The third and final open house on the Whitehurst Freeway was on Monday night, and the city is either trying to present every possible option or overwhelm people with choices. Here's what's of interest. One category on the massive charts comparing the options (considering cost, effects on traffic, environmental concerns etc...) considered the impact on bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Best, by the cities ranking, were the two tunnel options - also the most expensive. Worst was an option that pushed K street about two blocks further upstream, obliterating the trail-head of the CCT - the Park Service has already ixnayed this one I was told.
Though none of the drawings showed it, most assumed that cyclists would stop using K street and would instead ride a trail that would pass through the Waterfront Park and busy Waterfront area. That's unlikely, since there are too many pedestrians.
Some designs included bus only lanes along K street that might actually be bike and bus only lanes, like the new ones downtown.
The most interesting designs had pedestrian ramps from the canal to either a new sidewalk on the North side of the present day freeway or under the freeway to a platform built above the waterfront parking lots to create an elevated park.
Much to my surprise I'm now open to the idea that traffic in Georgetown would be better without the freeway, mostly because it would relieve M street and improve traffic trying to bypass Georgetown. But they need a K Street that provides for cyclists and any connections to K street (via the Key Bridge or up to Canal) need to have an area for bikes.
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