17th & 19th Street Safety Improvement Project Recommendations

September 27, 2012

Residents review final recommendations at the Sept. 26 DDOT 17th & 19th Street Safety Improvement Project meeting.

Last night, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) held a public meeting to share their final recommendations for the 17th & 19th Streets Safety Improvement Project.

Overall, I’m pleased with the recommendations…particularly for 17th Street SE. DDOT and their consultants, McKissack & McKissack, listened to the concerns and recommendations residents offered at the July public charrette meetings.

Here are the major recommendations for 17th & 19th Streets SE:

17th Street SE (East Capitol Street to Potomac Avenue SE)

  • Street remains one-way but narrows from two lanes of traffic to one lane of traffic, with the exception of two lanes between E Street SE and Potomac Avenue SE.
  • Addition of a dedicated bike lane to 17th Street SE on the west side of the street along the corridor.
  • Curb extensions or bulb-outs on the west side of the street at each intersection along the entire corridor. East side maintains stadium event parking restrictions.
  • Street parking is maintained on both sides of the street. On street parking between E Street SE and Potomac Avenue SE will move to the western side of the street.
  • Commitment to consider putting a four-way stop at 17th & D Streets SE if determined necessary after changes are implemented.
  • Installation of permanent electronic speed display signs and new speed limit signs at multiple points along the corridor (NE and SE).
  • New painted crosswalks at each intersection.
  • Entire corridor will be re-paved and current rumble strips (which just generate noise) will be removed.
  • No truck and bus restrictions…but hopefully single lane and opening of new 11th Street bridge will make 17th Street a less attractive route for trucks.

19th Street SE (East Capitol Street to Potomac Avenue SE)

  • Remains one way with addition of shared bike lane along the entire corridor going in the northbound direction.
  • Rush hour parking restrictions removed.
  • Consider stadium traffic flow and potential Hill East waterfront development when implementing changes.
  • 1800 block of Potomac Avenue SE remains one way.

My Remaining Concerns

  • The recommendations do not address the stretch of 17th Street SE between Potomac Avenue SE and Barney Circle SE. When I asked about this at the meeting, DDOT said they plan to review this stretch of 17th and will likely make recommendations similar to the rest of the corridor. I will certainly push for curb extensions and improved pedestrian crossings at the G Street SE and H Street SE intersections.
  • A resident raised a concern about 17th going from one lane to two lanes between E Street SE and Potomac Avenue SE. She envisioned vehicles using the extra lane to speed around vehicles in front of them, creating a dangerous situation for pedestrians. DDOT said that they would review the intersection and will consider a raised crosswalk for this intersection.

Overall, the recommendations are good news. The only “bad news” is the implementation timeline. Once the affected ANCs, including ANC 6B, review the recommendations in October/November, the project will enter a lengthy design phase. DDOT estimates that actual implementation would take place in the spring of 2014. DDOT is also not inclined to implement the recommendations on a rolling or incremental basis, preferring to do the entire project at one time. While I certainly understand that DDOT needs time for design, I would prefer to see some of the recommendations implemented in the short-term. Hopefully, ANC 6B’s request for a speed camera on 17th Street SE will also help slow traffic down in the interim.

Commissioner Francis Campbell (6B10) and I plan to ask ANC 6B to put the 17th & 19th Street Safety Improvement Project recommendations on the Commission’s November 13th meeting agenda. If you have questions or concerns about the recommendations, please post them below, contact me directly or plan to attend the Nov. 13 meeting. Also, if you attended the meeting last night, feel free post any recommendation/comment that I missed.

Thanks to everyone who took time to attend the project meetings!

14 Comments | 17th Street SE, 19th Street SE, Transportation | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

*UPDATED* Revised Plans for Old KFC Building, Demo Begins Tuesday

September 24, 2012

The old KFC building at 1442 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.

