Category: The Bike Estate

The Bike Estate – December 19, 2016

Poplar Point development
Image: Redbrick Partners 

The Bike Estate scours local blogs and government websites for information about bike facilities in new, recently opened, or planned residential or commercial buildings. The following is recently-filed development applications with the Zoning Commission.

Poplar Point
Poplar Point will finally see development after years of false starts, speculation, and legislative or environmental issues.

A five-building mixed-use development was submitted by Redbrick Partners at Poplar Point along Howard Road SE and in between Interstate 295, South Capitol Street SE and just south of the Anacostia River in Ward 8.  As reported by Urban Turf, the project will include five buildings totaling 680 to 700 residential units, 1.6 million square feet of office space, 45,300 square feet of of retail and over 600 bicycle parking spaces.

Poplar Point was considered as a location for as a potential location for a new FBI headquarters and an early location for the new DC United Soccer stadium, which eventually ended up near Buzzard Point. According to the Washington Business Journal and the National Park Service (NPS), many entities have owned pieces of Poplar Point and include the District’s Lanham Tree Nursery, NPS, the Architect of the Capitol, and the Navy and Army Corps of Engineers.

Much of Poplar Point, especially the area to the southwest, was badly contaminated with toxic waist that includes metals, pesticides, and other harmful items in the soil, sediment and groundwater, limiting the opportunity for development. While much of the area is still in limbo, the portion closest to Howard Road is presumably clean and was acquired for $8.5 million in 2013 by District-based Redbrick Partners.

A protected 2-way bike lane appears in initial plans
Image: Redbrick Partners  

According to Redbrick’s application, bicycle usage will also be integrated into the design of the project and include bicycle lanes on streets which connect into the overall District bike network.

The project will provide 541 long-term and 90 short-term bicycle parking spaces. The short-term spaces will be allocated mostly along Howard Road, with a few allocated along the service drive near the rear of the buildings near loading docks. The plan allocates a total of 930 underground vehicle parking spaces, a potentially high amount given the project’s proximity to the Green line and several bus routes.

Protected bike lanes on Howard Road SE
Image: Redbrick Partners

Howard Road will be a bicycle focal point as plans suggest bicycle-related street scape improvements and include bicycle lanes along this street. While the project’s Planned Unit Development (PUD) statement saying lanes, the proposed Howard Road cross section appears to include an approximately 9-foot-wide protected bike lane. The protected lane appears to also contain a 3-foot raised buffer to protect riders from being doored by vehicle passengers and a 4-foot tree box to separate cyclists from pedestrians.

Artist interpretation of Howard Road and protected bike lane.
Image: Redbrick Partners

The project plan also states that it will build a better integrated bike and pedestrian connection to the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail and the South Capitol / Fredrick Douglass bridge as well as make improvements to Anacostia Metrorail station entrance nearest the project. The current PUD does not address pedestrian or bicycle connections along the “rear” of the two buildings that abut Suitland Parkway or addresses connections along Howard Road below Interstate 295. Redbrick has contacted Wells+Associates to conduct a Comprehensive Transportation Review, which will project transportation use by residents and visitors.

The Bike Estate – October 17, 2016

While the Bike Estate focuses on the developer’s plans for bicyclists in their new buildings, bike stuff happens all over town all the time. Here are a few things happening at a bike lane near you:

  • The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) will hold its annual Cider Ride Saturday, November 5. The event offers two distances for your riding pleasure – the 47 mile Honeycrisp route or the 23 mile McIntosh route. The Cider Ride starts in DC’s Edgewood neighborhood in Northeast and end at the Dew Drop Inn where riders can enjoy a post-ride celebration, which presumably includes Cider. Prices range from $35 for individual early bird registration for the right only to $60 for a family with one adult and three children and a year membership to WABA. (WABA)
  • Boundary Stone isn’t just a bar it’s how the District was made. The 4th Annual Boundary Stone Bike Ride is Saturday, October 22. While the entire ride is at least 60 miles around the District and Arlington but feel free to ride less according to the organizers. The first 50 registrants receive a swag bag, and ALL participants get a free beer ticket. The after-party begins at 7pm, with a band, beer specials on DC Brau Brewing Company. The ride is Free. (BadWolf)
2013 Tweed Ride
Image: BikeSpecific
  • Communities with the greatest investment in supporting active lifestyles yield residents who do significantly better in key aspects of well-being. According to a recent Gallup survey of 48 communities, residents in the five highest-ranked active living communities have, on average, significantly lower obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and rates of depression than do residents of communities with comparatively little active living infrastructure. The DC region scored fifth highest in their overall support for active living behind Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York ranked higher, respectively, partly due to reportedly better exercise habits and lower levels of smoking. (Gallup)

The Bike Estate – October 12, 2016

The Bike Estate scours local blogs and government websites for information about bike facilities in new or recently opened residential or commercial buildings. The following are recently-filed development applications with the Zoning Commission.
  • Forest City proposed plans for the construction of a 10-story mixed-use building containing residential apartments on the upper floors, neighborhood-oriented retail uses on the ground floor and two levels of below-grade parking.

