D.C. New York Avenue/I-395 PUBLIC HEARING Sat. Jan. 10, 2004 10am-12pm noon at 1100 Florida Avenue New Samaritan Baptist Church

[Douglas A. Willinger]

Re:

New York Avenue Corridor/Possible I-395 extension

From:

http://www.publicspaceforum.org/newyorkavenue/news/index.shtml

---

Attend the fourth and final public meeting on January 10, 2004
Saturday, January 10 10am to 12pm (registration and display area
viewing begins at 9:30am) New Samaritan Baptist Church
1100 Florida Avenue, NE (between 11th St. and Montello Avenue NE)

For more information or special needs please call [phone]
See the draft agenda for the meeting

We've just posted maps of key intersections along New York Avenue,
with descriptions of current conditions and problems along with the
proposed short term solutions.

Since our October 5th kick-off meeting last year, government staff and
consultants have been meeting with area stakeholders and conducting
research about the land use and transportation characteristics of the
New York Avenue Corridor.

Our most recent (3rd) community meeting took place on June 17th, 2003.
The meeting was well attended, and allowed us to describe some
alternative transportation concepts in more detail. We asked
participants to use the draft vision statement and draft evaluation
criteria we'd defined in our May 20th meeting to help us evaluate
which of these concepts deserves in-depth study and refinement. If you
missed this meeting, you can still view the Powerpoint™ presentation
and share your feedback on transportation options. Your comments are
very important to us.

On May 20th of this year, community members joined us at our 2nd
public meeting, which was held at the Peikoff Alumni House at
Gallaudet University. At this meeting, we asked participants to help
us create planning goals and objectives to measure the effectiveness
and desirability of new transportation services and facilities. We
also introduced transportation concepts for your consideration.

Over the summer, government staff and consultants will refine the
promising alternatives and study their likely impacts on safety,
accessibility, economic development and the quality of life in nearby
neighborhoods and the District as a whole. The results of this work --
along with ideas about how to pay for new services and facilities --
will be presented at a public meeting in April 2004. For more
information, call Rick Rybeck at [phone] or email him at
***@dc.gov.

---

Passed along as a public service.

Douglas A. Willinger
Takoma Park Highway Design Studio
http://www.HighwaysAndCommunities.com

[Douglas A. Willinger]

Post by Douglas A. Willinger
New York Avenue Corridor/Possible I-395 extension
http://www.publicspaceforum.org/newyorkavenue/news/index.shtml
---
Attend the fourth and final public meeting on January 10, 2004
Saturday, January 10 10am to 12pm (registration and display area
viewing begins at 9:30am) New Samaritan Baptist Church
1100 Florida Avenue, NE (between 11th St. and Montello Avenue NE)
For more information or special needs please call [phone]
See the draft agenda for the meeting
We've just posted maps of key intersections along New York Avenue,
with descriptions of current conditions and problems along with the
proposed short term solutions.
Since our October 5th kick-off meeting last year, government staff and
consultants have been meeting with area stakeholders and conducting
research about the land use and transportation characteristics of the
New York Avenue Corridor.
Our most recent (3rd) community meeting took place on June 17th, 2003.
The meeting was well attended, and allowed us to describe some
alternative transportation concepts in more detail. We asked
participants to use the draft vision statement and draft evaluation
criteria we'd defined in our May 20th meeting to help us evaluate
which of these concepts deserves in-depth study and refinement. If you
missed this meeting, you can still view the Powerpoint? presentation
and share your feedback on transportation options. Your comments are
very important to us.
On May 20th of this year, community members joined us at our 2nd
public meeting, which was held at the Peikoff Alumni House at
Gallaudet University. At this meeting, we asked participants to help
us create planning goals and objectives to measure the effectiveness
and desirability of new transportation services and facilities. We
also introduced transportation concepts for your consideration.
Over the summer, government staff and consultants will refine the
promising alternatives and study their likely impacts on safety,
accessibility, economic development and the quality of life in nearby
neighborhoods and the District as a whole. The results of this work --
along with ideas about how to pay for new services and facilities --
will be presented at a public meeting in April 2004. For more
information, call Rick Rybeck at [phone] or email him at
---

What about the tight curve (about 300 foot radii) this tunnel will
have to take around the rear side of the Bibleway Church complex?
Traffic would have to slow to about 35 mph.

