Hm. What's the status on the re-opening of the trolley station?

Seems like we were hearing about that every day last year, and now it's quiet again...

by andrew on Jun 1, 2011 12:22 pm • link • report

How about we replace the interior of the traffic circle with an elevated pool bar connected to the outside via a intricate system of slip n' slides, and then the circle itself can become the no-traffic-light rotary it ought to be.

by mvjantzan on Jun 1, 2011 12:32 pm • link • report

@mvjantzan +1, friend. +1.

by JMS on Jun 1, 2011 12:39 pm • link • report

I think that to better connect to the rest of Rock Creek Park (and the woodland setting trails it has to offer-which is the essence of RCP) there needs to be a foot bridge over Rock Creek from the P St Beach to the Normanstone trail on other side. From there you can access Montrose Park, Dumbarton Oaks and to the north the zoo and the rest of Rock Creek Park.

by Tina on Jun 1, 2011 12:44 pm • link • report

@Tina

Can't one just cross the bridge on P Street, go down the ramp to the bike/trail and hit those sites already?

by Andrew on Jun 1, 2011 12:54 pm • link • report

@Andrew-I don't mean the paved bike trail. the Normanstone trail is a woodland path that at one point goes along the western shore of Rock Creek directly across from the P St Beach/Frances pool area and from there has an off-shoot path that leads directly (up a cliff) to the backside of Montrose Park and the back of Dumbarton Oaks, or northward to the trails up there. No, its not the same as accessing the paved bike path.

by Tina on Jun 1, 2011 1:02 pm • link • report

I wish we could build some mountain bike trails in RCP.

I like the kiosk idea for the stairs. Assuming they were built properly, a kiosk could be build on top without much work required to the existing structure and could allow for the stairs to be put back into use if needed in the future. The underground area could also act as a storage or utility space for the kiosks. Simple ideas would be best. I like the idea of a news stand and a little coffee spot.

by dano on Jun 1, 2011 1:07 pm • link • report

@Andrew-p.s. the paved bike path crosses back to the east side of the creek before reaching the woodland footpaths leaving no access to those trails on the westside of the creek down there by Dupont/Kalorama.

by Tina on Jun 1, 2011 1:11 pm • link • report

Thanks Tina. I admit, it has been a while since I was in that area, but I had always accessed it from either the bike paths or trail heads on Mass Ave or off R Street in Georgetown (yes, scrambling up or down the cliffs).

by Andrew on Jun 1, 2011 1:17 pm • link • report

Whatever happens to the underground space, it seems unlikely all stairwells will be needed

I'd rather keep them to supplement pedestrian crossings! But if some are going to be boarded up anyway (I know one was converted to an AC duct), then a kiosk is better than dead space for sure.

by Omar on Jun 1, 2011 1:24 pm • link • report

Keeping the paved bike SEPARATE from normanstone/montrose park is actually a good idea.

by charlie on Jun 1, 2011 1:30 pm • link • report

Blogs are great but take it from me, you need to do a lot more than a blog post to make change happen, especially involving multiple actors including a federal govt. agency.

Convert it into a well articulated document and engage in the change process.

As you know, NPS is a problem (and didn't you do a similar write up years ago?). But then so is a lack of much in the way of innovation on the part of DC in terms of placemaking and public spaces including parks, e.g., the city doesn't have a parks master plan.

Why not get the Dupont Circle folks to sponsor a mini-conference on urban parks. Bring someone like David Barth to speak, but of course, Peter Harnik of TPL is based here as well.

(Look at some of the conference proceedings at www.parkpride.org to get ideas.)

Use the PPS "How to Turn a Place Around" workshop as a way to get people engaged.

In the Foggy Bottom visioning sessions that I did for the FBA with the support of the DCCA, I wanted to take it to the next level and do the HTTPA workshop with the PPS place game but we never did. Even so, the visioning stuff we did was pretty good.

