DDOT presented traffic analysis findings from its Connecticut Avenue reversible lane/bike lane study at ANC meetings in February, including a virtual town hall meeting hosted by ANC 3F on Wednesday, February 24th:
A presentation at the February 11th ANC 3E meeting revealed more information on the study’s focus and methodology, new since our update based on DDOT’s October 1st meeting with the study’s Citizen Advisory Committee.
DDOT is studying the potential impacts of removing the reversible rush hour lanes from Connecticut Avenue, and adding bike lanes. Two of the four alternatives under consideration, B and C, remain favored due to “fatal flaws” in the other concepts. DDOT representatives also told the ANC 3E meeting that concepts B and C were used to model traffic changes because the model is most sensitive to changes in the number of lanes.
Concept B does away with the reversible lanes, and includes parking on both sides during off-peak hours. There are no bike lanes. Concept C does away with the reversible lane, and includes a bike lane on both sides and street parking in the commercial areas, even during morning and evening rush hours.
DDOT’s model for both concepts shows some existing traffic being diverted from Connecticut Avenue to parallel roads including Broad Branch and Wisconsin Avenue. As noted on one slide in the ANC 3E presentation, DDOT arrived at these conclusions:
The impacts of reducing the number of lanes along Connecticut Avenue during the peak hour, peak direction, by either one or two lanes, is manageable.
- Concept B
– When daily diversions are broken down, by peak hours and by parallel routes, Concept B shows a 40-100 vehicle diversion in the peak hours for parallel routes. Diversions would be smaller for roadways connecting to parallel routes.- Concept C
– When daily diversions are broken down, by peak hours and by parallel routes, Concept C shows a 50-170 vehicle diversion in the peak hours for parallel routes. Diversions would be smaller for roadways connecting to parallel routes.- Parallel and collector roadways can accommodate these modest increases in volumes.
DDOT notes that its traffic analysis does not account for potential changes in “mode share,” such as public transportation usage, or for changes in commuting patterns that may result from the pandemic.
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Susan says
Have all the owners of businesses and restaurants weighed in on this proposed change? I can’t imagine they would support it if no parking is available. There is rarely a parking space available on any of the side streets off Connecticut Avenue so patrons will have no place to park. As a senior citizen I frequently park on Connecticut Avenue to do errands which I would not be able to do if parking is eliminated.
For DDOT to make a decision as important as this during a period of reduced traffic due to the pandemic is irresponsible.
FHC says
DDOT has a survey for business owners but low participation. Only about 30 businesses have weighed in so far, mostly in Cleveland Park.
As noted above, DDOT’s current plan under Concept C (with bike lanes) preserves street parking in the commercial areas, even during a.m. and p.m. peak hours. So one could conceivably park on Connecticut Avenue at 6 p.m. – and not be ticketed or towed.
Jessica Lee says
Hi I read the source material you cited with DDOT’s findings and it shows more than 7,000 daily diversions during peak hours (any non-peak hour diversions would be in addition to the 7,000). This is on slide 29. What number are you citing that is so misleading?
FHC says
What’s misleading? See slide 32 for the peak diversion figures for parallel roads, which are Reno/34th, Wisconsin Avenue and Broad Branch.
Also, slide 29 confirms it’s 7,000 daily diversions, not 7,000 daily peak hour diversions.
Jessica Lee says
Hi and thank you for your reply. What is misleading is that your article implies that the diversions will be 100 vehicles daily and not the 7,000 that DDOT estimates. The story is the 7,000 vehicles that will be driving through our neighborhoods. The 100 vehicle number doesn’t make any sense mathematically either and is directly contradicted by DDOT’s other data.
FHC says
It makes sense mathematically if you consider that slide 32 and the data we pulled from that are estimating peak hour diversions on three parallel roads, not all of the diversions, all day. I hope this helps.
FHC says
You are correct that the article, published in February 2021, should have included the 7,000 daily diversions figure. Our readers have sharp eyes and it’s great!