Closures for the Inauguration May Allow for Open Streets

Beginning Wednesday, January 18, the 2017 Presidential Inauguration will close much of the monumental core of the District to vehicular traffic until early Monday morning. The District Department of Transportation, along with the Secret Service and other federal and regional agencies, have created transportation plan.

The events surrounding the Inauguration allow for a once-in-every-four-year opportunity to walk and bike in the monumental core without cars. Naturally, all street closures are subject to change.

Security Zones. Image: Secret Service

Vehicle Restrictions 

Along certain streets, parking restrictions will begin at noon, January 18. The Transportation plan generally has two security layers:

  • Green security zone: vehicle traffic restricted to residents or businesses within the restricted area. National Guard personnel will assist with verifying traffic entering into the this zone.
  • Red security zone which restricts all vehicles accept those with proper vehicle placards.

In most cases, these zones are free from automobile traffic, allowing pedestrians and bicyclists relatively free access. Galas, other related events, or motorcades may require additional closures and public safety officials may restrict access.

Pedestrian Access Map

Biking and Walking

In the days leading up to the Inauguration parade and days after, most streets in the core should be open for pedestrians and bicyclists. The Woman’s March on Saturday and events associated with the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision Sunday may require periodic closures.

Capital Bikeshare will have two corrals on for the Inauguration and Inaugural Parade: 17th and K Streets NW and 4th and E Street SW. Corral Service runs from 7am to 5pm on January 20.

Bikeshare stations in the National Mall area will be closed January 19 and 20. This includes stations near the Capitol, National Mall, the White House and along the Inaugural Parade route on Pennsylvania Avenue NW from the Capitol to the White House. BikeShare will provide a specific list of affected stations by a service alert message.

Any station within the security perimeter will be offline and completely unavailable until some time after the ceremony and parade. If cyclists leave bikes at closed stations they are responsible for any losses or damages.

For those looking to ride their own bike, a free general bike parking corral will at 16th and I Street NW.

Bicycles will not be permitted aboard Metro trains on Inauguration Day.

The Memorial Bridge will be closed to all vehicular traffic but opened for pedestrians (presumably bicyclists) and Emergency Vehicles.

While the inaugural ceremonies on the National Mall do not require tickets bicycles and other items are prohibited. The non-ticketed area begins at 4th Street NW, and extends past the Washington Monument to 17th Street NW.

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.

DDOT Susspends Work on Streets and Sidewalks

The District Department of Transportation issued the following press release regarding construction during the upcoming holidays:

In observance of Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will suspend construction activities on the roadways and sidewalks.

DDOT will suspend work from Friday, December 23, 2016 at 12 pm through Monday, December 26, 2016. Lane closures will not be allowed for non-emergency work in the roadways and sidewalks within the District’s right of way. This includes manhole access.

Approved activities may resume beginning Tuesday, December 27, 2016, during permitted work hours.

For the New Year’s Day holiday, work in the District will be suspended from Friday, December 30, 2016 at 12 pm through Monday, January 2, 2017. Lane closures will not be allowed for non-emergency work in the roadways and sidewalks within the District’s right of way. This includes manhole access.

Approved activities may resume beginning Tuesday, January 3, 2017, during permitted work hours.

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.