Some new information on the old KFC building at 1442 Pennsylvania Avenue SE. Douglas Development plans to begin demolition of the building on Tues., Sept. 25 and start construction on a new building in the next 2-3 months. Instead of the four-story mixed-use retail/residential building reviewed by ANC 6B in 2011, Douglas plans to build a two-story retail/office building.

The updated plans envision a total of almost 11,000 sq. ft. of retail space with additional space on the building roof. It is unclear from the plans if the roof would be used for a roof deck or other purposes. Loading and trash pick-up would be off of 15th Street SE with a main entrance at the corner of 15th and Pennsylvania Avenue SE. From the drawings, it appears that the entrance for the second floor retail/office would be off Pennsylvania Avenue SE. The architect, Antunovich Associates, is the firm that designed the “Market Commons” in Clarendon.

I’m working with my colleague Commissioner Jared Critchfield (6B06) and neighbors to schedule a meeting for residents to ask questions of Douglas Development. Since the previous commission approved plans for a two-story retail development 3-4 years ago, Douglas does not need additional review from ANC 6B nor approval from the Zoning Commission or the Board of Zoning Adjustment to begin construction.

Please post your thoughts on the old KFC building/new plans below.

Update 9/26/12:  The meeting is set. Douglas Development will discuss their new plans on Thursday, Oct. 4, 6:30 pm at New York Pizza (1401 Pennsylvania Avenue SE). Also, crews have been clearing and removing debris out of the interior of the KFC building.

1 Comment | Development, Penn East | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

Weekend Quick Takes: 17th & 19th, MPD, Barracks Row, Dead Man’s Run

September 21, 2012
  • The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will announce its safety improvement recommendations for 17th and 19th Streets on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 6 pm – 7:30 pm at Friendship Charter School Blow Pierce Campus, 700 19th Street NE. DDOT will have short, mid-range and long-term recommendations for the corridors based on feedback the agency received during the July public charrettes. If you can’t attend, I plan to live tweet from the meeting.
  • There have been a number of thefts from auto and burglaries around Hill East in the past few weeks. The Metropolitan Police Department encourages residents to remove any valuable items (even pocket change) from your parked vehicles. And keep reporting any suspicious individuals and activities to 911. MPD has told me that resident calls have led to some recent arrests. The September PSA 108 newsletter (pdf) has more information on public safety in our neighborhood.
  • The annual Barracks Row Fall Festival is tomorrow (Saturday, Sept. 22) from 11 am – 5 pm. The festival will feature great food, a petting zoo, a military cooking competition and much more. I’ll be “staffing” the ANC 6B booth with colleagues during the festivities – please stop by and say hello!
  • Register today for the 2nd Annual Dead Man’s Run 5K taking place Saturday, Oct. 6, 6 pm at Historic Congressional Cemetery. Race proceeds go to the restoration and preservation of the cemetery. I participated in the inaugural run last year and had a great time. Come out and support our neighborhood landmark!

Leave a Comment » | 17th Street SE, 19th Street SE, Congressional Cemetery, PSA 108, Public Safety | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

Barney Circle Access Road Closing Permanently

September 17, 2012

The Authorized Vehicle Only access road at Barney Circle was still “open” on Sunday, Sept. 16.

Last week, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced that the Authorized Vehicle Only access road at Barney Circle will be permanently closed as the completion phase of the 11th Street Bridge Project begins.

As early as today, DDOT will barricade the entrance to the road to begin the process of converting the eastern end of the Southeast/Southwest Freeway to an at-grade boulevard (aka the “Southeast Boulevard”) that will connect to neighborhood streets and provide access to the freeway at 11th Street SE. According to DDOT, the project will take 18-20 months.

The closure of the Barney Circle access road will certainly change traffic patterns in Hill East. Hundreds of commuters, including many locals, illegally take the left turn at 17th Street SE and Barney Circle daily for easy access to the Southeast/Southwest Freeway. Neighborhood residents will now have to use I Street SE to access the freeway at 3rd Street SE until DDOT opens the westbound entrance to the freeway at 11th Street SE (around Thanksgiving). Commuters will hopefully stay on I-295 and access the SE/SW Freeway using the new 11th Street Bridge.

