DDOT’s website says that protected bike lanes should be cleared six to 24 hours after motor vehicle travel lanes. One week after last Monday’s snowfall, however, much of DC’s limited network of protected cycle lanes remains blocked by snow and ice. It’s all frozen into a mess that’s impossible to navigate even with thick studded tires.

DDOT’s website directs residents to submit a 311 request to report blocked bike lanes, but there’s no corresponding request category in the 311 app or online to notify them of the blocked lanes. I’ve also emailed my Councilmember repeatedly but haven’t heard anything back.

Is it normal for DDOT to do such an awful job of clearing bike lanes? Has anyone had any luck getting a response from them, 311 or their Councilmember? It’s no wonder barely anyone cycles in the winter when the lanes look like this.

I was expecting some patching and milling here and there, but they just went ahead and repaved it. Great job all round. Plus no more washboard!

Custis trail is in rough shape this morning. This is worst spot so far but there are a few more nearly as bad.

Photo taken near Langston and Lyon Village

Edited to fix stupid autocorrect.

Big fence blocking the 15th street bike lane and sidewalk east of the White House. Especially dangerous going north. Guessing this is related to the Chinese state visit.

I haven't seen it mentioned here, but the tiny signs have been up at least a week. Beach Drive will be opening to motor vehicles for a "Scenic Driving Day" on Saturday, April 11 from 11am-4pm. Stay safe if you're in Rock Creek Park next weekend!

https://www.nps.gov/rocr/planyourvisit/scenic-driving-days.htm

See oics

Just noticed this morning. Not active yet it seems. There's another one further north near Rhode Island Ave station.

Heads up - the street was repaved, but no lanes, including the bike lanes, have been painted. Cars are driving like the whole thing is theirs and cyclists going North are forced into 3-4 lanes of oncoming traffic.

Edit: typo

The snowcrete still is not gone everywhere - so I thought it would be handy to have an overview of what's ridable. Also thanks to the crowds at r/rundc(as runners often use similar trails)

Feel free to add!

West of Rock Creek

• Capital Crescent Trail: cleared
• C&O Canal: not cleared, still snowy/icy (also sewage spill further west)
• MacArthur Boulevard multi-use trail (Maryland): not cleared (MacArthur Blvd itself is ok - but many potholes)

Rock Creek Park (DC and Maryland)

• Beach Drive in Maryland: cleared
• Rock Creek Trail in Maryland: mostly not cleared (esp around Lake Needwood)
• Beach Drive in DC (NPS): cleared
• Ross Drive in DC (NPS): not cleared, closed to traffic reportedly cleared
• Rock Creek Trail in DC (south of Blagden Av/Broad Branch): mostly cleared, some icy bits around Peirce Mill
• Zoo loop: cleared
• Klingle Valley Trail (to the National Cathedral): not cleared, still snowy

Other DC / Maryland area trails:

• Metropolitan Branch Trail: reportedly cleared, at least up to Brookland
• Anacostia River Trails in DC: reportedly many of them cleared (Eastern side fully, Western side between Pennsylvania Ave and RFK)
• Anacostia River Trails in in Prince George's County: not cleared
• Rhode Island Ave Trolley Trail is cleared.
• Sligo Creek: the main road (parkway, shared with card) is cleared, shared use path does not seem to be cleared

Mount Vernon Trail:

• Between Rosslyn and Arlington Cemetery: not great, still icy
• South of Alexandria to Mt Vernon: not cleared, especially close to Mt Vernon

Other NoVA:

• Custis Trail: cleared
• W&OD: cleared between Four Run Mile Trail and Custis Trail junction (further west it reportedly still has icy spots)
• Four Run Mile Trail: cleared (short detour in place around bridge under construction)

Bike lanes:

• Klingle Road NW (from Rock Creek to Mt Pleasant): not cleared, have to use road
• 15th St NW bikeway: cleared
• 17th St NW bikeway: mostly cleared, but there are a few spots where you have to circumvent snow heaps
• Columbia Rd NW: mostly cleared and ridable
• New Mexico Ave NW (Glover Park - American University): cleared
• 20th St NW bikeway: mostly cleared and ridable

Mountain bike trails: DO NOT RIDE

• Cabin John Trail: not cleared
• Lake Needwood Loop: not cleared

Note that mountain bike trails are susceptible to freeze-thaw cycles, and even if they are cleared, they are likely very muddy; riding them will damage the trails under these circumstances. Please do not ride them.

https://www.tiktok.com/@talkswithtoneandteena/video/7561431122060594462

The amount of comments on this video joking about running the cyclist over are insane

I was on my way to Costco today and noticed there's been a lot of visible progress on the pump track in the works in Wheaton. They've got a couple of the wall rides in, a decent section asphalted, and some progress on the concrete starting area and playground. They broke ground around the beginning of the year and there hasn't been much to see until now, so it's exciting. The schedule calls for it to open this fall, but I don't know if that's too ambitious right now or not. Maybe this winter?

It's halfway between Forest Glen and Wheaton metro stations, or about a mile of neighborhood streets from Sligo Creek Trail, so not too hard to get to.

https://montgomeryparks.org/projects/directory/carroll-knolls-park-facility-plan-renovation/

It was open this morning (and the old bumpy part where the construction equipment crossed the trail, is closed) Its smooth, somewhat curvy, wide except where it passes under the RR, and even there its not that bad.

Anyone else seen the recently re-painted bike lane on L st NW between 23rd and New Hampshire? I don’t think my handlebars even fit in it. Is this something reported to 311 or DDOT?

Edit: spelling

Update: 311 responded to my request and said work was completed. If anyone wants to comment an update for this block, let me know if it’s fixed.

I bike to work and was planning to today but then realized that the winds are crazy?! So now I am not sure if I can bike in these winds. Its also cold but I'd just suck that up lol. Should I just give up and metro??

Hope you make it home safe! That was a lot of rain a lot of fast. I learned my brakes don't really work in that much rain as I escaped into the nearest Metro station.

Bike party turned into bike disperse and shelter.

I’d love to do a bigger cleanup some time with some of you!

18° F when I left this morning, which wasn't even that early.

Props to whichever agency cleared the MBT and the bike lanes, it was smooth sailing this morning.

Got kinda spoiled with the unseasonably cool, drought-dry spring. But after a long rainy weekend and warm humidity today, the insects have rebounded. Ride home my face felt like a windshield on the cannonball run. Time to break out those flimsy early-covid cloth masks. Or maybe you enjoy being force fed mini protein snacks. Whatever, i don't judge.