FW: federal bulls**t on 15th st (Removal of Protected Bike Lanes on 15th St)

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Feb 13, 2026, 6:22:36 PM (9 days ago) Feb 13
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From: Colin Browne, WABA <newsl...@waba.org>
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2026 4:43 PM
To: Karen McMillan <kare...@comcast.net>
Subject: federal bulls**t on 15th st

 

Welcome to WABA's weekly newsletter! A reflection or two, events to check out, actions to take, and a weekend ride suggestion—all delivered fresh to your inbox around lunchtime on Friday because you weren't going to get any more work done today anyway. You can manage all your emails from WABA here (it sometimes takes a minute to load).

Skip to: News | Events | Route Suggestion | Legislation

Hey Karen,

We've heard now from several reliable sources that federal agencies may remove a substantial chunk of the 15th St NW protected bike lanes near the National Mall in February, possibly as early as next week. Technically, this would require a public input process, but, well, we’ve all seen what happened to the East Wing of the White House. 

We’re working on a legal challenge to this but we need some quick on-the-ground help keeping an eye on the bike lane. If you’re interested, please email Elizabeth—she's coordinating our volunteer response. 

This is a targeted attack—it’s not going to improve safety or congestion. These bike lanes are a critical part of the region’s network and we know from study after study after study that bike lanes make everyone safer—drivers, pedestrians, and people on bikes. And they don’t make traffic worse, they make it better.

We will keep you posted as this unfolds. 

Legislative & Policy Updates: 

DC

Online Action: Tell DC to stop delaying its bike lane and trail projects.

Plus: Four upcoming IRL chances to tell DDOT to get moving.

It's still Council Performance Oversight hearing season. Read the testimony we've submitted so far here: 

Virginia

Warning: this might feel like Groundhog Day because the asks remain the same.

Bike Safety Omnibus. As we previewed last week, Del. Willett’s omnibus bicyclist safety bill (HB661) that we’ve been championing alongside the Virginia Bicycling Federation faced a full House vote this week…where it passed unanimously (98Y-0N)! Those margins will hopefully buoy the bill’s chances as it heads to the Senate Transportation Committee, where we’ve run into hurdles before. We’ve got a new ‘explainer’ available here with answers to frequently asked questions; what we need now is YOU to spread the word about the benefits.

MAIN ASK: Contact your state Senator and encourage them to support HB661. We’re going to keep encouraging folks like you to reach out because your experiences and stories carry real weight. Short and sweet is great (you can mention that bipartisan support). Find your Senator’s contact info here. 

  • The immediate priority is those Senators who sit on the Transportation Committee, especially our local Senators David Marsden and Stella Pekarsky.

BONUS ASK (if you live in Fairfax County): Contact your local Supervisor and encourage them to support HB661, too. Same deal, we need to ensure our local leaders are hearing messages of support. Change makes them nervous so highlight the benefits of these tweaks.

As always, additional details on what’s happening in the General Assembly (including where things stand with e-bike regulations, bike signal faces, and automated camera enforcement) can be found on our 2026 General Assembly coverage blog.

Maryland

  • One of our priority bills, the Transportation & Climate Alignment Act, which would mandate mitigation projects, such as bike/ped infrastructure or better access to transit be implemented whenever large new transportation projects would increase greenhouse gas emissions, had a House committee hearing Tuesday this past week and will have a Senate hearing on February 25.
  • HB 394, which would provide a carve out from the antiquated and unfair Contributory Negligence policy had a hearing this past week in the House Judiciary Committee.
  • HB 381, mandating No Turn on Red on State Highways in Urban Centers (Rockville, downtown Silver Spring/Bethesda etc..) had a House hearing this past week as well.
  • SB 487 a bill sponsored by the Maryland Department of Transportation had hearings in the House and Senate yesterday. That bill will allow for more speed camera placements in designated high risk corridors throughout the State. 
  • The last of Bike Maryland/WABA's priority bills, HB 1381, the No Stopping, Standing or Parking in a Bike Lane bill, was filed yesterday and referred to the Environment and Transportation Committee. Advocates are pleased that this was officially submitted and will track the progress of the bill closely.

