Category: Study

ANCs in Ward 6 Want to Make K Street NE Safer for Bicyclists and Pedestrians

K Street Makes Moves. Image: Author

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) discussed the K Street NE Traffic Study at the 6C Advisory Neighborhood Commission’s (ANC) September meeting. One alternative would add bicycle lanes along K Street NE, potentially creating what would be one of the few direct, crosstown bicycle routes in the city. As expected, there were concerns about the loss of vehicle parking for all 4 presented alternatives, however; DDOT will continue its study.

As reported by Elizabeth O’Gorek of the HillRag, Washcycle, and WABA,  ANC 6C contacted DDOT requesting that it initiate a study to determine how to create safer streets for pedestrians and bicyclists. The corridor, from approximately North Capitol Street to Florida Avenue NE, is prone to speeding and other forms of aggressive driving.

In May of this year, ANC 6C and 6A jointly requested that DDOT examine bicycling along K Street. DDOT presented preliminary findings in August as part of its K Street Corridor Safety Assessment to analyze safety concerns. The assessment included the evaluation of vehicular crash history and existing traffic operations along the corridor. The assessment also discussed the potential impact of the NoMa Bicycle Network study currently underway. That study will review existing transportation plans to determine how they relate to the current and planned bicycle network, overall travel demand, and safety road user safety.

Community Response

According to HillRag, the committee noted it had received considerable feedback, particularly from residents of K Street and especially regarding to the parking aspects of proposals. The committee’s representative said they were sensitive to parking concerns but, as the overall purpose of the study was to enhance safety, felt bike lanes were the most important addition to K Street, the only corridor proceeding both east and west for that distance.

The committee chair noted that cyclists will continue to use K Street regardless or what actions are eventually taken, it was thought. The representative emphasized that this was only a preliminary study and would also affect ANC 6A.Community members voiced opposition to the four proposed plans, especially option four. Concerns about the elimination of parking safety and the necessity for bike lanes were expressed, especially by residents of the 600 block of K Street NE.

Presented Alternatives

The HillRag states that while the study is ongoing, DDOT presented four traffic-calming measures, each instituting a road diet: removing rush-hour no parking restrictions and making parking full-time for residents, among other actions.

Study Corridor. Image: DDOT

Alternatives 1 through 3 are generally car-specific options that provide increasingly longer  vehicle turning queues. They include a reduction in the total number of travel lanes from 2 peak lanes in each direction to one in each direction at all times, adding left-turn lanes along the corridor. These alternative reduce current off-peak parking from a total of 216 to 171 full‐time on‐street parking spaces in alternative 1, a total of 155 full-time spaces in alternative 2, and 144 full time spaces in alternative 3. The alternatives also adds protective bulb outs also called curb extensions to reduce the crossing distances for pedestrians and an school drop‐off zone at the 600 block of K Street.

Road Diet Alternative #4 – Bike Lanes. Image: DDOT

Alternative 4, recommended by the study and moveDC, adds east and west bicycle lanes along the corridor. This option eliminates on‐street parking on south side of street and retains the fewest number of parking, 110 full-time spaces. This option maintains school parking and a drop‐off zone on north side of the street, curb extensions or on north side of roadway as seen in the other alternatives, but appears to eliminate turning queues that appear in alternatives 1 through 3.

Typical cross section of K Street NE. Image: DDOT

Other Alternatives

NoMa Bike Study looks at the feasibility of bike route through the area. Image: DDOT

While the K Street option is attractive, other bike-related studies being evaluated. Related to the K Street safety review, the NoMa Bicycle Network Study currently underway is examining existing and planned bike facilities through and to this area. The study is also examining the feasibility of creating new or extending current bike routes from east-to-west along M, N, L, and K Streets. Just as K Street is in the MoveDC plan with bike lanes, the plan also anticipates the extension of the L Street protected bike lanes from their current terminus at Massachusetts Avenue NW to 1st Street NE. While currently not a fully-realized bike route under consideration, L Street NE is used by bicyclists as an alternative to K Street as it generally sees fewer cars moving at high speeds.

