Traffic Calming - Greater Greater Washington

Georgetowners seek to overturn Glover Park traffic calming

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:18:00 EDT

Upset Georgetown residents are challenging a 2012 traffic calming project in Glover Park. They say it has lengthened their car commutes through that adjacent neighborhood. Monday, these residents will air their frustrations at an extraordinary Georgetown ANC meeting with Councilmembers Jack Evans and Mary Cheh and DDOT Director Terry Bellamy.

New left-turn lanes in Glover Park. Photo from DDOT.

The idea for traffic calming project began years ago. The Glover Park ANC, after hearing constituents bemoan the state of retail in Glover Park, complained to the city about their commercial district's struggles.

The Office of Planning studied the area in 2006. That report found that cars speed through Glover Park, particularly going downhill on Wisconsin, which makes it dangerous to the pedestrians who patronize Glover Park businesses.

2-3 pedestrians are struck each year on Wisconsin Avenue in Glover Park. In fact, after a driver hit a Georgetown woman and her dog in Glover Park, commissioner Ed Solomon of the Georgetown ANC said, "I would hope that this accident would result in a comprehensive review on the safety concerns that this community has about this section of Wisconsin Avenue."

It's precisely this hostile pedestrian environment, concluded the Office of Planning, that reduces pedestrian traffic to retailers in Glover Park.

DDOT concludes median could reduce congestion and boost pedestrian safety

The Glover Park ANC then asked DDOT in 2009 for a follow-up study about making Glover Park more welcoming for pedestrians. DDOT collected tons of data on traffic at all times of day and days of the week, and reached some interesting conclusions.

The data showed that Wisconsin Avenue in Glover Park actually suffers from both congestion and speeding, due to the many left turns. When drivers are turning left they block the lanes and cause congestion; when they don't, people speed and pedestrians are at risk.

DDOT's engineering models showed that adding a middle left-turn lane would both reduce congestion and also speeding. It would calm traffic (with a single through lane) and eliminate left-turn lane blocking (with the turn lane). The models estimated that the project would not change the time to drive though Glover Park.

Officals presented these results at numerous public meetings. Anyone who was remotely involved in civic affairs by reading public meeting notices, attending ANC meetings, or talking to their ANC commissioners knew about it.

Changes aren't complete

DDOT then began the construction, and some residents in Glover Park and Georgetown complained about traffic spilling over into adjacent neighborhood streets. That was a legitimate complaint, and there is a poorly-designed intersection at 37th & Tunlaw that invites drivers to cut through adjacent neighborhood streets.

Fortunately, DDOT's study had a recommendation for that. It suggested reconfiguring 37th and Tunlaw to calm traffic and reduce cut-through traffic. That project is not done yet; it's scheduled to be completed in March.

The construction on Wisconsin, however, largely finished early this year, but the center median containing the left-turn lanes is only painted for now. That's because DDOT is spending a year measuring the results and tweaking different things like light timing, enforcement, and so on.

Changes already help some pedestrians, frustrate some drivers

Pedestrians are already feeling the benefits. It's far less stressful crossing and walking along Wisconsin Avenue. Families with children in particular report less anxiety about walking around Glover Park to popular destinations like the Guy Mason playground and area restaurants.

When the year of tweaks and study ends, DDOT will replace the painted medians between the left-turn areas with raised medians. This will be even better for pedestrian activity, because crossing Wisconsin Avenue will be safer and less threatening with a central raised median.

However, a vocal minority of drivers who prioritize a few seconds of driving time over pedestrian safety have won their first battle to reverse this project. They have secured an audience with two Councilmembers and the DDOT Director at Monday's Georgetown ANC meeting.

DDOT Program Manager Paul Hoffman says that "early returns" of data collection indicate that through time is the same for drivers headed north through Glover Park, but 30 seconds longer on average going south.

If the opponents are successful in repaving Wisconsin Avenue to add the lost through lanes, DC will not only have to pay for the repaving. We will have to pay the federal government back for the money it contributed to the project.

Use the form below and attend Monday's meeting to ask the councilmembers and Georgetown ANC commissioners to give the Glover Park traffic calming project time to succeed. The ANC meeting takes place on Monday, March 4, 6:30 pm at Georgetown Visitation School on 35th Street and Volta Place. The meeting is on the 2nd floor of the main building, in the Heritage Room.

54 comments

Invest in transportation to enhance places, not bypass them

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 10:26:00 EDT

by Neil Paradise

Should the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) use its scarce transportation resources to bypass cities to relieve congestion? Or should VDOT invest in main street infrastructure that increases safety, preserves historic streetfronts, and grows local economies?

Gilbert's Corner roundabouts. Image from VDOT.

Panelists at the the Virginia Conservation Network's 2012 Virginia Environmental Assembly argued that more state transportation dollars should flow to making existing roads work better, rather than building new ones.

Chris Miller, President of the Piedmont Environmental Council, described how citizen activism reshaped VDOT planning for a historic segment of Route 50 passing Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville, VA, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. VDOT came up with the conventional solution: expand the road into a 4-lane, divided highway with bypasses around the small towns.

The citizens, however, had another vision: an innovative "traffic calming" plan that would address the problems on the roadway while promoting local business and protecting the rural and historic character of the area.

One of the most innovative sections of their approach design is a network of roundabouts replacing the conventional signalized intersection at the junction of Routes 50 and 15, said Miller. VDOT has been convinced, has already completed a of roundabouts at Gilbert's Corner, at the intersection of Route 50 and Route 15. The agency will finish 3 other traffic calming projects in the area in the next few years.

Gilbert's Corner roundabouts. Image from VDOT.

