by Robert Deyling
Chair, ANC 3F Streets & Sidewalks Committee
The ANC 3F Streets and Sidewalks Committee is looking for volunteers to help conduct a comprehensive survey of the state of the neighborhood’s streets, sidewalks, and related issues. The group will hold a training session on Saturday, April 29, at 12:00 p.m. at the Van Ness Main Street office (4340 Connecticut Avenue).
The Committee invites neighborhood volunteers to come and learn how to use the electronic survey form the Committee has developed. Ideally, volunteers will take an assignment to survey a few blocks of the neighborhood, either on the 29th or sometime before the Committee’s next meeting on May 10th. We expect that the training and the survey work combined will require about 2-3 hours of each volunteer.
The Streets and Sidewalks Committee was formed last fall and has begun work to prepare a prioritized list of issues within ANC 3F. The Committee’s survey is intended to include damaged and missing sidewalks, street surfaces in need of repair, storm water management issues, traffic flow and street sign issues, pedestrian safety concerns, parking issues, alleyways, and any other related issues the Committee may identify.
After completing the survey this spring, the Committee will analyze information gathered through the survey and report the results to the ANC during the summer. The Committee will then work with the ANC to follow up with the relevant District agencies as needed to address issues that are identified.
If you plan to attend on the 29th, please let us know by signing up at ANC3F.com/streets.
More information about the Committee, and updates on its work, can be found on the ANC 3F website at ANC3F.com/about/committees/streets-sidewalks-committee.
Green Eyeshades says
Your post on April 20 is now 50 days old, and nobody commented on it yet. So I thought your post deserved at least one comment, even if this comment is only slightly on point.
Your blogpost includes this sentence: “The Committee’s survey is intended to include damaged and missing sidewalks, street surfaces in need of repair, storm water management issues, traffic flow and street sign issues, pedestrian safety concerns, parking issues, alleyways, and any other related issues the Committee may identify.”
I am very pleased that, according to that sentence, ANC 3F’s survey will include sidewalks in front of commercial & retail businesses along Connecticut Avenue, and it will include “traffic flow.”
One very major disruption of traffic flow along our portion of Connecticut Avenue will be a new drive-through Chick-fil-A. Just look at the horrendous traffic that has congealed around the Chick-fil-A on Capitol Hill, according to this report yesterday (June 6) from Channel Five News:
“This Chick-fil-A location on Maryland Avenue in Northeast D.C. recently opened up for business last week. However, as customers head to the restaurant during the breakfast, lunch and dinner rush, a FOX 5 viewer says it is also creating traffic havoc in the area.
“Karl Frasier sent us video showing the gridlock caused by the line of cars waiting to get to the drive-thru and it has gotten so congested that a D.C. police officer is seen directing traffic entering and exiting the drive-thru.”
Despite DDOT oversight (like we supposedly have here), the news report ends as follows:
“In addition to the officers directing traffic, the restaurant has changed the drive-thru’s entrance and exit to one-way only to help with traffic flow. But residents want more than that to solve the problem.
“FOX 5 has reached out to Chick-fil-A and DDOT for comment and is still awaiting a response as of Tuesday night.”
Tracy J. says
I posted that Fox5 story to our Facebook page not long before you commented. Great minds?
My take was that the traffic mess described in the story is why ANC 3F and other neighborhood leaders pushed hard for changes to Chick-fil-A’s now-abandoned plans for Van Ness.
At least, we think it’s been abandoned. Chick-fil-A has been silent ever since.
Tracy J. says
Ever since the DC Public Space Committee rejected its drive-thru plans.
Green Eyeshades says
Tracy, thank you so much for posting this actual news article at the top of the home page!
https://www.foresthillsconnection.com/news/van-ness-dodged-the-kind-of-traffic-chaos-a-chick-fil-a-drive-thru-has-caused-on-capitol-hill/
At the end of that story, there is a link to a real estate broker’s website implying that Chick-fil-A has actually “abandoned” its attempt to open the store in Van Ness, because the owner’s real estate broker is looking for a new tenant. Which would be great news!
http://klnbretail.propertycapsule.com/properties/4422connecticutavenuenw/#overview
Tracy J. says
You have MY thanks because your comment made us realize we’d never followed up on Chick-fil-A’s plans after the PSC ruling. We’re glad you spoke up!