In the East West Corridor Feasibility and Barriers to Cycling image above, DDOT identifies impediments to connecting NoMa to its eastern neighbors. DDOT seems to suggest that an L street bike lane from east to west might be marginally more feasible. South of K Street, I (eye) street has shared lanes or contraflow bike lanes. Containing less vehicle traffic and fewer stop lights it provides an alternative to the busier K Street but ends at 2nd Street NE.

VRE Storage Plans Along New York Avenue Corridor Provide Space for Bikes and Pedestrians

Project Location
Image: VRE

Virginia Railway Express (VRE) held a meeting Tuesday, June 27 to discuss preliminary plans for its Midday Storage Facility project. The VRE plans displayed at this meeting now include space for District Department of Transportation’s (DDOT) proposal, which potentially allows for better bike and pedestrian infrastructure along the emerging New York Avenue corridor.

The meeting provided a project update and allowed the public to comment on the proposed plan, which is at 30 percent of design. It also was an opportunity to view new sample renderings of “urban design options”. Now in the preliminary design phase of the project, the planners use the information gathered at this meeting to work with DDOT, Amtrak, other stake holders and the community to complete an environmental analysis, develop a cost estimate, and adopt a prefered alternative.

Specifically, the project includes planning, designing, and constructing a permanent midday storage facility for VRE trains that travel to the District. The proposed facility will be used to store commuter trains on weekdays between the inbound morning commute and the outbound afternoon commute. The project would replace the current storage space leased from Amtrak at its Ivy City Yard, allowing for longer trains and eventually, an increase in service.

Last year, the initial proposal was unclear with regard to how it would impact plans proposed by DDOT, which had proposed a bike and pedestrian trail adjacent to the yard. VRE plan appeared to use of the entire Amtrak-right-of-way for train storage, leaving little room for pedestrian and bike improvements.

A DDOT alternative for the rehabilitation of New York Avenue, from an urban freeway to a city street. Plans call for creating a bike and pedestrian amenities along this section of the street with alternatives on the “southern” side that runs along the new Hecht Company Warehouse development and the “northern” side, which is adjacent to the proposed VRE yard. A trail on the northern side would allow for a continuous bike route from the West Virginia Avenue circle to 4th Street NE, where DDOT’s early plans proposed connecting the trail with an abandoned 1500-foot tunnel that empties near Union Market.

While VRE still plans to use the Union Market tunnel to connect to the yard, VRE clarified its preliminary design regarding the relationship between the yard and New York Avenue by apparently reducing the required space. The image below shows what would likely be a wall or fence separating the yard from the street in areas where the yard is at ground level to the street, generally between Fairview Avenue NE (just east of 9th Street) and the Quality Inn hotel (near 16th Street NE).

The area available for a multi-use trail is listed nominally at 30 feet wide from the curb to Amtrak’s property. This could be reduced as it approaches the 9th Street Bridge. Below are artistic renderings of how the yard wall could appear along New York Avenue.
Untitled
Image: VRE

VRE also provided examples of buffering along the New York Avenue corridor, which could include vegetation fencing, artwork or other decorative barrier. A wall was suggested as both a safety measure to reduce the potential for vandalism or attempts trespass, and a way to reduce sound and pollution from rail operations.

Image: VRE

For the area west of the Ninth Street Bridge, the grade of New York Avenue begins to gradually increase. In this section, the wall is eliminated.

While the total costs of this proposal was not specified, the VRE System Plan 2040 allocates $3 million (in 2013 dollars) for near term improvements (those made between 2014 to 2020), and do not include land acquisition costs. These costs do not include improvements to be made by DDOT as it relates to its project.  Long-term improvements (made between 2031-2040) could total over $40 million and include a deck to allow for the construction of buildings over the area west of 9th street.