The roundabouts also cost considerably less than the bypass idea. The plan, which has improved levels of service on Route 50 from D and E to A and B, cost around $17 million dollars. This is a fraction of the $450 million VDOT estimated for their original plan.

The state should take care to consider how to adopt this model to transportation challenges that it now tries to solves with expensive major projects, including a $250 million bypass for Route 29 near Charlottesville. That project has drawn criticism for its projected environmental impact, said Jim Bacon, who blogs at Bacon's Rebellion.

State Senator Barbara Favola pointed out that by 2017, there will be no construction dollars remaining in the state of Virginia's transportation budget. As transportation challenges mount, Bacon emphasized, the state needs to seek the best return on investment (broadly defined) for the transportation dollar.

One of the best returns would be great investing in smart growth. Northern Virginia contributes 44% of the state's funding, while receiving only 7% of the state transportation pot, said Favola. Despite this, cities like Arlington have led the way with linked transportation and development planning and the provision of effective multimodal service, all paid for overwhelmingly by local funds.

VDOT should view the progress made in Northern Virginia as a model, not an outlier. Virginia can invest in a handful of major transportation projects, or it can invest in smart growth. It can't do both.

21 comments

Loudoun blindly pushing massive, senseless road widenings (May 19, 2010)
Virginians: Ask your reps to oppose bad highway bills (Jan 20, 2011)
Maryland and Virginia trade places (Dec 19, 2008)
The zombie outer beltway returns (Aug 5, 2011)
Highway would fuel sprawl, pave over history at Manassas (Sep 6, 2012)

New York streets get more dangerous

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 08:16:00 EDT

by Thaddeus Bell

New York City experienced a rise in traffic fatalities over the past year, after years where new traffic policies were accompanied by falling traffic deaths. (NYT)

Comment

Traffic fatalities at historic low, but there's more to the story (Sep 14, 2010)
Term limits are a dangerous policy (Apr 6, 2011)
Quantitatively compare New York neighborhoods (Apr 12, 2010)
Weekend video: Complete streets mean more than bike lanes (May 14, 2011)
Map shows the consequences of our automobile addiction (Nov 23, 2011)

New Jersey Avenue will become 2-way with bike lanes

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 15:10:00 EDT

by Geoff Hatchard

Much of New Jersey Avenue NW through the Mount Vernon Triangle area has essentially been a one-way off-ramp for I-395 for years. DDOT wants to turn this broad avenue back into a 2-way neighborhood street, add bicycle lanes, and have the bike lanes cross the intersection in a way that would be new to DC but is common in the Netherlands.

Photo by thisisbossi on Flickr.

Currently, New Jersey Avenue NW is a 2-way street north of New York Avenue and south of I Street. In between, it's one-way northbound. Traffic getting off I-395 north at Massachusetts Avenue takes 2nd Street NW to New Jersey Avenue, which has 4 northbound lanes at I Street.

Drivers then race far above the speed limit to try to make it through the traffic light at New York Avenue, either continuing north into Shaw or turning right to get onto New York Avenue eastbound. Since MPD added a speed camera on 395, some cars use New Jersey Avenue as a de facto replacement for the interstate highway to avoid tickets.

As part of the Mount Vernon Triangle Action Agenda, DDOT is returning some 1-way streets in the neighborhood to 2-way. As new businesses and residents move into the neighborhood, the city wants to make the streets safer for all modes, instead of just being extended on- and off-ramps for the interstate highway stub.

Since 2006, DC has done this on the 400 block of L Street NW and 4th Street between L and Massachusetts. New Jersey Avenue is the next road in the neighborhood to get the two-way treatment, and the intersection with New York Avenue is the trickiest part of that project.

Proposed design includes 2-way traffic and bike lanes

As part of the presentation last Wednesday, the traffic engineers who have been working with DDOT presented 3 plans for that busy corner. The first plan did not include dedicated space for cyclists, but bike lanes were added to produce the third plan, DDOT's preferred choice.

The second plan, which was produced in-house by DDOT, essentially added slip lanes to all four corners of the intersection. This plan, which thankfully appears to have been thoroughly rejected, would have sacrificed pedestrian and cyclist safety in favor of moving automobiles through the intersection as quickly as possible.

Two additional benefits of this project are more usable park space and fewer traffic lights. The short stretch of 3rd Street between New York Avenue and M Street will be closed, allowing the small open space nearby to become a larger park. In addition, there will no longer be traffic signals at 3rd and New York, reducing confusion at a point where traffic lights are less than 100 feet apart on one stretch of a major road.

DDOT suggests different bike lane arrangement

The project team further refined the 3rd plan to add in a bike lane configuration new to DC, where the bike lanes follow the curb at intersections and bicyclists cross near the crosswalks. DDOT is proposing this at the 2 busiest intersections, New York Avenue and K Street.

Proposed bicycle lane arrangement in the intersection.

WashCycle pointed out this video, which describes this type of bike lane arrangement and why it could be safer and better than the classic setup. The video says that the Dutch have stopped building bike lanes that continue straight through in favor of this configuration.

At a meeting last week where DDOT presented the plan, some people worried that the small islands that would separate the bike lanes from automobile lanes at these corners would make it difficult to plow in the winter or utilize street sweepers in the warmer months.

Here's a map of the final recommended alternative.

53 comments

DDOT may restore two-way traffic on 15th Street (Jan 10, 2008)
Support two-way 15th Street today (Jun 19, 2008)
DDOT proposes new option with cycle track for 15th Street (Nov 10, 2008)
DDOT to start 15th Street contraflow bike lane next week (Oct 23, 2009)
Pennsylvania Avenue cycle track slated for May (Mar 10, 2010)

Montgomery's fake cul-de-sacs don't solve traffic woes

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:56:00 EDT

by Dan Reed

Concerned about through traffic, many neighborhoods in Montgomery County have closed off their once-connected streets. But the costs of a quiet street might outweigh the benefits.

