Meetings – Page 5 – bikeSpecific

DCBAC Sees Preliminary Design for the Georgetown Protected Bike Lane

Image: Author

At the May 3 D.C. Bicycle Advisory Council meeting, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Bicycle Program Manager and the Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID) Transportation Director discussed the Georgetown K and Water Street Corridor Bicycle – Pedestrian Connectivity Enhancements plan and displayed the concept design to BAC members.

As part of the Georgetown 2028 Plan, which hopes to bring more people to Georgetown through improvements to the neighborhood’s infrastructure, the protected lane would create a connection between the Capital Crescent and Rock Creek Parkway trails along the K and Water Street corridor beneath the Whitehurst Freeway. As reported in April, DDOT and the BID met with the Georgetown ANC, which approved the draft concept.

The concept plan shown below and with permission from DDOT, is at 30 percent of full design. It illustrates the general outline of the lanes and contains basic measurements and location of certain structures. The plan identifies how the lanes could interact with vehicle travel lanes, vehicle parking, and pedestrian structures. The plan also shows new bicycle lanes at the foot of Wisconsin Avenue. The lanes provide protection for cyclists climbing this hill and end at the Wisconsin Avenue bridge over the C&O Canal, one of the oldest bridges in the District.

Construction of the lanes could start as early as this year along much of the corridor after Pepco utility work in the area is completed. Temporary work would include the addition of bollards and lane striping. More permanent structures, which could include protective planters and sidewalk modifications, would happen over the next few years.

The plans presented do not show a specific connection to the Capitol Crescent Trail. The National Park Service is currently rehabilitating the Key Bridge, which repairs will not be completed until 2018 or 2019. The BID and DDOT will workThe plans also do not show connections to the Rock Creek Parkway trail, the L or M Street protected bike lanes, or to the K Street ramp that leads to 27th Street as that area lies outside of the project scope. The presenters also discussed potential connections to the Rock Creek Trail that could include changes to the sidewalk or bridges, although they could be funded through some other means.

NoMa Bicycle Network Study Public Workshop

Leaving Los NoMa
Image: Author

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will host its first public workshop for the NoMa Bicycle Network Study, Thursday, May 4 between 6 pm and 8 pm.

The purpose of this workshop is for participants to provide feedback on existing conditions for cycling through and from the study area. The workshop will be held at 1200 First Street NE, main lobby.

The project study area is approximately 2.9 miles in length, from 6th Street NW to 6th Street NE as limits on the west and east sides, respectively, with N Street NW to K Street NW as the northern and southern boundaries respectively.

Priority corridors within the study area for consideration include K, L, and M Streets; 4th and 6th Streets NW/NE; and New Jersey Avenue. These streets provide connections to current, as well as links to planned bike infrastructure.

The map below contains information about the priority corridors by clicking on streets.

The NoMa Bicycle Network Study will include two public workshops, the first in Spring 2017 and the second in late Summer 2017.

The study has three primary objectives:

Examine the recommendations for the NoMa area in moveDC
Create a new refined and feasible bicycle facility plan for NoMa provide schematic options for a separated bicycle network facilitating direct, low-stress travel between NoMa and the eastern part of downtown DC
Identify logical connections between current and future planned bicycle projects, both inside and outside the study are.

For more information about the study, please contact DDOT Project Manager, Darren Buck.

A version of this post originally ran on DDOT’s website.

Pennsylvania/Minnesota Avenue SE Intersection Improvement Project Public Meeting

Image: Google

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will hold a public meeting this Thursday, April 27, 2017, to provide details on the Pennsylvania Avenue and Minnesota Avenue, SE, Intersection Improvement Project.

The meeting will be held at the Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library, 3660 Alabama Avenue, SE from 6:30 pm – 8 pm.

One of the more complicated and yet underrated intersections in the District, travel through this area for bicyclists and pedestrians is complicated due to the width of Pennsylvania Avenue, it’s proximity to the Anacostia Freeway, and its use as a peak hour interstate for Maryland drivers. This is further complicated by the dozen or so bus lines that traverse Minnesota and Pennsylvania Avenues.

The Preferred Alternative
Image: DDOT

The project planning, which began ages ago, is designed to enhance safety at the intersection for pedestrians and transit users. It also provides a consolidated green space at Twining Square by reconfiguring the existing split roadway system, which comprises two complex intersections into a conventional intersection.

The project was identified through the District of Columbia’s Great Streets Initiative. Great Streets is a multi‐agency program that strategically uses public investments to improve local quality of life and attract private investments to communities.

A version of this post originally ran on DDOT’s website.

At the ANC 2E Meeting with the Georgetown BID and DDOT, Something Unexpected Happened with a Bike Lane Project

Along Water Street Below the Whitehurst Freeway
Image: Randall Myers

The Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID), Toole Design Group and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) participated in an Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E (ANC) meeting held Monday, April 3 at the Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School. They discussed draft plans of the Water Street NW bike lane project.

Something interesting happened, the ANC, with a few reservations, supported it. This is a win for bicycling.

According to The Georgetown Current, the construction of the first phase of the project will begin this fall. It will include a protected bike lane, also know as a cycle track, between 34th and 30th streets NW. The proposed plan also improves and expands crosswalks, provides for a system to handle tour bus operations, and other road improvements. While the plan addresses some short-term bicycling, pedestrian and vehicular issue, it is flexible enough to accommodate future Streetcar extensions or further development as shown in the BID’s K and Water Street corridor concept plan.

