Waterfront - Greater Greater Washington

It comes down to standing

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:06:00 EDT

A judge dismissed a lawsuit by Jack's Boathouse against DC, saying the owner lacks "standing" for his challenge. (DCist) ... Ken Cuccinelli wants to keep Virginia's anti-sodomy law, with a petition also on standing grounds. (Blade)

Comment

And...

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:47:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Alexandria passes its waterfront plan, again. (Examiner) ... A future Spingarn program could teach taxi driving as well as streetcar technology. (Examiner) ... Do DC's bike lane mixing zones work better than NYC's? (Streetsblog)

Comment

Waterfront defended

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:28:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Alexandria's waterfront plan actually only adds 2% to the allowed building on the waterfront. The current and former planning commission chairs refute several myths about the waterfront controversy. (Old Town Patch, Thad)

Comment

It is time to embrace Alexandria's waterfront plan (Dec 12, 2011)
Should East Falls Church have a waterfront? (Jun 11, 2010)
Breaking: Alexandria coal power plant to close next year (Aug 30, 2011)
Alexandria wants new Metro stations (Feb 5, 2008)
A DC Planning Commission? (Mar 17, 2008)

And...

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:52:00 EDT

by David Alpert

What's the worst sea of surface parking in America? (Streetsblog) ... Beyond the initial framing, Martin Di Caro's article on parking minimums is pretty good. (WAMU) ... The DOJ sticks up for a photographer arrested for photographing police in Montgomery County. (NPPA) ... Alexandria approves its waterfront plan, again. (WAMU)

Comment

I'd hammer out a new waterfront plan

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 08:21:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

The Alexandria Waterfront redevelopment took a strange turn when famed folk singer and songwriter Pete Seeger wrote to residents requesting that they do not modernize the waterfront. (Patch, Thad)

Comment

It is time to embrace Alexandria's waterfront plan (Dec 12, 2011)
Should East Falls Church have a waterfront? (Jun 11, 2010)
Breaking: Alexandria coal power plant to close next year (Aug 30, 2011)
Endorsements for Virginia local races and ballot questions (Oct 25, 2012)
Meet the next generation of planners (May 17, 2011)

Vote again

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 07:55:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

The Alexandria City Council will revote on its waterfront plan in hopes that clarifying the zoning will curtail any lawsuits. They also plan to pass the bill with a supermajority, which opponents think is necessary. (Post)

Comment

Breaking: Alexandria coal power plant to close next year (Aug 30, 2011)
It is time to embrace Alexandria's waterfront plan (Dec 12, 2011)
Should East Falls Church have a waterfront? (Jun 11, 2010)
Meet the next generation of planners (May 17, 2011)
To remain affordable, Alexandria must get creative (Mar 21, 2012)

Euille and Dems win Alexandria

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 08:37:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Alexandria mayor Bill Euille won reelection in Alexandria, and the city council will now be all Democrats. Many of the races, including Euille's, turned largely on development and the waterfront plan.

Comment

And...

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 08:37:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Americans are walking more but there's still much room for improvement. (Streetsblog) ... A lawsuit against the Alexandria Waterfront plan had been dismissed by the Circuit Court. (Patch) ... Is it better to rent or buy? (NYT)

Comment

Waterfront on ice

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 12:30:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Alexandria's waterfront plan is on hold, yet again, after opponents won a procedural appeal over whether the city council needed more votes than the 5-2 they had. (Post)

Comment

It is time to embrace Alexandria's waterfront plan (Dec 12, 2011)
Breaking: Alexandria coal power plant to close next year (Aug 30, 2011)
Alexandria wants new Metro stations (Feb 5, 2008)
Should East Falls Church have a waterfront? (Jun 11, 2010)
Arlandria vision comes together (Dec 15, 2011)

And...

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 08:20:00 EDT

by David Edmondson

One of 3 lawsuits against Alexandria's waterfront plan has been struck down. (Examiner) ... Don't forget the biking rules of the road as the weather warms. (Patch) ... More apartments could come to U Street, as JBG is exploring converting its hotel development into residences. (City Paper)

Comment

Breaking: Alexandria coal power plant to close next year (Aug 30, 2011)
12 ways our region could reform bicycling laws (Jan 22, 2010)
Alexandria wants new Metro stations (Feb 5, 2008)
In 2 letters, road behaviors contrast (Jun 17, 2011)
A human connection can help foster bike harmony (Feb 3, 2011)

And...