Once the Southeast Boulevard is completed, DDOT is scheduled to construct a full traffic circle at Barney Circle. I hope to have DDOT representatives out to the neighborhood soon to discuss the Barney Circle project. You can read more about the 11th Street Bridge/Southeast Boulevard Project on the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative website and at the JDLand blog.

Leave a Comment » | 17th Street SE, Barney Circle, Transportation | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

ANC 6B September Meeting Recap

September 14, 2012

We had a packed room for ANC 6B’s September meeting on Tuesday night. Here are the highlights:

  • The commission unanimously supported the extension of Performance Based Parking (PBP) north of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. Blocks with PBP restrict parking to Zone 6 residents only on one side of the street. The expansion includes all streets north of Pennsylvania Ave SE from 2nd Street SE to 11th Street SE (East Capitol Street SE is not included). PBP would be in effect 6 days a week for most of the expanded area, though the commission has requested that PBP be in effect for 7 days on the blocks between 5th Street and 8th Streets SE.
  • On a 9-0-1 vote, ANC 6B voted to protest a liquor license Ambar, a new restaurant planning to open at the location previously occupied by Jordan’s 8 (523 8th Street SE). The protest was mainly due to the inability to negotiate a voluntary agreement prior to the meeting (owner was out of the country). Hopefully, the commission and owner can come to an agreement in the near future.
  • Commissioner Norm Metzger (6B03) discussed an August 27 letter (pdf) ANC 6B received from DC Water regarding damage to the pocket park located at Potomac Avenue SE and M Street SE. DC Water General Manager George Hawkins explained that his agency was using the park as a staging area for the Clean Rivers Project and would replace the park once the project is completed. The commission felt that DC Water’s response was satisfactory and did not take any action on the issue.
  • The commission unanimously supported the design concept for a proposed development at 1211 G Street SE, the site of a former Salvation Army Building. If it moves forward, the development would include a renovation of the existing building and the construction of new row houses along G and 12th Streets SE.
  • The commission also unanimously supported plans for the 2013 USA Rock N’ Roll Marathon and Half Marathon taking place Saturday, March 16, 2013. Unlike previous years, the marathon will not begin and end on Capitol Hill and will not cause multi-hour street closures on race day.
  • After a lengthy discussion, the Commission postponed taking action on a resolution calling for the closure of the 300 block of 7th Street SE during construction of the Hine project. The 300 block of 7th Street SE has been discussed as the location for the weekend flea markets during and after Hine construction. Commissioners Brian Pate (6B05) and Ivan Frishberg (6B02) requested postponement to allow for the views of the brick and mortar merchants along the block to be incorporated into the resolution.
  • Lisa Sutter from MPD’s Traffic Safety Automated Enforcement Unit talked about MPD’s efforts to install additional speeding cameras and other photo enforcement tools across the city. In addition to speeding cameras, MPD is getting ready to introduce stop sign, truck and cross walk cameras across the city, starting with blocks near schools. When I asked about ANC 6B’s request for a speed camera on 17th Street SE, Ms. Sutter said that they had received the request and are waiting for the DC Council to approve the new photo enforcement tool contract, hopefully this month.
  • The commission also heard brief remarks from Elizabeth Falcon of the Housing for All Campaign, an initiative that is trying to get DC to invest additional dollars in affordable housing. The campaign is hosting a Ward 6 Town Hall on Thursday, Oct. 11. Additional details are available on the Housing for All website.
  • I reminded my colleagues and the audience that ANC 6B will be holding a special call meeting to consider proposed revised bylaws and proposed standing rules on Monday, Sept. 17, 7 pm at Brent Elementary School (301 North Carolina Avenue SE).
  • The commission unanimously approved a budget for FY2013 and a new contract for ANC 6B Executive Director Susan Eads Role.

Leave a Comment » | ANC 6B | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

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