Sign on Ellsworth Drive outside downtown Silver Spring. Photo by the author.

Montgomery County neighborhoods, like many in North America, generally fall into two categories: those with cul-de-sacs, and those without. Before World War II, and for a little while afterwards, neighborhoods in Montgomery were built with streets in a grid, or at least in a connected network. As cars became more popular, these streets often became noisy and congested, so planners came up with an alternative.

With support from the Federal Housing Administration and prevailing design trends that turned their back on traditional urban street patterns, builders nationwide switched to cul-de-sacs. As a result, most Montgomery neighborhoods built since then have them. Just look at a map of the county and you can pick out older, gridded communities like Bethesda from newer ones with loopy, disconnected streets, like Germantown.

Disconnected cul-de-sacs in Germantown force everyone to use collector roads. Photo by Evan Glass.

Gridded streets in King Farm disperse traffic throughout the neighborhood. Photo by Evan Glass.

Of course, cul-de-sacs weren't the traffic panacea 20th-century planners thought they were, and there's since been a growing backlash against them. In some newer neighborhoods like Poplar Run in Glenmont, they're few and far between; in others, like Kentlands in Gaithersburg or King Farm in Rockville, they've been all but banished.

We've returned to appreciating a connected street network, which can diffuse congestion and make walking, biking and even driving safer and easier. They're also cheaper to maintain and easier for emergency vehicles to navigate, which are two of the reasons why Virginia banned cul-de-sacs in 2009.

Yet in many of Montgomery's oldest neighborhoods, which were built with grids to begin with, the cul-de-sac mindset remains. Prodded by residents sick of speeding drivers on their neighborhood streets, the county's Department of Transportation has found ways to keep through traffic at bay using a kind of "fake" cul-de-sac.

Sometimes, they'll restrict turns from arterial streets or ban cars from entering certain streets at rush hour. Occasionally, they'll take more drastic measures and cut off a through-street entirely, like Ellsworth Drive near downtown Silver Spring.

If you live on a street like Ellsworth, you're probably not complaining. You get all of the benefits of living next to one of the region's biggest jobs, shopping and entertainment districts, while enjoying quiet, peaceful streets undisturbed by people from outside the neighborhood.

Less amused, however, are your neighbors on adjacent streets, like Colesville Road, Wayne Avenue or Georgia Avenue, that have to pick up the slack. Breaking up the street grid means more local trips end up on what through streets remain, making them more congested.

Studies show that residents living on busy streets are not only exposed to higher pollution levels, but they have fewer friends and a weakened sense of community.

Cutting off through-streets in Silver Spring forces all traffic onto streets like Georgia Avenue, making them a barrier between neighborhoods. Photo by the author.

Sometimes access restrictions displace car traffic to another neighborhood entirely. In 2010, the Sligo Park Hills community in Silver Spring asked the county to restrict rush-hour commuters from using several streets there.

Neighbors in adjacent Takoma Park worried it would just send cars their way. "We will be impacted by moving your traffic over to us, and your neighborhood is no more important, your kids are no important and your convenience is no more important [than our own]," said Takoma Park resident Ellen Zavian.

However, one Sligo Park Hills resident was so tired of drivers using his street that he threatened violence against them. "If you guys drive through my neighborhood in the early morning hours and I perceive you to be a threat, I'm going to start walking around with a rock in my hand," Sean Gibbons told the Gazette.

As a result, the City of Takoma Park implemented their own traffic restrictions later that year. Mayor Bruce Williams said that if they didn't, they would "be essentially saying 'okay take all that traffic and send it through Mississippi Avenue and Ritchie Avenue."

We can't fault people for wanting to live on a safe, quiet street, but the streets in neighborhoods like Sligo Park Hills are owned by Montgomery County, meaning that all Montgomery County residents pay taxes to maintain them, and have a right to use them. Besides, telling drivers they can't use your street does nothing to solve the larger traffic problem.

If we're trying to discourage folks from driving through certain neighborhoods, we might as well finish the job and make it easier for them and the people living in these neighborhoods to get around without a car.

While Montgomery's older communities were built with interconnected streets, they didn't have sidewalks. Many residents want to keep it that way. However, the best way to reduce car traffic, at least for shorter trips, is to make it easier and safer to bike or walk. Many of the neighborhoods that currently have traffic restrictions are already within a short walk or bike ride of major shopping areas, job centers and public transit. If more people are out biking and walking on local streets, it'll be a cue that drivers should slow down.

Sidewalks are a start, though Montgomery County planners have also explored striping a "pedestrian lane" on streets where sidewalks are either impractical or too costly. While we're at it, we could stripe some more bike lanes as well.

Bike Boulevard in Berkeley, California. Photo by Artbandito on Flickr.

Or we could turn streets like Ellsworth Drive into "neighborhood greenways," also known as "bike boulevards," designed to give people on foot or bike priority over drivers. That's sort of what currently exists on Second Avenue between 16th and Spring streets in Silver Spring, which allows bikes and buses during rush hour, but not cars. And if we're going to turn a street into a dead-end, we should at least make it passable for pedestrians and bicyclists, like on Middleton Lane near downtown Bethesda.

A well-connected street network has many potential benefits: better access to local amenities, diffused traffic congestion, and even stronger social ties. The best way to reduce congestion on little streets and big streets alike is to give people choices, whether it's multiple routes for driving, the option of taking transit, or the ability to safely get around by foot or bike.

