DDOT’s long-term plans for U Street include major bicycle improvements at the corner of 16th and U. While a full reconstruction is not scheduled soon, the agency isn’t waiting to implement some improvements for cyclists at this location.

The changes, which are being studied through FHWA’s experimentation process, include contraflow bike lanes on New Hampshire and bike boxes on 16th Street.

Plans for 16th & U. Click to view entire fact sheet.

Cyclists coming from New Hampshire will be detected by an induction loop in the roadbed and given a short signal phase that will stop other traffic and allow riders to cross 16th to the bike box. In short, cyclists who wait will be rewarded with a protected crossing of 16th Street.

Although the diagram indicates the lanes will be striped green, this will not be the case at first. The lanes may be striped with color at a later date. The first signs of project implementation are now sprouting at the intersection, including new signals and induction loops.

New signals (left) and induction loops (right).