Overall, almost all of Bike Maryland/WABA's priority bills are moving along through hearings in both the House and Senate and we look forward to committee votes in the next few weeks.

Things to do: 

Office Move Updates: 

ICYMI, we're moving to a new building soon. 

  1. We are having a gear sale -- that means everything from t-shirts to indoor bike racks to boxes of paper clips -- come by! 2599 Ontario Road NW, Saturday, February 21, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
  2. We are having space-limited hard hat tours of the new space: sign up to come and see it! 

We are also having a capital campaign to raise the last $40,000 we need to build out the bike parking and finish the space. You can name a bike rack or an office if you'd like! Email Elizabeth for details. 

Snowcrete Update: 

Melting continues and roads are passable and dry during the daytime, but still lots of icy spots at night as snowmelt refreezes. More and more bike lanes are clear but continue to watch out for snow piles, especially at alley entrances. I've seen crews out in my neighborhood clearing sidewalk and alley snowbanks, but we don't have any sense of how long that will take. Trails are rideable in some patches but not others. Here's a neat crowdsourced map for regional trail conditions. Generally our advice remains the same as last week: If you're not comfortable taking a lane, it's probably still wise to stick to trails that you know are clear.

Other News & Updates: 

  • Registration is open for our first Earn-A-Bike programs of 2026! Open to high school-aged youth, participants will learn the basics of bicycle repair on a bike that they get to keep at the end of the session! The first session runs February 23 to April 6 and the second session runs April 13 to 17. Registration is free!
  • Got younger kids? WABA's DC Explorers Bike Camp is a FREE 5-day camp for students ages 10-14. Through hands-on activities and LOTS of bike riding, campers will grow their confidence and explore DC by bike! Campers must be able to ride a bike (without training wheels) for 30 minutes at a time. There are 2 sessions: July 13-17 and August 10-14. Registration opens Friday, February 20 at noon and a $50 refundable deposit at registration. Snacks, drinks, lunches, and activity fees are included. For more information, email WABA’s youth education team at bike...@waba.org.
  • Big Win: After 14 months of negotiations—aided in part by our collective advocacy—Dominion Energy has signed anew agreement with NOVA Parks to manage and restore vegetation along the W&OD Trail! Check out our blog posthere on what all transpired, and how you helped tip the balance.
  • Volunteer Opportunity: We need some help with a couple of GIS-related projects. Is that a skillset you have? Want to help us measure progress toward a more bikeable region? Email me.
  • Want to borrow a cargo bike? The news (and bike lanes) got a little buried under the snow, but we've teamed up with DC Family Biking to launch the WABA Cargo Bike Library. Check it out!
  • Writeup: On November 16, Dan Langenkamp and the annual Ride for Your Life event highlighted federal legislation to make our streets safer for biking and walking. 
  • National Action Alert: Help Protect Federal Funding for Trails, Walking, & Biking
  • Local Medal Winners! College Park, Frederick, and Herndon receive a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community award from the League of American Bicyclists
  • Take the WMATA Riders Advisory Council survey.
  • DC residents: the ebike rebate program application is open through the end of the month.
  • Join our push in the General Assembly to update Virginia Code to better accommodate bicyclists - sign our petition here.

A fun route-planning idea for the weekend: 

Find your way to the Black History in Motion sites!

Save the Date: 

Have a great weekend,

—Colin

P.S. This sort of fight isn't easy or cheap. Donate if you can. We appreciate you either way.

Oh dear! It looks your membership expired on January 2, 2021. Renew today! 

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Washington Area Bicyclist Association
2599 Ontario Rd. NW, Washington, DC 20009
202.518.0524 | waba.org

Washington Area Bicyclist Association - 2599 Ontario Road NW - Washington, DC 20009
sent to: kare...@comcast.net - Email Preferences

 

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