Brian Flahaven

Recommendations from the 17th Street SE table at the July 31 charrette meeting.

Last night, DDOT wrapped up the public charrette portion of the 17th & 19th Streets Safety Improvement Project with a second meeting at Pilgrim AME Church in Rosedale. Aroun d 30-40 attendees again divided up into six groups to examine various portions of the 17th and 19th Street corridors. Given the location, the 17th and 19th Street NE tables had significantly larger groups than the SE tables.

Not a whole lot of new information to add from the Meeting #1 recap. Once again, I participated in the 17th Street SE group along with two other residents and a McKissack & McKissack consultant. Our table agreed with the Monday group’s recommendation to maintain 17th Street SE as a one way street but reduce it to one lane with a bike lane and on-street parking on both sides of the street.  We also suggested installing bulbouts or neckdowns at each intersection between East Capitol Street SE and Barney Circle SE, which would narrow the road and shorten the pedestrian crossings.

A few other suggestions from our group:

• A four-way stop should be installed at 17th Street SE and  D Street SE, an intersection that is about half way in between the signals at Mass Ave. SE and Potomac Ave. SE.
• Get rid of the current rumble strips. They are ineffective and create more noise.
• Discourage or restrict truck traffic on 17th. Group supported placing a temporary sign on I-295 near East Capitol exit advising motorists that 11th Street bridge ramp is now open.  
• Better signage and street marking needed along the entire corridor.

DDOT and McKissack and McKissack plan to release their final recommendations/plans for 17th & 19th Streets during a mid-September meeting.  I’ll post the meeting date/time/location once it is announced.

Please post any comments/suggestions below.

• Late last week, The Washington Post reported that Georgetown University is looking at Hill East/Reservation 13 as a potential site for a new campus. According to the article, a request for proposals issued by the university mentions the institution’s desire to relocate the school’s “Medical Center Zone,” a reference to the GU hospital and medical campus. It is an interesting idea that could spur development at Res. 13, though the city would certainly have to amend the Reservation 13 master plan to make it happen. I’m eager to learn more and to get reaction/feedback from residents. 
• A reminder that DDOT’s two public charrette meetings on the 17th & 19th Streets Safety Improvement Project are on Monday, July 30, 6 pm – 8 pm at Eastern High School (1700 East Capitol Street NE) and Tuesday, July 31, 6 pm – 8 pm at Pilgrim AME Church (612 17th Street NE). Please plan to attend one of these two meetings. DDOT will be asking for resident feedback on various traffic calming strategies for these two corridors. 
• ANC 6B’s Bylaws Review Working Group will hold its final meeting tonight, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at the Hill Center (921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE). The working group will be finalizing a major revision to the ANC 6B bylaws. I’ll plan to post the revised bylaws and other key documents by the end of the month. The Commission will consider the revised bylaws and proposed standing rules during a special call meeting on Monday, September 17. More information to come.
• Mark your calendars! The residents of the 1500 and 1600 blocks of D Street SE will be holding their annual block party on Saturday, August 4. I’ll post additional details as the date approaches.

Note that ANC 6B will not be holding meetings in the month of August. The next full commission meeting will be Tuesday, Sept. 11, 7 pm at the Hill Center (921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE).

Friday’s storm hit this tree on the 400 block of 15th Street SE. Fortunately, there were no injuries or damage. Crews removed the tree earlier today.

