Sidewalks - Greater Greater Washington

Rediscover Columbus Circle

Fri, 03 May 2013 08:54:00 EDT

Construction work on Columbus Circle in front of Union Station is finished. The plaza now features wider sidewalks, bike lanes, and a simpler traffic pattern. (WTOP)

Comment

Police vehicles may damage brand-new Union Station plaza

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:48:00 EDT

by Geoff Hatchard

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.

Photo by the author.

The plaza was once a wasteland of traffic lanes and hadn't been properly maintained for years. The reconstruction project, which included Amtrak and multiple local and federal agencies, can make it an attractive and welcoming gateway to DC. The design treated all forms of traffic well—pedestrians, bicycles, cars, and bus.

Unfortunately, the police parking helped cause damage to the curbs and sidewalks before, and will do so again if this practice continues. It's highly unlikely that the sidewalks and curbs were reinforced strongly enough to withstand the pressure from mutli-ton vehicles.

It's easy to see a parallel with other examples of infrastructure in DC, like this story about Woodson High School, where we spend big bucks on nice new things, then fail to maintain them right after the construction is done.

Police presence and patrols are necessary in highly visible, active areas like a major train station. There has to be a better way and some better locations for police to leave their vehicles, though.

34 comments

Sidewalk wars come to Hyattsville

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:34:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Hyattsville wants to put sidewalks on every street, but in one neighborhood, some residents think it would "would spoil the suburban charm" of the area. It's a familiar argument in many communities. (Post)

Comment

Florida Avenue shouldn't have to wait for real sidewalks

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:13:00 EDT

by Tony Goodman

Florida Avenue, NE is one of the most dangerous roads in DC for all modes of transportation, and a 71-year-old pedestrian was just recently killed trying to cross. Past studies have recommended widening the sidewalks here, but residents likely have to wait even longer for fixes as DDOT embarks on yet another study.

Photograph by John Nelson reproduced with permission.

Gallaudet University, a Metro station, an elementary school, homes and businesses line the 6-lane road. It has very narrow sidewalks which don't meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, and no parked cars or street trees to serve as buffers.

This road has seen many deaths over the past few years. Most recently, 71-year-old Ruby Whitfield was killed while walking across Florida Avenue NE in a marked crosswalk. The driver, a 32-year-old Annapolis man, was reportedly drunk and speeding, and fled the scene. MPD quickly apprehended him.

While the section of Florida Avenue from 2nd Street NE to West Virginia Avenue NE is 6 lanes wide, the block where Ms. Whitfield was killed has fewer driving lanes, with relatively wider sidewalks and street trees. The driver had just crossed West Virginia Avenue into this adjacent block.

At a vigil on Florida Avenue a few days after Ms. Whitfield died, Mayor Gray committed to quickly installing a new traffic signal at the intersection with 11th Street NE, and allowing parking at all times on this block to reduce the road to one lane per direction. This might have saved Ms. Whitfield's life, and is a positive first step, but it is not nearly enough.

Photograph by John Nelson reproduced with permission.

The road is not adequate for growing pedestrian usage

Pedestrian traffic has increased significantly in this area as the NoMa area grows and new attractions such as Union Market open. Florida Avenue is also home to Two Rivers Public Charter School and Gallaudet University. The NoMa-Gallaudet Metro station, which opened in 2004 one block from Florida Avenue, has the fastest growth rate of any in the system.

The sidewalks in many areas, especially on the south side of the street, are often only 2 feet wide. Numerous obstructions such as light poles and sign posts reduce the effective width even further. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) repainted some of the crosswalks in 2011, but this is not as helpful as creating actual ADA-compliant sidewalks with proper widths and ramps.

Photos by Yancey Burns.

For the thousands of students, staff, and visitors to Gallaudet University, the narrow sidewalks are particularly hazardous because it's not possible to communicate in sign language while walking single-file down a narrow sidewalk.

