 Action T-2.3.C: moveDC Bicycle Element
Implement the recommendations of the Vision Zero DC Action Plan and the Bicycle Element of moveDC to:
410.18 Action T-2.3.D: Performance Measures
Develop, apply, and report on walking and bicycle transportation performance measures to identify strengths, deficiencies, and potential improvements and to support the development of new and innovative facilities and programs.
410.19 Action T-2.3.E: Dockless Sharing Programs
Monitor dockless programs closely so that public benefits outweigh any negative impacts to the public right-of-way, equity of service, or the ability of the Capital Bikeshare system to provide cost-effective and equitable service. Work with providers to promote equitable access to the increased mobility options these dockless programs provide.
SOURCE: District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; 31 DCR 1049 (March 9, 1984)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Element Amendment Act of 1984, effective March 16, 1985 (D.C. Law 5-187; 32 DCR 873 (February 15, 1985)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-129; 37 DCR 55 (January 5, 1990)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989 NCPC-Recommended Amendments, and Closing of Public Alleys in Square 669, S.O. 88-452, Act of 1990, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-132; 37 DCR 2213 (April 6, 1990)); as amended by District Government Land Use Temporary Amendment Act of 1994, effective October 1, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-190; 41 DCR 5360 (August 12, 1994)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1994, effective October 6, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-193; 41 DCR 5536 (August 19, 1994)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Amendment Act of 1994, effective March 21, 1995 (D.C. Law 10-235; 42 DCR 30 (January 6, 1995)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 18, 1996 (D.C. Law 11-110; 43 DCR 530 (February 9, 1996)); as amended by Second Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-255; 44 DCR 1271 (March 7, 1997)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 1998, effective April 27, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-275; 46 DCR 1441 (February 19, 1999)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1999, effective April 12, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-91; 47 DCR 520 (January 28, 2000)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-300; 54 DCR 924 (February 2, 2007)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 2008, effective March 25, 2009 (D.C. Law 17-353; 56 DCR 1117 (February 6, 2009)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2010, effective April 8, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-361; 58 DCR 908 (February 4, 2011)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021, effective August 21, 2021 (D.C. Law 24-20; 68 DCR 006918 (July 16, 2021)).