15th Street cycle track.

According to DDOT the L and M Street cross-town cycle tracks are on hold and may not be built.

At a DC Council confirmation hearing for DDOT Director Terry Bellamy yesterday, Mr. Bellamy said the agency was concerned about on-street car parking and is reevaluating the projects. There was little or no mention of Mayor Gray at the meeting, but it seems difficult to imagine that politics wouldn’t be playing a part in the potential cancellation of projects so far along the planning process.

Back in December BeyondDC speculated whether or not Mayor Gray would keep the cycle tracks, and guessed that the mayor’s transportation policy would be to avoid alienating anyone by treading water, and by neither moving forward nor canceling controversial projects. This may be an indication that speculation was correct, which would be unfortunate. On the other hand, Gray has been friendly to streetcars since taking office, so he certainly has not been a villain with regards to progressive transportation, and it may be premature to suggest otherwise.

Anyway, the L and M Street cycle tracks are important. The cross-town connections they would provide are crucial links in the city’s burgeoning bike network, for despite K Street’s boulevard layout it isn’t particularly safe for cyclists. If you support the cycle tracks, click the link below and follow through to sign the petition.