Anyone who's ever tried to cross Canal Road from Reservoir Road in northwest DC knows that it's a bit sketchy. There's no crosswalk and traffic on Canal - where speeding must be required - doesn't have to (and probably won't) stop. That is until now. Recently, DDOT installed a traffic light, a crosswalk, a sharrow-like thing (I'm actually not sure what that is), and a little painted space for peds and cyclists protected by some plastic flex-posts which should make the intersection safer for pedestrians and cyclists crossing over to the trails along the C&O Canal. The light is a beg button, and the flex-posts are, well, flex-posts, but as a friend of mine said about her first job "It's like a training bra, you wish there were more there, but it's still exciting and hopeful." You can see the new intersection (including the bike thing) above and the old one below.
And here's the pedestrian space (I don't think we can call this a sidewalk).
And a view of the same space from July 2014
The beg button, which looks like a custom job.
But all kidding aside, I think DDOT did about as good a job as they could with this difficult site. Anything more would have gotten much more expensive and would have been much more difficult to fit into NPS's constraints. Still, I hope that WHEN the palisades trolley trail gets built it includes a grade separated connection (either over or under Canala) to Fletcher's Boat House.
Who knows it might even slow down car traffic and save the lives of motorists. Thanks to Brett for the photos.
1) On the Palisades listserv, the only complaint about this intersection has been the waiting times for cars making right turns from Reservoir Rd on a red (BTW the police said in a recent ANC meeting that it is legal to make a right turn on red at Reservoir).
Everyone on the ground I've talked to said the improvements are excellent for the pedestrian.
2) The intersection is designed that the light on Canal Rd stays green unless
a) Pedestrian Button is pushed
b) Car on Reservoir RD is stopped
3) NPS has been against any type of bridge into the area next to Fletcher's boat house.
At this point, I think the question is moot: Traffic lights at Reservoir and Canal RD work.
Posted by: Brett Young | January 13, 2016 at 08:18 AM
I think the bike symbol is an attempt at a bike box. I've been through a couple times both on bike and in a car and there was no way that the bike was going to trigger the light without me dismounting and walking over to the beg button. In a car, the delay can be significant - hence the issue with right on red.
All in all its a very welcome addition to the neighborhood. One odd thing I read on the listserv was that with this crossing in place, one resident said they'd no longer have to resort to the Battery Kimble tunnel to get safely across Canal. Either they were very ambitious going through the tunnel that goes under canal there - I've never taken a very close look but in passing it looks pretty treacherous. Or they confused the name of the Foundry Branch tunnel (further down the CCT).
Posted by: Bilsko | January 13, 2016 at 08:43 AM
Battery Kimble Tunnel is doable to get from Palisades to Fletchers, but in terms of quality access for everyone in the Palisades (Kids/seniors and certainly not ADA compliant)its poor.
And the money involved to get it in better shape wouldn't be worth the money.
Foundry branch tunnel is completely separate.
Posted by: Brett Young | January 13, 2016 at 10:42 AM
It is indeed possible to use the culvert for the stream as a crossing. Follow the hiking trail (in Battery Kemble Park) downstream from MacArthur. The trail becomes quite steep and rocky, certainly not passable by bike and even most runners will end up walking. You can then walk through the culvert without getting wet - there is a sort of ledge on the north side.
I first learned of this route from a cue sheet for a hiking route made by someone from the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. It's definitely a route more suited to the mindset of mountain hikers.
Posted by: Purple Eagle | January 13, 2016 at 10:43 AM
S' beautiful, and I mean that sincerely.
Posted by: Crickey7 | January 13, 2016 at 11:43 AM
Just last night I was riding home on the CCT and the Abner Cloud house seemed to be - luminescing somehow. After a moment I realized it was just the reflected glow of the green traffic light, and wondered how come I had never noticed it before -
Posted by: john | January 13, 2016 at 06:57 PM