Barney Circle-Southeast Boulevard Project Meeting This Thursday, Nov. 21

November 19, 2013
Rendering of the new Barney Circle from the 2005 Middle Anacostia River Crossings Study.

Rendering of the new Barney Circle from the 2005 Middle Anacostia River Crossings Study.

The District Department of Transportation is holding its second public meeting on the Barney Circle-Southeast Boulevard Project on Thursday, Nov. 21, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at Payne Elementary School (1445 C Street SE). The project involves the construction of a full traffic circle at Barney Circle SE and the construction of a Southeast Boulevard to connect the new circle to the SE-SW Freeway at 11th Street SE.  DDOT will be sharing potential options for the project and gathering community feedback.

This is a major project with significant implications for the neighborhood. It is particularly important for residents living along 17th Street SE and residents living near Barney Circle SE (Kentucky Ave, Freedom Way, Penn Ave, 15th St,, H Street, 16th St., G St., Potomac Ave) to attend this meeting. 

During the first public meeting on the project in February, the entire discussion was dominated by questions and concerns about the Southeast Boulevard. I’m hopeful that attendees will get a chance to discuss the Barney Circle portion of the project and its implications for bike, pedestrian and vehicle flow through the neighborhood.

My recap of the first public meeting includes more information on the project.

Leave a Comment » | 15th Street SE, 17th Street SE, 19th Street SE, Barney Circle, Penn East, Transportation | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

15th Street SE Construction Work Begins Sept. 11

September 6, 2013

I just received notice from the District Department of Transportation that a roadway improvement project on 15th Street SE will begin on next Wednesday, September 11. According to the notice (pdf), DDOT plans to upgrade wheelchair ramps, repair sidewalks, repair curbs and gutters and resurface the roadway on 15th Street SE between A Street SE and Potomac Avenue SE. The project will take roughly four weeks and will be conducted between 7 am and 7 pm Monday through Saturday. Curbside parking will be restricted – make sure you look for and abide by the “no parking signs.”

If there are any problems or issues with this construction work, please let me know.

Leave a Comment » | 15th Street SE, Transportation | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

17th & 19th Streets Project Progress Report

June 25, 2013

The District Department of Transportation has scheduled a June 27 meeting to provide a progress report on the 17th & 19th Streets Safety Improvement Project. Unfortunately, the meeting conflicts with the June 27 ANC 6B Hill East Task Force meeting on the future of the DC General shelter.

Since many Hill East residents plan to attend the meeting on DC General, DDOT was kind enough to share with me the information and handouts they plan to present and distribute on Thursday. Note that the final recommendations for the 17th & 19th Streets project remain the same as discussed last fall – DDOT will not announce any major changes at the meeting.

The big news is that the project is on schedule – the design phase is 90 percent complete with a deadline of Aug. 31, 2013. That means construction could begin by the end of the year. I’m also pleased that the project recommendations include the stretch of 17th Street SE between Potomac Ave SE and Barney Circle.  v

DDOT’s June 27 meeting on the project will take place from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm at Pilgrim AME Church (612 17th Street NE).

1 Comment | 17th Street SE, 19th Street SE, Transportation | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

ANC 6B June 2013 Meeting Recap

June 13, 2013

Reservation 13, a proposed doggie daycare facility, bylaws amendments and comments on the Penn-Potomac Ave Intersection Pedestrian Safety Study were among the many issues on ANC 6B’s June 11 meeting agenda. Here is a brief meeting recap:

