Transit Priority Streets Making a Comeback in D.C.
Forty years ago, the Washington region had 60 miles of bus lanes on its streets, a network that was erased once Metrorail started operating. Today passengers make about half a million trips on Metro buses each weekday, not a great deal less than Metrorail, but there is no network of priority streets for buses.
That's starting to change. This month two bus projects with dedicated lanes will open in the DC region, and Dan Malouff at Beyond DC says they will both pack a punch:
Georgia Avenue’s bus lanes will run just four blocks, from Florida Avenue to Barry Place. They’ll be curbside lanes, with normal bus stops on the sidewalk.
Four blocks is short, but this location is specifically one of the slowest stretches WMATA’s busy 70-series bus line passes through. Bus lanes here will speed the entire line.
Just as importantly, this will be a test project for DDOT to study, and to learn about bus lane implementation. In May, crews will add red paint to the roadway to make the bus lanes more visually obvious. By adding the red surface later, DDOT will gather data on whether the red really does dissuade car drivers from using the lanes illegally.
One week after DC's Georgia Avenue bus lanes debut, Arlington will launch phase two of a BRT line in Crystal City:
On Sunday the 17th, Arlington will open the second half of the Crystal City Potomac Yard Transitway, better known as Metroway. The first half opened in 2014 in Alexandria, and was the Washington region’s first foray into BRT.
The new Crystal City transitway section will run from Crystal City Metro south to Alexandria, where it will join the existing busway. It’ll be a mix of curbside bus lanes and fully exclusive bi-directional busway.
With these projects and a slate of other bus lanes in the works, writes Malouff, the region's network of transit-priority streets is on the verge of a comeback.
Elsewhere on the Network today: Green Lake Blue City and Rust Wire (a post by yours truly) imagine what a real urban policy would look like for the state of Ohio. The Urbanist makes the case that abundant parking and affordable housing just don't go together. And The Suburban City points out that Atlanta's suburbs are still growing faster than the city itself.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Thursday’s Headlines Don’t Like Riding on the Passenger Side
Can you take me to the store, and then the bank? I've got five dollars you can put in the tank.
Study: When Speed Limits Rise on Interstates, So Do Crash Hot Spots on Nearby Roads
Rising interstate speeds don't just make roads deadlier for people who drive on them — and local decision makers need to be prepared.
‘We Don’t Need These Highways’: Author Megan Kimble on Texas’ Ongoing Freeway Fights
...and what they have to teach other communities across America.
Should Wednesday’s Headlines 86 SUVs?
American tax law encourages people to buy the gas-guzzling and deadly vehicles, but some in Canada are pushing to ban them.
Brightline West Breaks Ground on Vegas to SoCal High-Speed Rail
Brightline West will be a 218-mile 186-mile-per-hour rail line from Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga — about 40 miles east of downtown L.A. — expected to open in 2028.
