See proposed Van Ness streetscape improvements at an Oct. 23rd public meeting

DDOT has some ideas it would like to share with us about making two Van Ness corridors safer, greener, and more attractive.

The two corridors are Connecticut Avenue between Van Ness and Albemarle Streets, and Van Ness Street between Connecticut Avenue and Reno Road.

The Van Ness Commercial Corridor Project study area.

By “greener,” we mean in the environmental sense. The proposed streetscape improvements are to include infrastructure for managing stormwater that pollutes and erodes Rock Creek if left unchecked. The project’s design is also to incorporate transportation safety improvements, no matter the mode of transport. The creation of “community-friendly spaces” is another project goal.

DDOT is hosting a charrette-style public meeting on Saturday, October 23rd. Attendees are invited to drop in at any time between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to see and provide feedback on proposed improvements. This is an in-person meeting, outdoors, at the UDC amphitheater next to the UDC Theater of the Arts on Windom Place. The amphitheater is also accessible from Yuma Street. Follow the path alongside the tennis courts.

We are being asked to register for the meeting here.

The designers will use our feedback in the creation of a conceptual plan, which DDOT will present to the community in spring 2022.

Here’s the meeting notice from DDOT:

Van Ness Commercial Corridor Study Outdoor Public Meeting

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will host a charrette style public meeting to present an overview of the Van Ness Commercial Corridor Study and receive input for proposed improvements for the corridor.

This study is a proactive and inclusive approach building on the vision of the Van Ness Commercial District Action Strategy and the development of conceptual transportation improvements to address that vision. This vision identifies the community as a vibrant and attractive commercial center that will enhance public spaces and improve multimodal transportation safety along the Van Ness Commercial Corridor.

Through the study DDOT will complete the following:

• Develop a concept plan that creates community friendly public spaces, promotes multimodal transportation safety, and incorporates green infrastructure along the project corridor
• Focus on four key vision concepts: public space, retail, sustainability, and new commercial opportunities
• Improve pedestrian and bicycle connections between the Van Ness-UDC Metro station, existing businesses, and adjacent communities and institutions
• Present a final concept plan that embraces the positive qualities of the Connecticut Avenue corridor and incorporates community and stakeholder involvement

WHAT: Van Ness Commercial Corridor Outdoor Public Meeting
WHEN: October 23, 2021
TIME: 10 AM to 1 PM
WHERE: University of the District of Columbia Amphitheatre, 4200 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 (no virtual option available)

TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING:
Registration link: rebrand.ly/VanNessMeetingOct23

Can’t Make a Meeting?
Materials from this meeting will be made available at ddot.dc.gov/page/van-ness-commercial-corridor-project within 48 hours of the conclusion of the meeting.

For more information about this meeting, please contact Ted Van Houten, Transportation Planner, at (202) 671-4580 or [email protected]. For more information about this project, please visit: ddot.dc.gov/page/van-ness-commercial-corridor-project.

If you need special accommodations please contact Cesar Barreto at 202-671-2829 or [email protected] 72 hours in advance of the meeting.

If you need language assistance services (translation or interpretation), please contact Karen Randolph at 202-671-2620 or [email protected] 72 hours in advance of the meeting. These services will be provided free of charge.