Posts about Summer Streets

Government

HSEMA rule prevents K Street Feet in the Street

by David Alpert   •   June 24, 2010 1:25 pm

DDOT will not be holding a Feet in the Street walking and cycling event on K Street because DC's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency won't allow a special event with any cross traffic.

Cyclists wait for cross traffic in NYC's Summer Streets. Photo by themikebot on Flickr.

Cities around the world, from Bogotá to Paris, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Baltimore, Miami, Portland, Chicago, Kansas City and Las Cruces, New Mexico, have held similar events, variously called Ciclovia, Summer Streets, Sunday Streets, Sunday Parkways, and more.

All involve closing a lengthy segment of a street to traffic, except at major intersections, for walkers, runners, rollerbladers, cyclists and more to enjoy the outdoors, get exercise, and have fun in a way that's often not possible in cities where most public space is dedicated to motor vehicles most of the time. Often "stations" along the way provide exercise classes, bicycle seminars, health information, and more.

Last year, DDOT tried one in Fort Dupont Park to great acclaim from surrounding neighborhoods, but the true spirit of the event involves closing a street through numerous neighborhoods as opposed to using a park drive. In April, DDOT decided to try hosting the event on K Street from 7th Street to Georgetown and the Capital Crescent Trail. 7th, 14th and 17th Streets would have remained open so that cars, trucks and buses could travel between the areas north and south of the route, and the route would have run under Washington Circle allowing traffic to cross there as well.

Unfortunately, they ran into a virtual concrete bollard in the form of DC's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA). According to DDOT's Anna McLaughlin, HSEMA does not allow any areas open to traffic inside an area closed off for a special event, and DDOT did not want to create an enormous barrier across the entire city. MPD and FEMS, which participate in planning for special events through a special task force, were unwilling to budge. It's not clear if this is an official written policy or just general practice at the agency.

This policy makes no sense. This has been done in exactly this way in cities everywhere. Even Arlington allowed cross traffic at some signalized intersections for Bike DC. We have trails which act as roads closed to motor vehicles, but which periodically cross regular streets with (or sometimes without) traffic signals.

Pedestrians, cyclists, and motor vehicles interact all the time at intersections every day. We even have special electrical light-based devices at the corners to guide the orderly interaction of traffic in the various directions. If it were really dangerous for cars to take turns with pedestrians, then every intersection in the city would require concrete barriers walling off the sidewalks from the roads and skybridges or tunnels to cross. It's crazy.

Sure, complete separation greatly reduces the possibility of anything happening. Some have speculated that this rule stems from an incident a few years ago where a driver on drugs drove through a barrier into a special event and killed people. However, it's not possible to completely reduce every risk. Bicycling down a street with no cars and only two signalized intersections with cross traffic is surely safer than bicycling down a regular street with cars and cross traffic at every intersection, and people do that every day, almost always safely.

DDOT plan for Park(ing) Day.

This brings to mind DDOT's response to the folks trying to organize Park(ing) Day, which turns parking spaces into temporary parks for a few hours. In other cities, organizers have done this simply by placing some temporary turf and a bench on a parking space, often with permission. Here, DDOT public space officials wanted concrete barriers on all three sides, barrels and flags at the corners, 2-foot empty spaces inside the barriers, 22-foot clear zones on either side along the curbs.

In other words, to separate people sitting in the park from cars, they required enormous barricades and empty spaces, even though people come far nearer cars every day when sitting at a bus stop and have no such protections. But these security decisions aren't about reason, they're about the approving official eliminating every possible risk no matter how ridiculous and regardless of everyday practice.

If HSEMA, MPD, and FEMS hold firm to this rule, there can't ever be a Summer Streets outside a park. They should try visiting another city to see how workable this really is, or perhaps just try visiting a street corner to see that those work as well. Meanwhile, DDOT will again hold this year's Summer Streets in Fort Dupont.

Public Spaces

DDOT proposing K Street "Feet in the Street"

by David Alpert   •   April 5, 2010 11:53 am

"Feet in the Street," DC's version of Summer Streets and Ciclovìa, could return in 2010 for four Saturdays in August along K Street under a proposal by the District Department of Transportation.

Summer Streets on Vanderbilt Ave in Brooklyn. Photo by Ekey84.

Such events close one street to motor vehicle traffic over a length of up to several miles. The route becomes a linear festival where pedestrians, bicyclists, rollerbladers and others can travel along the street, enjoying the urban streetscape in relative calm.

