Got Any Other Bright Ideas

[That was some rain storm last night. My car was flooded and even pushed about 2 inches over thanks to a flooded Four Mile Run. And I had to detour off a closed NE Branch Trail on my commute. I suspect several trails were closed this morning, anyway...].

So my earlier prediction that pedicabs would be in DC by fall of 2008 wasn't nearly ambitious enough. I got an email shortly thereafter from one of the owners of DC Pedicab telling me that they were planning to start operations by July 4th. Some of you have pointed out that they're running ads on Craig's list and the company had two recruitment parties this month to get drivers (Sorry, I should have posted those before hand). In addition, I've had two others contact me about how to start a pedicab company - like I know how to start a business. If you're interested in becoming a driver for DC Pedicab here's the lowdown.

call us at (202) 345-8065 or [email us at] [email protected].

Which brings me to my latest bright idea. A little while ago I found out about a subway tunnel in Rochester, NY that the city was going to fill in with dirt. A local group is trying to preserve it - either as an underground rail trail/museum or to convert it to a canal with a river walk type environment. That got me thinking about one of DC's more notorious abandoned subway structures - aka Dupont Down Under.

Below Dupont Circle, but above the Dupont Metro Station is the old Dupont Circle Subway Station (see photo at right) It was built in 1949 to reduce the impact of the old trolley system on Dupont Circle traffic. In 1962 the station was closed when the trolley system was shut down. In 1995 it opened as a food court called "Dupont Down Under" but closed in September of 1996. Back in 2003 there were rumblings that the site might reopen, but I never heard what happened with that.

It turns out people don't want to eat under ground when they could eat outside at one of the city's great public spaces. Nor do people want to work or shop or live or do pretty much anything underground if they can avoid it.

What people don't mind doing underground is parking. That's why the site is ideally suited to be a bike station (like this bike parking facility in the Netherlands - where else?). Unlike the station being built at Union Station and the one not being built at Silver Spring - the structure is already there, it just needs to be converted. Since it was a food court, it's safe to assume that there's already plumbing so that showers and changing rooms would be easy to add in. It's located at a major metro station in one of the busiest parts of the city. It's ill-suited for almost any other use but in an area with extremely expensive land.

I wish I'd submitted this idea to the Solving DC's problems contest. I'd have $5k burning a hole in my pocket right now.

Comments

[gwadzilla]

yes
that space should be used

I am shocked that the food court did not survive

lack of marketing/advertising

so few people realized it was there

[Richard Layman]

1. This is an excellent idea. I still think my anti-litter idea was better than the winner though, and would have more impact.... anyway

2. I'm not shocked the food court failed. It failed for the reasons that you point out, and that I point out all the time in other contexts: the strength of Dupont Circle is the experience and the vitality at the street level.

Scooping people off the street and depositing them underground is antithetical to what makes Dupont Circle so exciting.

3. I was downtown today without my camera. I saw pedicabs in two different places, with stuff from www.thanks.com/hr on them. One was at 9th and H Streets NW, the other was at Thomas Circle by the CVS. Maybe it was the same person (I was on foot), but I don't think so.

[Kathy]

Seriously, this is the best idea I've heard in a long time. Think of all the people with bikes that live or work in Dupont and need a place to stash them.

I think you should work on the Mayor, Fenty, Cropp and anyone else who will listen.

[washcycle]

One big problem with this idea is that the property is tied up in some serious legal battles. I think it may be a war of attrition at this point.

[Brandon]

I heard through the grapevine recently, that since they shut down all the gay clubs and bars in SE by the Navy Yard for the National's Stadium constuction,there are no where for gay to go out. Yes there are plent of bars in and around Dupont, but no 18+ clubs. So I heard about one of the major club owners in DC (Ed Bailey, John Boyle, or Gary Stevens, I dunno who) trying to procure the site for a new club. its a huge space; bigger than all the clubs that will have proceeded it. Its a perfect spot too; right in the "heart" of gay DC, not obtrusive, not going to bother any neighbors. But I don't know how the new smoking ban will affect it.
Like it was mentioned before, it was renovated for a food court, so its relatively new and there is already plumbing for bathrooms and such. But this is just hearsay. They don't like to publicize clubs in the works. I don't know what progress has been made exactly but I'm heading down there later today to check it out.

[David]

The club idea is fun, but the bike parking idea is FANTASTIC! Absolutely spectacular. How about making it a full service bike commuter station: showers, lockers, the whole bit? Brilliant.

[Jill]

How can I help? The Bike Station is Genius!

[Jim]

The underground food court at 18th and K is packed everyday. The reason? Good eating options (5 Guys, Burito Brothers, etc.). People will do many things underground if those things are appealing.

[John]

The bike station is a great idea, but in that area, how do you keep it free from crime? How do you keep the homeless from using it as a shelter (particularly the showers)? One needs only look to the MLK library to see how dangerous public spaces can become if not properly maintained. Being underground, those would be major, major issues. It would be best as a simple bike parking lot (no showers, no changing rooms - too dangerous and difficult to maintain) with DC Triangle attendants as as security. Make the ceiling glass to let in light. Allow a LBS some sqf to run a repair shop.

[washcycle]

Crime would be an issue that would have to be addressed. The other DC bike station as well as the one I've been to in Minneapolis is staffed. A LBS takes over the management of the space, and so hopefully that provides the needed security. The Union Station one will also require users to have an RFID card which should cut down on theft/misuse also. I like the idea of skylights and if it's technically possible I think it could be a real nice way to get light in

[Fixed Gear]

Great idea! And that will keep it from the default "use" if they do nothing - Homeless person pee-pee stop.

[Rob]

Not having heard of the nightclub idea, I was going to say the bike station is a great idea. However, without looking at the business plans I suspect the nightclub will generate far more tax revenue for the city than the bike station will. Is there actually a problem with finding bike parking in Dupont? I don't go there much anymore so I wouldn't know.

[Washcycle]

The nightclub idea is dead. It would have generated more tax revenue as the bike station would probably need a subsidy. But tax revenue is not the only utility.

Recently someone floated the idea of an art museum in that space, but I haven't heard much about it.

Short term bike parking probably isn't a problem. But long term (all day or overnight) is. If you have an efficiency apartment, it sucks to have to store a bike in it. What if you could keep it at the bike station instead?

[art]

not an art museum, but an arts center. that idea is still rolling. costly build-out but its the most likely scenario.
there are architectural renderings, a phased build out plan and a fund raising plan. its a joint effort by two local art organizations.