I am sure that DCCA would be interested in moving these ideas of yours forward, given my interactions over the years with Robin Diener, and it might be a way to shake things up on this issue generally.

Be the change...

by Richard Layman on Jun 1, 2011 1:32 pm • link • report

I like this series! I like Tina's description of the pedestrian bridge, and a picnic area would be great too.

by grumpy on Jun 1, 2011 1:33 pm • link • report

@charlie -i agree. I was not suggesting conflussing them. (is that a word-"conflussing"?) A foot bridge from one footpath over the creek to a footpath on the other side. No crossing/conflussing with the paved bike trail.

by Tina on Jun 1, 2011 1:36 pm • link • report

@Tina the word you're looking for might be "conflating"

by movement on Jun 1, 2011 2:47 pm • link • report

@movement-that could work. but I specifically wanted to use a term indicating the confluence of two flowing bodies of water; indicating the two paths are like rivers. But I spelled it wrong. I just looked it up: "conflux" for confluence.

by Tina on Jun 1, 2011 3:24 pm • link • report

Replace the stairs to Rock Creek Park with a water slide in the summer, fire pole in the winter. I have no idea how to make a fire pole ADA compliant though.

by David C on Jun 1, 2011 4:36 pm • link • report

the grammatical non-agreement of "...this were..." really bothers me way more than it should.

by Andrew in DC on Jun 1, 2011 5:22 pm • link • report

Get rid of the guys giving each other BJs in the woods around P Street Beach. That's what Craigslist if for guys!!!

by blogot on Jun 1, 2011 5:51 pm • link • report

@Andrew in DC: it's the subjunctive tense, and it's correct.

@blogot: Amazingly, there are wayyyyy fewer guys getting action at P St Beach than in past decades.

by mch on Jun 1, 2011 6:44 pm • link • report

So, this is a 3-part whinefest? OMG.

by Rich on Jun 1, 2011 9:39 pm • link • report

I like the concept of this post, but I can provide a little more background on these 3 particular items, which may also provide the writer and readers some hope on these particular sites:

TROLLEY STATION ENTRANCES: As some of you seem to know, the underground space of the old trolley station is currently under development by a group headed by the Washington Project for the Arts. It is supposed to be a space for large art installations, along with a wine bar / cafe. They are still in the design phase, so we don't know which of the old trolley station entrances will be utilized, for fire safety, ventilation, and regular egress/ingress. Once that becomes clear, it should be possible to convert the unitilized entrances to some other purpose.

DUPONT RESOURCE CENTER: The old comfort station, the brick building on the triangle on the west side of the Circle between P, 20th, Mass, is the Dupont Circle Resource Center. It serves as the office for the Dupont ANC, as well as meeting and office space for several Dupont-area organizations -- like Main Streets, Dupont Circle Village, Dupont Festival, and Dupont Circle Citizens Association. It is also a police substation for MPD and National Park Police. It is a real asset to the neighborhood and is in constant use by these organizations, who would otherwise have no home. The ANC is the tenant of the National Park Service in this building. The ANC is currently spearheading an effort to renovate the interior, including possible updates to the exterior. A WiFi outdoor seating area is among the items under discussion. While the triangle could certainly be enlivened, it would be absolutely terrible to lose this great community asset to a private business like Shake Shack.

P STREET BEACH & DUPONT CIRCLE: The newly-founded organization Dupont Festival (who brought us Soccer in the Circle, Green in the Circle, Police-Night-Out, and Youth Pride, among other events), is focused on bringing more community events and activities to the Circle. Next up is a movie night for the Summer solstice, June 21st. The group also plans to use P Street beach as a second location for events. It has a natural ampitheater which could make it very conducive to music concerts and theatre shows. Both spaces are under the jurisdiction of National Park Service. Website: www.dupontfestival.org.

by Will on Jun 2, 2011 9:48 am • link • report

@Will Thanks for the updates on the Dupont spaces. I have to say that the current uses of the Dupont Resource Center is really a waste of that building and location. The ANC can meet in any private residence and the Park Service could benefit economically by leasing or selling this property to a private company that will provide the community with a place to purchase food/beverages and enjoy them in the circle or P Street beach. And the police...well, they should be out on bikes and visible, not sitting inside a building. The location of that building alone makes it worthy of something that everyone could enjoy, not just a meeting/break room for public service employees.

