ANC 3F Supports Walkers And Bikers On Broad Branch

An update on the Broad Branch Road rehab project from ANC 3F03 Commissioner Mary Beth Ray:

I am happy to report that ANC 3F voted unanimously to accept the Broad Branch resolution (see below) at our [June 18th] meeting.

Rock Creek Park is one of the most beautiful aspects of our neighborhood, yet many of our pedestrians and cyclists have no safe way to access the park. While we await the environmental assessment, hopefully this resolution expresses our interest and engagement in the renovation project.

There will no doubt be many discussions surrounding each alternative, particularly with regard to the possibility of acquiring additional rights of way from embassies and private land owners. We have spoken with Mayor Gray’s chief of protocol, Patricia Elwood, who is keeping the relevant embassies informed. Landowners along Broad Branch, as well as the broader community, will be kept informed as to the environmental assessment and the public comment period.

Clearly, further information is needed before we can make an informed endorsement of a particular alternative (see Forest Hills Connection’s article on the four options under consideration). However, in the meantime, the seven commissioners of ANC 3F stand together in support of improved access to Rock Creek Park for pedestrians and cyclists, improved road conditions and improved management of stormwater. We hope that by taking the lead on this, other ANCs will adopt similar resolutions and that DDOT and other city agencies and officials will move forward with this important project.
 

Resolution Regarding Proposed Broad Branch Road Rehabilitation

WHEREAS, Mayor Gray’s Sustainable DC plan seeks to reduce reliance on automobiles, and expand provisions of safe, secure infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians, with the goal to increase biking and walking to 25 percent of all commuter trips; and

WHEREAS, residents of Upper NW residing in ANC’s 3E, 3F and 3/4G live only a short distance from Rock Creek Park and the recreational amenities therein and specifically the multi-use trail that provides direct bicycle access to points south, including Mt. Pleasant/Columbia Heights, Woodley Park, Dupont Circle, the West End and Georgetown, as well as access to downtown DC; and

WHEREAS, the residents of ANCs 3F03 and 3F05 do not have a safe way to access Rock Creek Park on bicycle or on foot; and

WHEREAS, ANC 3F has supported the installation of Capital Bikeshare stations in Ward 3 and has offered proposals and possibilities for additional bicycle infrastructure in and adjacent to ANC 3F and Ward 3; and

WHEREAS, the D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) are proposing rehabilitation of Broad Branch Road between Linnean Avenue and Beach Drive; and

WHEREAS, Broad Branch Road provides a vital thoroughfare to Ward 3 for residents of Ward 4 and is in dire need of rehabilitation to ensure continued service; and

WHEREAS, the proposed reconstruction of Broad Branch Road represents a rare opportunity to rebuild an existing road while increasing its capacity for a non-automobile mode of transportation while also lessening the road’s environmental impact by using modern construction techniques to minimize run-off and better protect the adjacent Broad Branch stream bed.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT ANC 3F recommends that DDOT implement reconstruction of Broad Branch Road between Linnean Avenue and Beach Drive that provides residents with a safe way to access Rock Creek Park on bicycle or on foot, and that minimizes storm water run-off to better protect the adjacent stream bed.