New Mexico Avenue. Image from Google Street View.

There’s an important meeting about bike lanes on New Mexico Avenue tonight. Other upcoming meetings discuss retail on upper 14th Street, the Montgomery zoning rewrite, and buses east of the Anacostia River.

Tonight, ANC 3D, which spans from American University to the Potomac River, will discuss several transportation and planning issues, including safety at Ward Circle, the Georgetown campus plan, and speeding cars on Foxhall Road.

One of the most controversial is the proposed bike lanes on New Mexico Avenue, which the ANC voted to oppose in January. Their objections centered around reducing “bicycle and car conflicts,” which makes little sense as bike lanes reduce conflicts, unless they really mean that they don’t want anyone bicycling in the area.

Hopefully bike planner Jim Sebastian will be able to explain the value of this project to the commissioners. This recommendation was part of the Glover Park Transportation Study. Glover Park is in the adjacent ANC 3B, but the lanes would extend into 3D.

If you live in the area, it would be helpful to go voice your opinions about this topic. ANC commissioners listen more to individual local residents than you might think. One person who lives in the neighborhood participating on a semi-regular basis can change a lot of minds.

The meeting starts at 7 at Sibley Hospital, in the new Medical Building, 5215 Loughboro Road, NW.

Speaking of bike lanes, WABA is responding to Jack Evans’ criticisms of the 15th Street bike lane by going to enjoy and appreciate it on Friday.

In Arlington, the Bicycle Advisory Council is hosting a film screening about European bicycle facilities, followed by a public discussion. That’s Monday, March 7, in the auditorium of the Arlington central library, 1015 N. Quincy St. Doors open at 6:30 and the film starts at 7.

Montgomery County planning director Rollin Stanley is speaking about their zoning rewrite at Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the Action Committee for Transit. The meeting is March 8, 7:30 pm at the Silver Spring Center, 8818 Georgia Ave.

Next Thursday, March 10, is the latest meeting for the Office of Planning’s study of revitalizing retail in the Ward 4 portion of 14th Street, above Spring Road. That meeting is 6:30-8:30 pm at West Education Campus, 1338 Farragut St, NW.

Finally, that Saturday, Tommy Wells will speak to residents of Ward 7 about ways to improve bus service in the area. GGW contributors Veronica Davis and Kelsi Bracmort have written about the issues before, and are involved in organizing this event.

The meeting is March 12th, 11 am-12:30 pm at the Department of Employment Services, 4058 Minnesota Ave NE, in the large conference room on the 5th floor. DOES is very close to the Minnesota Avenue Metro.