Posts about Columbus Circle

Public Spaces

Police vehicles may damage brand-new Union Station plaza

by Geoff Hatchard   •   April 29, 2013 2:48 pm

A project is almost complete to reconstruct the plaza in front of Union station. Unfortunately, Amtrak police continue to pull their cars up on the curb and park in the pedestrian areas.

Preservation

Then and Now: Union Station

by David Alpert   •   February 22, 2009 9:36 am

Oh, how cute: people once played baseball across from Union Station. The U.S. Senate long ago took over this public space for storage of their personal vehicles. Via DC Metrocentric.

Speaking of the Capitol grounds, the Architect of the Capitol is holding a community meeting to discuss Capitol projects with residents. It's probably unlikely we can convince them to give up their enormous surface parking, but it'd be helpful for them to hear from residents about how they could be better neighbors, like not harassing bicycles, not cutting down trees to replace them with bollards, or letting transit vehicles traverse First Street NE past Congressional office buildings.

Bicycling

Afternoon links: New developments on old issues edition

by David Alpert   •   September 15, 2008 2:45 pm

Union Station in the Post: Raw Fisher reports that Union Station's movie theater will close, rumors of which we discussed in July. And Dr. Gridlock posts a letter wondering why pedestrians aren't hit more often in Columbus Circle; Gridlock mentions the circle's planned redesign.

Dupont ANC to reconsider 1433 T approval: ANC 2B will be holding a special meeting on Monday, September 22, 7:30 pm at the Resource Center, 9 Dupont Circle. The Commission will reconsider their previous approval of the proposed modifications to 1433 T in light of tenant abuse allegations.

Teacher proposal exposes generation gap: Younger teachers generally support Michelle Rhee's proposed incentive pay structure for teachers, while older ones by and large oppose it, writes Slate; this mirrors similar debates elsewhere. (Tip: Joel)

Peters: bike trails not transportation: Mary Peters still hates bike trails, and her plans to reduce traffic congestion call not for adding more of these ways to get around without driving, but rather for cutting any "wasteful" expenditures on trails. Jim DeMint (R-SC) also criticized Barack Obama for voting for bicycle paths. (WashCycle)

Pedestrians

A better Columbus Circle

by David Alpert   •   May 30, 2008 6:08 pm

A new design for Columbus Circle is close to becoming a reality, as I learned at the Union Station Intermodal meeting. Here's the latest design, courtesy of the engineering firm Parsons (click for a larger version):

Compare this to the current layout on Google Maps.

The stupid extra loop, which forces taxis to drive all the way around from the west side to the east side just to get on Mass Ave going back west, is gone, and the public plaza enlarged. Also, it looks like there are now pedestrian paths across from Louisiana Ave and 1st Street; right now, those grass berms require pedestrians to walk up and down a little hill to cross.

This drawing doesn't show traffic lights or crosswalks very clearly. The Parsons engineer told me there will be a light at the corner of E Street (where taxis will now exit onto Mass Ave). I assume there will be crosswalks across Mass from E, Louisiana, Delaware, and 1st, though we can't see here, and can't tell if there will be lights. Ideally, there would be, to enable pedestrians to cross Mass Ave safely to reach any of the roads across the circle.

I think many of these intersections could have been tighter, especially at E. Corners instead of wide rounded turns provide less of a feeling of crossing a huge expanse of concrete and slow traffic more. Still, the design is a big improvement. Now if we could only replace those stupid Congressional parking lots that blight the path from Union Station to the Capitol.

Transit

Union Station Intermodal meeting recap

by David Alpert   •   May 30, 2008 9:21 am

Dan from BeyondDC, Ralph of Sierra Club DC, reader Steve P., and many others attended the Union Station Intermodal Transportation Center public meeting last night.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, who secured the three Federal earmarks that are paying for this project, spoke briefly about the many years she's been working on this in Congress. Union Station was once "a slum owned by the Federal Government," and this project gives us the opportunity to turn it into "the centerpiece of a true intermodal system."

The DDOT people are going to consider every need in this study, from pedestrians to cars, emergency egress to delivery trucks. Streetcars will definitely be factored in, to give the future H Street line a place to turn around and service vehicles.

