Brian Flahaven

Residents discuss traffic calming strategies for 17th Street SE at the July 30 charrette meeting.

Last night, about 30-40 residents joined representatives from the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the consulting firm McKissack & McKissack for the first of two public charrette meetings on the 17th & 19th Streets Safety Improvement Project. Organizers divided attendees into six groups, each assigned to a different portion of the 17th and 19th Street corridors:

17th Street

• Benning Road NE to C Street NE
• C Street NE to East Capitol Street NE
• East Capitol Street SE to Barney Circle SE

19th Street

• Benning Road NE to C Street NE
• C Street NE to East Capitol Street NE
• East Capitol Street SE to Potomac Avenue SE

Each group gathered around a map of their portion of the corridor and used cut-outs and markers to suggest improvements. For example, you could place a cut-out of a stop sign on an intersection in need of a signal.

Since my district, ANC 6B09, contains a significant portion of the 17th Street SE corridor, I joined the 17th Street SE group, the largest of the six groups. After some initial discussion, the group prioritized the following issues for the 17th Street SE corridor:

• Speed
• Pedestrian safety/bike safety
• Large trucks
• Air quality
• Noise
• Litter

Here were the group’s recommendations:

• After a lengthy discussion about whether 17th Street SE should be one way or two-way, the group coalesced around keeping the corridor one way but reducing it to one lane, adding a bike lane and preserving both sides of on street parking. This change would essentially make 17th Street SE look like 15th Street SE and would certainly slow traffic down and make 17th Street a less attractive route for commuters. In the short-term, such a change would probably reduce air quality, though traffic volume over the long-term would likely decrease.
• The idea of converting 17th Street SE from one-way to two-way received mixed reviews from the group. Proponents felt that two-way traffic would reduce speeds and volume along the corridor and could be accomplished while maintaining the existing level of on-street parking. Opponents of two-way conversion voiced concerns about pedestrian safety (looking both ways instead of one way) and about increasing northbound truck traffic. Trucks currently access 17th Street SE at Barney Circle but are forced to turn right at Potomac Avenue SE.
• Short-term recommendations included adding a stop sign at 17th and D Street SE, adding pedestrian markings and crossings at 17th & C Street SE and 17th & G Street SE and re-timing the stop lights to slow traffic down.  The group also liked the idea of adding “bulbouts” at 17th and Massachusetts Ave. SE, 17th and E Street SE and 17th and Potomac Avenue SE.
• Speed cameras for the corridor were recommended by the group. ANC 6B has requested that MPD place a speed camera somewhere along the 17th Street SE corridor. Group members suggested 17th and Mass Ave., 17th and Potomac Ave. and 17th and Barney Circle as potential camera locations.
• The group recommended truck restrictions based on weight for the entire corridor. With the 11th Street bridge project now complete, we asked DDOT representatives if they could put a temporary sign on I-295 encouraging truck traffic to use the bridge instead of exiting on East Capitol Street.
• To tackle noise, the group suggested removing the ineffective rumble strips on 17th Street SE and re-paving the entire stretch of road. Attendees also wanted to restrict tour/commuter bus traffic on 17th Street SE.
• The 19th Street SE group suggested two-way conversion from East Capitol to Potomac Ave. and pedestrian crossings at 19th & Burke and 19th & C Streets SE.

A big thanks to everyone who was able to attend the meeting. And a special thanks to Hill East residents Denise and Liz for taking notes and facilitating the conversation.

Please share any comments and feedback below. If you missed Monday’s meeting, I hope to see you tonight (July 31), 6 pm – 8 pm at Pilgrim AME Church, 612 17th Street NE!

Tonight, the District Department of Transportation is holding the first of two identical public charrette meetings on the 17th & 19th Streets Safety Improvement Project. The meeting is from 6 pm – 8 pm in the Eastern High School cafeteria (1700 East Capitol Street NE).

