Green road projects compete for $1 million grant

DC Water launched a Green Infrastructure Challenge last April and last week DC Water announced the winning submissions for the design phase of the challenge.

The Green Infrastructure Challenge, engaged firms to design innovative green practices that absorb rain water. These practices, known as Green Infrastructure, include installing green roofs (gardens on rooftops), rain gardens, rain barrels, and pervious pavements, removing impervious surfaces, and using other natural means to capture and infiltrate rain water. Capturing the water before it can enter the combined sewer system will aid in alleviating combined sewer overflows in the District.

Several projects had to deal with greening streets. 

One involved a green redesign of Prospect Street, including a bike lane.

A redesign of Kennedy Street NW includes sharrows. 

One of the more interesting designs included a 5 foot wide permeable pavement bike lane along Mount Pleasant Street along Lamont Park. "A combination of shared lane markings and a dedicated bike lane, composed of a 5-foot wide section of permeable pavement with a stone reservoir below, will be installed along approximately 300 feet of the southbound lane of Mount Pleasant Street along Lamont Park, between the driving lane and the parking lane. The existing medians and left turn lane will be removed to provide space for the parking, bike, and driving lanes.

Not all of these projects will be funded.

The seven projects that won Thursday will have the opportunity to submit a request for proposal that their project be the one fully designed and constructed. DC Water will award more than $1 million total to the projects

I wonder what that bike lane surface will be like to bike on. If this is working solution, it could be greater justification for more bike lanes. 

Comments

[Greenbelt]

Is that a scooter on the far sidewalk?

[Atlas]

The Mt Pleasant idea looks interesting. Too bad it's Mt Pleasant, so the bike lane will be covered by double-parked cars with MD plates most of the time. I guess it could be a useful toilet for the weathered drunks who hang out in the park on constant rotation.

[Adamdobleu]

Ha. You're not wrong. I love my neighborhood, but that spot is an absolute mess between buses just doing whatever they want, drivers doing the same, and the local inebriates you mentioned shambling zombie-like across the road without concern for either. It's going to take more than a bike lane to make that area navigable- maybe with lots of enforcement (ha ha)? Finding a way to get a lot of the cyclists off the sidewalks is a worthy goal, though.

[Atlas]

I just moved from there (to Logan) last month. The sidewalk biking bothered me, but that seemed to be more of a weird "class-distinction" thing. Professionally dressed, always wearing helmets (i am not saying this is good or bad!), lights on at night: most often in the road. Small bmx or mountain bikes, flatbrim hats, rarely with lights on at night: most often on the sidewalk. From what I remember

I don't see that around my new place. However, I was hit by an old dude on a bike while i was walking home from work on sidewalk of Rhode Island Ave NW. Old man, if you are reading this comment, ride on the road or be more careful when passing people.