While residents shouldn't have to worry about speeding drivers or heavy traffic on small neighborhood streets, closing off public streets isn't a real solution.

46 comments

Food trucks enhance brick-and-mortar restaurants (Mar 16, 2011)
Rather than close Ellsworth Drive, narrow Georgia Avenue (Dec 21, 2010)
Closed sidewalks force pedestrians into dangerous spots (Aug 3, 2011)
On-street Crescent Trail may be better for bikes and peds (Nov 17, 2011)
New York, San Francisco "instant plazas" could inspire East Silver Spring (May 28, 2009)

Residents made traffic safer

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 08:45:00 EDT

by Christopher Honey

Residents concerned about traffic and speeding in Arlington's Williamsburg neighborhood worked to create a plan and got it passed. Now a 4-lane road will become 2 with a median and bike lanes. (Post, HStreetLL)

Comment

Residents sound off about East Falls Church redevelopment (May 5, 2010)
DDOT may restore two-way traffic on 15th Street (Jan 10, 2008)
Cheh wants to restore "professionalism" in traffic calming (Oct 7, 2009)
What's the longest street in DC with no traffic control? (May 18, 2011)
North Capitol: Competing visions for handling traffic (Dec 19, 2007)

Main drag a drag

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:45:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

College Park has the density to support many establishments but Route 1's lack of walkability severely limits businesses. Traffic calming and wider sidewalks could help make Route 1 a real main street. (Rethink College Park)

Comment

Improved access to Cafritz development is a step forward (Sep 27, 2011)
Imagine a College Park/University of Maryland arboretum (Feb 24, 2011)
Hyattsville approves sidewalks over objections (Jul 22, 2008)
Walk-up windows are good urbanism (Jan 5, 2012)
Arbitrary parking ratios at work at UMD (Jul 23, 2008)

Slow is the future

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:12:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Many cities (including DC) are considering lowering speed limits because of streetcars, bicycling, and more pedestrian activity. Though pavement design can often do more to slow traffic. (Salon, RPUS)

Comment

Speed limits don't match road designs (Mar 23, 2009)
Klingle: Even more cars in Rock Creek? (Mar 25, 2008)
That parking the Nats couldn't live without? Never mind. (Apr 22, 2008)
Banishing buses to L'Enfant (Jun 18, 2008)
More people walking, biking, riding the bus to Metro stations (Jun 5, 2009)

Georgetown ok with Glover Park streetscape

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:13:00 EDT

by David Alpert

A Georgetown ANC commissioner wanted to block the Glover Park streetscape plan, which features sidewalks and a median to slow traffic. He feared reducing car speeds would push traffic to side streets. The commission ultimately decided to support the plan. (Georgetown Metropolitan, Patch)

Comment

Slower speeds safer, but practical?

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:48:00 EDT

by David Alpert

15-mph speeds on residential streets save lives in when crashes happen, but are hard on automatic transmissions. How about redesigning streets with lower design speeds? (TheWashCycle)

Comment

Calm circles for Arlington?

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 12:59:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Arlington will vote today on 3 roundabouts for traffic calming. One opposed resident says drivers shouldn't be "punished" for 5% of speeders, though county data show it's actually 48% who speed. (ARLnow)

Comment

Virginia Republican pursuing vendetta against Arlington for not wanting to be a "giant interchange" (Jan 25, 2011)
Arlington plans bike boulevards near Columbia Pike (Jun 22, 2011)
Arlington wants your help counting bikes and pedestrians (Apr 29, 2009)
Arlington right to close slip lane in Arlington Ridge (Aug 8, 2011)
Residents sound off about East Falls Church redevelopment (May 5, 2010)

Arlington right to close slip lane in Arlington Ridge

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:40:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Arlington wants to fix a pedestrian safety flaw and slow traffic in the Arlington Ridge neighborhood. But a group of vocal neighbors is loudly protesting the move, arguing it's worse for safety and claiming Arlington didn't listen to their concerns.

Looking east on S. Meade St. toward slip lane and Arlington Ridge Rd. Photo by the author.

But while the safety claim might be heartfelt, the change makes complete sense for safety. As for the process argument, opponents seem to misunderstand the "Arlington Way."

Staff used the gold standard for public input on this project, even if they ultimately disagree with the critics. They deserve strong support both because it's a good project, and also because good process deserves positive reinforcement.

The most controversial issue involves a "slip lane," where a very short one-way road segment cuts off a corner. Right now, drivers heading south on Arlington Ridge Road can make a slight right turn onto South Meade Street, while anyone going from Meade to Arlington Ridge or coming from the other direction has to turn at a 90° T-intersection.

Changes on Arlington Ridge Road. North is to the right. S. Meade Street is at the far left; the slip lane crosses the large green areas in the drawing. Image from Arlington County.

Arlington plans to close that slip lane and have the southbound Arlington Ridge to Meade cars also make the 90° turn. They also plan to widen sidewalks and eliminate a place where buses pull out of traffic at a stop.

There are several good reasons for this. The Arlington Ridge Citizens' Association (ARCA) has been long asking the county to slow traffic. They want Arlington Ridge Street and 23rd Street South to serve more as neighborhood streets than as major commuter through routes between I-395 and places like Crystal City.

Pedestrians walking along Arlington Ridge, including children walking to the nearby school, have to leave the side of the road to cross South Meade west of the slip lane. That's a more lengthy path, and in reality, many don't take it. But crossing right where the slip lane meets Arlington Ridge isn't so safe, since there isn't a crosswalk or even a sidewalk, and drivers aren't expecting people to cross.