Hansel Bauman, the University's Director of Campus Planning & Design (and a resident of the Trinidad neighborhood) has led an initiative called "DeafSpace" to create architectural design guidelines that quantify ways to enhance communication and livability. It is ironic and sad that the main street to campus does not provide for the needs of their community.

The volume of cars traveling on Florida Avenue NE does not justify the current road configuration, particularly because this street is already narrower for most of its length. DDOT & the Office of Planning have written numerous studies and reports over the past few years that recommend reducing the number of travel lanes and installing wider sidewalks on Florida Avenue.

Most recently, the NoMa Neighborhood Access Study & Transportation Management Plan included this project on its "Immediate Action List" for completion within 24 months. That study was published in early 2010, and to date DDOT has not put forth any preliminary plans or come close to starting construction.

Sam Zimbabwe, DDOT Associate Director for Policy, Planning, and Sustainability, said in an email that DDOT is "starting a planning study from New York to West Virginia with the goal of improving safety and operations, and that will explore the ability to reduce the number of travel lanes."

The planning study won't wrap up until the middle of 2014. Then, if funding is available, DDOT could potentially begin design and construction. However, all of this would take several years. Ms. Whitfield's neighbors and friends, and everyone else who uses this street, should not continue to wait.

24 comments

NOquester

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 08:41:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Though Snowquester didn't amount to much in many areas, there are still some closings and delays. You should also make sure sidewalks are clear of any snow you did get. (DCist, WTOP)

Comment

DDOT sidewalk gap policy has gaps of its own

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:28:00 EDT

by Marlene Berlin

Sidewalks are a network to get us from one place to another, just like roads. But the procedures DDOT uses to identify and fill sidewalk gaps take a piecemeal approach that sets up barriers to completing the network.

Photo by the author.

Currently, DDOT requires that 51% of households on a single block approve the addition of a sidewalk, and that the neighborhood ANC file a corresponding resolution. If we consider sidewalks to be roadways for pedestrians, then we need to treat them as such. The default position should be that neighbors have to put forth the effort to oppose a sidewalk, instead requiring supporters to petition for one.

In other words: If folks wanted a sidewalk, they would contact DDOT, and those who opposed it would have to organize against it. The community would have to jump through fewer hoops to get a sidewalk built.

The DC Council's Priority Sidewalk Assurance Act of 2010 moves us in this direction, but DDOT needs to update its procedures.

Iona's Pedestrian Advocacy Project has studied the issue and has come up with a set of proposed procedures. In addition, we will request that DDOT develop a 5-year plan to fill sidewalk gaps in priority areas throughout the District of Columbia, as part of the agency budget to be presented to the Council during its budget approval process this spring.

Sidewalk gaps shall be filled on both sides of all "main streets," defined as those that have on-going traffic throughout the day and require pedestrians to walk in the street or cross at unsafe locations to a sidewalk.
Sidewalk gaps shall be filled on at least one side of the street on roadways under construction, as specified in Section 2 (a) of the Priority Sidewalk Assurance Act of 2010, and on roadway segments for which residents have petitioned for sidewalks.
Sidewalk gaps shall be filled on at least one side of the street within one-quarter mile of priority areas: schools, recreation and park facilities, and transit stops.
For streets within priority areas not undergoing construction, 75% of residents on a block may petition NOT to have a sidewalk. The ANC for the area shall consider the petition and forward its recommendation to DDOT. DDOT shall determine whether the absence of a sidewalk presents a pedestrian safety issue or conflicts with an ADA requirement that cannot be resolved without a sidewalk.
For those streets that do not have a sidewalk on either side due to engineering issues: If the residents have petitioned for no sidewalks and their request is approved by DDOT, the speed limit on that street will be lowered to 15 MPH.
Residents may submit petitions to the ANC at any time to register their opposition to a sidewalk on their block.
DDOT will notify all residents of these new procedures.
DDOT will keep a record, including the dates, of these petitions on their website for five years, after which they will no longer be in force.
DDOT will update the sidewalk gap map as gaps are filled.

