We, the undersigned residents and businesses of Ward 4, Ward 5, and other areas across DC and neighboring borders, come together to “Oppose the addition of bike lanes on South Dakota Avenue NE (SDA-NE)”.

[Background]

The District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) is undertaking a study and quick-build corridor safety project for South Dakota Avenue NE (SDA-NE) between Bladensburg, Riggs Road NE in partnership with Councilmember Zachary Parker who allocated funds in the FY24 budget for this project. The study's primary goals are to: Improve safety for vehicles, pedestrians, cyclist, and to reduce speeding.

DDOT has offered three (3) proposed plans to radically restructure SDA-NE:

Option 1: Three (3) lanes with full-time parking.

Option 2: Three (3)  lanes with parking designated lanes and two-way protected bike lanes.

Option 3: Three (3) lanes and bike lanes that removes one lane. Washington Metro Area Transit Authority known as WMATA, has a plan to add a bus route on SDA-NE in 2025 as well.

We cannot imagine SDA-NE, a major thoroughfare for residents and commuters being reduced to one lane of through traffic going north to south. We know this will only make traffic significantly worse, add to delays, significantly increase traffic “spilling” into our side streets to avoid “backups”, increase carbon emissions from idling cars backed up in traffic, and may increase car, pedestrian, property, and cyclist accidents! 

We are also concerned that SDA-NE is a designated evacuation emergency route for our city and considering that Ward 4 and Ward 5 are heavily populated with seniors and young families with children should give us “room for pause”. For us this is also an issue of equality and fairness. Studies have shown that historically bike lanes have been imposed in black, brown, and low income areas. And given DDOT’s own data 70% of the residents along the SDA-NE corridors are black!

Given all of the above, we the signers of this petition, which includes residents and/or businesses of Ward 4, Ward 5, and those in other words across DC and neighboring borders who use the corridor to commute and access retail stores make it known to the administration (DDOT) and Councilmember Zachary Parker, that we are opposed to bike lanes on any stretch of SDA-NE. We all agree that driver and pedestrian safety is a priority for all streets including SDA-NE, but feel that other streets configurations should be considered that excludes bike lanes.

[Demand]

Therefore, we respectfully urge the administration (DDOT) and Ward 5 Councilman Zachary Parker to prioritize safety on SDA-NE through alternative street configurations that do not include bike lanes.

Note: After signing the petition, you have the option to provide additional comments in the "Reason for Signing" section. Feel free to share your thoughts, personal experiences, or any other relevant information that supports your decision to sign the petition. Your comments can help amplify the impact of your signature and provide valuable insights to others who may also consider signing. Thank you for taking the time to support this cause.