The other nearby side streets meet Arlington Ridge at a T. Why not this one? Opponents say that because Arlington Ridge starts a long downhill slope here, drivers won't see someone who's stopped to make the turn, especially if a driver is distracted or in bad weather.

Collisions are always a danger of distracted driving or bad weather, but slowing traffic reduces, not increases, the likelihood and also means those collisions that do happen are less likely to cause serious injury or death.

I drove over to the area Friday during the evening rush to check it out in person. From the light at South 23rd Street, at the the top of the hill, the entire intersection is easily visible from even a smaller car. A driver coming down the hill will see another car at the corner with plenty of time.

In fact, as an experiment, I tried turning several times from Arlington Ridge onto South Meade but not using the slip lane—the way drivers will once the change is finished. As I was slowing and stopping at the corner, cars coming down the hill started braking long before.

The intersection is visible from a long distance. Photo from Google Street View.

Opponents also claim that Arlington is ignoring their input, and even got an Examiner article with the headline, "Neighbors feel left out as Arlington zooms forward with street project."

The critics say,

The citizens are standing up for an honest, open and constructive dialogue. So far, the County has largely ignored our input. This is happening in Arlington (VA) County that is a home for the well-known "Arlington Way", which is nationally acclaimed as a model example of collaboration and planning between citizens and government. There are obvious issues with this project and the implementation of the "Arlington Way" in reality.

This resembles the arguments we've been hearing for years about DC's zoning rewrite. Despite holding more than 100 public meetings and responding quickly to questions sent via email, critics of the zoning update say that OP has not been listening.

What is the "Arlington Way"? A quick Google search turns up a few descriptions:

Alice Marshall: "The Arlington Way refers to Arlington's unique political culture that places great emphasis on citizen input and participation. No decision can be made without consulting all stakeholders."
Ron Carlee to SharonTB: "Each person has a chance to be heard."
Stephen Davis: "The County places great emphasis on citizen input and participation. All the stakeholders are brought to the table, and Arlington residents are very active in the public process and making their voices heard."

Arlington appears to have listened very closely. In multiple letters, they detail specific changes they made to the plan based on resident comments.

County officials brought the plan to ARCA, the area citizens' association, in September 2010—11 months earlier. ARCA signed off on the plan. Only later, after some neighbors brought up complaints, did they change their view. Arlington has been discussing the issues with opponents for 3 months.

Lawn sign in the area. Closing the slip lane won't push traffic into the neighborhood. Among other reasons, it's not even possible to cut through this neighborhood given the road connectivity. Photo by the author.

Listening does not mean agreeing. The Arlington Way means everyone can be heard, not that nothing can ever happen unless everyone agrees. The county has clearly listened and even made many changes.

I've long pushed regional transportation officials to share their plans and listen to input. Some transportation professionals (outside Arlington) have expressed a worry that if they give more opportunities for input, it will simply bring out more opposition. Or, some say, if they conduct public meetings, will they have to take the recommendation of the majority of those participating?

These are not reasons to forgo public input. A government agency needs to tell residents what it plans, and give them the chance to weigh in. Officials should seriously listen to concerns rather than just nodding politely and disregarding everything they hear. But then, it also needs to make a decision based on the available information and move forward.

Setting clear policies is another way to address this. Rather than turning every project into a battle, an agency can set overarching guidelines with public input. DC's sidewalk policy, for instance, is a good example, and it was most frustrating when Mayor Fenty simply overruled that policy in a few cases. Arlington has developed policies around slip lanes and pedestrian safety, and those policies support this change.

If an agency collects more public input, and sets clear policies and follows them, does that make it easier or harder to follow through projects? Should transportation officials conclude that, actually, all this input is really a bad idea and try instead to hide plans from the public until the last minute?

The response of elected officials is key. The Arlington County Board has held firm in their support for this plan. That sends a clear message that whether on DC's zoning rewrite or on Arlington's slip lanes, when public officials follow a good public input process and follow their policies, it might not blunt the criticism from the most vehement opponents or avoid sensationalistic Examiner headlines, but it does secure political support.

Residents of Arlington should thank their board members for sticking with this project. Even if they never drive, walk, or bike in this area, it strengthens the case for good public input and policies on other projects in the future.

17 comments

DDOT completes temporary bulb-outs at 15th and W (Jul 16, 2009)
Envisioning Crystal City as part of a larger community (Jun 4, 2009)
Support two-way 15th Street today (Jun 19, 2008)
Arlington plans bike boulevards near Columbia Pike (Jun 22, 2011)
Arlington rental proposal brings out immigrant phobia (May 14, 2008)

What's the longest street in DC with no traffic control?

Wed, 18 May 2011 08:16:00 EDT

by Geoff Hatchard

West Virginia Avenue forms the boundary between Gallaudet University and Trinidad. A fence lines the university property, making diffusion between the school and the neighborhood difficult. Were it not there, crossing West Virginia Avenue would still be very difficult, because traffic doesn't have to stop anywhere along this boundary.

Photo by Daquella manera on Flickr.

The road is often busy with Maryland commuters heading to and from Capitol Hill and downtown, buses coming from and going to the Bladensburg Road bus garage, and municipal vehicles coming from the DPW garages north of the neighborhood.

Neighborhood traffic looking to leave the neighborhood often has to wait a long time for a break in the traffic, and cyclists run the risk of riding on a street, though designated as a bicycle route, full of large trucks and buses doing well over the 25 mph speed limit.

It made me wonder if there was any place in DC other than freeways, parkways, and other limited access roads like Military Road or North Capitol Street north of Michigan Avenue, where traffic has such a long stretch without having to worry about stop signs, traffic lights, or even yield signs. Here's what I found:

Image from Google Maps. Click for interactive version.