What do you think? You can rate and comment on these procedures on a survey we have set up. Please do so by March 1st, so we can consider your input and include it when the pedestrian advocacy group presents the proposals to DDOT at the end of March.

Cross-posted at Forest Hills Connection.

7 comments

Where in Ward 3 needs sidewalks most? (Jan 31, 2013)
Council approves sidewalk bill with a few amendments (Jun 1, 2010)
Sidewalk Assurance Act going to markup tomorrow (Apr 13, 2010)
DDOT now has a Complete Streets policy (Oct 20, 2010)
Assuring sidewalks vs. assuring good sidewalks (Oct 30, 2008)

Where in Ward 3 needs sidewalks most?

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:07:00 EDT

by Marlene Berlin

Sidewalks are more than a way to get from one place to another on foot. They connect us to our neighbors and neighborhoods. And they become even more crucial as we age.

Children from the Franklin Montessori School enjoy the new sidewalk on Brandywine Street. Photo by George Branyan.

Iona Senior Services has spearheaded a pedestrian advocacy effort to focus on filling priority sidewalk gaps in Ward 3. This effort and has focused on updating the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT)'s 2008 map of sidewalk gaps for Ward 3 and proposing new procedures for closing gaps.

The Priority Sidewalk Assurance Act of 2010, initiated by Councilmember Mary Cheh, establishes routes to schools, recreation and park areas, and transit stops as priority areas for filling in missing sidewalks. And when streets with no sidewalks are due for reconstruction or new curbs and gutters, the law requires building a sidewalk on at least one side.

Sharon Bauer, a former traffic analyst from Austin, Texas, with the assistance of DC Office of Planning, has put in many hours of work to update the DDOT map. She based her changes on the latest Google Street View data. The map includes quarter-mile radius zones (light blue circles) around schools, recreation areas and Metro stops. This is an approximately 5 to 10-minute walk, which we propose as the highest priority areas for filling missing sidewalks.

We have three categories of streets denoted by different colors:

We need your input

If you live, work, or spend time in Ward 3, please download the PDF file of the map and zoom into the areas you are familiar with—your ANC, schools, etc.

Focus particular attention on priority areas—the quarter-mile circles around significant pedestrian features such as schools, Metro stops, rec centers and playgrounds.

Check for inaccuracies on the map, especially the streets marked in RED (no sidewalk on either side) and GREEN (partial sidewalk on one or both sides or difficult to tell).

Then, go to this survey form to provide feedback or recommendations for areas that should receive high priority for sidewalk installation, or in some cases, point out areas where no sidewalk is needed or reasonable. You may also email your feedback to use at info@foresthillsconnection.com.

Cross-posted at Forest Hills Connection.

21 comments

Sidewalk Assurance Act going to markup tomorrow (Apr 13, 2010)
Sidewalks belong everywhere, even where Fenty friends live (Jul 1, 2009)
Assuring sidewalks vs. assuring good sidewalks (Oct 30, 2008)
Missing sidewalks stir debate (Apr 7, 2009)
Speak for sidewalks (Jun 1, 2010)

Chevy Chase sidewalk contentious

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:21:00 EDT

by David Alpert

A proposed Wisconsin Avenue sidewalk in Chevy Chase will affect fewer trees than originally feared, but many residents still can't imagine why anyone would want to use a sidewalk. (Bethesda Now)

Comment

Chevy Chase won't be a historic district (Oct 21, 2008)
Residents support the Purple Line at Bethesda/Chevy Chase hearing (Nov 19, 2008)
Purple Line opposition has "tarnished" the Town of Chevy Chase (Nov 26, 2008)
Silver Spring bike/ped connection nixes trees, ruffles feathers (Mar 10, 2011)
How pedestrians "interfere with traffic" (Feb 28, 2011)

From Russia with civic ambivalence

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 08:26:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

As planners envision a Moscow with wide sidewalks, trams, and neighborhood squares, they also question whether the people of Moscow can cultivate a sense of community to make such changes successful. (Post)