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:14:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Ladies, is wearing a bike helmet incompatible with your 'do? Here are some solutions! (goDCgo) ... Dr. Gridlock wishes the WMATA trip planner accounted for track work. ... Alexandria waterfront plans put on hold due to an appeal. (WAMU) ... Cleveland hires Charlize Theron to ride transit and boost its image. (The Onion; not really)

Comment

Women: How comfortable do you feel biking? (Mar 30, 2011)
Weekend video: Buses and bike racks (Feb 19, 2011)
Feet in the Street Saturday in Fort Dupont (Aug 28, 2009)
More fun with graphs (Sep 30, 2008)
Join GGW, Gabe Klein and others next Tuesday for a holiday bike ride and happy hour (Dec 14, 2010)

Alexandria approves waterfront plan

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:36:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Alexandria passed the city's waterfront development plan which aims to bring parks, hotels, and shops to the area. (NBC4)

Comment

It is time to embrace Alexandria's waterfront plan (Dec 12, 2011)
Breaking: Alexandria coal power plant to close next year (Aug 30, 2011)
Should East Falls Church have a waterfront? (Jun 11, 2010)
Alexandria wants new Metro stations (Feb 5, 2008)
Arlandria vision comes together (Dec 15, 2011)

Compromising on the waterfront

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:22:00 EDT

by David Edmondson

Alexandria's contentious waterfront plan is almost over. The city council is set to approve the plan and address opponents' concerns about density and development afterwards. (Alexandria Times)

Comment

It is time to embrace Alexandria's waterfront plan (Dec 12, 2011)
Should East Falls Church have a waterfront? (Jun 11, 2010)
Breaking: Alexandria coal power plant to close next year (Aug 30, 2011)
Alexandria wants new Metro stations (Feb 5, 2008)
Streetcars getting closer in Alexandria (Mar 2, 2009)

Waterfront plans roil Alexandria

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:41:00 EDT

by David Edmondson

Alexandria's Waterfront Work Group plans to release its final report this morning. Critics of the process and the plan's concept, including some group members, will remain active and vocal. (Post)

Comment

Breaking: Alexandria coal power plant to close next year (Aug 30, 2011)
It is time to embrace Alexandria's waterfront plan (Dec 12, 2011)
Should East Falls Church have a waterfront? (Jun 11, 2010)
Streetcars getting closer in Alexandria (Mar 2, 2009)
Alexandria wants new Metro stations (Feb 5, 2008)

It is time to embrace Alexandria's waterfront plan

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:02:00 EDT

by Rob Krupicka

After a year of fevered debates over Alexandria's waterfront, it is time to embrace the basic framework approved by the planning commission. The commission's approach is the most economically feasible way to proceed, and it is also the plan most likely to actually produce the attractive waterfront we deserve.

Photo by runneralan2004 on Flickr.

A recently released alternative proposal falls far short and requires the city to borrow more than a hundred million dollars to buy, through eminent domain or otherwise, private land to add more open space to those already provided in the commission's plan.

The budget forecast recently delivered to the council anticipates years of slow economic growth. The reality is that Alexandria can't afford such outlandish spending.

In addition to increasing park space and including a new museum, the proposal approved by the planning commission addresses flooding problems and allows for better pedestrian access, and it does all of this within the current low-building heights and architectural care that characterize Old Town. Further, it uses a public-private financing approach that takes much of the economic burden off of taxpayers.

There are ideas in the alternative concept that merit consideration. For example, council should evaluate the appropriate number of hotels allowed along the waterfront, as well as work to prevent privatization of the remaining waterfront with more townhomes.

Encouraging adaptive re-use of historic spaces is important. And the idea of a waterfront not-for-profit that raises funds to improve and take care of the waterfront is a good one. But the sheer audacity of spending proposed in the alternative concept makes this a budget issue.

In addition to land purchases, the alternative would use funds to build and operate a maritime museum, which would allegedly attract thousands of people a day paying up to $5 per person.

