NPS will present options at July 8th virtual meeting for Beach Drive’s car-free zones

The Beach Drive segment in red is one of three that have been closed to motor vehicles seven days a week since April 11th, 2020.

A car-free upper Beach Drive recently got the DC Council’s endorsement. But the decision ultimately rests with the National Park Service, and NPS says it is considering “a range of alternatives,” which it will present at a public meeting on Thursday, July 8th.

The 90-minute virtual meeting will begin at 6 p.m., and you’ll find information on connecting here.

The Park Service will then accept public comments on the options through August 22nd, and says that the affected segments of upper Beach Drive will remain closed during this process.

A few days before the DC Council passed its resolution on Beach Drive, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton sent a letter to the Park Service requesting a permanent closure. Norton says she has since heard from more constituents who would like the road to be reopened to cars, and is holding a virtual meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 29th to hear from both sides. Send your RSVP at NortonEvents@mail.house.gov to attend.