Comment

Capitol Hill may get a town square (Jul 30, 2008)
Families, community, and the West End (Jun 17, 2008)

Work done on Wisconsin

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 08:26:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

DDOT has declared that the Wisconsin Avenue Streetscape Project in Glover Park is "substantially complete". The project widened sidewalks, added a median, and reduced the number of traffic lanes. (Patch)

Comment

Sidewalks, median, and two-way streets among Glover Park recommendations (Nov 23, 2009)
Positive resident activism: C Street, NE (Feb 5, 2009)
Adams Morgan streetscape will make pedestrians welcome (Jul 30, 2009)
Glover Park organizes neighborhood snow shovel team (Jan 20, 2011)
New Hampshire Avenue latest to get 2-way and bike lanes (Aug 30, 2012)

Popular food truck spots in peril

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 08:29:00 EDT

by Thaddeus Bell

Proposed regulations to limit food trucks where sidewalks are narrow could block them in some of the most popular locations. DDOT has promised to grant waivers, but the food truck association is skeptical. (Post)

Comment

Food trucks enhance brick-and-mortar restaurants (Mar 16, 2011)
DDOT anti-curb cut regulation important but needs flexibility (Oct 8, 2008)
Food trucks could fill in retail gaps (Apr 22, 2010)
Parking hall of shame: Truck blocks crosswalk and travel lane (Apr 19, 2010)
Bicyclist killed by garbage truck at 20th & Conn. (Jul 8, 2008)

City Dems, rural GOP?

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 08:15:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

The presence of sidewalks strongly correlates with voting Democratic. But how much longer can Republicans continue to ignore cities? Paul Ryan actually wanted to campaign in cities. (Streetsblog, Atlantic Cities, Next American City)

Comment

Path will be too narrow

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 08:32:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

The Maryland SHA wants to narrow a proposed path on Wisconsin Avenue to 5 feet, even though it is supposed to serve both bikes and pedestrians. The path will also have no buffer along Wisconsin. (Cycle MoCo)

Comment

Silver Spring bike/ped connection nixes trees, ruffles feathers (Mar 10, 2011)
On-street Crescent Trail may be better for bikes and peds (Nov 17, 2011)
Montgomery Planning Board to hear recommendations about Capital Crescent Trail (Nov 16, 2011)
Closed sidewalks force pedestrians into dangerous spots (Aug 3, 2011)
Rather than close Ellsworth Drive, narrow Georgia Avenue (Dec 21, 2010)

And...

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 08:49:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

TBD is no more. (DCist) ... The FHA gave Vienna $800,000 for new sidewalks. (Post) ... Beverley Swaim-Staley will head Union Station. (WBJ, Jaime) ... Giving out free meals violates zoning in a Pennsylvania town. (WFXT)

Comment

Obama supports congestion pricing (Mar 28, 2008)
Cheh, Wells try again to fix snow fines (Jan 4, 2011)
Transit advocates get younger every day (Oct 24, 2008)
GO VOTE (Nov 4, 2008)
Councilmembers who rarely walk block shoveling bill (Feb 7, 2012)

Sidewalks deserve more respect

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:00:00 EDT

by Beth Scott

Walking is an extremely important mode of travel in Washington, DC. Unfortunately, many of the city's sidewalks are unreasonably narrow, too small for more than one or two people to walk along. This forces pedestrians to wait for a chance to pass, or to step into the street. The situation is dangerous, insulting, and above all unnecessary.

A sidewalk in Columbia Heights, narrowed to 2 feet. Photo by beth_in_DC on Flickr.

Sidewalks don't get the respect they deserve. We bicker over the needs of bikers and drivers, but everyone uses sidewalks. Overly narrow walkways throughout the city discourage walking, and tell pedestrians that they aren't being considered.

Narrow sidewalks have real impacts on travel behavior and ease of access. People are less likely to travel on foot when they have to weave around other people, and those in wheelchairs or other devices must cross the street to get past bottlenecks.

There are many causes for these sidewalk traffic jams.