This idea fails any basic test of reasonableness as evidenced by the failed maritime museum in New York, our fiscally challenged Carlyle House and Torpedo Factory, and the reality that no city museum has been able to pay for itself with an admission charge. To speak nothing of the impact of thousands of daily visitors attempting to park around Union Street.

Proponents of the alternative say that their plan will attract people and tax dollars to Old Town. It likely would. But the planning commission proposal would as well.

In fact, opponents once criticized the commission recommendation by saying more visitors to Old Town was a bad idea, raising concerns about traffic. They also once professed concerns about costs in the planning commission plan. Now they want to spend millions more and need a higher number of visitors to make up lost tax revenues and pay for their enormous borrowing binge. Their proposal contradicts their own arguments.

After 5 years of budget cuts, with our nation's lackluster economy, the council has to carefully manage city resources. The city manager recently asked departments to suggest up to 6 percent cuts in their budgets. Staff reductions and cuts over the years have already strained city services.

New city open space funding was killed by the recession. Our combined sewer system in Old Town needs hundreds of millions to fix. Library services have been reduced. Parks like Ft. Ward, Windmill Hill, and Four Mile Run, city pools and other public infrastructure have unfunded maintenance needs. We must improve fire and emergency services so residents on the west-end are treated as quickly as those on the east. And our police department can't sustain more cuts without diminishing services.

"Just borrow the money," some say. But they fail to consider the significant new taxes required for the bond payments or the impact of borrowing on our city's AAA credit rating. Or the risk that new borrowing undermines school and transportation needs.

We have a multi-year plan to add classrooms for our growing student population; it requires new funds each year. We will likely need even more to address continued crowding. And transportation and Metro costs continue to burden our city as state and federal funds vanish.

In short, we can't put basic needs on hold in exchange for a Quixotic quest for a few acres of land on the waterfront.

"Just get a grant," some say. There is no easy money from foundations and conservation organizations. I've talked to the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. Funds for land conservation are scarce, and existing funds are prioritized for less expensive and much larger swaths of land outside the Beltway.

I'd welcome any private citizens or groups that want to raise or donate funds to buy waterfront land. Anybody interested can contribute to the city open space account or can buy land themselves.

By working with the planning commission framework, we can have a waterfront that is a pleasure to walk along and visit without an extravagant waterfront spending spree. Opponents are entitled to hold the view that their proposed spending is a higher priority than education, public safety or transportation. Or that the city should do it all by raising taxes to be among the highest in the region. Or that the city should abandon its AAA credit rating to make the alternative work.

But they should be clear about what they want to give up and who it will impact. There are no free lunches. Not even on the waterfront.

10 comments

Breaking: Alexandria coal power plant to close next year (Aug 30, 2011)
Should East Falls Church have a waterfront? (Jun 11, 2010)
Alexandria joins Capital Bikeshare (Oct 12, 2011)
A fair budget includes a smarter tax increase (Dec 6, 2010)
East Falls Church plan endorsed, but opponents mobilizing (Jun 10, 2010)

Alternative waterfront plan untenable

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:35:00 EDT

by Moira Gillick

Alexandria City staff rejected an alternative waterfront plan developed by a group opposed to current plans. Staff said the proposal is far more expensive and is mainly an attempt to stop growth. (Patch)

Comment

Breaking: Alexandria coal power plant to close next year (Aug 30, 2011)
Should East Falls Church have a waterfront? (Jun 11, 2010)
Alexandria wants new Metro stations (Feb 5, 2008)
Streetcars getting closer in Alexandria (Mar 2, 2009)
Alexandria joins Capital Bikeshare (Oct 12, 2011)

Struggle on the waterfront

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:32:00 EDT

by Eric Fidler

Some Alexandrians opposed the city's plan for waterfront redevelopment say the city doesn't listen to them. The city's acting manager says opponents are confusing 'listen' with 'agree.' (Post)

Comment

Should East Falls Church have a waterfront? (Jun 11, 2010)
Breaking: Alexandria coal power plant to close next year (Aug 30, 2011)
Students fix Foggy Bottom's waterfront problems (Jul 28, 2010)
Parking minimums irrelevant to Georgetown waterfront (Aug 27, 2008)
Seattle's waterfront freeway may come down (Feb 15, 2008)

Breaking: Alexandria coal power plant to close next year

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:25:00 EDT

by Stephen Miller

This morning, the City of Alexandria announced an agreement with GenOn Energy that will shut down the Potomac River Generating Station on Alexandria's waterfront by October 2012.

