The past two years have featured a regular December feature I call the Christmas Wish List. Before getting into this year's list - which will again take a unique turn - let's look at the progress from the previous two years.
2005
For more information on 2005's list you can go to last year's review. Below are updates since then.
2. Though some work was done on the WB&A Trail, none of it could be considered a connector from the WB&A to the Anacostia Tributary Trails.
3. Suitland Parkway Trail - no progress since June of 2006 and that progress is trivial.
4. Hooray. The extension of W&OD under I-395 (or more accurately the Four Mile Run Shirlington Underpass) is underway. Estimated completion date is now March of 2009. So we were 12 months away from completion last year. Now we're 15 months away, but work has started.
7. Roosevelt Bridge completion - though extensive work was done to the bridge in 2006, I'm not sure any of it translated into an improved cycling experience.
9. New York Avenue Station MBT - Work was imminent when I wrote about this two years. Nothing has changed. DDOT hopes to begin work in the spring on the new section between New York Avenue and Franklin Street and be done by the fall.
10 Connecting the 14th Street Bridge - Work has begun on the new Humpback Bridge and it should provide access by spring of 2010. That's good news. The North Tract bridge is still being planned and there are some elevation and surface issues to work through. The Environmental Assessment is underway.
11. Improve the Rock Creek Park Trail - some work on the southern portion of the trail is ongoing. But I haven't heard anything about the bulk of the trail since DDOTs June 2007 meeting with the Park Service.
2006
Because these projects were by definition "off the radar" there is very little to report on them.
#1 - RDF Secure Access Lane project completion - nothing to report
#2 - Francis Case Bridge connection - nothing to report
#3 - Speaker Pelosi, tear down this sign - nothing to report
#4 - Better Safety Billboards - nothing to report
#5 - Transit Access - there has been some activity on this and almost all of it good. Fairfax connector buses were added to the Good list as they now provide access for buses. MARC rail announced it was adding bike racks - though I haven't seen any sign of it. Despite hope for a change in VRE policy, it appears that they are not allowing full size bicycles on yet. So only one real change, but one a year would be good progress. Update: Prince William County's PRTC just announced that "
Bike racks have been installed on ALL OmniLink, Cross County Connector and Metro Direct buses." But, "PRTC does not anticipate
installing bike racks on OmniRide commuter buses."
#6 - Wayfinding Help - The Anacostia Trails have added new signs. Update: For more on wayfinding, check out this post by Richard Layman.
#7 - Walter Reed Bike Routes - nothing to report
#8 - Reopen E Street - nothing to report
#9 - Met Branch extension to Rock Creek - nothing to report
#10 - WB&A to BWI and DC - nothing to report
#11 - Dupont Circle Bike Station - There was a time that Jim Graham was talking about making the Dupont Circle Trolley Station into a strip club, but that idea is in limbo while a legal battle decides who owns development rights:
Bill Rice, a spokesman for the D.C. Office of Property Management, said officials expect to settle in court the question of who has say in developing the property after a former sub-tenant claimed to hold a lease.
"We will be taking court action to settle the disputed title," Mr. Rice said. "I can't give any more details at this time."
Mr. Rice would not say who will be named in the lawsuit, only that the city has "clear jurisdiction" over the property.
#12 - Palisades Neighborhood Trail - There is a group working to make this happen. Our next meeting is January 19th, 2008 at 11am.
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