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Taylor Street debate: parents and cyclists press for protected lanes while churches, neighbors object
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Summary
Public testimony on June 2 turned sharply to a single neighborhood fight: whether Taylor Street Northeast should receive a two-way protected bike lane linking neighborhoods to the Metropolitan Branch Trail.
Public testimony on June 2 turned sharply to a single neighborhood fight: whether Taylor Street Northeast should receive a two-way protected bike lane linking neighborhoods to the Metropolitan Branch Trail.
Parents, safety advocates and bicycle groups described years of outreach and warned of continuing danger for children and people walking to school. Sarah Wilkinson, a Ward 5 Family Biking co-organizer, described being struck with her 7-year-old son on Taylor Street and urged immediate installation of protected lanes rather than continued engagement cycles that have not produced results. Martine Kumbal, a Ward 5 resident whose daughter attends a nearby school, said the corridor connects multiple schools (Bunker Hill Elementary, Brookland Middle School, Elsie Whitlow Stokes, Washington Yu Ying, Creative Minds and others) and called the lane a 'safe routes to school' priority.
Opposing view: leaders from Michigan Park Christian Church and other neighbors said the proposed protected two-way lane would remove curb parking, narrow the roadway and complicate emergency access. Robert Walker, board chair of Michigan Park Christian Church, said church operations and school programs rely on curbside parking and asked DDOT to consider lower-impact alternatives or design changes to preserve parking and access. Several opponents said DDOT's outreach did not reach affected residents early enough and that the agency relied too heavily on ANC resolutions.
Why this matters: Taylor Street is one of few east-west connections over the railroad in Ward 5; supporters say that makes it a critical multimodal link to the MBT and transit. Opponents say the block-by-block design will displace parking for seniors and churchgoers and shift congestion to side streets.
Committee context: Chair Allen said the committee and DDOT must balance robust engagement with timely action; he warned that endless meetings should not substitute for decisions when community consensus and ANC support exist. Several ANC commissioners and community leaders urged DDOT to move the design stage forward and to provide clearer data on projected ridership, vehicular traffic and emergency access.
Ending: The committee will hear DDOT leadership next week and asked the agency to return with specific engineering data, parking impacts and a clear public-engagement plan for Taylor Street.
