Nannie Helen Burroughs Great Streets

DDOT broke ground last week on the Nannie Helen Burroughs Great Streets project. This project includes major streetscape, environmental and safety improvements. It will be both a complete street and a green street. According to the press release

Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue will be reconfigured with a single lane in each direction for traffic calming, and DDOT will add continuous sidewalks, curb extensions (also known as bulb-outs) and bicycle lanes.

Which sounds like a significant change from the original Framework Plan in which bicyclists were expected to use the parallel Marvin Gaye Park Trail (nee Watts Branch Trail). "Bicycle use on the corridor should be designated for the Watts Branch Trail".

According to a 2008 presentation, the project may include two blocks of additional Marvin Gaye Park Trail between 49th St and 50th St (aka Grant Street Bike Path connection), where the trail currently goes on-road or sidewalk, and improved lighting for the trail. The connections appears to be a sidepath.

Comments

[IMGoph]

not sure where they would add trail between 49th and 50th. there's really no room there, as things get pinched by buildings that come up pretty close to the road. i guess it would just be taken out of the lane taken from the street, right?

[DB]

As a resident in that neighborhood I think this will be a big inconvience and cause alot of traffic. This is a main throughfare and access to DC. It is bus traffic, out of town traffic and the new government building that is about to open this is a very busy and active intersection. I am sure this is something DDOT already knows.

[washcycle]

You can see it on the map in the picture. Grant Street looks like it has plenty of room to allow for some narrowing. That would allow for room for a wider sidewalk/trail.

I think the evidence for road diets is that it doesn't cause much of an increase in congestion, if any at all. How often is this road even being used at 75%? I never see much traffic on it. 3 lanes seems excessive.

[R. Myers]

As a visitor to the Parks and People facility on Division and Eads, my hope is that a reimagined NHB well give it an identity. I think that making it narrow will eventually limit it's a appeal as a Maryland commuter cut-through to the freeway, which is likely the cause of much of the traffic.

@ Washcycle - I believe the reason why this street is wide in certain areas is because it once had streetcars.

[washcycle]

Not a streetcar line, but the old ROW for the WB&A interurban railroad.