Comments for “Florida Avenue Multimodal Transportation Study”
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I am a resident of Ward 4 who frequently walks down Florida Avenue NE to get to REI, Union Market, and H St NE establishments. Every time I walk along the street, especially now that it is summer, I think of how much more enjoyable my walk would be if there were more trees and green space to provide shade and natural beauty. This is the perfect area to plant a diverse selection of large trees that will reduce pollution and make the street much more pleasant for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers. As it is right now, the street feels like a concrete jungle with cars speeding by to escape it as quickly as possible. That does not live up to what Florida Avenue NE could be as an anchor to a thriving neighborhood if it just had more trees planted along the roadway.
Sincerely,
Adam Gorod -
The revitalization of Union Market is one of the marquee projects in the area. I have lived nearby for the past several years and observed the project continue to grow. Unfortunately, one element that is still lacking in the area is the presence of trees, both along the major roads by the Market (FL and Brentwood) and along the smaller streets within the complex. On sunny summer days, the acres of exposed concrete and asphalt discourage people from walking around or staying due to the heat and lack of shade. With many areas around the Market still essentially a blank slate, there is a great opportunity to incorporate modern techniques such as rain gardens, soil cells, and permeable pavement into the streetscape, making it more inviting and helping to reach the city's sustainability goals. Such measures would also pair well with other infrastructure such as bike lanes and speed controls, as trees are a known traffic calming measure in their own right.
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With all the development in Truxton Circle, Noma, Union Market, and Ivy City, I'd love to see a Circulator route connect these neighborhoods to each other and to downtown. New York Avenue hasn't had a bus running down it for several years and could really use the transit service.
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Once construction on the new apartment/office buildings is complete, the unit block of N Street NE should be pedestrianized -- or else turned into a shared space that is first for pedestrians and only secondarily for cars. Wharf Street SW is a good proof of concept that all users can adjust to such spaces. With this being the northern terminus of the future Noma Meander, a good pedestrian space will be vital for the neighborhood
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Currently there is NO No Turn on Red sign here. Cars turn right on red and overload the 1st St holding area. In fact, many cars don't stop when the light goes from yellow to red, forcing anybody crossing to put themselves at risk in order to part the moving sea of cars to get across.
The design encourages turning on red, which is a long term problem. In the short and medium term, please have a No Turn On Red sign installed and please figure out a way to enforce it (enforcement camera, foot MPD officers)
If you can do that, you will also prevent FL Ave EB traffic from overloading the 1st Street NE holding area and reduce the resulting jams from Eckington Place traffic and WB FL Ave traffic due to the overloaded 1st St NE holding area.
Thanks
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I really support the proposed increase in tree canopy and would push for you to plant diverse native tree species. The additional trees will help manage storm-water and runoff, cut erosion and traffic noise (especially if you create storm water bioswales that allow for more tree growth, water retention, and are much prettier than the tree boxes!), and help us all be happier, healthier, and reduce our stress levels. Planting native trees is really important as that get us all the benefits and increases biodiversity and the resiliency of the trees. Building in more green space, and adding the proposed bike lanes and pedestrian areas I think is key. Calming traffic around the Wendy's and the Noma entrance off 1st st NE will make a huge difference. Having a green infrastructure incorporated into your design, so close to the heart of a rapidly growing area, will really showcase DC's commitment to green healthy neighborhoods and its foresight to plan for a future and around the community. It's really hard to add green space back to a finished neighborhood, and i'm grateful for the opportunity to add my voice to push for trees and green space in the middle of our urban area!
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In order to create a greener Florida Avenue and work toward the District’s environmental goals, Casey Trees recommends the following:
Plant Trees Along Florida Avenue:
• Between 4th Street NE and Benning Road NE*
• Between New York Avenue NE and M Street NEPrioritize Large Trees
Streets lined with shade trees have a traffic calming effect, which keeps drivers and pedestrians safe. Plant large trees to cool streets and maximize environmental benefits. Select medium or large trees for all tree boxes or planting strips with at least 1,000 cubic feet of soil.Maintain Tree Diversity
Planting multiple tree species along Florida Avenue will increase resilience, helping to achieve one of the District’s top goals in its Climate Ready DC plan. To be truly resilient, the 10-20-30 rule for tree diversity should be followed. The rule suggests planting plans should include only 10% of any one species, 20% of any one genus, and 30% of any one family of trees. Casey Trees’ Urban Tree Selection Guide can also be consulted to identify street trees ideal for Florida Avenue.Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
*The Nature Conservancy’s publication, Planting Healthy Air (https://thought-leadership-production.s3.amazonaws.com/2016/11/07/14/13/22/685dccba-cc70-43a8-a6a7-e3133c07f095/20160825_PHA_Report_Final.pdf), shows the potential impact of street tree planting in reducing air particulate matter (PM) in Washington, DC. Dark green areas of the map (66% of the Florida Avenue transportation study area) indicate a high return on investment. Therefore, planting street trees along Florida Avenue NE between 4th Street NE and Benning Road NE would have a greater impact to reduce PM and increase community health in this area of the city.
