Category: Vision Zero

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

Seersucker (61 of 214)
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.

The BikeSpecific View of the FY 2018 Proposed Budget

Safe bicycling requires more money
than what’s shown in this photo
Image: BikeSpecific

Many people would consider the Mayor of the District of Columbia’s Proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget, which was unveiled April 4, 2017, to be the epitome of boring.

It is.

However, BikeSpecifc is boring. In light of that revelation, I’ve scoured the budget and will now share some initial observations and potential changes to how bicycling is prioritized.

This Is Complicated

While just about all of the bike-related infrastructure expenditures are in the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), there are other agencies that spend funds to promote or help educate residents and visitors about bicycling. An example includes the DC Public Schools funding a bike education program for all second grade students in last year’s budget. The FY 2018 Proposed budget doesn’t tout what other agencies are doing to expand bicycling; however, I may have missed something, so feel free to check behind me.

Second, the Mayor’s budget also doesn’t provide many specifics. While the Proposed Budget highlight new initiatives, it doesn’t always provide granular information – details of when and what infrastructure will be built. The budget document is a guide of what the Mayor plans to do; the implementation details are typically left to the agencies who tell you in meetings or websites.

Lastly, this isn’t the final budget. The Council of the District of Columbia will also make changes and may add or subtract from bicycle or trail infrastructure. The may also institute new laws or funding sources that support specific current or new projects.

Because that’s all complicated and filled with how the sausage is made details, let’s focus on DDOT’s budget. If you’d like, view the budget details.

Operating Budget

The FY 2018 DDOT budget is divided into two major pieces:  Capital and Operating.

The capital budget supports the multi-year, multi-million (billion) dollar medium to long-term assets like pedestrian bridges, streetcars, and snow plows. Much of the infrastructure is supported with capital dollars. I’ll talk more about capital later.

The operating budget supports the cost of day-to-day operations, people, and supplies. The operating budget contains the planning of initiatives, the analysis of data, and the assessment initiative outcomes. How well or how poorly did the Pennsylvania Avenue protected bike lanes do to deter vehicles from making u-turns or how many people use the Metropolitan Branch Trail are examples. Operating also supports certain contracts for services, grants to organizations, and payments to other jurisdictions for what they do for the District. 

Saying all of that, let’s talk about DDOT’s Operating budget highlights.

Reorganization of DDOT
To comply with some of the suggestions and provisions of the “FY 2016 Transportation Reorganization Amendment Act“, the District Department of Transportation engaged in a restructuring of the agency into five administration.

For bicycling, this appears to be a good change. The previous structure generally placed design segments of bicycling in the Progressive Transportation and Planning Policy and Sustainability programs. The new proposed 2018 structure appears to consolidate most bicycle functions with the Project Delivery Administration (PDA).

The PDA, which has a proposed budget of over $20 million with 36.0 positions, focuses on multi-modal infrastructure project planning, design, and construction; policy development and implementation; transit delivery; and traffic engineering and safety. Of that amount, about $3.6 million supports salaries and about $16 million supports contracts and grants. the remaining amount covers operating costs.

What’s been one of the biggest gripes about DDOT is that the construction, planning, and design of infrastructure was siloed – bridges without bike and pedestrian access, poor or non-existent implementation of certain laws (like safe accommodation), or at time disconnect between when projects are planned and when they actually happen (Well, you know). The Planning and Sustainability Division supports much of the District’s planning regarding the integration of multimodal transportation. This will hopefully reduce some of the agency overlap, siloing, right-hand/left-hand ambiguity; and allow programs to work together to plan and implement the building of infrastructure.

Specifically, the DDOT budget chapter states that the PDA:

  • Establishes strategic goals for multi-modal transportation program development, including pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure, through design and plan review; 
  • Incorporates environmental management and sustainability; 
  • Administers safety programs; coordinates the development of the regional Transportation Improvement Program and District-wide Transportation Improvement Program; and 
  • Manages the Capital Bikeshare and Safe Routes to School programs.

The placement of the TIP or Transportation Improvement Program within the same administration The budget does not list all of what DDOT plans to do for biking and walking, it simply describes certain changes that are of particular importance to the Mayor.

BikeShare Enhancement
The Mayor proposed an additional increase of $1.6 million to support Bikeshare operations with the aim of keeping the membership rate at the current level of $85 annually. This presumes that without the additional funds that certain BikeShare costs are exceeding contract cost with the District providing additional funds to help maintain the cost of membership.

Vision Zero
Not specific to bicycling but considered by the Mayor to be an important element to reduce injurious and fatal crashes, the Mayor added $4.5 million to the Vision Zero Initiative. The additional funds support 45 new Traffic Control Operators along with 26 new School Crossing Guards.

