why are cars allowed in the National Arbortetum? Why? Why? WHYYYY?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not a park. Stop moaning about the cars. If you want a park head out to SNP.

If you want a park, head out to Rock Creek Park, which has a major commuting highway through it, oh wait...

Or: if you want to say it's not a park, it's a research facility, then there really shouldn't be any visitors at all.

[Anonymous]

OP, it’s so obvious that you went one time in peak season and only visited the meadow and Capitol Columns. The fact that you keep saying people see it from their cars or walking the main roads shows you have no idea what you’re talking about.

[Anonymous]

I’m so happy we are back to pearl clutching about inconsequential things! It’s like the precovid times!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not a park. Stop moaning about the cars. If you want a park head out to SNP.

If you want a park, head out to Rock Creek Park, which has a major commuting highway through it, oh wait...

Or: if you want to say it's not a park, it's a research facility, then there really shouldn't be any visitors at all.

Rock Creek park is a great example actually - Beach Drive is closed to traffic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, it’s so obvious that you went one time in peak season and only visited the meadow and Capitol Columns. The fact that you keep saying people see it from their cars or walking the main roads shows you have no idea what you’re talking about.

I know exactly what I’m talking about, and the most recent master plan update reflects that (partially).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, it’s so obvious that you went one time in peak season and only visited the meadow and Capitol Columns. The fact that you keep saying people see it from their cars or walking the main roads shows you have no idea what you’re talking about.

I know exactly what I’m talking about, and the most recent master plan update reflects that (partially).

The master plan shows getting rid of a few connector roads and making one way loops (which I would support). It also shows increased parking thoughout the park, including parallel parking on the newly one way roads. It does not show restricting traffic in the arboretum to 2-3 parking lots and having everyone walk or bike as you’ve been advocating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not a park. Stop moaning about the cars. If you want a park head out to SNP.

If you want a park, head out to Rock Creek Park, which has a major commuting highway through it, oh wait...

Or: if you want to say it's not a park, it's a research facility, then there really shouldn't be any visitors at all.

Who says there shouldn't be any visitors at a research facility? Certainly not those in charge of a research facility called the National Arboretum. Oh wait...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not a park. Stop moaning about the cars. If you want a park head out to SNP.

If you want a park, head out to Rock Creek Park, which has a major commuting highway through it, oh wait...

Or: if you want to say it's not a park, it's a research facility, then there really shouldn't be any visitors at all.

Who says there shouldn't be any visitors at a research facility? Certainly not those in charge of a research facility called the National Arboretum. Oh wait...

In other words, it's a public facility that invites visitors. In which case, it's entirely appropriate to question the public facility's plan for visitor transportation. Which is what the OP is doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not a park. Stop moaning about the cars. If you want a park head out to SNP.

If you want a park, head out to Rock Creek Park, which has a major commuting highway through it, oh wait...

Or: if you want to say it's not a park, it's a research facility, then there really shouldn't be any visitors at all.

Rock Creek park is a great example actually - Beach Drive is closed to traffic.

The major commuting highway through Rock Creek Park is the Rock Creek Parkway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, it’s so obvious that you went one time in peak season and only visited the meadow and Capitol Columns. The fact that you keep saying people see it from their cars or walking the main roads shows you have no idea what you’re talking about.

I know exactly what I’m talking about, and the most recent master plan update reflects that (partially).

The master plan shows getting rid of a few connector roads and making one way loops (which I would support). It also shows increased parking thoughout the park, including parallel parking on the newly one way roads. It does not show restricting traffic in the arboretum to 2-3 parking lots and having everyone walk or bike as you’ve been advocating.

Right, that's why I don't fully agree with it. What it does recognize is that the current car traffic pattern is haphazard and accretive, not the result of planning, and that they need to remove some roads and create better links for pedestrians. What I disagree with is the notion that it's a desirable design to create "loops" for people to drive around. I think that's a terrible priority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me guess OP. You are a millennial who doesn’t have a car and you live in one of the gentrified neighborhood in north east that is convenient walking or biking distance to the Arboretum. Am I right?

Bonus points for admitting that you are a fairly recent arrival to the district of Columbia and this is your first home that you’ve purchased

To add, just as you’re tired of cars in your new pandemic walking routine, people like me, who’ve been going there for years,
are so bummed that throngs of millennials have “discovered “ the once-quiet place. We’re dismayed that you clog it up consistently with off-leash rescue dogs and shouty loud preschoolers and babies climbing in the trees which is clearly inappropriate.

We have to coexist now and so do you

~wiping the tears of laughter from my eyes~

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not a park. Stop moaning about the cars. If you want a park head out to SNP.

If you want a park, head out to Rock Creek Park, which has a major commuting highway through it, oh wait...

Or: if you want to say it's not a park, it's a research facility, then there really shouldn't be any visitors at all.

Rock Creek park is a great example actually - Beach Drive is closed to traffic.

The major commuting highway through Rock Creek Park is the Rock Creek Parkway.

Ok, the point is that they prioritized pedestrian/bike usage on a big chunk of it, in recognition that public space should not be car-centric. They could have easily said, "pedestrians and bikers can stay on the trails and bike paths." But they didn't - they had a great vision of opening up the park to its highest and best use (as a park, away from cars, but still accessible by car.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, it’s so obvious that you went one time in peak season and only visited the meadow and Capitol Columns. The fact that you keep saying people see it from their cars or walking the main roads shows you have no idea what you’re talking about.

I know exactly what I’m talking about, and the most recent master plan update reflects that (partially).

The master plan shows getting rid of a few connector roads and making one way loops (which I would support). It also shows increased parking thoughout the park, including parallel parking on the newly one way roads. It does not show restricting traffic in the arboretum to 2-3 parking lots and having everyone walk or bike as you’ve been advocating.

Right, that's why I don't fully agree with it. What it does recognize is that the current car traffic pattern is haphazard and accretive, not the result of planning, and that they need to remove some roads and create better links for pedestrians. What I disagree with is the notion that it's a desirable design to create "loops" for people to drive around. I think that's a terrible priority.

The master plan in no way supports your central thesis that cars shouldn't be in the arboretum. I don't know why you keep pretending like it does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me guess OP. You are a millennial who doesn’t have a car and you live in one of the gentrified neighborhood in north east that is convenient walking or biking distance to the Arboretum. Am I right?

Bonus points for admitting that you are a fairly recent arrival to the district of Columbia and this is your first home that you’ve purchased

To add, just as you’re tired of cars in your new pandemic walking routine, people like me, who’ve been going there for years,
are so bummed that throngs of millennials have “discovered “ the once-quiet place. We’re dismayed that you clog it up consistently with off-leash rescue dogs and shouty loud preschoolers and babies climbing in the trees which is clearly inappropriate.

We have to coexist now and so do you

~wiping the tears of laughter from my eyes~

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not a park. Stop moaning about the cars. If you want a park head out to SNP.

If you want a park, head out to Rock Creek Park, which has a major commuting highway through it, oh wait...

Or: if you want to say it's not a park, it's a research facility, then there really shouldn't be any visitors at all.

Rock Creek park is a great example actually - Beach Drive is closed to traffic.

The major commuting highway through Rock Creek Park is the Rock Creek Parkway.

Ok, the point is that they prioritized pedestrian/bike usage on a big chunk of it, in recognition that public space should not be car-centric. They could have easily said, "pedestrians and bikers can stay on the trails and bike paths." But they didn't - they had a great vision of opening up the park to its highest and best use (as a park, away from cars, but still accessible by car.)

Are you thinking of a different Rock Creek Park than I am? Because there are definitely roads running through it that you will get run over on if you try to walk on them.