ANC commissioners vote in support of adding bike lanes near Dupont Circle

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - Dupont Circle residents came out in numbers Tuesday night to make sure their voices were heard in a heated debate over a proposed protected bike lane route between Dupont Circle and the National Mall.

There is a two-lane protected bike lane already in place along 15th Street, NW.

Now, neighbors and people who travel through the area seem to be in agreement that they want something similar running through Foggy Bottom and Dupont.

Many residents who live along 20th, 21st and 22nd streets are concerned about the potential loss of parking spaces and the fact that the streets are already often clogged up by delivery trucks accessing businesses.

Nearly 200 people attended Tuesday's Advisory Neighborhood Commission meeting and dozens spoke during the public comment period.

There were a lot of differing opinions shared during the meeting, but many brought up the importance of Vision Zero -- the District's effort to wipe out fatalities or serious injuries due to traffic accidents.

After more than an hour of public comments, the ANC commissioners voted unanimously in support of putting the bike lanes on 20th St., NW.

One of the commissioners called it an "amazing exercise in democracy" at the neighborhood level.

The recommendation will now go to DDOT. They will have to study the route before it's finalized.

One issue that has arisen is how the proposed bike lanes would work around the Dupont Farmers Market that is currently held on 20th St.