Connecticut Avenue traffic is expected to be more challenging for drivers and pedestrians alike, starting next week.
Late Thursday, September 22nd, the section of Beach Drive between Shoreham Drive and Tilden Street will close for the first phase of a three-year road and trail rehabilitation project. This will put more cars on an already heavily traveled Connecticut Avenue. Questions to DDOT posed by the Forest Hills Connection about the impacts on Connecticut Avenue traffic went unanswered, but DDOT and National Park Service officials are participating in a public meeting hosted by the Cleveland Park Citizens Association that Thursday, 7 to 8:30 p.m., at the Cleveland Park Library’s second floor meeting room.
The extended no parking periods during the rush hours are still in effect to accommodate the SafeTrack maintenance work being done on the Metro system. Remember, there is no corresponding extension of time for reversible lanes although this may be occurring in practice. Motorists exiting the shared alley from Park Van Ness and Park Connecticut garages just south of Yuma onto Connecticut will have a particular challenge finding an opening in vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
More traffic means more potential for conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians as they cross the street. And more pedestrians will be crossing Connecticut due to the Monday closure of the west entrance to the Van Ness Metro station. This is for the last phase of the escalator replacement project at Van Ness.
Let us know how it goes on next week. And please drive and walk defensively and put away your smartphones while you walk and drive. The traffic will need your full attention.
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Eileen Kane says
A large number of cars are exiting Rock Creek Parkway in the morning and evening onto Connecticut Ave from Brandywine St and on 36th St and Fessenden Sts. near the BP station. On Fessenden in the evening, cars are traveling through onto Reno Rd and Wisconsin Avenues. Anyone parking on those blocks should turn their mirrors in to protect their vehicles and be prepared for delays if you need to go down those streets. It would be nice if DC DOT would alter the timing of the lights at these corners at Connecticut.
Marlene Berlin says
Wasim Raja in charge of traffic light timing at DDOT told me in an email that he would send someone out to check on the Fessenden Connecticut Avenue intersection. There is a gas line replacement project on Linnean until the end of November that is putting more traffic on 36th Street., in addition to Beach Drive closure at Tilden.