Category Archives: Transportation

Proposed Capital Bikeshare price increase

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation and tagged with

Capital Bikeshare is hosting an open house on January 28, 2015, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library (901 G Street NW) to discuss proposed price increases, future expansion plans, and rider policy. The price for an annual pre-paid membership would increase $10 to $85. Usage fees for trips over 30 minutes would remain the same. The entire proposed fee schedule is printed in the chart below. Written comments on the proposed fee schedule may also be submitted via email by February 15, 2015.

Proposed price increases

Proposed price increases (source: Capital Bikeshare)

 

October 18 & 19: Free shuttle buses replace Fort Totten red line trains

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation

From 12:01 am Saturday to closing time Sunday, free shuttle buses replace red line trains between Rhode Island and Silver Spring. From WMATA’s website:

Stations Closed: Brookland, Fort Totten (Red Line platform) & Takoma

Last Train Time Change: The last Red Line train of the night from Glenmont to Silver Spring will depart 40 minutes earlier than normal to allow for shuttle bus connections. On Friday and Saturday nights, the last train will leave Glenmont at 1:57 a.m. On Sunday, the last train will leave Glenmont at 10:57 p.m.

Free shuttle buses will replace Red Line trains between Rhode Island Ave & Silver Spring. Shuttle buses will operate on two routes:

  • Express buses will operate between Rhode Island Avenue and Silver Spring with no intermediate stops. Please add up to 25 minutes of travel time.

  • Local buses will operate between Rhode Island Ave and Silver Spring, making intermediate stops at Brookland, Fort Totten and Takoma. Please allow 15 minutes of travel time for each station stop.

September 20: WABA Walking Tour of Northern Phase of MBT

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation and tagged with , ,

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association is hosting a 2.2 mile walking tour of the planned northern phase of the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) on Saturday, September 20, 2014.  The tour starts at Fort Totten metro station at 1:00pm and will end at Takoma metro station around 3:30 pm. Click here for more information and to register.

Updates from SMD 5A08 Meeting: Art Place and Metro shortcuts

Posted by nextstoprp in Cafritz Art Place at Fort Totten, Transportation and tagged with , ,

Art Place at Fort Totten

At last night’s SMD 5A08 meeting, we heard a few updates regarding Building A at Art Place at Fort Totten.  The construction team is waiting for final approval of the traffic control plan to start construction.  The entire site will need to be fenced off before they begin relocating the utilities underneath Hamilton Street NE, which will be permanently closed.  Once construction starts, there will be jersey barriers along the north side of Galloway Street NE so that pedestrians can access the metro station.  That means there will no longer be a parking lane for cars on the north side of Galloway.  The bus stops on both sides of Galloway should remain accessible during construction. 

The architect mentioned one change that they are proposing to the residential parking.  As approved, the residential building is to have around 344 residential parking spaces in a structured garage.  The team proposes to reduce that amount by 80 spaces, dropping 1.5 floors of parking, to reduce costs.  That leaves around 264 spaces for 520 units.  The building will have 141 affordable units (of which 98 will be reserved for seniors), enough to relocate the residents of the Riggs Plaza apartments.  The residential apartment building is slated to have a senior work room/quiet area for seniors, rooftop pool and barbecue area, and fitness room.  In adidtion to retail tenants, Building A will have space for an ANC 5A office, and possibly a daycare center.  They are still working on executing leases with retailers.   

National Park Service Environment Study on Improvements to Paths between Gallatin and Galloway Street NE

The deadline to comment on the National Park Service options for improvements to the paths between Gallatin and Galloway is May 2, 2014.  Visit the project website by clicking here.  In addition to commenting on the specific options, individuals can share anything they wish about the paths.  The official from the NPS emphasized that this is an environmental study, so when they evaluate the comments, they will do so with an eye towards the impact any proposed action would have on the native plants and trees and experience of the park.  He also noted that the NPS does not yet have funding to implement any particular plan, but this environmental study is the first step in determining what they want to do and how much to budget for it.  Commissioner Angel Alston noted that there might be an opportunity for partnership to fund implementation and maintenance of any proposed plan.  The commissioner asks that people print out their comment so that the ANC has a record of the comments (a “print this page” tab will appear once a comment is submitted).  The ANC will vote on a recommendation at the next ANC 5A meeting.