Photo by M.V. Jantzen on Flickr.

The closure is an air quality and environmental justice win for the region. The plant had been a significant point source of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide air pollution for the region, according to Bill Skrabak, deputy director of Transportation and Environmental Services for the City of Alexandria. Much of this pollution blew across the Potomac River to Ward 8 and Prince George's County.

In the longer term, the waterfront site offers redevelopment opportunities. It had not been included in the city's Waterfront Small Area Plan. On a conference call this morning, city representatives said that they will continue to view the Waterfront Plan and potential redevelopment of the power plant as "discrete, separate issues."

The American Clean Skies Foundation, an advocate for closing the plant, released a plan for redeveloping the site several weeks ago as discussions heated up about a potential closure.

Potomac River Green plan.

The closure could also help the Mount Vernon Trail. The Clean Skies plan, called Potomac River Green, includes moving the MVT out of the cage along the river and onto a greenway along Slater's Lane, a second trail on Dangerfield Island, connections along the extended street grid, and a bike station near a new water taxi pier.

The plant has become both less critical to the region's energy needs and more expensive to GenOn as a result of pollution reduction agreements with the City of Alexandria. In 2005, additional power lines were installed under the Potomac River to improve reliability for the region's electric grid. This reduced the need for the Alexandria plant. Over the past few years, the plant was used less often; there were even entire months over the past year where the generating station was not in use.

In 2008, the operators of the power station signed an agreement with the city that committed GenOn to over $32 million in pollution reduction investments. Funds for these improvements were placed in a city escrow account. The first phase included dust and particulate matter reduction, primarily focused on the coal pile. These improvements cost approximately $2 million and have already been implemented. The remainder of the funds were to be spent on emission recirculation systems that would reduce harmful content emitted from the station's smokestacks.

As GenOn worked with the city on the more expensive second phase, however, it became clear that closure was a realistic alternative. Before spending money on the improvements, GenOn and the city instead signed the closure agreement. The city will release funds in the escrow account to GenOn, which will in turn close the plant by October 2012. If unforeseen circumstances lead the closure to be delayed until or beyond January 2014, the city will receive a one-time payment of $750,000 from GenOn.

The city will provide tax relief to GenOn after the plant's closure by taxing only the value of the site's land and none of its improvements, since the plant will be inactive. This tax relief will last 5 years, starting when the plant closes, and could be renewed for another 5 year term.

There are currently approximately 120 people employed at the GenOn plant; about 40 percent of those jobs are held by Alexandria residents. Calling it an "unexpected announcement," Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille pledged that the city will work with affected employees as they find new work after the plant's closure.

34 comments

Alexandria weighing Metro station alternatives (Jun 3, 2009)
Should East Falls Church have a waterfront? (Jun 11, 2010)
Alexandria still into Potomac Yards station (Jun 5, 2008)
Streetcars getting closer in Alexandria (Mar 2, 2009)
Alexandria anxious for Potomac Yard Metro in 2016 (Jan 28, 2011)

What's up with Alexandria's waterfront?

Tue, 31 May 2011 08:31:00 EDT

by Erik Weber

The long-awaited and often controversial Alexandria Waterfront plan is nearing completion, though the Boat Club is still fighting public space plans that would require them to change their parking lot. (DC Mud)

Comment

Should East Falls Church have a waterfront? (Jun 11, 2010)
Hope for DC's waterfront (Oct 16, 2007)
Alexandria anxious for Potomac Yard Metro in 2016 (Jan 28, 2011)
Streetcars getting closer in Alexandria (Mar 2, 2009)
Alexandria wants new Metro stations (Feb 5, 2008)

Bike bits

Mon, 23 May 2011 09:16:00 EDT

by David Alpert

A Maryland park police chief suggests getting away from "share the road" as a slogan (WTOP) ... Opening access to the waterfront along Bolling is not part of the base's master plan even though the Navy Yard has been able to. (WashCycle)