This option is somewhat worse -- traffic geometry wise -- then the
1971 (1970s decade) plans for the tunnel to have a slightly gentler
curve (about 450 foot radii) to an alignment immediately parallelling
the north side of New York Avenue, and which would have taken about
600 houses between New Jersey Avenue and North Capital Street.

A significently superior option would be for a gentler curve (1400
foot radii) that would continue the I-395 Tunnel beneath the houses
between 4th Street and New Jersey Avenue, about 34 houses, and arcing
beneath the recreation field of Dunbar HS before continuing as a
striaght line beneath O Street, to where O Street meets New York
Avenue by the Wendy's. Superior geometry for better traffic service
and safety. Easier to construct given that O Street has less surface
traffic then New York Avenue.

However, the official D.C. position that I heard at yesterday's
meeting (Jan 10, 2004) was that NO homes can be taken; and that is to
be paramount regardless. I did mention that this tunnel might be
possible without removing the 34 houses, but was told that traffic
serviceability (and by extension safety) was not really important
because it would primarily benifit people from outside D.C. (!)

Yet, others will have pay for this project. Is the Federal government
going to fund a project that is so crimped?

Also, with regard to Bibleway Church's civic irresponsibility at
building an apartment building at the northwest corner of K Street and
New Jersey Avenue, I heard that they will not tear this building down
because of the concept of NO residential relocation; yet is not this
building currently not yet occupied? Obtaining this building under
eminent domain now wuld avoid future conflicts of elderly persons
carrying groceries from the nearby Bibleway Church run grocery store
of the same name "Golden Rule" crossing busy New Jersey Avenue, which
is more busy with the on ramp so blocked.

Douglas A. Willinger
Takoma Park Highway Design Studio
http://www.HighwaysAndCommunities.com

[Douglas A. Willinger]

Post by Douglas A. Willinger
New York Avenue Corridor/Possible I-395 extension
http://www.publicspaceforum.org/newyorkavenue/news/index.shtml
---
Attend the fourth and final public meeting on January 10, 2004
Saturday, January 10 10am to 12pm (registration and display area
viewing begins at 9:30am) New Samaritan Baptist Church
1100 Florida Avenue, NE (between 11th St. and Montello Avenue NE)
For more information or special needs please call [phone]
See the draft agenda for the meeting
We've just posted maps of key intersections along New York Avenue,
with descriptions of current conditions and problems along with the
proposed short term solutions.
Since our October 5th kick-off meeting last year, government staff and
consultants have been meeting with area stakeholders and conducting
research about the land use and transportation characteristics of the
New York Avenue Corridor.
Our most recent (3rd) community meeting took place on June 17th, 2003.
The meeting was well attended, and allowed us to describe some
alternative transportation concepts in more detail. We asked
participants to use the draft vision statement and draft evaluation
criteria we'd defined in our May 20th meeting to help us evaluate
which of these concepts deserves in-depth study and refinement. If you
missed this meeting, you can still view the Powerpoint? presentation
and share your feedback on transportation options. Your comments are
very important to us.
On May 20th of this year, community members joined us at our 2nd
public meeting, which was held at the Peikoff Alumni House at
Gallaudet University. At this meeting, we asked participants to help
us create planning goals and objectives to measure the effectiveness
and desirability of new transportation services and facilities. We
also introduced transportation concepts for your consideration.
Over the summer, government staff and consultants will refine the
promising alternatives and study their likely impacts on safety,
accessibility, economic development and the quality of life in nearby
neighborhoods and the District as a whole. The results of this work --
along with ideas about how to pay for new services and facilities --
will be presented at a public meeting in April 2004. For more
information, call Rick Rybeck at [phone] or email him at
---

What about the tight curve (about 300 foot radii) this tunnel will
have to take around the rear side of the Bibleway Church complex?
Traffic would have to slow to about 35 mph.