Reminder: NPS will be at tonight’s ANC 5A meeting to discuss metro shortcuts from Gallatin to Galloway Street

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation and tagged with ,
  • What:    ANC 5A monthly public meeting
  • When:   Tonight, March 26,2014 at 6:45 pm
  • Where:  UDC-CC, Backus, Room 129 (5171 South Dakota Ave NE)
  • Why:     The National Park Service is doing an environmental study on improvements to the shortcuts people are taking through the parkland between Gallatin and Galloway Streets to access the metro station and bus bays. NPS representatives will be at tonight’s meeting to discuss options.

Can’t make tonight’s meeting? Visit the project website and submit comments by May 2, 2014.

No bidders for Fort Totten metro development

Posted by nextstoprp in Fort Totten Metro Development, Transportation and tagged with

The Washington Business Journal brings us news that there were no submissions to WMATA’s solicitation for joint development at Fort Totten metro station.  The solicitation to develop the large park-and-ride lot went out in November 2013.  Submissions were due March 7, 2014.  Stan Wall, WMATA’s director of real estate and station planning, presented on the project at an ANC meeting in January 2014.  From the WBJ article:

There were no submissions for Fort Totten. At that site, Metro offered a relatively small parcel and required the replacement of roughly 400 commuter parking spaces. The cost of the project would be more than the value of any new development, Wall said, but he expects interest to grow over time.
“It’s not quite ready but I think it’ll be back in a year or two,” he said of Fort Totten.

Essentially, the cost of replacing the 400 or so parking spaces alone is a pretty high financial barrier to development of the property right now.  In addition, potential developers were wary about the two developments already in the pipeline, Fort Totten Square (which will bring 345 apartments to the area) and Art Place at Fort Totten (which is estimated to bring close to 900 apartments).  Once Fort Totten Square is completed in spring 2015 and Art Place is further along, developers will be able to see more clearly the level of investment in the area.

It is not clear if any of this will impact DDOT’s accessibility project around the metro station.  While DDOT is coordinating with WMATA because some of the potential changes will affect WMATA’s property, DDOT’s project is completely separate from WMATA’s solicitation for joint development of the large parking lot.

 

 

Heads Up: Changes to metrobus routes effective March 30

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation and tagged with

On March 30, 2014, a number of Metrobus routes will change.  For the immediate area:

Route 80 – North Capitol Street

  • Every other trip departing Fort Totten will end at McPherson Square at most times of the day on weekdays.
  • Near Potomac Park, southbound buses will use the Virginia Avenue underpass at 23rd Street and no longer serve stops on Virginia Avenue at 22nd and 25th Streets NW. Alternate bus stops are available along Virginia Avenue NW at 21st and 24th Streets NW.

Route 60 – Fort Totten-Petworth

  • A new schedule will reflect trip time adjustments.
  • Time between buses during weekday, midday hours will increase to every 45 minutes to improve on-time performance.

View other bus route changes on Metro’s website.

 

Comments due May 2nd on improvements to metro shortcuts between Gallatin and Galloway Street NE

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation and tagged with ,

The National Park Service has posted online documents related to potential improvements to the paths between Gallatin Street and Galloway Street NE that North Michigan Park residents use as shortcuts to access Fort Totten metro station.  The documents can be found on the NPS Planning, Environment, & Public Comment website (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/rocr) under the project title Prepare Environmental Assessment for Improving Fort Totten-North Michigan Park Pedestrian Access and clicking on “Document List”.  The comment period closes May 2, 2014.  There are a few ways to submit comments:

  • At ANC 5A’s meeting on Wednesday, March 26, 2014, at 6:30 pm at UDC-CC (Backus), Room 129
  • Electronically through the project portal site by clicking on the “Open For Comment” link
  • Fax to (202) 895-6015
  • Mail (postmarked by May 2, 2014) or Hand deliver to:

Superintendent

Rock Creek Park

Fort Totten North Michigan Park Pedestrian Access Improvements Environmental Assessment

3545 Williamsburg Lane NW

Washington, DC 20008-1207

The NPS is proposing four options:

(1) No Action:  The NPS notes current management is in effect, mowing the unofficial trail from South Dakota Avenue to Galloway Street.  Under this proposed option, there would be no NPS maintenance of the trail between Galloway and Gallatin at 6th Place NE.  The temporary light towers would not remain.

