This year, let's have a great Summer Streets

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This year, let's have a great Summer Streets

by David Alpert • March 25, 2010 11:08 am

Now that spring is upon us, it's time to think about the summer. New York's Summer Streets program closed down 5 miles of Park Avenue on three consecutive August Saturdays and met with resounding success. DC should follow suit this summer with a similar program on a similarly important north-south route: 14th Street.

Photo by themikebot.

Summer Streets brought tens of thousands of walkers, bicyclists, rollerbladers, and more from around the city to enjoy the warm August weather. People relaxed along the route or traveled up and down its length.

Stations along the way featured dance classes for kids and adults, green food demonstrations, bike valet parking, martial arts demonstrations, city cycling classes, yoga and fitness events, and more.

DC held its own event last year, Feet in the Street, in Fort Dupont Park. DDOT did a nice job with the event, but it was in a relatively low-density location not particularly close to Metro. It also rained, which didn't help.

Park Avenue passes through some of the densest areas of New York (and the world). Hundreds of thousands of people live within a short walk and millions within an easy subway or bike ride. We don't have that, but by selecting a route through our densest and most transit-rich areas, a DC Summer Streets could likewise attract far more people.

An ideal route would extend along 14th Street from Franklin Park (at McPherson Square Metro) to Park Road in Columbia Heights.

Left: NYC Summer Streets route. Circles show station locations.
Right: Potential DC route. Balloons show potential station locations.

They are the same size in the images above, but this 14th Street route is only 2 miles compared to New York's 5 miles (plus 2 more miles for the Central Park loop which it connects to). Since our metropolitan area is about 38% the size of New York's, a Summer Streets/Feet in the Street of 40% the length seems appropriate.

The route runs from hotels downtown through the Logan Circle, U Street and Columbia Heights neighborhoods, some of DC's densest. 14th also has many stores along the entire route which could benefit from an intense concentration of foot traffic.

Stations could be located at Franklin Park, Thomas Circle, P Street, U Street, somewhere around Euclid Street, and finally in the center of Columbia Heights.

DC could close Thomas Circle, which cars can still traverse using the Massachusetts Avenue underpass. New York kept a number of major cross streets open for cross traffic. DC could do the same, such as K Street, Masschusetts Avenue (via the underpass), Rhode Island Avenue, Q and R Streets, U Street, Florida Avenue, Columbia and Harvard Streets, as well as I Street and Park Road at either end.

How about it?

23 comments — Share	— tags: 14th Street, Columbia Heights, DC, downtown DC, Logan Circle, New York, Summer Streets, U Street

Get the Florida out of the Rhode Island Avenue streetcar (Nov 2, 2009)
Baltimore hosts first Sunday Streets, and not in a park (Oct 26, 2009)
Feet in the Street Saturday in Fort Dupont (Aug 28, 2009)
Will Columbia Heights inevitably subdivide? (Apr 17, 2009)
Summer Streets: Next year in Washington? (Sep 2, 2008)

Comments

Fantastic proposal, but I suspect it would be a little easier to just start it north of Thomas Circle. That way you avoid the confusion of having the circle closed (which services M street and New Hampshire as well as 14th and Mass.). Not to mention, the stretch of 14th between Thomas Circle and Franklin Park isn't quite as exciting as the stretch between Thomas / Logan and Columbia Heights.

by Eric H. on Mar 25, 2010 11:29 am

I'm open to that, but I started it there so people can get right out of the Orange or Blue Lines from Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, Foggy Bottom, Capitol Hill, Ward 7, PG County, etc. and be right there at one end. And people can get out at the other end from the Green Line (and Yellow unless it's cut by then).

by David Alpert on Mar 25, 2010 11:34 am

Sorry to post again so soon, but might 16th Street prove even better? It has great vistas, runs under the intersection with Mass. and Rhode Island, is adjacent to Meridian Hill / Malcolm X Park, and has the symbolism of running to the White House. It has the added benefit of being carrying less auto traffic than 14th. It's residential nature makes it more akin to Park Ave. than 14th Street. It could run from Lafayette Park to Park Ave. where Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights, and Mt. Pleasant all join up.

by Eric H. on Mar 25, 2010 11:36 am

I love the idea. Closing down 18th Street on Adams Morgan day is such a huge success, it would be great to see that on an even bigger scale.

by Adam L on Mar 25, 2010 11:40 am

An interesting idea. But is it possible to transfer what works in NYC to DC? The population density of Manhattan is nearly eight times that of DC (70,595/sq mile vs. 9,776/sq mile). And population density is, of course, the key that drives an active street life. If DC had a population of, say, 1 or 1.5 million, by all means bring it on. But at the current 600,000, the density needed is just not there. If 14th Street were to be closed for the lengthly stretch you suggest, it's more likely it will be more empty than vibrant.

by Zac on Mar 25, 2010 11:45 am

And you're proposing the 50-series buses go...where?

by anon on Mar 25, 2010 12:32 pm

Love the idea!

by Matt Johnson on Mar 25, 2010 12:38 pm

anon: Divert over to 13th or 16th for the day? There's relatively low frequency weekends anyway.

by David Alpert on Mar 25, 2010 12:40 pm

How about they close Rock Creek Park parkway from the Zoo DOWN to Georgetown.

