Should I report this bad DC cop?

[KLizotte]

@Tim Kelley 8621 wrote:

On the topic of U-turns, I was at a WABA meeting last night, and from what I understand it came up that in DC mid-block u-turns are legal, even through the bike lane. I’ve been trying to find some more information on this, but navigating the DC traffic codes isn’t easy and Google doesn’t help much.

Can anyone confirm??

I haven’t found anything definitive on Google either though I suppose a thorough reading of DCMR is in order. I read through WABA’s Pocket Guide to Washington, DC Bike Laws this morning and came across this paragraph:

Are cars allowed in bus/bike lanes?

“According to the CDMR Section 2220, the Director of the District Dept of Transportation is authorized to designate any traffic lane on any roadway for the exclusive use of a single class or combination of classes of vehicles during certain hours. During the restricted hours, any vehicle may enter a restricted right curb lane solely for the purposes of taking on or discharging passengers or to make a right turn where a right turn is not otherwise prohibed by any official traffic control device.”

I suppose that might be interpreted by taxi drivers as giving them the right to do u-turns to pick up/drop off passengers.

I strongly suspect that unless there is a sign explicitly forbidding U-turns thru bike lanes that it is legal. I think this is because the laws simply haven’t caught up with the new cycling infrastructure.

[DaveK]

DC is not allowed to mark yellow lines on Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the Capitol – I think the Fine Arts Commission put their foot down on this one. It’s for the inauguration parades every four years. They take out the signal poles and all physical infrastructure on Penn in that stretch to allow the inauguration parade to pass.

[eminva]

@DaveK 8666 wrote:

DC is not allowed to mark yellow lines on Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the Capitol – I think the Fine Arts Commission put their foot down on this one. It’s for the inauguration parades every four years. They take out the signal poles and all physical infrastructure on Penn in that stretch to allow the inauguration parade to pass.

Gee, when I watch a football game on TV, they can project a yellow line on the field so viewers can see how far it is to first down. So why can’t they virtually erase a yellow line on a street for all the folks in TV land who might be offended by street markings while watching the inaugural parade?

Sorry for being flippant — it just seems so silly at times.

Liz

[jrenaut]

@eminva 8667 wrote:

Sorry for being flippant — it just seems so silly at times.

Don’t apologize – it’s perfectly acceptable to be annoyed that the aesthetics of an event that happens every four years are more important than the lives of cyclists every day.

It seems to me that the signs at all the intersections without left turn arrows saying “No Left/U turns” would imply that you can’t make a left or u-turn anywhere on the street where there isn’t a turn arrow.

[Greenbelt]

Wouldn’t be hard to put in more of those plastic reflective bollards, though, even if they don’t want to have yellow paint on the road. Bollards are removable for the parade.

[americancyclo]

@jrenaut 8670 wrote:

the intersections without left turn arrows saying “No Left/U turns”

These signs frustrate me, since I think some drivers can’t really see that it is ‘No Left’ AND ‘No U-Turn’

Either that or they choose to ignore it completely.

[jrenaut]

@americancyclo 8592 wrote:

It is mostly due to the fact that the signal timing is off, making the bike lanes painfully slow. Independence is timed reasonably well, and from point A to B, it can make up to a ten minute difference. Also, crazy U turn drivers.

Funny that they retimed the lights just after we had this conversation. Heading from 7th towards the White House, then on up 15th has gotten a lot more annoying because of some small changes to the timing. Maybe I’ll start doing Independence and 14th, too.

Also, Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham is totally ignoring my emails. I’m not sure what the problem is. Maybe I’ve been blackballed after getting annoyed with incompetent DDOT work a few months ago.

[americancyclo]

@jrenaut 8768 wrote:

Heading from 7th towards the White House, then on up 15th has gotten a lot more annoying because of some small changes to the timing.

I rode that stretch again on the 29th, and I can save at least 3 minutes taking independence and then cutting up to 15th. I know it doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s less time, and more time moving instead of stopping, clipping out and back in.

[SONEPHETH]

@americancyclo 8683 wrote:

DC traffic codes and fines listed below:
Note that a vehicle making a u-turn mid-block is also driving thru median strip or safety zone, depend on what you want to call it. Catch all is Improper turn. BUT OFFICER have to wittnessed it.

BARRICADE OR CLOSED STREET
Driving through [DCMR 18 § 2217.2] $500.00

BICYCLE LANE
Stopping, standing or parking in [DCMR 18 § 2405.1] $65.00

MEDIAN STRIP
T217 Driving through [DCMR 18 § 2405.1(e)] $35.00
T749 Driving over raised strip, island or safety zone
[DCMR 18 § 2201.10] $100.00

SAFETY ZONE
T108 Drive through [DCMR 18 § 2405.1(e)] $75.00

T751 Improper [DCMR 18 § 2203, 2204] $100.00
T185 From wrong lane [DCMR 18 § 2203, 2204] $100.00
T559 Violation of ”No turn” sign [DCMR 18 § 4012, 4018] $25.00
T183 No left turn [DCMR 18 § 2204] $25.00
T184 No “U” turn [DCMR 18 § 2204] $25.00
T202 No right turn [DCMR 18 § 2204.6] $25.00
T181 Improper turn at intersection [DCMR 18 § 2204.7] $25.00

[KLizotte]

Wow, some of those fines are really low.

[Author]

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