The “17th Street Speedway” will be a topic for discussion at the June 5 ANC 6B Transportation Committee meeting.
Representatives from the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) will discuss the status of the Capitol Hill Transportation Study during ANC 6B’s Transportation Committee meeting on Wednesday, June 6, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm at Payne Elementary School, 1445 C Street SE.
The Capitol Hill Transportation Study was an extensive, year-long study by DDOT to identify and propose solutions to traffic issues and problems across Capitol Hill. Among the study’s major recommendations was a proposal to turn 17th Street SE, 19th Street SE and Independence Avenue SE into two-way streets as a way to reduce traffic volume and speed through the neighborhood.
While the study was released in December 2006, DDOT has not implemented a number of the study’s recommendations, including the 17th, 19th and Independence Avenue SE recommendation. On June 6, I plan to ask DDOT representatives the following questions:
- Is DDOT still considering the recommendation to make 17th, 19th and Independence Avenue SE two-way streets? If so, how do they plan on seeking neighborhood feedback? What is the timeline? And have they collected updated traffic data on the street, particularly since traffic has significantly increased over the past 2-3 years?
- What other traffic calming measures is DDOT prepared to implement along 17th, 19th and Independence Avenue SE to slow traffic down?
- Truck traffic is a major nuisance in Hill East. Has there been any thought to limiting/prohibiting truck traffic on local streets and encouraging trucks to use the 11th Street bridge?
- Can 17th Street SE be re-paved soon?
- Does DDOT still have plans to improve Barney Circle SE? And will the fence at Barney Circle ever get fixed?
- Does DDOT have plans to improve the Potomac Avenue Metro plaza, particularly for pedestrians?
If you have other questions for DDOT, please post them below.
Thanks to Principal Vielka Scott-Marcus for allowing us to hold this meeting at Payne Elementary School.
Brian Flahaven 
I have a question for DDOT:
The intersection of Potomac Ave and 15th street has a crosswalk light timer pointed toward the pedestrian island and no crosswalk lines. Can crosswalk lines be painted on the street to match the signage?
https://maps.google.com/?ll=38.881306,-76.983547&spn=0.000859,0.001206&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=38.881278,-76.983455&panoid=3cVNdUu2Y4XgQpt4s2a1Lw&cbp=12,256.73,,0,0.8
Traffic calming and reduction of large commuter buses and other traffic that seems to exit 295 and use Hill East to cross the city instead of using 295, etc. Is there any thoughts reducing the flow through the 17th/Potomac Ave corridor?