Along the route, numerous stations provide music and arts performances, health and fitness demonstrations or classes, bicycling information, and more.

Last year, DC held its first Feet in the Street in Fort Dupont Park. Now, they are ready to close a street in the heart of the city. If DC's emergency services agree, DDOT plans to recommend using K Street, NW from 9th Street to Washington Circle. This route would connect the Mount Vernon Square neighborhood with Foggy Bottom.

Like New York's "Summer Streets," the event would occur on four consecutive Saturdays in August, from 8 am to 2 pm. Motor vehicles would be blocked from crossing at many intersections, but could still cross at major cross streets to ensure access from one side to the other, such as on 14th, 17th/Connecticut, and 19th Streets as well as the endpoints of 9th and Washington Circle.

Recently, I suggested a 2-mile route along 14th Street, NW. DDOT officials say they had considered this route, but chose to recommend this 1.4-mile K Street route based on support from area businesses. They hope to move around to different streets around the city in future years.

What do you think of the K Street route?

Whatever street it uses, Feet in the Street will create an exciting opportunity to link several parks, bring more people to an area of the city during an otherwise relatively quiet time, give residents a fun, outdoor activity on warm summer days, and expose residents to nearby neighborhoods. It will also require us residents of the region to help make it successful by helping out and, most of all, attending and enjoying the event.

Public Spaces

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.

Public Spaces

Baltimore hosts first Sunday Streets, and not in a park

by Stephen Miller   •   October 26, 2009 10:43 am

Yesterday, Baltimore hosted its first Sunday Streets event. The southbound half of Roland Avenue, a divided boulevard, was closed for just over one mile through the wealthy Roland Park neighborhood. Baltimore City's bicycle program, the Roland Park Civic League, and One Less Car had tables with information in front of the local library, and a local bike shops set up quick repair stations along the route. Sunny, mild weather helped drive turnout, even if promotion of the event was low-key. The result was a friendly neighborhood feeling dominated by some distinct user groups: area residents walking their dogs, avid cyclists, and families with small children on bicycles or drawing with chalk in the street.

The Civic League is already receiving positive emails from neighbors. One resident called it "one of my favorite days since we came to this community." They plan to compile a report to evaluate the event, including input from local businesses. Official numbers are not yet in, but a coffee shop along the route saw a significant increase in business compared to an average Sunday. Sunday Streets proponents in Baltimore hope that costs can be reduced for future Sunday Streets events and that, as a result, neighborhoods across the city will be able to host their own version of the event.

Meanwhile, DC's Sunday Streets initiative goes into hibernation for the winter after producing "Feet in the Street" in Fort Dupont Park in August. Hosting an event on a major road through a well-populated neighborhood will improve attendance and attract potential customers for businesses that rely on foot traffic. In addition, the livable streets message of these events, which emphasizes the value of taking a place usually dedicated to automobiles and handing it over to vulnerable road users like kids learning to ride bikes, will have a stronger impact when hosted in a high-profile location such as a major urban road. Feet in the Street was a nice start, but it fell short of its full potential. Hopefully DC can learn a thing or two from Baltimore before next summer.

Public Spaces

Scenes of Washington: Feet in the Street

by David Alpert   •   September 1, 2009 10:16 am

Photos by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association.

Public Spaces

Feet in the Street Saturday in Fort Dupont

by David Alpert   •   August 28, 2009 3:34 pm

Tomorrow, Saturday, is Feet in the Street, DC's first foray into the Ciclovia/Summer Streets/Sunday Streets phenomenon, where cities around the world close down streets in densely populated areas to create linear festivals. People walk, bike, and rollerblade through their city in ways not possible normally. Stops along the way provide entertainment, education, refreshment, and more.

After Petworth neighbors panned an initial proposal to run an event on Kansas Avenue, DC officials settled on Fort Dupont Park. While this misses the point a bit, it's a first step toward trying this out in DC. If this is successful, it will help build the case for such an event through more neighborhoods next year. Hopefully it won't rain too much.