The only stretches longer than West Virginia Avenue (between Florida Avenue and Mount Olivet Road) that I found are on Massachusetts Avenue SE (east of Randle Circle), Ridge Road SE (along Fort Dupont Park), and Hayes Street/Jay Street NE (around the Mayfair neighborhood).

All of these examples are streets that lie between a neighborhood and adjacent institutional land, whether a park or a school. West Virginia Avenue is unique among the four in that it is the only one to border a gridded neighborhood.

I'm currently participating in the Ivy City and Trinidad Neighborhood Stabilization Initiative, which is looking to leverage grant money for better housing, neighborhood services, business development, and greening in the neighborhoods. At one of the meetings, participants brought up the dangerous nature of West Virginia Avenue, and some of us recommended traffic calming (preferably some stop signs) along the road to slow traffic and create breaks and give cars on neighborhood streets a better chance to exit Trinidad. With the potential for increased connectivity between Gallaudet University that was also discussed, traffic calming will be a necessity so cyclists and pedestrians can safely get from homes in the neighborhood to classes and jobs at the school.

Can you think of any longer stretches of city street in DC where traffic doesn't have to worry about pedestrians legally crossing the street or having to slow down for a traffic light or sign? If so, please, describe them in the comments.

68 comments

Positive resident activism: C Street, NE (Feb 5, 2009)
Choose bike boulevards over bike lanes around H Street, NE (Dec 14, 2010)
Georgetown's Wisconsin Avenue needs an overhaul (Sep 29, 2010)
Get rid of NY Ave's freeway signs (Dec 8, 2008)
DDOT may restore two-way traffic on 15th Street (Jan 10, 2008)

Gene Weingarten is right: M Street SE is too wide

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 11:47:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Washington Post columnist Gene Weingarten is the latest commentator-driver to be angered by speed cameras in DC. Weingarten says M Street SE's 25-mph speed limit doesn't match its 6-lane highway form, and he's absolutely right. That's why M Street needs to be redesigned.

Photo by Pak Gwei on Flickr.

Weingarten complained this morning about getting two tickets, for $125 each, for speeding on M Street SE en route to buy seafood at the waterfront.

He writes that trying to obey the speed limit is "unnatural and frustrating, like trying to type with mittens." He also employs his clever wit to formulate new digs at speed cameras, like comparisons with Soviet Communism and claims they "extort money from drivers having the audacity to travel city roads at the speed of—this is literally true—a hippopotamus, running."

Weingarten is absolutely right about one thing. M Street SE's design is totally incompatible with the 25-mph speed limit. At three lanes each way, it's far too wide.

The limit was lowered to 25 mph last year in response to a series of pedestrians—this is literally true—getting ~~killed~~ hit crossing the street at New Jersey Ave and M St, SE, ironically right in front of the headquarters of the US Department of Transportation. That's also why the camera is there, not to entrap drivers but to actually get them to slow down.

Update: In fact, minutes after this article first ran, DC Fire and EMS tweeted about a pedestrian being struck on the 500 block of M Street, SE—on this very road we are discussing.

This road, heavily used by pedestrians traveling around the neighborhood or going to and from the Metro, should be more of a neighborhood main street than a high-speed raceway to bypass the SE-SW freeway. But years ago, traffic engineers using the "move traffic as fast as possible" mindset built the road as a raceway anyway.

Just two lanes each way would be sufficient for the traffic volume west of South Capitol, and one lane each way on the east, according to DDOT metrics. If the road is 50% to 200% too wide for the traffic, no wonder Weingarten thinks of hippopotami when he drives there.

The solution is to redesign the road. If it feels like typing with mittens, make it a touch-screen iPad instead where you don't need to type so much. Fortunately, a well-respected road design firm, Toole Design, already analyzed this road for us.

Concept sketch for M Street. Photo by volcrano of diagram by Toole Design.

Toole's plan would give M Street a "road diet" from 3 lanes each way to two. A narrow median would go in the center to create small pedestrian refuges, and each side would get cycle tracks.

Tommy Wells tried to promote this idea, but a few of the very residents of the Southwest Waterfront and Near Southeast whose walks to the store would become safer objected. Opponents focused on some elements of the plan that would encourage cycling, while giving short shrift to its pedestrian enhancements.

Meanwhile, however, David Garber won election to the ANC for 6D07, which encompasses all of M Street SE, and Grace Daughtridge, one of the most strident critics of the plan (who claimed neighbors were "bad parents" for biking with their kids to school or the store) lost a bid for an ANC seat in Southwest.

Maybe it's time for the ANC to take another look at this plan, especially if the commissioner for the eastern half will support the concept. Not only can it make the neighborhood safer and more pleasant for residents, it could help Gene Weingarten drive slower and feel better doing it.

74 comments

Outrage against enforcement is unsafe at any speed (Sep 22, 2009)
Support two-way 15th Street today (Jun 19, 2008)
Design for speed, collect the dough (Feb 12, 2009)
Plans envision "green street" for C Street, NE (Mar 9, 2010)
Wells wants to "complete" M Street SE/SW with cycle tracks (Mar 10, 2010)

And...