DDOT Planning Study of New York Avenue/South Dakota Avenue Interchange Underway

An intersection that is (almost) impossible for ped and bikes to
use gets a look.
Image: Author

The District Department of Transportation issued a scope of work document that will consider the rebuilding of the New York Avenue/South Dakota Avenue Interchange in the Fort Lincoln and Gateway sections of the District. An area long neglected, this could be an opportunity to create a bicycle and pedestrian connection from Fort Lincoln and Gateway to the National Arboretum, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Deanwood, and the completed Anacostia Riverwalk Trail and connect with other proposed trails and other improvements along the New York Avenue corridor.

In its early planning stages, the South Dakota Avenue and New York Avenue NE Interchange Improvement Study will look at the current conditions and propose what a funded project would correct. The initial document, under development by the design firm of STV Incorporated and its partners, will propose the scope of services for development and preparation of a comprehensive interchange study.

The study area is separated into two sections – the primary interchange and the adjacent secondary road, railway, street, and trail structures.

Project Area
Image: STV Scope of Work Document

The primary study, which focuses almost exclusively on the interchange and includes New York Avenue and its connection to South Dakota, Fort Lincoln Drive and a small part of V Street, is outlined in red and includes the following:

  • New York Avenue/South Dakota Avenue interchange
  • V Street/South Dakota Avenue and the New York Avenue off-ramp intersection
  • South Dakota Avenue/33rd Place NE intersection
  • South Dakota between New York Avenue and 33rd Place NE

The secondary study area is outlined in blue is bounded by the following:

  • The intersection of Bladensburg Road, NE and South Dakota Avenue, NE
  • The intersection of Bladensburg Road, NE and New York Avenue, NE
  • The development and roadways that serve the development surrounding 33rd Place, NE
  • The entrance and exit ramps for New York Avenue, NE from I-295 and John Hanson Highway
  • The railroad running adjacent to New York Avenue, NE between Bladensburg Road, NE and the entrance and exit ramps for New York Avenue, NE from I-295 and John Hanson Highway

Conditions

According to the Washington Post, dozens of town homes, and senior apartments developments have been built there since 1971. The area has the largest senior community in the District. With the arrival of the Shops at Dakota Crossing, hundreds of new residential units along with new retail will bring more people. Although there is a trail that runs along South Dakota Avenue from Bladensburg Road, most people get around by car.

When people say “you can’t get there from here”, they are talking about the man-made and natural barriers that prevent people from walking or biking from Fort Lincoln in Ward 5 to Deanwood in Ward 7. Generally, walking around Fort Lincoln isn’t particularly good as the combined Woodridge-Fort Lincoln walk score appears to be a rather generous 57 and a bike score of 49 with Deanwood a little worse at 55 and 47, respectively. Only cars using the often congested interchange New York Avenue connection with the Baltimore-Washington Parkway can travel there as there is also no Metrobus route that makes this connection. Some have resorted to using the highway shoulder, but that’s not a particularly safe or pleasant way to go, which is unfortunate given the needs of both communities.

The following images show the current conditions and the absence of any bike or pedestrian connections.

Intersection of South Dakota and 33 Place NE
Image: Author

View of New York Avenue as it passes over South Dakota interchange
Image: Auther

South Dakota Avenue at V Street
Image: Author

New York Avenue and exit lane

Proposal

DDOT consultants will develop and evaluate interchange alternatives that accommodate current and projected demands, traffic operational and safety issues. The findings of this report will be the basis of subsequent environmental or other related reports and create the alternatives to be displayed at public meetings, if the project moves forward.

The study will consider MoveDC, Vision Zero and other transportation-related initiatives to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. This includes Maryland State Highway Administration plans for New York Avenue/US 50, Fort Lincoln redevelopment plans, the Lincoln Gateway Trail, and the DC State Rail Plan.The study will also assess the ease of access to key destinations in the area including shopping and community services, as well as anticipated desire lines for access to new development parcels.

The study will also identify gaps in connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists as the current intersection contains “hard” and “soft” barriers to travel. Hard barriers are railroads, waterways, and freeways or roads with pedestrian/bicycle prohibitions. Soft barriers are primarily streets that are difficult to cross. The project will attempt to locate the best potential routes and assess crosswalk widths using DDOT standards. This initial study and evaluation period is scheduled to conclude September 2017 and will be followed by initial community meetings.