As residents of 16th Street Heights, we wanted to make you aware of the proposed Missouri Avenue Bikeways Initiative (listed on DDOT’s website under DC Trails Program) currently being planned by DDOT,.  We have significant concerns with the current Bikeways Initiative that will likely impact you regardless of your neighborhood. While we are not opposed to bike lanes, we are opposed to changes that would negatively impact the community. 

DDOT’s overall Strategic Bikeways Plan is to install 50 miles of new protected bike paths across DC within the next few years. The proposed bike path for Missouri Avenue from 14th Street to 17th Street is part of that plan and would result in a two-way, protected bike path along a narrow one-way street portion of Missouri Avenue. 

The proposed bike path would result in the loss of trees, sidewalks, retaining walls, driveways, and, most importantly, on-street parking for homes along the corridor. This would seriously and negatively impact residents and the neighborhood. In order to build this bike path, DDOT's  initial plan is to utilize "public right of way" in order to cut 10ft into side and front yards along the Missouri Avenue corridor just east and west of 16th Street to make way for the two-way bike path. This would destroy yards to shorten the distance between houses and the proposed bike path, impacting the character of the neighborhood and property values.

Moreover, Missouri Avenue is home to a large population of senior citizens and residents with mobility challenges, and eliminating on-street parking would impose significant hardships by reducing accessible parking for residents, caregivers, visitors, delivery people, and contractors. 

At December’s ANC 4E meeting, commissioners led by ANC Chair Vince Micone passed a resolution opposing the current plan, which was forwarded to DDOT. That resolution urges DDOT to re-evaluate more economic options and alternative routes, including but not limited to a shared-road model (i.e., sharrows) on Missouri Avenue with traffic calming measures (e.g., speed humps between 14th and 16th Streets); or a Joyce Road to Military Road connector, consistent with the original design plan endorsed by the current administration; or other routes that avoid property destruction, tree removal, and elimination of essential residential parking.

Residents have also submitted letters directly to DDOT Director Sharon Kershaum regarding the proposed bike path and fully approve of the ANC’s resolution opposing the current plan.

What We Can Do Now

According to a DDOT representative, Greg Billing, the project lead for the Strategic Bikeways Plan, the project is still in the early planning stages. However, based on conversations with Mr. Billings, it has become apparent the DDOT has already developed plans for the two-way protected bike path along the narrow one-way street without regard to residents who live along that corridor.

We are asking you to sign this petition to urge our city officials to reconsider this project, making it effective and safe for bikers while preserving the landscape, parking, and residents’ homes along Missouri Avenue.

We look forward to your support.