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:18:00 EDT

by David Alpert

A New York police officer yelled "why the f*** are you biking?" and assaulted a cyclist (The L) ... A study suggests trees can slow traffic as much as speed cameras (Telegraph) ... San Diego passed a performance parking plan. (10 News, Michael P)

Comment

Bus driver assaults cyclist, MPD uninterested (Mar 4, 2009)
Design for speed, collect the dough (Feb 12, 2009)
Arlington may measure parking occupancy with cameras (Mar 3, 2011)
Chicago trains officers on cycling laws (Sep 12, 2009)
Distribute enforcement camera money to residents, Alaska-style (Dec 9, 2009)

Arlington rejects design by fire truck

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:42:00 EDT

by Erik Weber

The Arlington County Board is pushing back against removing parking on one side of a narrow street. It would speed fire trucks once in a while, but also speed other traffic and take away parking. (ARLnow)

Comment

Arlington meters should run after dark (Nov 2, 2010)
Virginia Republican pursuing vendetta against Arlington for not wanting to be a "giant interchange" (Jan 25, 2011)
Last call for comments on Arlington parking, K Street (Oct 30, 2009)
Arlington plans performance parking pilot, other progressive parking policies (Sep 30, 2009)
Arlington planning changes, 1960s to 1970s (Nov 11, 2010)

Choose bike boulevards over bike lanes around H Street, NE

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:42:00 EDT

by Stephen Miller

The 2005 Bicycle Master Plan includes bike lanes on streets parallel to H Street NE, but bike lanes aren't always the best approach. In this neighborhood, bike boulevards would help bicyclists while creating more obvious benefits for all neighborhood residents as well.

Photo by Full-Time Lover on Flickr.

A "bike boulevard" prioritizes cyclists and pedestrians. And it provides motorists slower, more consistent speeds instead of the all-too-familiar race between stop signs and speed humps.

A combination of bike boulevard tools can make our streets safer and quieter. Some of these are familiar to the District, others are new. These strategies include sharrows, bulb-outs, modified speed humps and reorientation of stop signs.

As currently proposed, bike lanes on G and I Streets, NE between 2nd and 13th would be just fine. But DDOT could do even better by creating a neighborhood street that provides traffic calming for residents and road users while also giving a better facility to bicyclists by implementing some of the following treatments.

Sharrows on 12th Street NE. Photo by the author.

Sharrows, or shared-lane markings, are currently used on 12th Street NE and New Hampshire Avenue near U Street NW. Sharrows indicate priority and proper placement of cyclists, keeping them out of the door zone and letting drivers know the important role cyclists play on this particular street.

As bicycle planner Mia Birk notes, sharrows are often most appropriate when "the speed differential between cyclists and motorists is either low or zero." Residential streets like G and I fit this situation perfectly.

The primary method of controlling speed on many residential streets has been the stop sign, with four-way stops at nearly every block. In theory, this keeps speeds low, but many drivers will speed between intersections, while both motorists and cyclists will slowly roll through stop signs. This makes the street experience frustrating, and sometimes dangerous.

Photo by BikePortland.org on Flickr.

Bike boulevards on G and I would keep road users at a slow but steady pace by removing stop signs for east-west traffic and instead inserting mini-roundabouts at some intersections, so all road users must slowly negotiate the space together.

At intersections without mini-roundabouts, slow-moving east-west traffic would not stop, while north-south traffic would have stop signs. These "partial-stop" intersections, as seen at 5th and R NW, are not uncommon in DC.

There are more treatments that can be used to keep traffic traveling at a slow pace. Speed humps are a common sight throughout DC, but over-reliance has led to noisy and dangerous short-distance speeding by some motorists not unlike the speeding often seen between stop signs.

For a better example, we only have to look to Arlington, where some speed humps include groooves for motor vehicles. Motorists must slow to align their vehicles' wheels with the grooves, but do not experience the cringe-inducing bounce that can sometimes scrape the undercarraige. By riding in the grooves, cyclists can reduce wear and tear on their bikes, as well.

Photo by Washington Area Bicyclist Association on Flickr.

In addition to reducing crossing distance for pedestrians, bulb-outs are another feature commonly used to slow vehicle speeds by narrowing the roadway. While complete curb extensions may be too expensive to be implemented quickly on G and I, DDOT can create bulb-outs with bollards.

Areas near intersections where parking is currently prohibited for visibility reasons can also be converted into bike corrals, which provide bike parking and some protection for pedestrians without reducing visibility for motorists.

DC's first bike corrals were recently installed in Georgetown and Columbia Heights. By serving the traffic calming needs of pedestrians, the parking needs of cyclists and the visibility needs of motorists without removing on-street parking, bike corrals can be a great addition to some neighborhood streets.

Photo by BikePortland.org on Flickr.

An important component of a bike boulevard is deterring through motor vehicle traffic. This has been accomplished in other cities by creating refuges in the middle of a cross-street that allow cyclists and pedestrians to cross while prohibiting motor vehicle turns and through movement.

It may be desirable to prevent motorists on G and I from continuing across 8th Street, or to prevent drivers on 8th Street from turning left onto G or I. The effectiveness of this type of prohibition at 8th Street—and whether the sacrifices made by drivers would be worth the reduction in through traffic—can only be determined by study from DDOT in consultation with the neighborhood.

H Street vs. U Street

The current plan for bike lanes along the H Street corridor is similar to how DDOT has managed bike facilities along the U Street NW corridor. Bike lanes are provided not on the major thoroughfare itself but are instead striped on parallel residential streets. Near U Street, T and V streets have bike lanes. In Northeast, lanes are planned not for H Street but on G and I.

The addition of streetcar tracks to H Street makes DDOT's decision to provide altnerate routes for cyclists even more appropriate. While streetcar service will be a major mobility improvement, the introduction of streetcar tracks to H Street poses challenges for cyclists navigating the area. While there are ways to reduce the danger to cyclists, one of the best practices of bike/streetcar planning is the provision of parallel alternate routes for cyclists. G and I streets are an ideal alternative to H Street for bicycle traffic.