If you can’t make tonight’s meeting, you can attend an identical meeting tomorrow night, Tues, July 31, 6 pm – 8 pm at Pilgrim AME Church (612 17th Street NE).

If you live on or near 17th or 19th Streets, I encourage you to attend one of these meetings. Read more about the 17th & 19th Streets Safety Improvement Project.

Map of 17th & 19th Streets used during DDOT’s June 25th meeting.

The District Department of Transportation has announced the dates/times/locations for the two public charrette meetings on the 17th and 19th Streets Safety Improvement Project:

• Monday, July 30, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Eastern High School, 1700 East Capitol Street NE
• Tuesday, July 31, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Pilgrim AME Church, 612 17th Street NE

Please plan to attend one of these two meetings – both will be identical. According to DDOT, participants will view graphic representations of the corridors and use visual tools to propose and discuss options for making 17th and 19th Streets safer. Read my recap of DDOT’s first meeting on the 17th & 19th Streets Safety Improvement Project.

Note that ANC 6B is set to vote Tuesday (July 10) night on whether the commission should send a letter to DDOT requesting that the 700 & 800 blocks of 17th Street SE.

Residents used post-it notes to mark areas of concern on the 17th & 19th Street map.

Around 50 residents attended last night’s District Department of Transportation (DDOT) meeting on the 17th and 19th Streets Safety Improvement Project. The meeting was facilitated by Michelle Pourciau, vice president at McKissack & McKissack, the firm that DDOT has hired to manage the project. Here were my takeaways:

• As I mentioned in an earlier post, last night’s meeting was meant to introduce the project, share data and get community feedback. DDOT plans to hold two public charrettes the week of July 30 to discuss potential strategies for improving safety along the corridors. One of these meetings will be held in Southeast while the other will be in Northeast. I’ll be sure to post the meeting dates and times once they are set. I encourage everyone interested in safety along 17th & 19th Streets to attend one of these two charrettes. DDOT plans to have final recommendations ready in September.
• Using post-it notes, residents were able to identify issues on a large map of the area, such as the high volume of truck traffic on the corridors and the need for safer pedestrian crossings near Congressional Cemetery and the Stadium-Armory Metro. The map was helpful in pointing out particular areas of concern to DDOT staff.
• DDOT and McKissack & McKissack shared a number of facts about 17th & 19th Street. It appears the busiest intersection along the corridor is 17th Street SE and Potomac Avenue SE, which sees an average of 10,400 vehicles per day. There was a clear recognition by DDOT that 17th Street is a morning commuter corridor.
• The common themes mentioned by residents during the feedback period were: speeding, pedestrian safety, truck traffic, different character of 17th Street in Southeast versus Northeast, parking and the need for prompt action to improve safety along the corridors.
  

  DDOT’s list of facts about 17th Street.

• A majority of attendees living north of C Street NE clearly did not want 17th and 19th converted to two-way streets in their neighborhood. Attendees living south of C Street NE spoke both in favor of two-way conversion and against. There was some question as to how two-way conversion would affect on-street parking.
• For some inexplicable reason, DDOT did not include the stretch of 17th Street SE between Potomac Avenue SE and Barney Circle in the project. I’ve asked DDOT to consider this stretch of road as part of the project, particularly due to speeding along the corridor and traffic volume from vehicles using the authorized vehicle only access to the Southeast/Southwest Freeway.  DDOT representatives said they would see if this stretch could be added to the project. If not, DDOT committed to looking at traffic calming/safety options for the 700 and 800 blocks of 17th Street SE.
• A number of residents mentioned that adjusting the traffic signals along 17th Street SE could help reduce speed. Currently, a vehicle can travel without stopping from at least Independence Avenue SE to Barney Circle SE.
• There remains confusion about whether 17th & 19th are considered “minor arterials” or “evacuation routes” and what that means for traffic calming measures on the corridor. DDOT plans to clarify this question at the public charrettes.

Thanks to everyone who was able to attend the meeting – a lot of great comments. And much better than the June 6 meeting. Please post anything I missed below.