One major cause is simply poor street design that doesn't consider pedestrians' needs. There are countless examples of this throughout the city. In one instance, the sidewalk on the northwest corner of 16th Street and L Street downtown is about the size of a dining room table, which frequently jams up the busy intersection. Another trouble spot is the sidewalk right outside the Cleveland Park Metro, where frequent floods limit the space even further. Another is the sidewalk on Wisconsin Avenue near Brandywine Avenue, where a parking ramp and electrical pole narrow the usable sidewalk to less than 3 feet wide.

Construction is also frequently a problem. When construction crews in need of working space are faced with the choice of temporarily removing one car lane from a street versus removing the sidewalk, the sidewalk is almost always the loser. For example, DC Water will soon remove the sidewalk for a stretch along M Street, SE, in order to maintain a full complement of 4 through lanes for cars.

Other times construction crews will leave a sidewalk open, but narrow an already tight space. That's what is happening now in Columbia Heights, just a block over from the busy DC USA retail complex. Construction tarps have pushed up against a bus shelter, leaving less than 2 feet for pedestrians.

Then there's neglect. The sidewalk along M Street between South Capitol Street and Half Street, SE, is a prime example. As noted by a GGW contributor: "It's super narrow and uneven, studded with signs, and bordered by vacant lots, which are fenced off. I wish the District would use eminent domain to take 6 feet of the vacant lots and widen the sidewalks. It's especially bad before and after Nats games."

To DC's credit, the city has embarked on fairly ambitious sidewalk expansion projects in several places around the city. There's the seemingly never-ending project along 18th Street in Adams Morgan, as well as recent or ongoing work on 17th Street NW, U Street NW, and H Street NE. These are good projects, but they are just a start. We're far from where we need to be.

While it's true that street space is limited and trade-offs are always necessary, sidewalks have been the loser too often, for too long. Recent improvements are good, but as the DC Water example shows, sidewalks are still often treated poorly.

These problems don't happen by accident, but rather through choices that devalue the pedestrian experience. That needs to change.

What sidewalks do you think are too small? Share your experiences and pictures in the comments.

46 comments

U Street's worst pedestrian hazards will soon disappear (Jun 20, 2011)
Closed sidewalks force pedestrians into dangerous spots (Aug 3, 2011)
Missing sidewalks stir debate (Apr 7, 2009)
Too many construction sites close sidewalks without walkway (Apr 12, 2012)
Should DC limit sidewalk cycling in commercial areas? (Feb 28, 2011)

Sidewalk or trees

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 08:21:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

A new sidewalk along Wisconsin Avenue in Chevy Chase would require the removal of 53 trees unless an adjacent country club agrees to give up land for the sidewalk. (Gazette)

Comment

Silver Spring bike/ped connection nixes trees, ruffles feathers (Mar 10, 2011)
Chevy Chase won't be a historic district (Oct 21, 2008)
Design for speed, collect the dough (Feb 12, 2009)
What's up with the Purple Line (Jun 4, 2008)
Stand up for the Purple Line in November (Oct 3, 2008)

More room to eat your jumbo slice

Mon, 14 May 2012 10:45:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Construction is ending for Adams Morgan sidewalks that are now wider and feature new bike racks. Some local businesses worry traffic won't bounce back to what it was before construction. (DCist)

Comment

New Cooke school bike racks too close together, too close to wall (Aug 28, 2009)
Look at those streetcars (Jun 11, 2008)
Champlain St under Marie Reed to reopen with contraflow bike lane (Feb 19, 2009)
Now there's really too much parking at DC USA (Apr 27, 2009)
DC USA: SmartBike yes (eventually), racks in garage no (Aug 25, 2008)

2% is not enough

Thu, 10 May 2012 08:40:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

A recent poll showed 80% of Americans want to increase federal funding for bike and pedestrian infrastructure. But most only favored an increase after being told that only 2% of transportation dollars go to such projects. (TBD)

