
After reading the comments on the upzoning post here as well as on my neighborhood email list about the changes that have been approved for Connecticut Avenue, I'm frustrated that I wasn't aware that the city was considering such significant changes. Now that I know about it, I'm wondering if there is a chance the decision could be reversed or greatly modified? For those of us who are just now realizing what's planned and are very concerned about how the changes will affect daily life for nearby residents and for commuters trying to get downtown or to schools, what's the best way to ask to have the decision reconsidered? Straight to the Mayor? To City Council reps? Who are the decisionmakers that need to be reached? I'm not looking to debate the issue here. If the neighborhood email discussion is any model, it won't be productive. Instead I'm asking for direction on who you should talk to if you oppose the plan and whether it's too late to make any difference. Please no comments about how I should have known about it sooner. Over the past two years I've been keeping a small business going while trying to manage two kids under 6 during COVID and caring for a terminally ill parent. While I wish I could have been following local issues more closely, I couldn't until now. |
1. Stop listening to that crank, Nick DellaDonne
2. Take a second to appreciate the severity of climate change 3. Study up on the other adverse cultural, economic, social, and political effects that car dependence has on cities like DC 4. Rejoice that you live in a progressive city with political leadership that chooses - at least sometimes - to make the city and the world a better place. |
chain yourself to a car and refuse to let them draw the stripes for a bike lane.
seriously, use your time and energy for something more productive. the fact that you weren’t plugged in enough to know this was coming suggests you really don’t understand transit and aren’t serious about it. find something you can do to improve your neighborhood, even just picking up trash or throwing a block party. |
You have two kids, a small business, and a terminally ill parent… and bike lanes are what you are focused on? Why? Are there not other outrages to address? |
Neighborhood listserves (and particularly the CC and CP ones) are absolutely awful sources of information on any marginally contentious local issue. Partisans shamelessly spread misinformation and outright lies and band together with other partisans to drown out those who are interested in actual facts. Your life will be immeasurably better if you never visit them. |
Absolutely. OP, just go down and see the bike lanes on 15th St and Pennsylvania Ave. Maybe even bike down one! They’re fine. |
There's really nothing that can be done. Muriel Bowser does not care what you or I think.
People will spend hours yammering, advocating, and whatever, and nothing will change. |
+300 |
+1 Poor thing needs a helplessness rage outlet and has my sympathy. |
There were over 50 public meetings, almost all of them were announced on the neighborhood listservs, both by DDOT and the ANCs over the course of two plus years. These meetings had an aggregate of thousands of participants. The overwhelming majority of these people support the changes. The ANCs up and down Connecticut Avenue overwhelmingly support the changes. The current councilmember, Mary Cheh, supports the changes and with oversight of DDOT, obtained funding for the changes. The Democratic nominee for Ward 3, Matthew Frumin, supports the changes. These changes are fully in line with the Biden Administration in terms sustainability, environmental protecttion, transportation policy, etc. The only people who oppose the changes are the cranky old people on the Cleveland Park and Chevy Chase email discussion groups. I suppose if you want to try to change the course of this, you could support the republican in the Ward 3 race, a person who saw 1/6 and said "yes, I want to be a part of THAT GOP" and changed to become a republican. So if you want to support a member of the GOP that opposes women's right to choose, that supports radical Christian fundementalism and everything else that MAGA/Trumpism supports, then support the republican who, not surprisingly, opposes the changes on Connecticut Avenue. It is hard for me to fathom how we can two people killed a month ago as a result of a car on Connexticut Avenue driving onto a sidewalk cafe, how we can see a car flipped on Connecticu Avenue as recently as last week and say, yes, this is a safe and wonderful Avenue, let's keep it the way it is. The bottom line, the current mode is not healthy and not safe. We have to make changes, and what is proposes helps maintain traffic flow, provides a safe haven for bikes and pedestrians while tansforming a de facto urban highway into a pleasant boulevard. |
I don’t live anywhere near Connecticut Ave and I’ve heard about these changes, Op- how could you have avoided it? You shouldn’t be frustrated with anyone except yourself. |
Not an old person crank here but I am curious how all this will play out in terms of traffic, double parked trucks, left turns, etc etc. also and I know this is more complicated, but I would love to see dedicated bus lanes and increased bus service rather than bike lines — which let’s face it will not be used by the vast majority of commuters — the hills are just too daunting
Yes the red line is great when it works and when the trains are running more frequently. But a nice bus downtown that doesn’t detour into adams Morgan would be swell too Also I am far more worried about cars gunning it thru yellow lights and running me over than incidents like the horrible, tragic but extremely random deadly accident at the Parthenon — and not sure if this plan helps or not |
It seems that a lot of proponents exhibit high levels of immaturity which makes this proposal a major concern due to the lack of seriousness. |
Look at the plans. There is a half lane on each side for bikes. There are two full lanes for cars. At intersections, there are left turn pocket lanes, and in commercial areas, there is 24/7 parking on one side for deliveries, drop-offs and accesible parking. As it is, very few patrons actually park on Connecticut Avenue to support the businesses. Most of the parking is used by people who WORK at the businesses. That is NOT what the public parking is for, if we are going to be honest about it. Currently, there are routine back-ups at a few choke points both north and southbound. The bike lanes won't change that. Really, this is a lot of bluster over something that won't make that big of a difference. Look at all the hype around the emergency shelter on Idaho Ave, or Cathedral Commons, or the lack of parking at the former Babe's Billiards development...all sort of pearl clutching that amounted to nothing. This is the same thing. |
Like I said, will see how it goes. I have looked at the plans and am glad they are being thoughtful about left turn lanes, but remain skeptical that the bike lanes do anything beyond signaling the city is concerned about traffic deaths (and climate, marginally) without actually meaningfully increasing the attractiveness of public transit options.
Also, if you think trucks will stick to the marked loading zones, well, skeptical there as well. You get two lanes downtown, one blocked by a truck. Fun. Remain hopeful my fears are unfounded and all the planning is successful Am glad the deathtrap 4-2 reversible lanes are done. Don’t care a wit about street parking. But let’s not pretend that there is some uncertainty about how this play out. Also, get those speed bumps rolled out asap on the side streets! |