.capitol streets.
CHANGE COMES TO PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE IN JUNE Designed to Improve Roadway Mobility, Safety for All by Elizabeth O’Gorek
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n June 2022, the District Departvania Avenue will be used for parkment of Transportation (DDOT) ing except during peak traffic hours, will begin construction on the when they will become bus priority Pennsylvania Avenue SE Corlanes. Priority lanes will be in effect ridor from Second Street SE to Monday through Fridays, except holidays. During the morning rush the 13th Street SE. north side will become a dedicated This first phase of the project is westbound bus lane from 7:00 a.m. coordinated to begin at the concluthrough 9:30 a.m. In the afternoon, sion of work on the ongoing streetthe south side or eastbound lane next light and traffic signal upgrade projto the bike lane will be bus priority ect. Work on Phase II, focused on from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pennsylvania Avenue from 13th Design ‘Alternative A’, was selected for work on Pennsylvania Avenue SE in June DDOT will create shared bus Street SE to Barney Circle is slated to 2020 after more than 250 people wrote in support of the new configuration. Detail: platforms that allow for ease of boardbegin once the Potomac-Pennsylvania DDOT presentation, July 2020/Facebook ing. The bike lane created adjacent to Intersection Project is complete. the curb, will be raised near bus stops Aside from being a primary route ed to Pennsylvania Avenue SE. The project was into the I-295 and Capital Beltway, Pennsylvania Avto curb level. Shared platforms will be located on the troduced at public meetings in 2016 and has been enue SE provides key bus, bicycle and pedestrian 300, 500, 600, 700, 1100, and 1300 blocks of Pennconsistently supported by Advisory Neighborhood connection to downtown and communities to the sylvania Avenue SE. Commission (ANC) 6B, in whose boundaries the east and south. It’s also a Capitol Hill commerce While parking will be permitted on the south project is located. A design was selected in Sumhub, home to many Hill restaurants, services and side during morning commute and on the north side mer 2020 after DDOT received hundreds of pubretail outlets. in the afternoon, meter parking will remain on both lic comments. But Pennsylvania Avenue, which sees upwards sides when parking is permitted. Residential Permit of 30,000 vehicles a day, is considered to be an unParking (RPP) will be preserved where it exists on Changing Streetscape comfortable route for even the most confident of cythe eastern end of the corridor. The design will reduce dedicated traffic lanes on clists. It is rated at the highest Level of Traffic Stress Loading zones are a part of the plan, Project Pennsylvania Ave. to two in either direction. Bike (LTS), level 4. “Anyone who has ridden the bicycle Manager Greg Matlesky told a meeting of ANC 6B. lanes will be located along both curbs, separated on the corridor can attest that it is certainly not for For instance, a pickup and drop off area is planned from vehicular traffic by a 3 feet space occupied by the faint of heart,” Project Manager Greg Matlesky for the area in front of 650 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Flexi-posts interspersed with concrete barriers. Loading zones will be adjusted along the corridor said in an early virtual presentation on the project. In between the barriers and the travel lanes, to bring them to a standard 40-foot length, adding The changes to Pennsylvania Avenue are intendone lane from the 200 to 1200 blocks of Pennsylsome at the end of blocks ed to provide safer mobility to allow for ‘head-in/backoptions for all users. They do in loading’ rather than from so by reducing speed limits travel lane. These plans were from 30 mph to 25 mph and developed with input from by providing separated bike the BIDs and Main Streets, and priority bus lanes, all as well as additional busiwith the intention of a mininesses along the corridor, mal impact on traffic flow and Matlesky added. parking availability. In 2014, the MOVE Bus Stop Changes DC plan recommenced Shared platforms in new bike lanes adjacent to the curb will be located near bus stops for ease of boarding. Screenshot: DDOT ANC 6B Presentation, April 6, 2022. Some bus stops will be reloprotected bike lanes be add-
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