Comment

AAA more cycle-friendly, except where money is concerned (Sep 27, 2010)
Nobody walks or bikes because there are no paths, so paths are a waste of money (Feb 8, 2009)
Developers should provide sidewalks, not just road capacity (Apr 18, 2012)
Bike news (Jul 3, 2009)
Arlington County installs new bike signal on Custis Trail (May 21, 2011)

Developers should provide sidewalks, not just road capacity

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:29:00 EDT

by Cheryl Cort

Prince George's County, like many other jurisdictions, requires developers to pay for new roads around new buildings, even outside the project's boundaries. But it never requires new sidewalks or bike lanes offsite. A bill in the county council would change that.

Photo by the author.

"The Park at Addison Metro" is a prime example. It's a new development of townhouses that boast a 4-minute walk to the Addison Road Metro station. But to walk to the Metro station, residents must use a poorly-designated crossing to get to a legal sidewalk on the other side of the busy street.

The county required the developer to pay money to add new road capacity around the area, but asked for nothing to improve access for pedestrians.

On April 24, the Prince George's County Council will consider County Bill 2-2012 (CB-2) which would address this glaring oversight. It would let the county require developers to fill in missing pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure around new developments.

Prince George's County has consistently had more pedestrian fatalities than any other jurisdiction in the region or in the state of Maryland. Between 1999 and 2010, Prince George's suffered an average of 25 fatalities per year, far eclipsing the 16 deaths on average in Maryland's second worst county, Baltimore County. Prince George's even has more pedestrian fatalities than the District of Columbia, which has far more pedestrians.

Prince George's planners won't address this problem without a law specifically allowing them to. This proposed bill would give the Planning Board the authority they need.

Councilmembers Mel Franklin (District 9) and Eric Olson (District 3) are leaders on pedestrian safety issues, and proposed CB-2 to help foster more walkable development and improves safety and access.

The bill asks county planners to determine adequate walk and bike facilities for new developments, similar to the current provisions for roads. If the area lacks needed infrastructure, the developer may be required to construct the most critical missing sidewalk or bicycle links.

The bill caps the cost for the developer at a modest 35¢ per square foot of commercial development, and $300 per housing unit. It also only imposes these new rules for developments in the county's designated urban centers and corridors, which are the most conducive to walking and bicycling.

This bill is a reasonable approach to a real problem. It works with developers to produce a better final product, and to reduce the costs of traffic.

Everyone benefits when more people walk and bike instead of drive. The developer can pay for less expensive transportation infrastructure, residents and businesses enjoy better and safer access to nearby destinations, and surrounding communities experience less automobile traffic.

The County Council will conduct a public hearing on the bill on April 24, at 1:30 pm at the County Administration Building in Upper Marlboro. If you live or work in Prince George's County, contact the County Council or speak at the hearing, and urge them to support this bill.

Click here to send the Prince George's County Council an email in support of CB-2.

23 comments

Naylor Road Metro can be safer for pedestrians (Apr 19, 2011)
Jury finds Maryland liable for failing to include a sidewalk (Mar 11, 2011)
Prince George's transportation plan, part 1: More sidewalks, more roads (Jan 30, 2009)
Prince George's developers can still pay to play (Apr 13, 2011)
Maryland road safety head, Post's Halsey blame pedestrians and even Michelle Obama for fatalities (Jan 20, 2011)

Did sidewalks add to Trayvon tragedy?

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:41:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

The design of Sanford, Florida, makes anyone who is walking seem like a suspicious character. With good sidewalks and places to walk, there might have been "eyes on the street" that would have prevented Trayvon Martin's death. (Boston Globe, Ben Ross)

Comment

Arlington's missing sidewalks (Aug 3, 2010)
Walk-up windows are good urbanism (Jan 5, 2012)
Missing sidewalks stir debate (Apr 7, 2009)
Bridge sidewalks need to be plowing priority (Jan 28, 2011)
Closed sidewalks force pedestrians into dangerous spots (Aug 3, 2011)

Too many construction sites close sidewalks without walkway

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:51:00 EDT

by Erik Weber

A DDOT policy requires construction sites to maintain a walkway for pedestrians. But at numerous sites around the city, this doesn't happen. Many construction sites inconvenience and endanger pedestrians, while site developers use former sidewalks as staging areas.