Comment

Walk or bike along the Anacostia, but only business hours (Mar 17, 2011)
Share the road, because the sign is blocking the path (Jun 3, 2010)
Almost nobody stops at stop signs (Jan 21, 2010)
Arlington PD follows up personally with cyclist (Feb 17, 2011)
12 ways our region could reform bicycling laws (Jan 22, 2010)

Bolling plan panned

Thu, 19 May 2011 08:11:00 EDT

by Eric Fidler

The DC Council and NCPC don't like the master plan for Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. It doesn't integrate at all with Ward 8 or provide public access to the waterfront, and includes copious free parking that will induce traffic. (Housing Complex)

Comment

Streetcar will run through Anacostia, not to Bolling (Nov 12, 2008)
How much land is in each quadrant? (Mar 18, 2011)
"Affordable housing for cars" (Sep 19, 2008)
DDOT moving streetcar toward actual residents (Oct 23, 2008)
Barry surprised at streetcar plan from Barry mayoralty (Jul 1, 2010)

Boat club nixed public plaza

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 09:15:00 EDT

by Erik Weber

The Old Dominion Boat Club has refused to move its surface parking lot into a below-grade garage proposed by the city, effectively blocking a proposed public plaza for the Alexandria waterfront. (Examiner)

Comment

Alexandria wants new Metro stations (Feb 5, 2008)
Then and Now: The Congressional Club (Jul 15, 2009)
Big mistakes create parking conundrums (Oct 24, 2008)
For Old Town infill, more is better (Oct 29, 2009)
Bethesda weekend parking: Still free, still too crowded (Mar 17, 2010)

How about an Anacostia contest?

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:40:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Minneapolis is having a contest to design a sustainable, active waterfront. Should DC do the same for the Anacostia? (One obstacle the many military bases making large areas inaccessible.) (Housing Complex)

Comment

Walk or bike along the Anacostia, but only business hours (Mar 17, 2011)
How much land is in each quadrant? (Mar 18, 2011)
GGW discusses: The focus on Anacostia (Feb 21, 2011)
Students fix Foggy Bottom's waterfront problems (Jul 28, 2010)
Poplar Point planners present possibilities (Jul 23, 2009)

Weekend whimsy

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 13:55:00 EDT

by Erik Weber

Dulles and DCA are hosting concerts. (Post) ... Toronto has a wave-form deck along their waterfront. (David Garber) ... When regular no parking signs don't work, try a handmade wooden one. (TBD)

Comment

Alexandria's new waterfront plan

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 09:03:00 EDT

by Erik Weber

Tonight at the waterfront United Way building, Alexandria will reveal plans to build a new pier at the end of King Street, hoping to create a new public space to draw people to the riverfront from Old Town. (WAMU)

Comment

Alexandria gets a "trolley" (Mar 27, 2008)
Alexandria wants new Metro stations (Feb 5, 2008)
Hope for DC's waterfront (Oct 16, 2007)
On the calendar: Happy hour tonight on H Street, plus Alexandria tour, open data, BRAC, Connecticut Ave (Jul 14, 2010)
Army: Alexandria move will be ok because we say so (Oct 2, 2008)

Students fix Foggy Bottom's waterfront problems

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:21:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Lydia DePillis's constant attendance at community meetings turned up a fascinating plan from the Catholic University Urban Design Studio to improve some of Foggy Bottom's biggest flaws: the mess of freeways between the neighborhood and the waterfront.

A professor and team of students came up with the vision, which has no funding but which DePillis reports they hope the Office of Planning will incorporate into the DC Comprehensive Plan.

Left: Area around 27th and K now. Image from Google Maps.
Right: The same area in the plan. Images via Housing Complex.

The "ramp spaghetti" in front of the Kennedy Center, the freeway under Juarez Circle, the ramps to the Whitehurst, and Rock Creek create a big barrier between Foggy Bottom and the waterfront, and many small park segments many of which are inaccessible or underutilized.

The plan includes new pedestrian connections across Rock Creek and the Potomac, and suggests decking some of the freeway ramps to the Whitehurst to build better parks. It also resurrects the Kennedy Center's ideas to cover the ramps between it and E Street to connect it to the neighborhood.

Of course, covering freeways is expensive, or we'd do it all the time. That freeway is also wider than it needs to be, since it was originally built to continue up along Florida Avenue or K Street. Some of the ramps could probably come down instead of being decked over.