Agency Performance Plans
The DDOT budget contains a revised, better organized, Agency Performance Plan or agency defined objectives or projects and indicators of performance. The plan articulates these objectives through activities, and DDOT has a bunch, that are specific projects the agency hopes to complete this fiscal year. They include the integration of performance management databases, the continued development of the Vision Zero Initiative, Capital Bikeshare planning, and several long-term capital construction projects. This data can also be used to show trends.

The Key Performance Indicators show FY 2015 actual measurements through 2016 projected targets. For example, DDOT will enhance data collection of bicycling and pedestrian usage by installing counters from three in 2016 to a projected seven in 2018.

Key Performance Indicator for DDOT
Image: FY 2018 Proposed Budget

Measures also include those associated with the Vision Zero Initiative, which aims to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries for all road users. For example, the “number of crashes with bicyclists involved” shows 647 in 2015, a decrease of 201 in 2016, and a projected goal for 2017 and 2018 of zero crashes.

Capital Budget

The Capital budget includes many projects that have a direct impact on how bicyclists and pedestrians safely and directly get to where they want to go. The Capital Improvements Plan, or CIP, contains new projects and residual funding from prior year projects with available balances. The CIP projects spending over a 6-year period from FY 2018 through FY 2023. The CIP covers the construction of infrastructure but also the design work and certain planning elements.

Capital funds are derived from local taxes and fees and from federal sources, like highway funding, block grants and specific federal payments requested by Congress. Much of the District’s capital budget is funded with municipal bonds that must be repaid, typically in 10 to 30 years.

While there are many projects that could allow for better bicycling, like curb cuts, let’s focus on projects that specifically support bicycling and trails. The following projects are new or expand existing projects.

BikeShare Expansion
One of the largest new investments in bicycling support BikeShare expansion. The project, Capital Bikeshare Expansion (KA0-CBS02), provides $8.0 million over next few years to continue the expansion of system by purchasing additional bikes and stations. The proposed funding allocates $2.0 million in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 and another $2.0 million in 2021 and 2022.

11th Street Bridge Park
The budget also contains plans to expand or beautify the District’s trail network. The budget contains an additional $8 million for the 11th Street Bridge Park project (ED0D5), which when combined with prior year allocations, has a total of $29.5 million. The additional funding, to be spent in FY 2020, supports the design costs of the park. Preliminary plans include bike and pedestrian trails, outdoor performance spaces, play areas, gardens, information about the river and its ecosystem, a dock to launch boats and kayaks to explore the river.

Transportation Improvement Program
On the operating side of the budget, DDOT was reorganized potentially allowing certain short and long-term planning elements to operated more smoothly. The Travel Demand Management project (ZU000) contains much of the Transportation Improvement Program or TIP funding for the District. This project received an additional $33.4 million over the 6-year period. Also, the budget has multiple subprojects that allocate funds to achieve specific goals like Capital Bikeshare Marketing and Outreach (ZU057C), Bike Parking Racks (ZUT06A), or Bike Cycle Tracks (ZUD12A)

Specifically, the funding allocated in this project supports services and facilities that promote safe and attractive walking and bicycling as well as programs that promote mass transit, and other creative ways to provide alternatives to auto travel as well as significant outreach, education, and promotion. A list of all TIP projects can be seen on the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board website.

A list of bike-specific projects that are not classified as “Completed” can be seen below:

So that was a lot of stuff and only the first part, remember – the Council will have a role. As more information becomes available, we’ll talk.

If I’ve missed something or you have questions, let me know.

Second Notice of Rulemaking Document for Vision Zero Issued

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) issued its Notice of Second Proposed Rulemaking – Vision Zero. The revised rules reflect how Mayor Bowser will implement the Vision Zero initiative, which aims to reduce the number of transportation-related fatalities to zero by the year 2024.

The proposed rules were initially published in the D.C. Register on December 11, 2015 (62 DCR 15865) and after public feedback, a second version of the proposed rules were issued January 20, 2017.

According to the document, the second iteration “reduces the amount of fines for certain moving violations, adds increased fines or new infractions for dangerous behavior by pedestrians and cyclists, reduces the effective hours of certain safe zones, and clarifies technical language”.

D.C. Council will review this version of the Vision Zero rules over the next 45 days. After which, the new rules will be deemed approved Council does not approve or disapprove the proposed rules by resolution within the review period.

Changes

The rules propose an assortment of changes that include increasing points toward the revocation or suspension of a driver license if motorists fail to drive cautiously. It includes strengthening rules regarding traveling around emergency vehicles; yielding to buses; and speed restrictions around schools, recreational facilities, and senior centers.

