Treasury Dept. wants to make F Street one-way

Government

Treasury Dept. wants to make F Street one-way

by David Alpert • September 18, 2009 11:49 am

The Treasury Department has asked DDOT to convert the 1400 block of F Street, NW to one-way, reports the Current (large PDF). The department is concerned that someone could load up a truck with explosives or something, then build up speed heading west on F Street to crash through the fences and damage the building. As a result, they'd like to restrict traffic on the block adjacent to their building to one-way eastbound.

Roads around the Treasury Department, 1917. Photo from the Library of Congress via NCinDC.

According to the article, DDOT's IPMA, the engineering arm formerly headed by Kathleen Penney, did a traffic analysis and determined that making the street one-way would not "adversely affect the flow of traffic." However, members of ANC 2F and residents were skeptical, wondering if there's really much of a threat, if speed bumps or a barrier would work just as well, and whether DDOT simply "rolled over" at the request of Treasury.

At least they're not trying to close the road entirely. The Post confirms that organizers of the farmers' market near the White House wanted to use already-closed Pennsylvania Avenue, but that the Secret Service rejected the idea. Security is important, but how overboard will we go? Buses used to traverse Pennsylvania Avenue and 1st Street past the House and Senate office buildings, but now have to detour around all of those.

IPMA also apparently didn't bother to tell Ward 2 planner Chris Ziemann about Treasury's plan. According to the Current, Ziemann hadn't heard about the proposal until the ANC 2F meeting. As agencies like DCRA are doing such a great job with communication, DDOT still has a ways to go, to communicate both internally and externally.

For example, ANC 2B Commissioner Will Stephens and his neighbors found out on Monday that DDOT plans to resurface the 1700 block of T Street for one week starting today. This time, at least, neighbors found out with a few days' notice. Last year, DDOT redid the sidewalks on that same block and only told residents and businesses one day before. I guess we're moving in the right direction.

DDOT Director Gabe Klein has announced his desire to build a publicly-visible database of projects, where anyone can see planned projects and their status. We can only eagerly await these developments, to put DDOT on par with some of its sister agencies.

Edited to add: If F does become one-way, any ideas for better ways to use the space beyond just more eastbound traffic lanes, which the street doesn't need? Would a two-way cycle track make sense along that block? Could it eventually connect to something along more of F farther to the east?

15 comments — Share	— tags: DC, DDOT, downtown DC, Dupont Circle, security, technology

DDOT's Kathleen Penney has resigned (Sep 11, 2009)
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Comments

I work down in that neighborhood - and there's very little auto traffic on the block as it is - it seems as if most parking, etc. has already been taken over by the Secret Service - and it's in an area of downtown that is already well served by Metro. Since F St deadends at the Treasury Building anyway, it's not as if making that one block one way leading away from Treasury will adversely affect through traffic - it's a pretty quiet street as it is.

by andy on Sep 18, 2009 11:59 am

We need to pedestrianize more downtown streets

it makes it a lot safer for walkers and cyclists

and discourages fanatics & terrorists

by w on Sep 18, 2009 12:08 pm

I'm not opposed to making F one way for that one block - as mentioned, the street dead ends into the Treasury building, and because of the turning movements needed.

The key for my support would be what they do with the space. Bike access should remain two-way. I'd be curious in looking at angled on-street parking there. If they make it one-way, do so by closing the other half of the street, not by surrendering the entire street to one-way traffic.

