First Street gets a protected bikeway next to Union Station
A new protected bikeway is about to open along First Street NE next to Union Station. While only a block long, it will provide a key connection between the existing bikeway north of G Street NE and a possible future connection to Pennsylvania Avenue.
The new protected bikeway, looking south. Photo by the author
The new protected bikeway, looking north. Photo by the author.
Crews from DDOT began painting the lanes green on Thursday after repaving the street, painting new lane lines, and installing the concrete barriers that separate the bike lanes from auto traffic on First Street earlier this week.
DDOT crews installing concrete barriers on First Street next to Union Station. Photo by Houston Ruck.
The project also includes making sidewalks wider, which will be useful for people walking out of the Union Station Metro station and onto First Street.
Photo by Houston Ruck on Flickr.
Rebuilding this block of First Street has been a long time coming. The sidewalk used to disappear for a short distance to accommodate delivery trucks, and parked trucks frequently blocked the two-way car lanes.
The sidewalk gap along the old First Street. Photo by Tony Goodman.
The new First Street will have a one-way traffic lane that moves southbound, and there will be space for loading and unloading along the western curb.
A connection to the protected bikeways on Pennsylvania Avenue could be next. Representatives from DDOT, the Architect of the Capitol, local Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners, and Councilmember Charles Allen’s staff are currently discussing the possibility of extending the lanes south along Louisiana Avenue NE to Pennsylvania Avenue via either First or Third streets.