All photos by the author.

DDOT's Pedestrian Safety and Work Zone Standards Order from 2007 states: "Traffic control plans should replicate the existing pedestrian pathway as nearly as practical and that the pedestrian pathway should not be severed or moved for non-construction activities such as parking for vehicles or the storage of materials or equipment."

However, numerous construction sites are not following this policy, and DDOT could do more to enforce it.

Left: A woman and her kids walk in 9th St NW.
Right: People walk in the street at H & 11th Streets.

In the heart of downtown, the CityCenter site has been under construction for over a year. Construction has taken over the sidewalk around more than ¾ of the site, yet only the northern section has any temporary walkway.

On any given day, pedestrians walk along the construction fencing on 9th, 11th, and H Streets, in traffic because they don't want to deal with the hassle and delay of sometimes 4 additional crosswalks to get to their destinations.

Throughout the site excavation, the developer closed all the sidewalks. This happened despite DDOT's policy stating that an open or covered walkway should be provided on the sidewalk if possible, or otherwise in the roadway. Once frame construction begins, which happened recently, the preference then is a covered walkway in the roadway.

At the construction site of the Convention Center hotel a few blocks north, at 9th and Massachusetts NW, the sidewalks there have also been closed for months throughout multiple stages of construction.

On Bladensburg Rd, pedestrians walk in narrow a median because the sidewalk is closed.

The problem is not unique to Northwest. In Northeast, on Bladensburg Road near the "starburst" intersection, the sidewalk is closed for an entire block on the north side, where a new condo development is rising. In Southeast, in the Navy Yard area, sidewalks are closed at 4th Street by the upcoming Boilermaker Shops, and on various blocks around the last phase of EYA's Capitol Quarter townhome development.

Left: Next to the Boilermaker Shops on 4th St SE.
Right: Sidewalks closed for Capitol Quarter construction on L St SE.

In some cases, upon receiving complaints, DDOT has inspected sites like these and then ordered the developer to provide a walkway. This is good, but pedestrian accommodation should not be reactionary. It needs to be a priority in the traffic management and permitting process.

Where sidewalk space is tight, DDOT should show leadership and use road space to create temporary walkways. Pedestrians should not have to bear the sole inconvenience of the construction. Sometimes it means closing a lane of traffic to move the sidewalk (and bike lane where necessary) out from their original location.

Find somewhere else to put the haybales and stop signs.

Stronger policies and enforcement will encourage developers to use their available space to its maximum extent, instead of leaving tools and junk lying around like the picture to the right. If they are forced to get permits for walkways in the roadway, this will also encourage them to bring construction activities back within the parcel envelope as quickly as possible, to the benefit of everyone.

On the northeast corner of the CityCenter site, the developer has managed to preserve close to 100 public parking spaces. In light of this, saying that the sidewalks have to be closed because of space constraints is simply insulting.

Some may say that the inconvenience people on foot face by having to cross the street is minor, and doesn't merit burdening construction planners with stricter requirements and additional safety measures, or potentially inconveniencing drivers by closing a lane of traffic. Yet we impose all kinds of other, more onerous restrictions on developers for far more capricious reasons.

Closing a sidewalk on one side of the street inconveniences pedestrians in the same way that closing a two-way street to one entire direction of traffic would drivers. If I am walking 4 blocks along one side of the street, and the sidewalk is closed for one of them, I have to cross at least two additional times, assuming there are no mid-block alleys, and the intersections are all simple 4-way intersections. This means waiting at least two additional light cycles and walking out of my way.

Many pedestrians choose not to endure the inconvenience, and instead endanger themselves and others by walking in the street rather than crossing.

Only in the rarest of cases are motorists asked to endure months-long closures like this. Why, then do DC's pedestrians have to deal with this every day?