(2) Improve Street Side Pedestrian Access: The NPS proposes to fence the project area to protect park resources. Possibly construct a sidewalk on the north side of Gallatin Street (DDOT is already considering constructing a sidewalk on the south side of Galloway).  Possibly install lighting around the perimeter of the project area.

(3) Provide a direct path to provide the greatest unobstructed line-of-sight as possible from the beginning to the end of the trail. The NPS could formalize one of the existing short trails that residents currently use and could also provide trail lighting.

(4) Construct a trail system with amenities that allows for unobstructed line-of-sight.  Amenities could include benches, lighting, and picnic tables.  The area could be cleared of invasive plants, resulting in appearance similar to the park areas east of South Dakota Ave.

Below is the document handed out at the March 19, 2014, meeting.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Recap of ANC 5A meeting: Zoning, Library, Fort Totten metro station

Posted by nextstoprp in Fort Totten Metro Development, Lamond Riggs Library, Neighborhood Development, Transportation and tagged with , , ,

Highlights from the January 29th ANC 5A public meeting:

Miscellaneous items

  • The commission elected the same slate of officers.
  • The commission is looking for an office assistant available to work around 20 hours per week.  Direct inquiries and leads to your commissioner.
  • Ward 5 Councilmember McDuffie said that the Ward 5 Industrial Land Transformation report is still under review, but he hopes that the task force can have that out to the public in the next couple of months.
  • Art Place at Fort Totten:  The Cafritz team will likely have to file for a PUD extension.
  • Path between Gallatin & Galloway Street NE:  Expect notice of a meeting for SMD 5A08 regarding the National Park Service environment study.
  • Hotel:  Developers presented on a new Marriott brand hotel proposed for a site at Michigan Avenue NE and Irving Street NE.  A parking lot currently sits at this site.  The area was part of ANC 5C prior to revision of the ANC boundaries.  Now it is in ANC 5A.  The developers believe the area, with several hospitals and universities, will be well-served by a hotel and they plan to provide discounted community rates on rooms and hotel facilities.  They also emphasized the importance of hiring from the community.
  • McMillan Sand Filtration Site:  The commission plans to draft a resolution in support of ANC 5E’s resolution on the first phase of the McMillan project.

Zoning

The ANC plans to draft a resolution requesting more time to review the zoning update.  The Ward 5 hearing on the zoning update is 9:00 am on Saturday, February 8, 2014, at Dunbar High School.  The Ward 4 hearing is at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, February 11, 2014, at Wilson High School.  The Office of Zoning will accept written testimony after today’s deadline for written submission, but might not have time to review it before scheduled hearings.  Individuals can also testify in person.  Early sign up is encouraged since testimony will take place on a first come, first serve basis.  Instructions and more information are available on Zoning’s site.

Lamond Riggs Library

The ANC plans to draft a resolution requesting the full modernization and renovation of Lamond Riggs Library at its current location.  Recall that the Cafritz project potentially includes a new, state-of-the art neighborhood library in a later phase of the development.  However, since there is no indication of when the project will actually break ground on the first phase, the ANC believes it does not make sense to make the update of the library contingent on the Cafritz project.  Recall from this post that the FY 2014 budget included zero funding for renovating the library, but there is proposed funding for FY 2015 & 2016.  The budget summary noted that DC’s chief librarian was in communication with the Cafritz team about the libary.  We look forward to seeing the resolution the commission draws up at a future meeting.    