    The as-yet-unnamed project located near at 2nd and Tingey Streets SE at the Navy Yard will contain a total of 133 bike parking spaces. Of that amount, 24 are short-term U-racks at street level along the perimeter of the site in public space. Additionally, the project will include secure long-term bicycle parking totaling 109 spaces in a parking garage. A total of 87 long-term bicycle parking spaces are planned in private space, with 73 bicycle parking spaces are planned for the residential component, two bicycle parking spaces for the retail component and twelve bicycle spaces for a future hotel component.

    According to DDOT’s project review, the developer has noted that they plan to provide an onsite bicycle repair facility and are working on an agreement with the nearby Conte Bikes store to provide bicycle repair services for residents and the general public in The Yards Park area.

  • The Washington Gateway project proposal from MidAtlantic Reality Partners (MRP) shoe-horns two towers of residential and commercial developments between the Metropolitan Branch trail and the Elevation residential development at 100 Florida Avenue NE, near the intersection of Florida and New York Avenue NE.
    Fairly narrow Washington Gateway Site, which parallels the
    Metropolitan Branch Trail on the right.
    Image: MRP

    According to the Planned Unit Development (PUD), the project will provide “significant upgrades to the Metropolitan Branch Trail (the “Trail”); connectivity between the Trail, the project, and the Metrorail Station; and a new Metropolitan Branch Trial Atrium”.

    The project proposes a two-story, public bicycle lobby that contains a grand staircase with a bike trough (ramp) that allows riders to easily access the plaza located on the ground floor. In addition to bike storage, the estimated $1.2 million bike lobby will have space designated for information about the trail and surrounding neighborhoods, station maps, an automatic bike tire pump, drinking fountain, and bicycle racks. The trail will also receive $150,000 of paving and lighting improvements paid for by the developer.

    As part of the construction agreement, a temporary connection between the plaza at the Elevation and Metropolitan Branch Trail will remain open. 

  • A proposed 300 Morse Street mixed-used development from KF Morse, LLC will be constructed in multiple phases and consisting of approximately 63,000 square feet (sf) of retail space, 1,238 residential units, and 217,558 sf of office space. Built in two phases, with the total project containing over 900 bicycle parking spaces. Phase 1 will contain a total of 555 secure long-term bicycle parking spaces, phase 2 will include 360 long-term spots. Additional short‐term bicycle parking will be supplied within the interior and perimeter of the site.

    • The development plans to extend the proposed 4th Street protected bike lane that will enter the site from the proposed Morse Street NE extension before turning north along the alley. This should link it to DDOT’s proposed extension of a trail along New York Avenue NE. The 10 foot wide protected bike lane within the alley will include a curbed buffer separating it from the vehicular traffic. The project plan also includes bicycle repair stations in its bicycle rooms as well as in public areas. 

    Item number 6, (area in green above “The Alley”) is a 10-foot protected bike lane that could lead to
    future connection to a New York Avenue NE trail.
    Image: KF Morse, LLC 
  • 810 O Street NW will replace the Scripture Cathedral, located approximately two blocks from the Mount Vernon Square Metrorail Station. The proposed plan submitted to the Zoning board includes an eight story mixed-use building with 66 residential units and 6,879 sq ft of retail. The parking garage contains 66 vehicular spaces as well as 22 secure bicycle parking spaces for residents and retail employees as well as some parking on the adjacent sidewalk near the project.

The Bike Estate – October 3, 2016

The Bike Estate scours the other local blogs and websites for weekly information about bike facilities in new or recently opened residential or commercial buildings.

  • A new 59 unit residential development at 3450 Eads Street NE in the River Terrace neighborhood. The development has 22 parking spaces and a bicycle room with 23 spaces. (Curbed DC)
  • The Lexicon at 72 Florida Avenue NE in the NOMA neighborhood contains complimentary bike storage. (Urban Turf)
  • The Park Chelsea at 880 New Jersey Ave SE in the Navy Yard neighborhood has its own dedicated bike elevator that takes you to lockers and repair station in a secured garage. (Park Chelsea)
  • Woodbridge will see the construction of 42-unit residential building at 2027 Rhode Island Avenue NE that will contain seven parking spaces on a rear surface lot accessible from the alley, and 15 bicycle storage spaces on the cellar level and a five-space bike rack on the sidewalk. (Urban Turf)