While the outdoor concerts and movies is a great thing for the P Street beach, the park itself is what needs to be upgraded. It has no charm or attraction whatsoever. Quite honestly, the circle istelf could really use some TLC. What the city and neighborhood needs to do is get the NPS to give the city control over the circles and small parks in the residential neighborhoods. Then, we can give them the much needed upgrades and renovations to make them great parks. Think Central Park in NY or the palace gardens in London. Our parks should have the same appeal. Green lawns with no weeds, fountains, water features and shrubs and flowers during all seasons. The fences should be a better grade of metal and why do we have to have plain cement for walkways...why not cobblestone or something visually appealing. Our parks are a disgrace and there is no reason for this. The NPS will never get funding to do anything spectacular with our circles and small parks. We need to take them over ourselves. They are what's unique to Washington, DC and we should celebrate these and make them places we want to spend time in. By the way, all of the ideas in the original post are incredible. The kiosks is something I've said we need in our city also. No reason we can't have some real city vendors offering daily things we want right on the sidewalks.

by scott on Jun 2, 2011 11:08 am • link • report

How about reopening it as a trolly\bus station and getting a few buses off Dupont Circle! Ground Breaking idea!

by David on Jun 2, 2011 11:30 am • link • report

@Scott:

Thanks for your response to Will, and especially for your expertise on police matters.

The MPD officers who patrol PSA 208 are based on Idaho Avenue, 3.3 miles away. They use the Resource Center as a satellite police station, to stage, to store bicycles on a short-term basis, for bicycle officers to come inside during dangerous weather, to file reports, and to take bathroom breaks, among many other uses. They - and other police agencies - often stage at the Resource Center in advance of Vice Presidential motorcades and other police activities that require pre-placement.

Your comment about how poice should be out on their bicycles is stunningly immature. I hope it was an attempt at humor. The police deserve better.

The building is owned by the National Park Service, and the Park Police use it on a regular basis. Park Service maintenance workers also use the Resource Center when they are in the area.

The Resource Center gets its greatest use on Sunday morning, when it is used by the Farmers' Market folks. It's the only place where they can use bathroom facilities for much of the morning. Hundreds of people - both vendors and customers - use the Resource Center on a typical summer Sunday morning.

The Resource Center is the mail drop for the ANC, DCCA, and Dupont Circle Village. These are volunteer agencies where officers change on a regular basis. The ANC, for example, receives notice by mail of matters regarding alcohol licensing, zoning requests, public space requests, etc; To have a permanent mail drop where all commissioners can get their mail means that these notices won't be sent to a former commissioner and fall through the cracks or reach their intended designation after some legal deadline.

Of course, there's a rather formidable roadblock to NPS leasing the Resource Center to a commercial entity: federal law. There's been plenty written here at GGW and other places about NPS and how it manages its property and how the DC parklets are treated the same as Yellowstone. Well, suffice it to say there ain't no way they'd ever be able to lease out 9 Dupont Circle to Shake Shack or any other for-profit business. At least not until the Tea Party folks assume power and turn over all the keys of government to their sacred private sector.

And finally, Scott, if you need something to drink, have you tried the CVS at 15-16 Dupont Circle? They're open 24/7. They put it a new sandwich and deli cooler, and new refrigerator units with ice cold beverages. They have a wide assortment of heavily salted snack foods. Friendly service, too. Well, cold beverages, at least.

by Mike S. on Jun 3, 2011 9:49 am • link • report