Also included is a motor vehicle equipment provision the requires side guards for large vehicles. This large plastic shield reduces or prevents pedestrians and bicyclists from being run over, pushing them from beneath these vehicles. This rule is primarily in response to the death of Alice Swanson, who was killed after being hit by a truck in 2008.

Fines

The rule will primarily be enforced by expanding current or creating new fines. Below are new or revised fines for Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Motor Vehicles. You can see the enter list of fines here.

Rebuilding of Eastern Avenue to Add Bike Lanes that May Go Nowhere

Eastern Avenue project corridor
Image: BikeSpecific

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) held a well-attended public meeting on the rebuilding of a section of Eastern Avenue that hopes to provide a functional and safe street space that will reduce vehicle speeds and add bicycling and other amenities.

The meeting, held December 7 at the EF International Language Center, 6896 Laurel Street NW, introduced the project to the public and helped define its scope. With planners and co-facilitators from Century Engineering, this meeting was the first of several that will occur through next year.

Project Details

The area along Eastern Avenue generally runs within the northeast section of the District, roughly from just beyond New Hampshire Avenue NE to Whittier Street NW, generally between the neighborhoods of Manor Park and Takoma. The street and much of the sidewalk, frontage, and retaining walls are within the District’s right-of-way with some homes technically in Maryland but with portions of their front yards within District control, which would space for new sidewalks. The total project area is about 0.7 miles or about 3,700 feet.

The goal of the project is to improve the existing pavement and landscape of the study area and to address deteriorated sidewalks, retaining walls, curbs, gutters, manholes, catch basins and sidewalk ramps.  The project also hopes to improve pedestrian and bike safety; and to introduce other safety improvements or amenities along this corridor.

Existing Conditions

Currently, Eastern Avenue acts as a 4-lane arterial roadway from the intersection of Sheridan Street and Sligo Mill Road NE to roughly near Kansas Avenue NE. Technically, the roadway was constructed for two  lanes of travel, with parking on either side. North of Kansas, the roadway narrows to two travel lanes with vehicle parking on the south side of the road.

Also in this section, the road sits on an embankment and parallels “Little” Eastern Avenue, which runs adjacent to the construction area from just south of North Capitol Street to Walnut Street NW, which is just beyond the project area. To reach Little Eastern, residents and visitors created a “social trail”, which informally connects to Eastern along the embankment.

As the roadway is built to traverse a valley that reaches its lowest point near Kansas Avenue, most vehicles exceed the speed limit, contributing to several reported crashes over the past several years. The steep grade and poor pavement make travel by bike difficult and potentially dangerous. At its steepest point, the Eastern Avenue gradient exceeds 10 percent.

While bicyclists use the road to connect with the Kansas Avenue bike lanes, current conditions make it difficult for many. In each direction from Kansas, cyclists must travel up steep roads with virtually no protection from on-coming traffic. Traveling downhill is just as difficult as cyclists must compete with fast-moving vehicles and poor road conditions.

Residents who attended the meeting complained that vehicles tend to travel a high rate of speed along the street and due to the terrain crossing the street feels unsafe. During winter, melting snow and refreezes, also contributing to crashes. Residents also noted the that sidewalks were particularly narrow, degraded, not Americans With Disabilities Act compliant or non-existent, particularly near the northbound bus stop where they also requested a bus shelter and pavement. Also, attendees requested that the project reduce road noise cause by speeding vehicles and large trucks using the road as a connector. Lastly, in the area of the Eastern Avenue embankment, some residents voiced concern about improvements that may make committing crimes easier.

Proposal Details

The key objectives for the project are to improve the quality of the roadway, provide safe bike access, and reduce vehicle speeds.

For bicyclists, the project calls for a reduction of travel lanes to two in each direction, with a combination of  8-foot bike lanes to allow for “hill climbing” and sharrows in certain flat or down hill sections. Certain section will maintain vehicle parking close to the curb, with bike lanes between them and the travel lanes. According to Paul Hoffman, the DDOT project manager, the Bicycle Program staff reviewed these initial plans.

Bike lanes end abruptly at this potentially difficult intersection
Image: BikeSpecific

A disappointing aspect of the current plan is that the proposed lanes do not actually go anywhere. At the southern end of the project area, the bike lanes and sharrows end abruptly at Sligo Mill Road NE, with most bicyclist likely continuing to New Hampshire Avenue.

Not currently in the project scope but less than a block to the south, the intersection of  Eastern Avenue and New Hampshire Avenue is congested and has a history of accidents. According to a DDOT traffic safety report, the intersection of Eastern Avenue and New Hampshire had 46 collisions from 2002 through 2004.

Without wayfinding signage or a destination in mind, early plans suggest that the bike infrastructure may act to slow vehicle traffic but would not be particularly attractive to many bicyclists.