I asked about the potential new Blue Line. The project reps had only learned about that project yesterday, didn't have specific details (yet) and suggested speaking to WMATA. Of course, WMATA would do the actual engineering, but we should minimize the chance that something built from this study further complicates the future task of building the Blue Line.

As for Columbus Circle, there is actually already a detailed engineering design done by Parsons (the same consultants working on this project) that's awaiting NCPC and Architect of the Capitol approval. I'm working on getting a copy of that design.

Dan asked about bike sharing; the DDOT folks assured us that they are working hard on creating a bike sharing facility on the west side of the station.

There was a usual crop of "antis" there to push for as few people walking around the neighborhood as possible and as many lanes for traffic as possible. One resident complained that the Technical Advisory Committee was weighted toward those with an interest in "getting more customers in, getting more people to the Capitol." What a tragedy if we get more people going to the Capitol! Every public meeting I've been to also included a few people complaining that they didn't get enough notice about whatever is being discussed, and this was no different.

ANC 6B01 Commissioner Dave Garrison asked about tour buses dropping people off at Union Station who are going to the new Capitol Visitors Center. DDOT Mass Transit Director Freddie Fuller spoke up to "dispel innuendo" and assure people that they "have not designated Union Station as the primary transfer point for the Capitol Visitors Center." They have increased headways on the N22, which runs from Union Station right past the Capitol on its way to Eastern Market and the ballpark.

Anyone want to illuminate exactly what the issues are here? Do residents want the buses at Union Station or do they want them driving down to the Capitol? Is having the buses stop in the garage at Union Station and people walk the four blocks to the Capitol undesirable? It seems it would minimize traffic compared to having buses go down First Street and end up turning around/idling in the neighborhood. And I'd think residents would be pushing for the buses to be at Union Station while the tour operators would want to drop people off right at the Capitol. Can anyone shed more light on this?

Finally, on the topic of Greyhound, Akridge may be building facilities for Greyhound as part of the project, but Rick Rybeck of DDOT added that they are pushing for the buses to go to Union Station right away rather than waiting the 10-15 years that Burnham Place will take to build. The bus deck in the garage currently has extra room, Rybeck said, and they're looking to move Greyhound operations there. (One resident piped up about not sacrificing any public parking spaces. Rybeck explained that the bus deck has no public parking to lose. Though, if moving Greyhound to the train station meant losing a few parking spaces, I wouldn't shed any tears.)

Transit

Union Station Intermodal Transportation Center meeting tonight

by David Alpert   •   May 29, 2008 11:09 am

DDOT is conducting a study "analyze the feasibility and impact of creating enhanced access to multiple modes of transportation at Burnham Place, Union Station and the surrounding transportation network." There's a public meeting tonight from 6-8 pm at the Columbus Club at Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave NE.

With many projects potentially happening around Union Station in the near future, including the Burnham Place development over the rail yards, plans for streetcars from Union Station to H Street, and talks about moving Greyhound buses to the Union Station garage, we need a comprehensive vision to prevent one project from interfering with another. Akridge, the Burnham Place developers, are already signed up to build the new concourse and bus intermodal transportation center as part of the deal to build on top of the rail yards.

The study will cover these areas:

• Baseline Transportation Improvement Studies
  
• New Rail Passenger Concourse
  
• Upgraded Amtrak passenger concourse
  
• Improved Emergency Access & Egress
  
• Improvements to the Existing Rail Concourse
  
• Tour Bus & Commuter Parking Accommodations
  
• Streetcar Integration
  
• Pedestrian Tunnel from Union Station to 1st Street, NE
  
• New Metrorail Entrance from the H Street Bridge
  
• Baseline Environmental Requirements Study

I also hope that the study factors in the possibility of the Blue Line across H Street as WMATA is suggesting.

Also, is pedestrian and vehicular access in front of the station part of "baseline transportation improvement studies"? Because Columbus Circle (half circle, really) is horribly pedestrian-unfriendly, requiring tourists and Senate workers to cross numerous concentric roadways for Mass Ave traffic, taxis, etc. The area is designed so cars go to the grand main entrance and pedestrians slink in the side door. We should consider making a stately path worthy of our beautiful station for people to walk from their trains down Louisiana and Delaware Avenues to the Capitol and Mall.