Today, the DC Department of Public Works (DPW) announced plans to collect tree limbs, branches and other debris from Friday night’s thunderstorm. Collection will occur from today (Sunday, July 1) through Saturday, July 7. From DPW’s press release:

• If hiring a tree specialist or landscaping company to cut up fallen trees and limbs, please have your contractor remove all the debris, limbs and branches.
• From July 1-July 7 only, DPW will remove from the treebox space(s) in front of residents’ homes, branches that are cut into 4′ lengths and tied into bundles no more than 2′ in diameter. These items can be placed where the residents’ trash is collected or they may bring them to the Ft. Totten Transfer Station, 4900 John F. McCormack Road, NE, weekdays (except July 4th, Independence Day) between 1 pm and 5 pm, or Saturday, July 7, between 8 am and 3 pm. Directions to Ft. Totten: Travel east on Irving Street, NW, turn left on Michigan Avenue, turn left on John F. McCormack Road, NE and continue to the end of the street.
• Please place debris, bagged or loose, in the treebox space, not the gutter or street so the gutters can remain clear and crews can run mechanical sweepers along the curb lanes and gutters. Also, DPW asks residents to resist putting the debris in the street to help prevent flooding in case of rain before the debris is collected. Do not include rocks, stones or concrete.

Crews from the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) are continuing to remove fallen trees, beginning with trees blocking public space or pose a danger to homes or vehicles. Please report any issues to 311.

As I mentioned in my previous post, DDOT’s Safety Improvement Project for 17th and 19th Streets does not include  the 700 and 800 blocks of 17th Street SE, a stretch of the corridor that experiences heavy traffic volume due to the “Authorized Vehicle Only” access road to the Southeast/Southwest Freeway at Barney Circle.

To help ensure that DDOT considers traffic calming and pedestrian safety measures along the entire 17th Street corridor, I’ve asked ANC 6B to support sending the following letter to DDOT urging the agency to include the 700 & 800 blocks of 17th Street SE in the Safety Improvement Project. ANC 6B will consider the letter during its July 10 full commission meeting.

July 10, 2012

Terry Bellamy
Director
DC Department of Transportation
55 M Street SE, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20003

Dear Director Bellamy,

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6B (ANC 6B) requests that DDOT include the 700 and 800 blocks of 17th Street SE in the Safety Improvement Project for 17th and 19th Streets.

DDOT is holding a series of public meetings to discuss roadway improvements to enhance pedestrian and vehicle safety along 17th and 19th Streets SE, two of the most heavily trafficked and dangerous streets on Capitol Hill. In announcing the project, DDOT defined the project area to include 17th and 19th Streets between Benning Road NE and Potomac Avenue SE. ANC 6B has been urging DDOT for years to address the dangerous conditions along these two residential streets that are now major north-south commuting corridors. The Commission is glad that DDOT finally says it plans to address these concerns.

Unfortunately, though it is clearly a part of the corridor, DDOT did not include the 700 and 800 blocks of 17th Street SE, the remaining portion of 17th between Potomac Avenue SE and Barney Circle SE, in the project area. While this stretch is two-way, residents of the 700 & 800 blocks of 17th Street SE deal with the same high volume of traffic and excessive vehicle speed that exists north of Potomac Avenue SE. Most vehicles travel this southern stretch of 17th Street to use the “Authorized Vehicle Only” access road to get on the Southeast/Southwest Freeway. Speeding is a particular problem due to the incline of the roadway as it approaches Barney Circle. A number of accidents have occurred in this section of the roadway, including one that damaged the fence at Barney Circle.

In addition, the intersection of G Street SE and 17th Street SE is a major pedestrian crossing. Congressional Cemetery operates a dogwalking program, and many residents cross 17th Street SE with their dogs at G Street SE to access the west gate of cemetery. Currently, there is no crosswalk at this intersection.

Logically, the remaining two blocks of 17th Street SE above Barney Circle should be included in the DDOT analysis. ANC 6B urges the department to add this segment now. If for some reason DDOT is unable at this stage to include the 700 & 800 blocks of 17th Street in the Safety Improvement Project, ANC 6B requests that DDOT simultaneously conduct an independent study of these two blocks to determine appropriate traffic calming and pedestrian safety measures. Ignoring the significant pedestrian and vehicular safety issues along this section of 17th Street SE is not acceptable.
We look forward to a timely response to this request.

Sincerely,

Jared Critchfield
Chair

cc:

Tommy Wells, Ward 6 Councilmember, Council of the District of Columbia