As DC's urban population grows and development activity picks up again, it may be time to revisit the pedestrian accommodation policy. In the meantime, DDOT needs to better use the policy it has in place to keep pedestrians safe.

Where else in the city have builders been allowed to close sidewalks? Post them in the comments.

40 comments

14th and U construction site tests temporary sidewalk policy (Apr 17, 2012)
Silver Spring construction shuts sidewalks, violating policy (Feb 16, 2011)
15th Street sidewalk closure endangers peds and cyclists (Sep 30, 2011)
Closed sidewalks force pedestrians into dangerous spots (Aug 3, 2011)
Pedestrian safety should be paramount at construction sites (Aug 20, 2010)

Councilmembers who rarely walk block shoveling bill

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:27:00 EDT

by David Alpert

8 DC councilmembers tabled a bill this afternoon to enforce DC's law requiring shoveling sidewalks. This means that, for the umpteenth time, DC is doing nothing about the serious safety problem of unshoveled sidewalks after a snowstorm.

Photo by randomduck on Flickr.

Only bill authors Mary Cheh (ward 3) and Tommy Wells (ward 6), joined by David Catania (at-large) and Chairman Kwame Brown, voted against tabling the bill. Phil Mendelson (at-large) sounded like he favored the bill during the debate, but supported the tabling.

Listening to the debate, it was clear that many councilmembers just don't think there is a problem. Marion Barry (ward 8) said he has gotten few or no complaints about unshoveled sidewalks. Muriel Bowser (ward 4) spoke passionately multiple times about the burden on anyone for getting a ticket but said nothing about her residents' ability to walk to stores and the Metro.

Jim Graham also argued against enforcing this law, even though, as Mike DeBonis noted, he represents the (residentially) densest ward in DC. He introduced an amendment that would have restricted fines to only apply on streets which have already been plowed. One of the bill's supporters called the amendment a "poison pill." That sends the ironic message that if drivers can't get through a street, it's not important that pedestrians be able to either.

Kwame Brown, who did support the bill but also supported Graham's amendment, made the amusing comment that Mayor Gray has done a good job with snow clearance this year. We've had only 1.7" of snow this year, compared to an ~~annual average~~ average through January of 8.4" and the lowest in 124 years.

Graham insisted that he wants to do something about shoveling; he just wants to use incentives rather than fines. But he's never given a practical incentive-based proposal.

Many councilmembers opining on this issue would have more credibility if they actually walked to transit to get to work in a snow, or for that matter any other time.

During the years he chaired the council's transportation committee and sat on the WMATA Board, Graham came under periodic criticism for very rarely riding transit. He stuck up for low bus fares, but never addressed the problem of unsafe sidewalks after storm. Graham even bragged during today's debate about not moving bills like this one during his tenure as chairman.

Large numbers of DC residents have to get to work or school on foot and on transit after snowstorms, and unshoveled areas create serious safety hazards. Sidewalks are often completely impassable for people with disabilities or even just temporary injuries.

DC already has a law that residents and businesses have to clear their sidewalks, but it's not enforceable. The government has clear the sidewalk and then sue individual violators to collect up to $25. This bill simply makes the penalty for violating this law a straightforward ticket and fine, just like in most cities including Arlington, Alexandria and Montgomery County.

Cheh made many changes to the bill during the last few months to cut the fines even further from the original proposal, put in exemptions for poor and elderly residents, and more. Property owners get a warning before having to pay any fine until the end of 2013.

It's not clear if this law does enough to push the egregious violators, like the large parking lot in Mount Vernon Triangle, to actually take any action, but a majority of councilmembers have made clear that they don't really care to do anything about those problems.

The bill wouldn't have even taken effect until next winter. Now, we're likely to have to wait until yet another winter. If we get a real snow this year, will the councilmembers who voted to table this bill today try walking their neighborhoods and getting to work on foot or by transit? If they did, they'd very likely look at this issue very differently.

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