The Sierra Club, Washington DC Chapter today issued the following statement in support of proposed improvements to Maryland Avenue NE.
The Sierra Club’s Washington, DC Chapter has previously endorsed the District Department of Transportation’s MoveDC plan, writing that it represented “a shift towards more ecologically sound ways of getting around [that] will dramatically improve the District's impact on both local and global ecosystems.” MoveDC envisioned a citywide network of dedicated bike lanes, and namely additional bike lanes on key routes traversing the Capitol Hill neighborhood.
As such, the Chapter also endorses the proposed “road diet” along Maryland Avenue NE, between 4th Street and 14th Street, which would add bike lanes, planting areas, and turn lanes while reducing dangerous speeding. The new bike lane is needed to provide the growing number of cyclists in the District with a safe corridor through the area at minimal cost, while additional plantings will reduce the urban heat island effect and help to manage increasing volumes of stormwater.
In short, the proposed improvements to Maryland Avenue NE will be a valuable contribution to the District’s environment, and we endorse its construction.