This option is somewhat worse -- traffic geometry wise -- then the
1971 (1970s decade) plans for the tunnel to have a slightly gentler
curve (about 450 foot radii) to an alignment immediately parallelling
the north side of New York Avenue, and which would have taken about
600 houses between New Jersey Avenue and North Capital Street.

A significently superior option would be for a gentler curve (1400
foot radii) that would continue the I-395 Tunnel beneath the houses
between 4th Street and New Jersey Avenue, about 34 houses, and arcing
beneath the recreation field of Dunbar HS before continuing as a
striaght line beneath O Street, to where O Street meets New York
Avenue by the Wendy's. Superior geometry for better traffic service
and safety. Easier to construct given that O Street has less surface
traffic then New York Avenue.

However, the official D.C. position that I heard at yesterday's
meeting (Jan 10, 2004) was that NO homes can be taken; and that is to
be paramount regardless. I did mention that this tunnel might be
possible without removing the 34 houses, but was told that traffic
serviceability (and by extension safety) was not really important
because it would primarily benifit people from outside D.C. (!)

Yet, others will have pay for this project. Is the Federal government
going to fund a project that is so crimped?

Also, with regard to Bibleway Church's civic irresponsibility at
building an apartment building at the northwest corner of K Street and
New Jersey Avenue, I heard that they will not tear this building down
because of the concept of NO residential relocation; yet is not this
building currently not yet occupied? Obtaining this building under
eminent domain now wuld avoid future conflicts of elderly persons
carrying groceries from the nearby Bibleway Church run grocery store
of the same name "Golden Rule" crossing busy New Jersey Avenue, which
is more busy with the on ramp so blocked.

Douglas A. Willinger
Takoma Park Highway Design Studio
http://www.HighwaysAndCommunities.com

[Douglas A. Willinger]

What about the tight curve (about 300 foot radii) this tunnel will
have to take around the rear side of the Bibleway Church complex?
Traffic would have to slow to about 35 mph.

This option is somewhat worse -- traffic geometry wise -- then the
1971 (1970s decade) plans for the tunnel to have a slightly gentler
curve (about 450 foot radii) to an alignment immediately parallelling
the north side of New York Avenue, and which would have taken about
600 houses between New Jersey Avenue and North Capital Street.

A significently superior option would be for a gentler curve (1400
foot radii) that would continue the I-395 Tunnel beneath the houses
between 4th Street and New Jersey Avenue, about 34 houses, and arcing
beneath the recreation field of Dunbar HS before continuing as a
striaght line beneath O Street, to where O Street meets New York
Avenue by the Wendy's. Superior geometry for better traffic service
and safety. Easier to construct given that O Street has less surface
traffic then New York Avenue.

However, the official D.C. position that I heard at yesterday's
meeting (Jan 10, 2004) was that NO homes can be taken; and that is to
be paramount regardless. I did mention that this tunnel might be
possible without removing the 34 houses, but was told that traffic
serviceability (and by extension safety) was not really important
because it would primarily benifit people from outside D.C. (!)

Yet, others will have pay for this project. Is the Federal government
going to fund a project that is so crimped?

Also, with regard to Bibleway Church's civic irresponsibility at
building an apartment building at the northwest corner of K Street and
New Jersey Avenue, I heard that they will not tear this building down
because of the concept of NO residential relocation; yet is not this
building currently not yet occupied? Obtaining this building under
eminent domain now wuld avoid future conflicts of elderly persons
carrying groceries from the nearby Bibleway Church run grocery store
of the same name "Golden Rule" crossing busy New Jersey Avenue, which
is more busy with the on ramp so blocked.