Besides improving the waterfront access, DePillis reports that the plan includes a new entrance to Foggy Bottom Metro, benches at Juarez Circle, a Native American cultural center, and another performing arts center near the Kennedy Center. DePillis couldn't post the entire plan, but we look forward to seeing more!

22 comments

Silverman demagoguing on Whitehurst (Sep 2, 2008)
GW redeveloping another square; second Foggy Bottom Metro entrance should be priority (Oct 25, 2010)
Kennedy Center plaza back on the table? (Jun 13, 2008)
Bad urbanism on the Potomac waterfront (Jan 9, 2008)
New Haven next to boulevardize a freeway (Mar 28, 2008)

Should East Falls Church have a waterfront?

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:19:00 EDT

by Dan Malouff

As Arlington County prepares a redevelopment plan for East Falls Church, the City of Falls Church is considering its own options. One is to use Four Mile Run as the centerpiece of an East Falls Church Waterfront District.

Yes that's right, a waterfront district. Falls Church may be 6 miles from the Potomac, but why let that stop them?

The waterfront plan was prepared by Virginia Tech students as an academic exercise, but the idea so intrigued Falls Church city leaders that they are seriously considering it as a vision for future planning.

>
Rendering of a possible East Falls Church waterfront at Four Mile Run.

The idea is to redevelop the low-density industrial block between West Jefferson Street and Four Mile Run (see map) as a series of mid-rise mixed-use buildings, with a park along the side of the creek.

In truth, it will take years for the City of agree to a plan, convince the landowners, find a developer, get financing, and construct the project. This is an idea, not an action proposal. But it's a really good idea that seems to have legs. It meshes well with other likely redevelopment around the East Falls Church Metro, and could in the long term be a real winner.

It's definitely something to keep an eye on.

Cross-posted at BeyondDC.

9 comments

Residents sound off about East Falls Church redevelopment (May 5, 2010)
Plan would reconnect East Falls Church, fill empty spaces (Apr 29, 2010)
East Falls Church needs more bike racks (Oct 28, 2010)
East Falls Church plan endorsed, but opponents mobilizing (Jun 10, 2010)
A better strategy for Orange Line shuttle buses? (May 25, 2010)

And...

Mon, 24 May 2010 08:54:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Alexandria cabbies say they need higher rates, especially with rules requiring them to spend some time outside airport runs (Examiner) ... Middle schoolers try designing the Anacostia waterfront (Housing Complex) ... UrbanTurf asks what the new hot neighborhoods will be in 2015 ... A mixed-use apartment building is moving Arlington's Columbia Pike one step closer to the walkable vision. (DCmud)

Comment

Down by the riverside

Thu, 13 May 2010 09:04:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Alexandria released a plan for improving the waterfront, including extending some streets onto piers and moving the parking lot for the Old Dominion Boat Club to create a park. (WTOP, Examiner)

Comment

Bridging a 138-year-old divide suits L'Enfant's spirit

Wed, 05 May 2010 09:58:00 EDT

by David Alpert

NCPC will debate whether "closing" portions of three nonexistent "paper streets" along the Anacostia waterfront adequately respects the L'Enfant Plan. The way to best fulfill the spirit of the L'Enfant Plan, however, would be to focus on connecting the Barney Circle neighborhood to the waterfront.

14th and L, SE. Image from Google Street View.

The railroad first separated the two when it was built in 1872, and the freeway created an even bigger barrier in 1974. The Barney Circle Freeway was planned to extend this segment across the river to the Anacostia Freeway, but was canceled in 1996.

The current 11th Street Bridges project aims to provide the all-freeway link from the Anacostia Freeway to the Southeast Freeway. As a result, this segment is no longer needed, and DDOT plans to remove it at the end of the bridge project.

Freeing up a large strip of land provides an opportunity to add some development and also reconnect across the bridge. Today, L Street, SE runs for three blocks, from 13th to 15th Street, with a fence on one side separating it from the freeway below. There's then a much larger drop to the surface CSX tracks; this portion is east of the tunnel. M Street runs adjacent to the tracks to the south.

