Chick-fil-A has a new plan for the drive-thru at the restaurant it plans to open next year where the Van Ness Burger King now stands. Company representatives, including its head engineer, a traffic consultant and zoning lawyer discussed the plan with ANC 3F’s Technical Review Committee on Thursday, January 21st.
Chick-fil-A’s original plans had two lanes leading to the drive-thru. The new plan keeps the two lanes as they are now – one for the drive-thru and one as a pass-through to parking and the alley in the back.
Chick-fil-A and its drive-thru, as viewed from above.
Chick-fil-A also said the franchise would send three employees outside to take orders on tablet computers and direct traffic if cars back up to Connecticut Avenue or even around the block to Albemarle Street.
New ANC 3F chair Malachy Nugent, who gave a summary of the Chick-fil-A meeting at the commission’s January 27th publicmeeting, said the chain’s representatives gave traffic estimates, based generally on an average of similar fast food restaurants nationwide, that suggest a possible 50 percent increase in vehicle traffic over what the Burger King currently sees.
Chick-fil-A is doing its own traffic study and will give the findings to ANC 3F and the District Department of Transportation this Friday, February 5th. Nugent said until they see Chick-fil-A’s study, commissioners will remain skeptical that any kind of driveway will mitigate safety concerns for motorists and pedestrians.
On its Tuesday, February 23rd public meeting, ANC 3F will discuss and vote on its final recommendation for DDOT’s planners. Two days later, DDOT’s Public Space Commission will take up the Chick-fil-A proposal at a public hearing.
JacobWilliams says
Great news! I cannot wait for Chik-fil-A, this is even more exciting than the market and Italian restaurant across the street!
Shawn J says
I hope the traffic studies consider that we already have massive backups on Albemarle for the drive-thru car wash. The traffic from the car wash alone is problematic and unresolved. This neighborhood isn’t designed to handle even more traffic blockage.
Mindyl says
In addition to traffic problems at that intersection, there’s the already contentious attitude of drivers in line to get into the car wash. I refer to the arguments & horn-honking that goes on when one or more drivers suspect a car is cutting in-line, or not moving up fast enough; also the waiting drivers regularly block the handicap sidewalk-access. Note: have they considered the driveway traffic in/out for the Days Inn & the driveways for the new & enormous apartment building across the street?
Jane Solomon says
The ANC and DDOT should demand to see actual traffic data from other Chick Fil A drive-through locations–which no doubt they have–rather than estimates “based generally on an average of similar fast food restaurants”. Why use real numbers when you can make them up? We’re all aware of how little business Burger King had. To suggest CFA will attract a mere 50% increase is laughable.
Green Eyeshades says
A 50% increase would probably cross a tipping point at periods of peak demand. For example, if Burger King currently has an average of 200 cars a day (moderate estimate)**, when are those cars using the Burger King driveways? Morning rush hour is one obvious period of peak demand. There are probably fifty cars going in and out of the Burger King during two hours of the morning rush from 7 am to 9 am. Those 50 cars create one hundred “crossings” of the pedestrian path. A fifty percent increase in the morning vehicle count would mean 75 vehicles, which would create 150 “crossings.”
A fifty percent increase in the morning vehicle count could mean that pedestrians could encounter cars and small trucks crossing their path 150 times during a typical two-hour morning rush. Not to mention the additional “crossings” into and out of the Avenue.
What evidence exists that Albemarle Street eastbound in the two blocks west of the Avenue between 36th Street and the Avenue can sustain a demand of 75 vehicles during the morning rush, on top of the demand for the car wash?
**(All numbers subject to linear increase depending on actual Burger King traffic statistics.)