Lincoln Park CaBi meeting - little decided, much fought about

Yesterday I linked to GGW's coverage of the ANC6A transportation meeting (a.k.a the Great Lincoln-Bikeless Debate of 2010) and today there is more from TBD's Dave Jamieson. The facts are pretty much the same, DDOT's Chris Holben discussed why the station has been moved from the original proposed location and where they think they might place one instead, but no decision has been made, but there are more details about the meeting itself and the craziness that followed.

Those who voiced opposition to the original location often found themselves playing defense. In fact, a common refrain popped up among them: “We’re not against the bicycles! We’re not against the bicycles!” What they were against was the location of the bicycles, and they didn’t like the triangle as a location because cars tend to speed past it. They said people could get hurt walking to and from the triangle, including children. But this argument was complicated by the fact that two speed tables are currently being installed there (replacing speed humps) to further slow cars -- as well as the strong possibility that the placement of a large bike-sharing station there could in fact calm traffic.

One apparently pro-CaBi attendee proffered just that argument, in a very persuasive fashion. He explained that if a driver spotted a large and unfamiliar tableau before him, such as a Capital Bikeshare station with people milling about it, that driver might actually slow down rather than speed up. “If you put something on that island, that site is more likely to contribute to safety than to detract from it,” he said.

And afterwards, two participants got so angry at one another that there was some pushing and crying. The key line, IMO, is this one.

Tom’s wife sobbed, “Why is everybody so mad about this? Why is everybody so crazy?”

I'm annoyed that people in NE seem to want it in SE and that people in SE want it in NE, like it is some sort of public nuisance, but I don't think it is something to come to blows over. I for one want it closer to my house, not farther.

On the question of CaBi stations on NPS land, GGW adds to this issue that the concessionaire, GSI, which NPS cites as the reason they can't allow the stations has never been contacted about this issue.

GSI's Kris Rohr stated that his company "has never been approached by anyone, including Capital Bikeshare, about placing bikes on the National Mall or the other parks [we] mentioned," including West Potomac Park, Roosevelt Island, and Dupont Circle.

So there appears to be some negotiating and lawyering to do.

Also, still no word on the TIGER grant proposal. Another false alarm. We definitely will not hear anything about it today (reverse psychology).

Comments

[cr]

I think some people who live immediately across from the NE triangle (and Commissioner Alberti) wonder why it had to move from the SE triangle in the first place. All of the specious reasons cited apply almost equally to the NE triangle. Maybe traffic sight lines are slightly better at the NE triangle.

As a NE resident who lives a couple of blocks north of the park, I would prefer to have it closer for purely selfish reasons.

I predict the station will be installed on the NE triangle before the end of the week, and this will all blow over soon.

[Piso Mojado]

God I hope so. I have never attended an ANC meeting before, and I hope to never again. The illogic and the hyper-emotionalism has renewed my faith in dictatorships.

[Michael H.]

The TIGER announcement schedule sounds like the announcement schedule for the 2012 Giro d'Italia bike race. Yes, the race organizers are announcing tomorrow whether D.C. will host the opening stage(s). Unless they aren't announcing anything tomorrow. Maybe next week. Unless nothing is announced next week....

[Read Scott Martin, 13th Street NE]

OK I get it now. My Lincoln Park neighborhood on Capitol Hill really is full of NIMBYs. I am so embarrassed I ever tried to stand up for them. Live and learn.

ORIGINAL LETTER:

To: [email protected]
CC: [email protected]; [email protected];
From: [email protected]
Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 09:37:23 -0700
Subject: [anc-6a] CaBi Station - A Better Location

Dear Councilmember Wells,

At the Oct. 18th ANC 6ATransportation and Public Safety Committee, Chris Holben of the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced that a decision had been made to place a CaBi station on the traffic triangle at the northeast (NE) corner of Lincoln Park. At this meeting, Mr. Holben acknowledged that the NE traffic triangle was not DDOT’s first choice of a location. In fact, in early August DDOT proposed locating the CaBI station on the traffic triangle southeast (SE) of Lincoln Park . DDOT staff wrote to Commissioner Jarboe seeking his comments on placing the CaBi station on that traffic triangle. Commissioner Jarboe responded that “The immediate feedback I've gotten from the neighbors next to the site is strongly negative. They feel that such facilities should be in commercial areas and are not appropriate in the residential setting.” In reaction to the objections of residents south of the park, DDOT decided against placing the station on the SE traffic triangle and simply shifted the proposal to the NE traffic triangle.

According to Mr. Holben, the objections to the SE triangle are: vandalism, noise, safety, sightlines, it’s an attractive nuisance, and it is immediately in front of residential property. All of these deficiencies apply equally to the NE traffic triangle. Yet at every turn, DDOT has discounted the concerns of residents north of Lincoln Park while giving great weight to the identical concerns of their more fortunate neighbors to the south. Even many who might otherwise have welcomed the CaBi station have been alienated by DDOT’s apparent favoritism.

Indeed, it is totally unnecessary to advantage one group of residents over another. Several alternative locations have been suggested within a two block radius of Lincoln Park, including one location just a block and a half block away – on 13th St NE adjacent to the basketball court at Maury ES, where it would block no one’s views and impinge on no one’s private property. DDOT’s rigid insistence that the site be immediately adjacent the park itself is getting in the way of a fair and amicable resolution. In fairness to everyone, please ask DDOT to reconsider its decision to place a station on the NE traffic triangle and to choose an alternative location.

Regards,

Nick Alberti

Commissioner ANC 6A04

REPLY:

From: read scott martin
To [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Dear Nick,

I missed the ANC 6A meeting while out of town on business, and regret it. If the accounts that reached me of sobbing hysteria among attendees are true, perhaps it excuses the heartfelt letter from the ANC 6A04 commissioner. I am a resident of one of the blocks adjacent to the triangle. I am aware of others (even closer to the triangle than I) who feel as I do, that CaBi is fine and a welcome addition there. This doesn't make us "right" and others wrong. However, I could use this letter's same formulation that "it is totally unnecessary to advantage one group of residents over another" to object. It's circular logic and can be used to oppose anything.

The commissioner's letter misattributes the responsibility for "rigid insistence" on a CaBi site on or adjacent to the park, solely to DDOT. It's also the insistence of neighbors whom ANC 6A04 represents, and others, that brought DDOT back to the table with their counterproposal.

By the standard implied in the commissioner's letter, anything - even separated by a lane or more of traffic - can be said to be "immediately in front of residential property" on Capitol Hill. "Vandalism, noise, safety, sightlines, it’s an attractive nuisance, and it is immediately in front of residential property" could be used to oppose any change to the current menu of amenities in and adjacent to Lincoln Park, including reseeding the grass. The neighbors two blocks away near Maury or anywhere else can use this letter's litany, and the next group two more blocks away, and so on, until there are no CaBi stations anywhere remotely close to the park or ANC 6A itself. If that is the intended outcome than the commissioner's letter would be well to say so. I doubt that it is.

I hope that in this instance, the letter of the ANC6A04 commissioner will be disregarded by the larger community, and understood for what it is - the views of an esteemed neighbor representing an insistent, noisy handful whose views, this time, could not be represented with logic.

Read Scott Martin
A Street NE