The area in question. Image from Google Maps. Potomac Avenue Metro is at the top; the Cohen development is at the bottom, just northeast of the large parking lot.

The freeway here is actually four separate roadways, two in each direction. The middle two lead to ramps to the 11th Street Bridges, which are being removed; the outer two connect to the Southeast Freeway. On the eastern end, the ramps connect to Pennsylvania Avenue at Barney Circle and also pass underneath as a roadway that runs along the waterfront to RFK Stadium.

Without the freeway, DDOT could reconstruct this roadway as a new local road between L and M. Let's call it Lamp Street. It no longer needs to cary Pennsylvania Avenue traffic to the freeway, as those cars should take 295 to the 11th Street Bridge. Therefore, it only would carry cars going to and from the stadium and local traffic.

1-2 lanes each way, plus parallel parking, sidewalks, and a two-way cycle track along the railroad side would suffice. With the remaining land, DC could allow some new development fronting onto Lamp Street and onto L. I don't know what neighbors would like to see, but if I lived there, I'd like to see some townhouses facing L, connected in the back to taller buildings along Lamp.

The townhouses could be 2½-3½ stories above ground. The larger portions could be set back enough to keep L feeling low-rise while also providing more opportunities for adding housing and some nice views of the water on the Lamp Street side.

Best of all, bridges could then connect over the railroad tracks. If the existing grade of the freeway (and what will become Lamp Street) is high enough above the tracks to allow the CSX double-height trains to pass completely below, then 13th, 14th, and 15th could continue to new intersections with Lamp (with a downward slope), and pedestrian bridges could then cross the tracks.

If that's not high enough, the grade could be raised to make Lamp the same height as L, or else the extensions of 13th, 14th, and 15th could simply be pedestrian plazas atop the ground floor of the Lamp apartment buildings connecting to bridges over both Lamp and the tracks. That would avoid direct connections from Lamp to the other streets, which some residents might like to avoid drivers using those streets, but would also diminish connectivity.

The next question becomes how the bridges can let pedestrians and cyclists down from the high altitude over the tracks. Extending the bridges down to the waterfront should be part of the Cohen project. Pedestrians and cyclists shouldn't have to travel long distances to the east or west to get down; they should be able to descend directly toward the waterfront.

These could be standalone bridges extending along the streets' right-of-way, and they could also connect directly to parts of the new buildings. Cohen should plan to build these bridges and ensure any overpasses between the buildings aren't in the way. DC could also require CSX to go along with these bridges as one of the conditions of their Virginia Avenue tunnel project.

The bridge at 14th, in particular, would make this new waterfront plaza and the riverfront boathouses easily accessible from the Potomac Avenue Metro. The L'Enfant Plan was about connections: avenues and roadways connected major circles and squares to each other and to the edges of the city. Ensuring an easy connection from the major intersection at Potomac Avenue to the waterfront, and reconnecting the grid across the tracks even for non-vehicular traffic, best fulfills the true spirit of the plan.

Rather than worrying about the width of the right-of-way for paper streets that don't actually go anywhere, NCPC should focus on guaranteeing these connections and upholding the intent of the L'Enfant Plan.

The center (light) freeway area can be removed and 9th reconnected. Image from Google Maps.

Whether DC goes with this plan or some other arrangement for the current Southeast Freeway segment east of the 11th Street Bridges, it would help to make a decision soon. The most recent designs for the 11th Street Bridges include a ramp from the current northernmost freeway road up to 8th Street.

If Lamp (or whatever it's ultimately called) ends up using the south side of the freeway right-of-way, DDOT should make sure Skanska lines up the new ramp with the final road.

Instead of directly flowing into the freeway on the western end, DDOT could reconnect 9th Street between I and Virginia Avenue, where current ramps lead to the defunct freeway. The reclaimed land on each side, between the 11th Street Bridge ramps, could provide space for the Marine Barracks expansion instead of taking the nearby community garden.

30 comments

NCPC worries about viewsheds in waterfront development (May 4, 2010)
11th Street bridges, part 1: The plan (Feb 9, 2009)
11th Street bridges design makes some improvements (May 29, 2009)
DDOT unveils vision for eight streetcar lines (Oct 23, 2009)
11th Street bridges, part 2: Traffic effects (Feb 11, 2009)