Douglas A. Willinger
Takoma Park Highway Design Studio
http://www.HighwaysAndCommunities.com

[Douglas A. Willinger]

What about the tight curve (about 300 foot radii) this tunnel will
have to take around the rear side of the Bibleway Church complex?
Traffic would have to slow to about 35 mph.

This option is somewhat worse -- traffic geometry wise -- then the
1971 (1970s decade) plans for the tunnel to have a slightly gentler
curve (about 450 foot radii) to an alignment immediately parallelling
the north side of New York Avenue, and which would have taken about
600 houses between New Jersey Avenue and North Capital Street.

A significently superior option would be for a gentler curve (1400
foot radii) that would continue the I-395 Tunnel beneath the houses
between 4th Street and New Jersey Avenue, about 34 houses, and arcing
beneath the recreation field of Dunbar HS before continuing as a
striaght line beneath O Street, to where O Street meets New York
Avenue by the Wendy's. Superior geometry for better traffic service
and safety. Easier to construct given that O Street has less surface
traffic then New York Avenue.

However, the official D.C. position that I heard at yesterday's
meeting (Jan 10, 2004) was that NO homes can be taken; and that is to
be paramount regardless. I did mention that this tunnel might be
possible without removing the 34 houses, but was told that traffic
serviceability (and by extension safety) was not really important
because it would primarily benifit people from outside D.C. (!)

Yet, others will have pay for this project. Is the Federal government
going to fund a project that is so crimped?

Also, with regard to Bibleway Church's civic irresponsibility at
building an apartment building at the northwest corner of K Street and
New Jersey Avenue, I heard that they will not tear this building down
because of the concept of NO residential relocation; yet is not this
building currently not yet occupied? Obtaining this building under
eminent domain now wuld avoid future conflicts of elderly persons
carrying groceries from the nearby Bibleway Church run grocery store
of the same name "Golden Rule" crossing busy New Jersey Avenue, which
is more busy with the on ramp so blocked.

Douglas A. Willinger
Takoma Park Highway Design Studio
http://www.HighwaysAndCommunities.com

[Douglas A. Willinger]

What about the tight curve (about 300 foot radii) this tunnel will
have to take around the rear side of the Bibleway Church complex?
Traffic would have to slow to about 35 mph.

This option is somewhat worse -- traffic geometry wise -- then the
1971 (1970s decade) plans for the tunnel to have a slightly gentler
curve (about 450 foot radii) to an alignment immediately parallelling
the north side of New York Avenue, and which would have taken about
600 houses between New Jersey Avenue and North Capital Street.

A significently superior option would be for a gentler curve (1400
foot radii) that would continue the I-395 Tunnel beneath the houses
between 4th Street and New Jersey Avenue, about 34 houses, and arcing
beneath the recreation field of Dunbar HS before continuing as a
striaght line beneath O Street, to where O Street meets New York
Avenue by the Wendy's. Superior geometry for better traffic service
and safety. Easier to construct given that O Street has less surface
traffic then New York Avenue.

However, the official D.C. position that I heard at yesterday's
meeting (Jan 10, 2004) was that NO homes can be taken; and that is to
be paramount regardless. I did mention that this tunnel might be
possible without removing the 34 houses, but was told that traffic
serviceability (and by extension safety) was not really important
because it would primarily benifit people from outside D.C. (!)

Yet, others will have pay for this project. Is the Federal government
going to fund a project that is so crimped?

Also, with regard to Bibleway Church's civic irresponsibility at
building an apartment building at the northwest corner of K Street and
New Jersey Avenue, I heard that they will not tear this building down
because of the concept of NO residential relocation; yet is not this
building currently not yet occupied? Obtaining this building under
eminent domain now wuld avoid future conflicts of elderly persons
carrying groceries from the nearby Bibleway Church run grocery store
of the same name "Golden Rule" crossing busy New Jersey Avenue, which
is more busy with the on ramp so blocked.

Douglas A. Willinger
Takoma Park Highway Design Studio
http://www.HighwaysAndCommunities.com