  • The commission voted unanimously (10-0) to send a letter (pdf) to Victor Hoskins, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, urging his office to move forward with the Donatelli/Blue Skye proposal for parcels F1 & G1 of the Hill East Development/Reservation 13. The commission’s letter also includes specific comments on the Donatelli/Blue Skye plans and urges Mayor Gray and DMPED to take action now to prepare the remaining parcels on the 67-acre site for development. A big thanks to my commission colleagues and the many residents who provided feedback on the proposal and on early drafts of the letter.
  • I announced that BB Otero, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and David Berns, Director of the Department of Human Services had agreed to discuss the future of the DC General shelter at a June 27 ANC 6B Hill East Task Force meeting. The meeting will be from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm at St. Coletta of Greater Washington, 1901 Independence Avenue SE.
  • After lengthy discussion and debate, the commission voted 9-0-1 to support a special exception and variance request that would allow City Dogs, a doggie daycare and boarding facility, to open at 1310 Pennsylvania Avenue SE. This was a very difficult case, particularly since one of the adjacent neighbors had converted her property from a commercial to residential use. City Dogs’ willingness to agree to additional operating conditions (pdf) with the commission ultimately persuaded me to support the case. I also agreed with the majority of commissioners that the commission should request that Board of Zoning Adjustment review the use after a certain period of time to ensure that all conditions are being met.  Kudos to Commissioner Nichole Opkins (6B06) for her hard work in getting to an acceptable compromise.
  • The commission unanimously supported sending a letter (pdf) to the District Department of Transportation outlining our views on the Pennsylvania-Potomac Avenue Intersection Pedestrian Safety Study. In the letter, the commission supports concept 3, which would create “T-intersections” and significantly improve pedestrian safety around the Potomac Avenue Metro plaza. Kudos to Commissioners Kirsten Oldenburg (6B04), Sara Loveland (6B07) and Nichole Opkins for their work on the letter.
  • Given my previous work on improving ANC 6B’s bylaws, I was extremely pleased that the commission overwhelmingly approved two amendments to the bylaws. The first amendment, which passed unanimously, clarified that Commissioners can only nominate resident members who live in their Single Member Districts (SMDs) to committees and task forces. The second, which passed 8-1 (7 votes needed),  finally allows resident members to vote in ANC 6B committees and task forces. Now residents who take the time to serve on committees can vote on recommendations to the full commission. A big thanks to Commissioner Brian Pate (6B05) for introducing the amendments.
  • On an 8-0-1 vote, the commission approved a package of letters on problematic vacant and blighted properties in the commission area. One letter (pdf), addressed to the Vacant Buildings Unit at the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, lists problematic vacant properties in each ANC 6B Single Member District, including 6B09. The commission will also send letters directly to vacant property owners urging them to improve their properties and comply with the law.
  • Commissioner Oldenburg provided an update on efforts to support Frager’s and the other businesses impacted by the June 5 fire. She mentioned the Friends of Frager’s website, where individuals can make tax-deductible contributions to support Frager’s through the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, and encouraged attendees to visit the Frager’s Garden Center “pop up” across from Eastern Market.
  • The commission heard a presentation by Juan Thompson of Serve DC, the Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism, who discussed the office’s efforts to emergency training preparedness efforts. The office is currently looking to recruit residents to serve in neighborhood corps, volunteers who would be able and willing to help neighborhood’s respond in the case of an emergency. You can read more on how to get involved in these efforts on the Serve DC website.
  • ANC 6B’s July meeting will be on Tues., July 9, 7 pm at the Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE.

2 Comments | ANC 6B, Development, Penn East, Potomac Avenue Metro, Reservation 13/Hill East Waterfront, Transportation | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

May 16 Penn-Potomac Meeting Recap

May 19, 2013
T-Intersections

The T-Intersection Concept for the Pennsylvania Ave-Potomac Ave Intersection.

On May 16, the District Department of Transportation held its second public meeting on Pennsylvania-Potomac Avenue SE Intersection Pedestrian Safety Study at Payne Elementary School. Here are the highlights:

  • Sanjay Kumar of DDOT and Karl Kratzer of CH2MHill, DDOT’s consultants for the project, opened the meeting with a presentation on the project and the project timeline. The goal of the second public meeting was to present potential design concepts and get community feedback.
  • Kratzer outlined four potential design concepts:
    1. No Build – No changes to the intersection, just adjustments to signal timing.
    2. Mid-Block Crosswalk – A mid-block pedestrian crosswalk would be added between the two existing intersections of Penn Ave SE and Potomac Ave. SE.
    3. T Intersections – The Potomac Ave entrances to Penn Ave SE would be modified to intersect at T configurations. The new intersections would result in additional public space both north and south of Penn Avenue. A mid-block pedestrian crosswalk would be added between the two re-configured intersections. And the southbound approach of 14th Street SE to Penn Ave adjacent to the Potomac Ave Metro station would be closed to traffic and be converted to a new  Kiss and Ride.
    4. Signalized Oval – The intersection would be completely reconstructed into a signalized traffic oval with all approaches to the oval signalized. There would a mid-oval crosswalk installed at 14th Street SE and pedestrian crosswalks installed at each end of the oval.
  • DDOT conducted traffic studies of each design concept based on projected traffic flow in 2040. Concepts 1 (no build) and 2 (mid-block crosswalk) would improve existing conditions for vehicular traffic and would slightly improve conditions for pedestrians. Concepts 3 (T-intersections) and 4 (signalized oval) would minimally degrade intersection conditions for vehicles but would significantly improve conditions for pedestrians.
  • After analyzing the data and considering cost, DDOT has ruled out Concept 4 and will examine concepts 1, 2 and 3 for the remainder of the study.
  • Of the three remaining concepts, my preference is T-intersections, which would do the most to improve pedestrian crossings and safety. I also like the additional public space that would be created around the Potomac Avenue Metro plaza. The other two concepts would really not do near as much to improve pedestrian safety at the intersection.
  • The project’s third public meeting will likely be a public hearing on a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) which will recommend one of the concepts. DDOT anticipates holding this hearing in July.

Please post your comments and questions below.

Summary of design concepts for the DDOT Penn-Potomac Ave Pedestrian Safety Study.

Summary of design concepts for the DDOT Penn-Potomac Ave Pedestrian Safety Study.

1 Comment | Penn East, Potomac Avenue Metro, Transportation | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »