DDOT has initiated the Taylor Street NE & Fort Drive NE Protected Bike Lanes Project. This entails Rock Creek Church Road NW through Taylor Street, NE (From North Capitol Street along Fort Drive NE onto Taylor Street to South Dakota Avenue NE). We, the residents, neighbors, and stakeholders of Taylor Street oppose the bike lanes for the following reasons:

Equity and Fairness

DDOT and our elected officials Councilmember Zachary Parker and ANC 5B failed to inform and engage our vulnerable community specifically Seniors who are long term residents or commuters of Taylor Street and Michigan Park Christian Church, an African American Church which has been in the community for more than 74 years.  Our Seniors who often rely on mailings, flyers and in-person meetings have been excluded from the digital communications and videoconferences.  Michigan Park Christian Church re-opened its doors in November 2022 from COVID and has been consistently opened and recovering, yet no one from the ANC, DC Council, or DDOT notified the church about the project.  The Church became aware of this initiative by chance on/or about June 30, 2024.  Over the years the Church has requested ADA sidewalk slopes (cuts) but have been turned down.  Yet bike lanes have taken precedence over the needs of the elderly and disabled within the community. It is reckless and irresponsible for our elected officials to overlook these constituents. 

Safety

Bike lanes on Taylor Street impose a significant hardship for Seniors and families who depend on curbside EMS Vehicles, food/other essential deliveries, and impede the ability of Fire, MPD and other emergency vehicles (Pepco, WASA, Wash. Gas, etc.) to use curbside parking. This is a significant Safety issue for our Community!  Moreover, the delay in EMS and Police vehicles response times will increase.  

Parking

The Church relies on street parking to serve the community and its members many of whom are elderly, disabled and school aged.  Parking on both sides of Taylor Street is essential. For more than 74 years, Michigan Park Christian Church has been an integral and active part of the community, hosting health fares, feeding the less fortunate and educating children. Without parking on Taylor Street, the Church will not survive.

Our residents of Taylor Street and their visitors who are dropped off will have to step over concrete barriers through the bike lane to reach the curb putting them at risk.

Congestion

Bike lanes will only make traffic worse, add to delays, significantly increase the amount of traffic spilling into our side streets, increase carbon emissions from idling cars backed up in traffic, and may actually increase car, pedestrian, and cyclist accidents.

We the signers of this petition include residents who live on this corridor, residents of Wards 5 and 4, and other members of the community who use this corridor make it known to the Administration, the Council and DDOT that we are opposed to bike lanes on any stretch of Taylor Street NE.