If they're just going to throw up some jersey barriers like E st NW in back of the White House, then I'm against it. If they're going to use it as a chance to make the street a better space, then I'm interested.

by Alex B. on Sep 18, 2009 12:27 pm

In many older photographs, like the one attached to this post, I see pedestrians mingling with cars on the street. Granted, this is when vehicular traffic was limited in speed, but it also shows that people were the focus of the public sphere rather than cars. Can we go back to that? Wait--does this make me a conservative?! (Wanting to go back to the way things used to be...)

by David T on Sep 18, 2009 12:36 pm

creeping incrementalist shutdown of the entire core of the city. first they'll take this block, then another, then another. i'm not trying to be fatalist, but you can't make a security "expert" happy until they have turned their target into an impregnable fortress.

besides, what's to stop a determined attacker from driving the wrong way down a one-way F street? nothing, really. unless they're going to put gentlemen on the roof of treasury who will launch an RPG in the direction of any car going the wrong way down this block.

i feel sorry for the first family from indiana to accidentally drive the wrong way here. hopefully they'll have their estate in order.

by IMGoph on Sep 18, 2009 12:46 pm

@David T: no, a conservative, by definition, wants to maintain the status quo.

by ksu499 on Sep 18, 2009 12:47 pm

@IMGoph: I agree. A block here and there, where will it end?

by Jak on Sep 18, 2009 1:01 pm

Nobody's heard of the assasination of Alfred Herrhausen?

As Mr. Herrhausen sped down the road, a team of terrorists waited. Beside the road, a parked bicycle held a sack of armor-piercing explosives. The detonator was connected by the electric wire under the road to a trigger activated by an interruption in an infrared beam shining across the road.

Maybe we should just ban streets?

by цarьchitect on Sep 18, 2009 1:14 pm

We need to pedestrianize more downtown streets

They already tried that:

http://www.dot.gov/affairs/1999/fhwa6899.htm

by Ho Lynn on Sep 18, 2009 1:18 pm

Um, aren't all those solid metal bollards embedded in six feet of concrete suppose to stop the trucks or were those just for decoration (or really expensive pedestrian guardrails)?

by FactChecker on Sep 18, 2009 2:27 pm

Making F St one-way would harm the "connectivity index," the intersection density metric. More connectivity helps to decrease congestion. One-way streets in general should be avoided.

Furthermore, the idea that this would help prevent terrorism is ridiculous. Even it it were one-way, a terrorist could still drive against traffic, unless you plan to blow up any car going the wrong way (and you thought traffic tickets were bad). Let's not be paranoid.

by Michael on Sep 18, 2009 4:41 pm

Maybe someone just wants to make a left turn out of their garage on F Street a bit easier and this is the simplest way to accomplish it?

by shy on Sep 18, 2009 5:00 pm

ah yes, because terrorists would never disobey traffic laws, that makes perfect sense!

oh, heck with it, just build a medieval wall around the old city and make it pedestrian/bike inside with an airport screeening at the gate.

by Lee Watkins on Sep 18, 2009 5:14 pm

This safety nonsense needs to stop. The citizens and tourists of DC do not have to put up with every imaginary threat that the Feds can come up with. I am sickened already by the many Jersey barriers surrounding every federal building, even if they put cheap flowers on them.

Symbolically, this is a very bad thing. The government is from the people, not closed from the people. Walking through downtown DC makes one feel very unwanted with all the misguided security.

What bothers me is that the Feds are stealing public space from DC. A lane on 23rd along the State Dept. A block on Penn Ave and E St around the White House. Several blocks around the House and Senate buildings. Many a sidewalk is full of flowered Jersey barriers. Euhm hello? I think the kids playing soccer on the field behind my house are a terrible threat. Can I put up some flower filled Jersey barriers?

Is there a precedent anyway that proves that any of these fantasy threat have any real basis?

And why oh why aren't guns illegal around federal buildings? As far as I remember, some moron tried to shoot Clinton through the fence. I see a clear threat against which they don't do anything! In fact, since the Supremes ruled that you can carry guns in National Parks, people legally can bring guns into the White House - a National Park.

by Jasper on Sep 18, 2009 8:14 pm

Enough is enough. We cannot let every Federal agency demand that streets be closed or reconfigured to suit their paranoid imaginations.

Looks like the Obama administration is happy to employ fear to get its way on idiotic policies. Plus ça change...

by Monumentality on Sep 19, 2009 12:53 pm