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The map was so marked up with black marks that I couldn't pinpoint the area on Florida Ave. I wanted. However, what I think is needed all along this area are more trees. They provide not only shade for pedestrians but also some sense of protection from all the cars rushing past, kind of a visual barrier. Plus, of course, they change throughout the seasons, providing a bit of beauty and calmness in our lives, much needed in frenetic society.
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crossing north capitol as a pedestrian is extremely hazardous. vehicles turn right on red (and green) non-stop, and nearly run over crossing pedestrians in the crosswalk, every light cycle. Please make this safer and add public realm amenities.
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This may be the biggest traffic bottleneck in all of DC. The intersection lacks an approach to facilitate the flow of heavy traffic flow. This intersection is the major joint between NE and NW DC. The Wendy's in this location only adds to traffic and delays traffic everyday for miles in all directions.
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The egree/ingress to the school parking lot is crowded and could benefit from some parking/pedestrian improvements. Perhaps speed bumps along 7th St NE between L and K Streets to make safer for kids.
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this intersection could use a traffic circle or something to ease the flow of traffic and create green space in an area lacking much
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As you may know this is one of the most annoying intersections ever. For pedestrians, it takes ages to cross, for bikes is very dangerous and for cars, it can take you about 5 minutes to go from Eckington place to Florida east, without traffic. Three light on Eckington place is confusing. It is not clear if you can turn right when going to Florida east. Thank you
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The intersection is dangerous for pedestrians. If you want to cross north capitol, from east to west, you have to be extremely careful. Cars do not stop when they turn right from Florida to north capitol to the north. It is always an issue to cross.
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When can we expect to hear from the Florida Avenue Study?
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Slow down traffic - No one follows the speed limit (25mph). It is very dangerous. Especially with all the fire trucks and police cars on this stretch of Florida Ave.
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I know I am only repeating comments made by many others, however traffic is very very fast and heavy on Florida Ave NE. It is dangerous! 24 hour street parking would definitely slow down traffic. And as mentioned, it would only cost the city the price of new signs.
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A bus only lane is needed in the westbound direction.
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Zoned 24 hour street parking is an absolute necessity that would provide traffic calming without interrupting the flow of traffic through town. Pairing a lane of 24 hour street parking with a bike lane would satisfy multiple needs of the tax-paying residents.
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Rezoning this corridor to allow 24 hour street parking would certainly slow down traffic. It would reduce lanes and decrease the speed of traffic without costing the city more then the price of new signs. This is a residential street not a freeway. We need street parking!
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Totally agree that K St NE needs some traffic calming. It's almost purely residential, but commuters race through on the way to NW. How about turning it into the K St Promenade instead? Lots of families already walk to the playgrounds on it. With a little more greenscaping and less traffic, it would provide a nice counterpart to the hustle and bustle of H St.
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If you unified these two little parks, it would be big enough to give this neighborhood much needed greenspace.
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Make K St NE the major bike thoroughfare. It would connect with the bike lane on W VA ave, and also connect the new bike lane on K St NW. (Duh). It would also calm traffic on K street, which is desparately needed. Putting a bikelane on FL ave is a dead end. it would connect you to know where. K Street will get you all the way across town and is an easy two block bike down to H street all along the way where bikes won't be safe due to the train tracks. Please!
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Agree with past comments re: a two-way cycle track, especially to connect H St NE and north to the city's NW, and the need for wider sidewalks and traffic calming. Please also consider making capital improvements that will accommodate future streetcar ROW and expedited buses. The 90s are already extremely popular, and could benefit from a bus-only lane. This lane could then be retrofitted for streetcar use when appropriate.
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A cycle track (not a regular bike lane) would be extremely helpful on this corridor, connecting the NW to the H Street area. Currently, there is no good way to get between the two at night, since the MET Branch trail is dangerous, Dave Thomas Circle is a disaster to bike through, and Florida is terrifying to bike on. Make this connection, and it will get a LOT of use.