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"Wards 7 and 8, as well as much of Prince George's, are not bike friendly. Anacostia River crossings are often downright dangerous on a bike. So promoting biking to work in these communities depends all the more on the first/last mile connection to transit. Yet no Metro stations on the southern Green Line or eastern Blue and Orange Lines had pit stops."

Quite right, and in accord with WMATA LT Planning initiative to improve bicycle access to stations to help absorb projected ridership gains. Convoy to stations, WMATA helping out with pit stops, and a waiver of rush hour bike restrictions on those lines on BWTD, perhaps?

In re infrastructure improvements, a bit of community outreach to coincide with the full opening of the 11th St Bridge should be considered.

For those who ask why should we care about race and/or SES bicycling?

*Public health. Outcomes for both lower income and non-white populations are disproportionately bad wrt obesity related conditions. bicycling is not the whole answer, but the billions in societal savings on offer through preventive health measures like active transportation means we all have an interest in making such things as accessible to everyone.

*lack of bicycling in certain communities is symptomatic of distorted investments. In English, bike lanes encourage people to bike. Regardless of the reason why (community resistance, for example), the impact is less encouragement to bike, and less safe conditions for those who do. So, in the communities where the need is greatest to improve health impacts, the investment in a countermeasure to do just that is at its lowest.

*Racial and SES divides in bicycling are starker here in DC than other major cities. Regardless of cause (I say infrastructure), that's troubling to me.

by darren on May 25, 2012 3:01 pm • link • report