In early December, work on plans to have a dedicated bicycle and pedestrian lane will begin in East Potomac Park in D.C.
The National Park Service said the plan to “improve pedestrian, cyclist and motorist safety” will replace one vehicle travel lane on Ohio Drive from the East Potomac Golf Course to Hains Point and back to Buckeye Drive.
Upon completion, the left lane of the 2 1/2-mile drive around Hains Point will be for motor vehicles, and the right lane will be a bidirectional, shared-use path for cyclists and pedestrians. Experienced cyclists can use the vehicle travel lane, which will be marked with vehicle/bicycle shared lane symbols (“sharrows”).
“These changes will provide a safer park experience for all visitors by prioritizing safety and reducing conflicts between people who walk, bicycle and drive, while continuing to provide for the fullest range of uses of East Potomac Park,” said Jeff Reinbold, superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks.
The project will also change the angled parking on Ohio Drive at Hains Point to parallel parking; make the “no parking zone” on Ohio Drive between the 14th Street and Long bridges into two, 6-foot-wide bike lanes; and make the intersection of East Basin and Ohio drives at Inlet Bridge into a three-way stop, with a left-turn pocket added for eastbound bicyclists on Ohio Drive to the George Mason Memorial that would connect to the 15th Street cycle track and Mount Vernon Trail.
The work, which is expected to take about one week and will be done in partnership with the District Department of Transportation, will close East Potomac Park to all drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