They could at least close it on Sunday mornings before noon. They close it for the tourists, marathoners and triathletes, but it'd be nice to have that access for residents.

Rock Creek is a park, but its used more like an on-ramp to 66.

by emrj on Mar 25, 2010 12:43 pm

I like the idea, but I think that you're trying to mimic NYC too much. Our good commercial areas with good urbanism in my opinion are U st NW and H st NE. Why not do H between the 'death star' and like 3rd and U from Florida to Florida? you could even connect U with 18th to follow the commercial core and connecting the Woodley metro with U st/Cardozo. Maybe do it twice a month through the summer and alternate locations every other Saturday or Sunday.

by dano on Mar 25, 2010 1:04 pm

Might be easier to start with something really small, say P Street between 14th and 15th which would really lend itself to strolling from shop to shop and see how that goes. I think there might be a myriad of problems closing that much of 14th.

by Sherri on Mar 25, 2010 1:21 pm

Maybe this could be coordinated with the Dog Days summer sidewalk sale along 14th Street.

by Eric F. on Mar 25, 2010 1:28 pm

The Circulator also takes this route, and is definitely NOT low frequency on weekends. I would suggest either a smaller stretch (that is a really long stretch), or a different street.

Although I do support the idea!

by springroadintoaction on Mar 25, 2010 1:51 pm

Your friendly neighbor Baltimore is continuing the successful ciclovia program this summer:

Four Sunday morning ciclovias are planned for Summer 2010. About 15 miles of Roland Ave, University Pkwy, 33rd St and possibly North Ave will be included in the expanded route.

They've changed the name to "Bmore Streets for People."

by Jed on Mar 25, 2010 2:27 pm

Sherri: The purpose of a Summer Streets is not to have a little one-block street fair. It's to give people a long promenade to enjoy seeing much of the city by taking a long walk or ride that otherwise requires fighting traffic.

We already have little festivals, like Adams Morgan Day and Insert Neighborhood Name Here Day. What you describe is just Logan Circle Day, which isn't a bad idea but wouldn't draw in people from around the city.

Auto traffic uses 100% of our streets almost every day of the year. What's wrong with making one street a pedestrian and bicycle promenade for one day, leaving all the parallel streets?

I thought 14th was best to increase foot traffic to businesses, but it could probably be 13th or 15th instead if that's a real objection.

by David Alpert on Mar 25, 2010 2:31 pm

Hard to imagine businesses along that strip would go along with the idea due to concerns over loss of sales.

It's an interesting idea, but maybe start off small in an emerging area like H Street NE to bring in people who normally aren't likely to visit.

by Fritz on Mar 25, 2010 4:14 pm

I agree with both the sentiments that the length of the proposed GGW segment is too long (given DC's far lesser density than NYC) and that a one or two block stretch isn't enough.

What about 7th Street from Pennsylvania Ave to Mass Ave (Mount Vernon Square)?

by Paul on Mar 25, 2010 4:16 pm

Fritz, how would this cause a loss of sales to local businesses? Especially on a street that mostly sells food and furniture?

by Neil Flanagan on Mar 25, 2010 4:44 pm

Since were bringing up all these ideas can we suggest routes which the displaced Metrobuses and Circulators will take ?

If were going to block off a main road in the city than all parking needs to be removed on the next main road or street that travels the same length as the one closing.

From remembering when there are festivals in DC such as from when Georgia Ave/7th Street or H street are closed they create huge backups on Sherman Ave & K street NE because those are the only streets that continue nearby for more than a few blocks and are widen enough for buses to travel.

Whatever street is closed the one next to it needs to be fully open when this is done do that the displaced traffic and normal traffic do not create a backup.

by kk on Mar 25, 2010 4:51 pm

Alpert unwittingly provided the reason why buses should be promoted over streetcars. It is very easy and simple to reroute buses for whatever reason. If you wanted 'summer streets' on a streetcar roadway, you would either risk citizens getting hit or just have to shut down the service.

by MPC on Mar 25, 2010 6:47 pm

Much of Penn downtown will be closed the morning of BikeDC, perhaps that could be made into a Summer Streets event.

by David C on Mar 26, 2010 12:42 am

David C's suggestion of Pennsylvania Ave. is a good one.

Previously, I have suggested Massachusetts Avenue, from 9th Street to Dupont Circle.

As much as it would be fun to close 14th Street and wreck bus service, I think it makes sense to walk up to more prominent street closures, based on success. You lead with success. Last year's program had 1/10 of the number of participants compared to Baltimore's experiment. The latter was in a residential area, not central, but still prominent.

Massachusetts (unlike Pennsylvania Ave.) is still prominent and in fact touches more residential areas compared to 14th Street. But you could still allow 14th Street to go through -- you could go under the Circle but still have activities on the Circle. At 16th the buses go under the Circle anyway.

by Richard Layman on Mar 26, 2010 8:02 am

One of the advantages of hosting Summer Streets on 7th between Penn and Mt. Vernon is that it would demonstrate what could (should?) be a permanent arrangement.

by egk on Mar 31, 2010 12:10 pm