So why would a bike boulevard be better for G and I streets NE, while bike lanes are best for T and V streets NW? Although these corridors have some similarities, there are important differences. T Street, especially, functions as a secondary through route from Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan to Bloomingdale and Shaw. As a result, it carries significantly more motor vehicle traffic than G and I, which are cut off by Union Station at 2nd Street NE.

The difference is evident when you think about restricting through and left-turning traffic at major cross streets. Restricting through traffic along T Street at 14th Street, for example, would have a much bigger negative impact than doing so on G or I at 8th Street. Finally, for busier roads like T Street, bike lanes are a better choice because they carve out a space in the road for cyclists that would otherwise be taken by motor vehicles. This isn't the case on quieter, more residential streets.

Bike boulevards were first implemented in American cities such as Berkeley and Portland and have become popular additions to their neighborhoods. When surveyed, the majority of residents on a bicycle boulevard in Portland "generally agree...that these low-traffic bikeways have a positive impact on quality of life, home values, sense of community, noise [and] air quality."

Because cyclists are not the only beneficiaries of these traffic-calming interventions, Portland's Bureau of Transportaton broadened the scope of its bike boulevards and rechristened them as Neighborhood Greenways. PBOT has also begun partnering with other city agencies to include features like vegetated stormwater capture areas that double as traffic-calming curb extensions. We've seen some similar work in our area, most recently on the sidewalk in front of the new Casey Trees headquarters in Brookland and by Constitution Square on 1st Street NE. The region's most holistic "green street" is found in Edmonston, Maryland.

Looking ahead

DDOT is interested in implementing this type of facility; the agency is already looking at bicycle boulevards as part of the Rock Creek West II Livability Study.

It's important to remember that not every bike boulevard must include the full complement of treatments. For example, it's not always appropriate to restrict turns and through traffic, and curb extensions or stormwater capture areas could be cost-prohibitive for some projects. But as DDOT's protected bike lane projects have shown, the agency is able to implement cost-effective facilities that have been done at greater cost elsewhere.

The District needs to expand its repertoire of bike facilities to include more than just bike lanes. With the addition of 15th Street's protected bike lane and the Metropolitan Branch Trail, DDOT has strengthened the types and number of facilities that separate cyclists from other road users.

And while not every street should have a bike lane, every street should be a complete street. For quieter residential areas, bike boulevard treatments can be important tools as DC expands its bike network beyond the city's core.

103 comments

DDOT to start 15th Street contraflow bike lane next week (Oct 23, 2009)
DDOT may restore two-way traffic on 15th Street (Jan 10, 2008)
Seven future improvements for the 15th Street bike lane (Nov 17, 2009)
Pennsylvania Ave bike lanes now have (some) pylons (Jun 20, 2010)
Drivers must merge into bike lanes before turning right (Jul 13, 2010)

Ward 7 residents define "livability" for their streets

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:44:00 EDT

by Sylvia Brown

A cross-section of residents in north Ward 7 gathered recently to help the District Department of Transportation and its consultants put a pin in the oft-used term "livability" at the second meeting of the Far Northeast Livability Study.

Photo by M.V. Jantzen on Flickr.

In transit and smart growth circles, livability means multimodal transportation, transit-oriented development, and a Complete Streets policy.

Many attendees weren't versed in the new terms entering the community development lexicon, but they do know their neighborhood and the ward can be better with more sidewalks, improved crosswalk markings and pedestrian signaling, slowing speeding traffic on narrow neighborhood streets and thoroughfares, and improving bus service.

The Far Northeast Livability Study area encompasses all of north Ward 7, between East Capitol Street, the Anacostia River, and the District line. A unique feature of the study process is an advisory council made of community members which shapes the meeting format, engages neighbors, and gives insight on key points.

This advisory council is especially important because the area has already been the focus of numerous studies in the past. Residents want to see action, not just a study that sits on the shelf.

Fortunately, DDOT Chief Gabe Klein agrees. At the monthly general meeting of the DC Federation of Citizens Associations, Klein pointed out the agency has $3 million invested in the DDOT Livability Program, including "money in the obligation plan to put solutions in place." The funds to implement the Livability Program are also included in the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government's five-year committee-documents/bl5XX1pd20101014193027.pdf', '8382')" href="http://www.mwcog.org/uploads/
committee-documents/bl5XX1pd20101014193027.pdf">Transportation Improvement Program. Klein pledged to attend the next huddle.

The gathering discussed tools that transportation engineers use to deal with speeding and cut-through traffic, and to integrate biking connections. The toolbox includes simple, low-cost methods like painted medians, high visibility crosswalks, and in-street pedestrian yield signs. At the other end of the spectrum, there are high impact, mid- to high-cost solutions like chicanes, roundabouts, landscaped medians, and raised crosswalks.

Residents discussed these options and weighed the pros and cons of each along problem corridors like Sheriff Road, 49th Street, East Capitol Street, the Minnesota Avenue-Benning Road intersection, and the Nannie Helen Burroughs-Minnesota intersection.

The next steps in the process include a review of the meeting comments in December and a follow-up in January. With a population of nearly 30,000 people, it is critically important for north Ward 7 residents and stakeholders to be on the ball and make sure the "study" gets implemented.

Sylvia C. Brown is Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for 7C04. Her Single Member District, bounded by Sheriff Road, Division Avenue, Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, and Minnesota Avenue, covers a significant portion of the Deanwood neighborhood.

8 comments

Residents, DDOT work on livability, mobility east of the river (Dec 8, 2010)
DDOT decides not to extend Minnesota Avenue (May 4, 2009)
Proposed Circulator will connect Ward 7 to the rest of DC (Nov 22, 2010)
For ANC in Ward 7 (Oct 26, 2010)
Positive resident activism: C Street, NE (Feb 5, 2009)