ANC Meeting

Years ago, the idea of removing parking in Georgetown for any reason would be the non-startiest of non-starters. The headline of the Georgetown Current’s article on the meeting evoked that feeling in stating that “K/Water Change Would Cut Into Parking Spaces“. In reality, the planned extension of the popular bicyclist commuter and recreational trail – the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) – was endorsed. In fact, some members of the ANC wanted to extend the lanes as quickly as possible.

A resolution introduced by Lisa Palmer – Commissioner, 2E05 – supported the protected lanes. In her statement, she noted that metered parking makes traffic for her constituents worse. Allured by the hope of free parking, she said that drivers are encourage to drive around, making it difficult for those she represents to leave their homes. Some commissioners and members of the public voiced concerned that the removal of 43 metered spaces could be disruptive and potentially put pressure on other free or low-cost parking spaces. However, the measure supporting the lanes passed unanimously.

Protected Bike Lane Details

This draft concept layout consists of a two-way protected bike lane, between 30th Street NW and the old Aqueduct bridge, below the Whitehurst Freeway. The draft rendering listed below show a 10′ to 12′ protected lane with a 3′ buffer and protection on the south side of Water Street, providing a link to the entrance of the CCT.

Illustration of the protected bike lane, potentially removing angled parking and narrowing travel lanes.
Image: Google

At intersections, other improvements include green safety paint, the realignment of crosswalks to match ADA compliant ramps, and the extension of striped bulb-outs with flexposts to protect crossing pedestrians from turning vehicles. The plan also adds bike lanes along Wisconsin Avenue that may connect with the C&O Canal or continue to M Street.

The draft plan is below.

Cautious Optimism

Katie Harris of Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) discussed the potential of this trail extension in her organization’s blog in September of 2016. Basically, the CCT is a bike superhighway that ends in a see of parked cars. She also notes that the plan as it currently is shown misses certain connective elements. Wayfinding signage and additional bike parking would be necessary to help bicyclists and pedestrians navigate and visit the Georgetown waterfront. Also missing is an actual connection to the Rock Creek Trail. Again, this is a preliminary plan but showing how bicycles will be from 30th Street to the Rock Creek Trail is critical.

Potential ideas could include the rebuilding of the sidewalk along the connector road to the Rock Creek Parkway and trail, near 29th and Water streets. The current sidewalk is narrow, high, and without ADA-compliant ramps but reducing the width of the vehicle travel lane a few feet would give pedestrians or bicyclists a safer connection. A second alternative could be to bypass that area and have bicyclists and pedestrians use 30th street to connect to the Rock Creek Trail. However, during peak and not-so-peak hours that route can be pack with visitors.A more direct connection to downtown along K Street is also absent. This is the complicated intersection of 27th, K, Water, and Whitehurst, which probably needs it’s own study and may be rebuilt to accommodate the Georgetown branch of the Streetcar.

Parking Changes

Angled parking will be eliminated
Image: Google

Vehicular travel along Water Street will remain two lanes in each direction, with turning lanes at most intersections or major driveways. The plan removes the painted median that separates traffic from 29th and Water to Wisconsin. The removal of angular vehicular parking along the south side of Water Street and replacing it with parallel parking along the protected bike lane route eliminates about 30 vehicle parking space in this area. Another 10 spaces are removed elsewhere along the corridor.

The center median will be removed to free up
space for the protected bike lane on the left
Image: Google

The Current also reports that a turnaround at Water and 34th streets NW — previously slated for the project’s first phase has been delayed until 2019, when the Key Bridge reconstruction is complete. Long-term plans for K and Water streets include accommodating the proposed DC Streetcar extension by relocating the bike lane onto a pathway through Georgetown Waterfront Park.

This plan connects an otherwise suburban trail with the rest of the District. While the current plan is tentative, its ANC approval and support by the Georgetown BID shows that the District is making progress on a goal of creating a cohesive bicycle network.

Florida Avenue Virtual Circle Multimodal Transportation Project Public Meeting

On Tuesday, April 4, 2017 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm, the District Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting to discuss concept designs for intersection of Florida Avenue and New York Avenue NE, “Virtual Circle”.

The meeting will be held in the lobby of 1200 First Street NE.

Also known as Dave Thomas Circle, the meeting will discuss potential safety and practical improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists. The meeting will also discus streetscape deficiencies and improve vehicular circulation.

The design concepts developed by DDOT and its consultants will be presented to further refine the options considered, and complete this phase of the project. As one of the more progressive pieces of bike infrastructure in the District, an extension of the First Street NE Protected Bike lane as well as safer accommodations through the area for pedestrians would be a welcomed and complementary addition to the Metropolitan Branch Trail that runs parallel to it. In addition, the east / west bike and pedestrian travel along Florida Avenue is poor and hopefully will be addressed.

DDOT has come full circle with this intersection.

Decades ago, there were plans to extend the Center Leg Freeway above or below New York Avenue. In 2006, DDOT proposed a freeway style overpass. In 2014, Greater Greater Washington reported that a new study of pedestrian and bicycle safety along Florida Avenue NE was underway and that the “circle” and the nearby Wendy’s could become a simpler intersection and green space.

The most recent iteration of the Circle was discussed by DDOT in June of 2010 as shown in the video below, with most of the improvements completed as of December of that year.

Late last year, the Prince of Petworth blog noted that on some days, especially due to WMATA’s Red line SafeTrack shuttle busing, the intersection becomes impossible to navigate.

Hopefully, the circle of Wendy will come to an end.