WMATA Joint Development for Fort Totten Metro Station

Stan Wall, WMATA’s real estate development director, presented on WMATA’s joint soliciation for proposed development of the park-and-ride lot (west parcel) at Fort Totten metro station.  As mentioned in previous posts, WMATA anticipates that this project will be all or primarily residential, with possibly a very small retail component.  Below is a 4 pager that was distributed at the meeting showing conceptual designs of circulation pattern, massing, potential development concepts, and a timeline for the project.  A developer can propose a concept not shown as long as it meets the requirements in the solicitation. 

Mr. Wall said that WMATA’s chief concerns with this project are that it enhance the community and have good placemaking and design elements.  He noted that Aventine Fort Totten (and even Rhode Island Row), while transit-oriented in the sense that they abut a metro station, are not so great in terms of looking like they fit, enhancing the community, or having good placemaking elements.  In addition, with this project, they hope to add more eyes to the street around First Place NE, thereby making it safer for those accessing the station from west of the tracks. 

WMATA plans to hold community meetings after proposals have been submitted.  They plan to have boards for each proposal so that residents can say which elements of each they like.  That way, WMATA can work with the developer they ultimately select to incorporate certain things the community found favorable even if those elements were not originally in the proposal.  

Submissions are due March 7, 2014.  The total time for selection of a developer and negotiating an agreement is expected to be one year.  If the project needs to go through the planned unit development (PUD) process (for example if the developer wants to do something not currently permitted under zoning laws), then expect additional time.  All told, the project is expected to be completed in the 2017-2018 timeframe. 

For those interested in learning more about the project before the community forums begin, it’s worth taking a look at the 13 pages from the solicitation pertaining just to Fort Totten station: Full WMATA Fort Totten Development Section (source:  WMATA Joint Development Solicition November 2013 (pdf)).

Take the moveDC survey

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation, Uncategorized and tagged with

If you missed the third round of public workshops for moveDC, the city’s long-term transportation planning initiative, there is still time to comment on the proposed draft.  The draft proposes a blended approach (pdf) to address transportation needs in the city.  The draft plan includes cycletracks along Riggs Road NE and South Dakota Avenue NE and an off-street path along Gallatin Street NE from Fort Totten to West Hyattsville.  The map shows fairly high mobility around Fort Totten, but there are still holes in transportation access between neighborhoods.  Take the survey to let DDOT know what you like about the draft plan and where there is room for improvement.

MoveDC public workshops end this week

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation and tagged with

This week is the final week of public workshops for this round of moveDC, the city’s long-term transportation planning initiative. 

  • Register here to participate in the last web workshop taking place tonight at 7:00 pm.
  • The final public workshop is on Wednesday, October 30, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, at Petworth Library (4200 Kansas Street NW).
  • Take the online survey.  October 31, 2013, is the last day to participate in the online survey.

Chime in on transportation issues

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation and tagged with

In June, DDOT held a workshop on moveDC, the city’s long-term transportation planning initiative, at Lamond Riggs library.  I covered that workshop in this post.  Residents now have another opportunity to weigh in on the city’s transportation future.

Interactive Online Survey

Throughout the month of October, DDOT is giving residents an opportunity to chime in on moveDC with an interactive online survey.  The survey asks residents to (1)  choose their top three transportation values or priorities for the city:  citywide mobility, neighborhood connectivity, preservation and maintenance, sustainability and health, public space, or safety and security;  (2)  learn about and select an approach:  stay the course,  get to the center, or connect neighborhoods; and (3)  decide how to allocate resources to different priorities.  All of these ideas are explained in the survey.  Respondents can see how their responses compare to those of other respondents.

I wrote about neighborhood connectivity issues in this post, so I won’t repeat what I said there.  Suffice to say this is a huge issue for this area of the city and we all need to weigh in on the future of transportation in the city.  Be sure to complete the survey this month!

Final Round of Public Meetings

DDOT is hosting a third and final round of public meetings on moveDC.   Review the draft transportation plan, help prioritize transportation options, and learn about the moveDC local bus study during one of the following meetings:

Monday, October 21
7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Union Station
625 First St NE
———-
Tuesday, October 22
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., presentation 7 p.m.

