Is DDOT following its own priority system for new sidewalks?

by Marlene Berlin

Pedestrians heading to the rear entrances of Politics and Prose and Little Red Fox, off 36th Street Northwest, no longer have to walk in the street – thanks to this new sidewalk.

On the south side of Ellicott Street just off Connecticut, part of the sidewalk is getting a makeover. And a new sidewalk is going in at Linnean Terrace.

Increasing the sidewalk network is a good thing, and I’m sure our neighbors on Linnean Terrace will enjoy theirs. However, I have to wonder if DDOT is following its own priority system for filling sidewalk gaps. DDOT has developed a point system to weigh proximity to schools, parks, recreational facilities, Metro stations and bus stops, as well as the amount of traffic on the roadway and whether there’s a sidewalk on at least one side of the roadway.

Linnean Terrace is off the beaten track. It does not a direct route to Connecticut Avenue, a bus stop, shopping, a school or a playground. It does not get a lot of traffic.

The question lingers: Why Linnean Terrace? The Forest Hills neighborhood has other gaps in its sidewalk network that under DDOT’s priority system would seem to rise to the top of the list:

Davenport between Linnean Avenue and just beyond 30th Street, which is in the Murch Safe Routes to School Plan

32nd Street from Ellicott to Fessenden, which is a walking route to the Forest Hills playground

Fessenden from 32nd Street, which is a thoroughfare for cars and a pedestrian route to Connecticut Avenue. The existing sidewalk stops mid-block between 34th and 32nd, creating a safety hazard for pedestrians.

30th Street, a back-way commuting route during rush our. Its sidewalk stops mid-block between Brandywine and Davenport.

 
Have you noticed any new sidewalk work in your area? Does it improve walkability?