Additionally,Eastern doesn’t provide a natural or direct North/South or East/West connection through the city. The street also does not connect with any particular point of interest south of the project area. The scope of the project ends at Whittier Street, about 1,000 feet short of Laurel Avenue in Takoma Park, MD. Attendees requested that bike lanes or sharrows be extended to Laurel Avenue near downtown. The project director stated that funding was limited to rebuilt further sections along the corridor but that comments would be included the study continues.

A cyclist rides up Eastern Avenue on the embankment near
Whittier Street NW Image: BikeSpecific

The road will be reconstructed in 4 phases. Phases 1, 2, and 4 will completely close the road with limited space for street parking. Phase 3 has limited closures and focuses on the rebuilding of sidewalks and other pedestrian structures.

The design component of the project is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2017 with construction to begin during the Summer of 2018. DDOT projects that the rebuilding will conclude by the winter of 2019.

The Far Southeast Livability Study Community Workshop Hopes to Bridge the Ward 7 Divide

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will host the second of three public workshops for the Far Southeast III Livability Study.  The workshop is Saturday, November 19, 2016, 10:00am to 12:00pm at the Plummer Elementary School, 4601 Texas Avenue SE, Washington DC 20019.

According to the project website, livability refers to the creation or maintenance of a community’s quality of life as experienced by the people who live, work, and recreate there.

You Can’t Get There From Here

Study would hopes to make river accessible
Image: Google

Unique factors in this areas separate it from the rest of the District, particularly in terms of bicycling and walking. These include topography, arterial roads, freeways, and other aspects of the built environment. Historically, the ability to bike, walk or play safely in the community or enjoy amenities such as the Anacostia River and the rest of the District have been limited.

For many, the Anacostia Freeway and the CSX Benning Yard create a barrier along the west side of the study area. The map to the right shows that if someone wanted to access the Anacostia River Park and lived adjacent to it at D Street SE, about a few hundred feet from it, they would need to travel at least 2.3 miles to access the park and its amenities.

The East Capitol Street, from approximately 40th Street to the Whitney Young Bridge has virtually no pedestrian access. A primary artery for motorists, who can traverse the distance in seconds at highway speeds, pedestrians and bicyclists must travel miles to reach the Bridge to reach a narrow sidewalk to cross the Anacostia River.
  
The Purpose of the Workshops – So Far

Focused in Ward 7, this workshop allows community residents and visitors to discuss potential improvements to the infrastructure within and out of the area. The study areas is roughly bound by East Capitol Street to the north Southern Avenue to the southeast and Massachusetts Avenue to the southwest.

SE Livability Study Area
Image: DDOT

At the initial meeting of this phase, held June 26, 2016, DDOT staff along with public participants identified opportunities for improving the quality of life in the neighborhoods within the study area. The DDOT study team also presented an overview of the project goals, process, to help residents understand the importance of low-impact development, green infrastructure, and potentially fix long-standing issues.

According workshop summary documents, attendees at the June meeting focused on traffic calming and transportation infrastructure safety improvements that increase pedestrian safety; greater access to bicycle sharing and improved bicycle infrastructure; limitations regarding resident’s ability to cross major streets that focus more on moving cars than on moving people; and the mitigation of sewer overflow due to poor drainage. Many of the transportation concerns may be also addressed in Mayor Bowser’s Vision Zero initiative.

The second meeting will discuss and review the potential concepts, using information gathered to draft final recommendations for the final meeting in this series, scheduled for winter of 2017.

We’ve Been Here Before

This is not the first study for this area that relates to livability. In 2011, DDOT held similar meetings to address issues pedestrian and bicycle accessibility. Preliminary plans incorporated many ideas associated with MoveDC, a long-term, multifaceted transportation planning process initiated by former Mayor Vincent Gray. The DC Bicycle Advisory Council also held a “rolling meeting” in that same year near and within the study area to determine bike-specific concerns.

Prior to that, DDOT proposed several plans that attempted to provide greater connectivity an included pedestrian improvements at the Benning Road, East Capitol, Texas Avenue SE intersection and the extension of Massachusetts Avenue SE over the Anacostia to connect it with Reservation 13. Given the structural, economic and environmental changes in the study area, DDOT reopened the process to allow additional community input.

Pin the Tale on the Problem

To help determine where livability improvements should be made, the study website includes an interactive map that allows the public to label areas of potential improvements. If you are unable to attend the meeting and are familiar with some of the area’s challenges, using this map is an alternative.

Community suggestions within and near the Livability study area.
Image: DDOT

Map users have suggested several improvements that include additional Bikeshare docks, particularly along the East Capitol Street corridor as well as making the street more bicycle and pedestrian friendly by adding protected lanes and providing better access to the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail at the East Capitol / Whitney Young Bridge.