Dorothy I. Height/Benning Neighborhood Library
3935 Benning Road, NE
———-
Saturday, October 26
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

DCUSA Retail Center
(2nd Floor, between Target and Best Buy)
3100 14th St. NW
———–
Wednesday, October 30
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., presentation 7 p.m.

Petworth Neighborhood Library
4200 Kansas Ave., NW
———-

Web Meetings :
Thursday, October 24, 12 noon – 1:00 p.m.

and

Monday, October 28, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Visit http://www.wemoveDC. org for more details and to sign up.

 

Bikeshare headed to Takoma

As expected, DDOT recently announced that it plans to install a bikeshare station near Takoma metro.  In our neck of the woods, recall from this post that JBG representatives stated the company plans to pay for installation of a station near Fort Totten Square once it is complete and that Walmart has agreed to pay for a second station near Fort Totten metro (date to be determined).  

Comment on MoveDC by July 5 + Tidbits from the Lamond Riggs Workshop

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation and tagged with , , , ,

DDOT held a public workshop on moveDC, its initiative to develop a long-term transportation plan for the city, at Lamond Riggs library on June 6, 2013.  The agency also held workshops online and at various locations around the city.  The agency has spelled out three possible approaches to the plan:  (1)  Stay the Course (focus on incremental improvements); (2)  Get to the Center (focus on easing ways to get and travel around downtown); and (3)  Connect the Neighborhoods (focus on local streets and local connectivity).  DDOT is offering one more chance to provide input on this initiative.  Visit the online comment portal here to learn more about the three approaches and share or concur with policy suggestions by Friday, July 5.

Riggs Park and Surrounding Neighborhoods

With a chance to focus on the Riggs Park neighborhood at the Lamond Riggs library workshop, we learned a few things about what people are hoping for in terms of connectivity in the area.  Connectivity in the area was also addressed in this post previously.

Pedestrian Safety and Metro Access

Several people identified specific streets with missing sidewalks or where passage is impeded, particularly around the Fort Totten metro station.   Some of the metro access issues will be addressed by the 1st Place and Galloway Street NE transportation access plan.

Bikeshare

Lots of people have provided suggestions for bikeshare locations, which would fall under Approach #1, since bikeshare already exists and incrementally adding stations is consistent with the design of the system.  Currently, the closest bikeshare stations are in Brookland.  A few are available across Fort Totten Park some distance away in Petworth.  JBG plans to fund a station at Fort Totten Square when the project is complete in 2015 and Walmart might pay for a station near Fort Totten metro station as well.  Montgomery County officials are planning to roll out bikeshare in Takoma and Silver Spring in the near future.  It makes sense for the city to fill in the gaps in Riggs Park and North Michigan Park to make the system function a bit better and give people options for getting downtown and to other neighborhoods.

One suggestion made by a transportation planner was to specifically identify possible locations for bikeshare.  That means it is not enough to request a bikeshare station “at the metro” since the city will likely have trouble getting the requisite authority to place a bikeshare station “at the metro.”  I was told it would be more helpful to work with Aventine Fort Totten, for example, to identify space on that property for a station.  One other suggestion I have made is a bikeshare station by UDC-CC’s Backus campus.

Metropolitan Branch Trail

Many people have also advocated for completion of the Metropolitan Branch Trail between Brookland and Silver Spring, to include an off-road connection through Fort Totten and Takoma.  The city has provided funding for this fiscal year and next to design the Fort Totten portion of the trail, which will include a cycle staircase requiring cyclists to dismount.  Funding for construction of this portion of the trail is allocated for FY2016.

Cycletracks

As part of Approach #3, a suggestion has been made to install cycletracks along Riggs Road NE to provide an east-west connection to different neighborhoods and along South Dakota Avenue NE to provide a north-south connection.

These are just a few ideas presented by residents in the neighborhood.  More ideas are welcome by July 5 on the online portal.