The yearly Performance Oversight hearings held by the Council of the District of Columbia allow Council members and the public to discuss how are well or poorly agencies are delivering services. Monday, March 3, Ellen Jones, Chair of the D.C. Bicycle Advisory Council, provided testimony on behalf of the BAC before the Committee on Transportation and the Environment and its Chair, Mary M. Cheh. Also present at this hearing were the Pedestrian Advisory Council and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT).
The hearing allowed BAC to discuss the current status of bicycling in the District as well as plans for the coming year. Generally, while the District Government and the DDOT have made bicycling improvements over the past few years, the implementation of certain projects is very slow (Metropolitan Branch Trail, Anacostia Trail, Bike Lanes, etc.). Also, the maintenance and removal of debris on trails, overpasses and bike lanes has been fair or poor. Lastly, certain aspects of road designs seem to view the inclusion of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure as a novelty and not as a basic component of a complete street. We would also requested that District agencies cooperate as a matter of course rather than on special tasks so that the inclusion of bicycle facilities in zoning, community planning, and economic development is standardized.
That said, BAC acknowledges the work that DDOT and other District agencies have done to expand bicycling. What we also appreciate are the comment of the public, some of which has been incorporated into our testimony. BAC would like to thank you for your comments - please keep them coming!
Below is the testimony provided by the BAC Chair and the questions requested by the Committee and the Committee 'questions and answers' document. Also available is the hearing witness list.
The hearing allowed BAC to discuss the current status of bicycling in the District as well as plans for the coming year. Generally, while the District Government and the DDOT have made bicycling improvements over the past few years, the implementation of certain projects is very slow (Metropolitan Branch Trail, Anacostia Trail, Bike Lanes, etc.). Also, the maintenance and removal of debris on trails, overpasses and bike lanes has been fair or poor. Lastly, certain aspects of road designs seem to view the inclusion of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure as a novelty and not as a basic component of a complete street. We would also requested that District agencies cooperate as a matter of course rather than on special tasks so that the inclusion of bicycle facilities in zoning, community planning, and economic development is standardized.
That said, BAC acknowledges the work that DDOT and other District agencies have done to expand bicycling. What we also appreciate are the comment of the public, some of which has been incorporated into our testimony. BAC would like to thank you for your comments - please keep them coming!
Below is the testimony provided by the BAC Chair and the questions requested by the Committee and the Committee 'questions and answers' document. Also available is the hearing witness list.