The cyclists opted to stay in the right lane, and car commuters largely gave them a wide berth as they crossed the Frederick Douglass bridge. (Photo by David Schultz/WAMU)

Many cyclists and pedestrians in the District say the Frederick Douglass Bridge over the Anacostia River is unsafe to cross, and some of them set out to prove it.

A narrow sidewalk leads across this bridge in Southwest D.C., uneven in spots due to wear and tear. Around two dozen cyclists, organized by D.C. Councilman Tommy Wells, gathered Thursday at the foot of the bridge. At the tail end of rush hour, they crossed it at once to make a point.

"A lot of us were thinking we would go across in the right hand lane, which can be scary," said council staffer Jonathan Kass, speaking to riders as they prepared to cross the bridge. "You'll go over some grates. And you've gotta not be intimidated if you get honked at." Kass led the cyclists over the bridge. Some cars honked, but everyone makes it across in one piece.

Given that the bridge serves as a direct connection between lower income neighborhoods in Ward 8 and Nationals Park, one of the cyclists, Alphonso Coles, said it needs to be more user-friendly. "Most of these are commuters who've probably never seen any bicycles in the street, so they seemed like were giving us a wide berth," he said . "It should be such that if you're a casual biker, if you're in a motorized wheelchair, if you're a child, you should be able to go across this bridge and go to a baseball game," he added.

The District has plans to demolish this bridge and build a new one, but no money to carry that out.

For more photos of the ride -- and to listen to the story -- go to WAMU.