Map of Feet in the Street access and activities. Click to enlarge (PDF)

Events include:

• Guided nature hikes
  
• Invasive plant removal outings
  
• Free 2-hour bike rentals
  
• Healthy food workshops
  
• Community garden tours
  
• Bike rides and bike classes
  
• Fitness classes, workouts, and blood sugar/pressure testing
  
• In-line skating, boxing, and tennis
  
• Musical performance

Benning Road is the closest Metro station, and Texas Avenue is a good bike route for the 10-minute ride to the park. Minnesota Avenue, Potomac Avenue, and Anacostia stations are also within biking distance. The U and V buses serve the park. There is also parking in a lot near Randle Circle, and the park road accessing the lot will not be closed to traffic.

Bicycling

Bike news

by David Alpert   •   July 3, 2009 12:46 pm

The DC Bicycle Advisory Council met on Wednesday, and DDOT revealed lots of interesting news, which WashCycle kindly wrote up in great detail. Some of the highlights:

Bixi in Montreal. Photo by guybrariang.

South Capitol bike trail: DDOT hired Toole Design to investigate the possibility of closing one lane along South Capitol Street, to convert to a bike trail. If Maryland continues the trail it would enable cyclists to reach the new Wilson Bridge bike lane and Alexandria.

Pennsylvania Ave bike lane: DDOT is talking to NPS about adding a bike lane to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. The designs for Capitol Hill Town Square also proposed a bike lane on Pennyslvania Avenue, SE. No word whether NPS is being at all accommodating about this idea.

Summer Streets in Fort Dupont: Since Petworth turned down the idea, DDOT will instead organize a Summer Streets event in Fort Dupont Park, in River East. That's a great idea, and River East should have a Summer Streets every year. Apparently, unlike some of his or her colleagues, "NPS's new lead in the area is eager to find ways to get people into the parks." In addition to closing streets, NPS will offer rental bikes and possibly free pedicabs.

DDOT "is hoping to do more locations next year." Better yet, let's do one spanning most of the city and multiple quadrants. How about all of Pennsylvania Avenue, or the length of North Capitol and South Capitol with a nice scenic ride past the Capitol?

SmartBike: We recently discussed how DDOT is considering dumping Clear Channel for SmartBike. They're still talking to Clear Channel, though I also heard confirmation from another source that Clear Channel is just not interested in SmartBike amid a general downturn in their business. DDOT is also looking at Montreal's Bixi, which uses solar powered stations. Those are quicker to install because PEPCO isn't involved, and easier to reposition if needed. However, the bikes are heaver and "the stations are less streamlined." DDOT also has "some sort of regional agreement" with Arlington, which is applying for federal funding for bike sharing.

Legislation: The BAC plans to focus on Complete Streets legislation and laws allowing people to bring bicycles into their office buildings. They also discussed whether the planned bicycle-mounted enforcement squad would primarily target cyclists and pedestrians and give insufficient attention to dangerous driver behavior.

Public Spaces

Thanks for a great CSG house party!

by David Alpert   •   April 27, 2009 12:27 pm

Last week's house party for the Coalition for Smarter Growth, featuring DDOT Director Gabe Klein, was a huge success. Thanks to everyone who attended! I really enjoyed meeting many Greater Greater Washington readers. ANC Commissioners, citizens' association board members, recent Council candidates, zoning attorneys, planners for local governments, pedestrian advocates for seniors, Sierra Club leaders, Bicycle Advisory Council chairs, Arlington Commuter Services heads, and many more great folks also joined us.

Sean Robertson documented the event in pictures. Here are a few:

Gabe Klein continues to impress me even more each time I talk to him. He talked about the importance of having DDOT do more quickly, jokingly suggesting that his goal was to make as many mistakes as possible in the shortest time. This philosophy, of trying things quickly, possibly making mistakes, then correcting them, is the predominant philosophy at small startup companies, and is a refreshing change from the slow, lumbering process common to government agencies that often take years to do very little.

Mr. Klein talked about the importance of bicycle facilities, of a broad, citywide plan for streetcars, and briefly mentioned his hope that DC could follow the lead of San Francisco, New York and other cities in implementing a "Summer Streets" weekend closure. In November, I asked why can't DC follow some of the many great strides New York took in Janette Sadik-Khan's short tenure so far. It looks like, if Gabe Klein continues to be successful at DDOT, we sure can.

Public Spaces

Why can't we do some of this?

by David Alpert   •   November 19, 2008 5:25 pm

Within a year of Janette Sadik-Khan taking the reins at New York City's Department of Transportation, they got new plazas, "cycle track" buffered bike lanes, express bus lanes, Summer Streets, and more.

How about bringing some of these innovations to DC?