Street safety changes weighed for large swath of Northwest west of Wisconsin Avenue

D.C. planning officials will present preliminary recommendations for street safety changes in a large area stretching from Spring Valley to the Potomac River at a public meeting May 18. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has been studying “opportunities for a safer and more accessible multimodal network” in the area, which is roughly bounded by the Potomac River, Massachusetts Avenue NW, Whitehaven Street NW, Whitehaven Parkway NW, Archbold Parkway NW, Foundry Branch Valley Park NW, and the D.C.–Maryland line.

The meeting will be held at Stoddert Elementary School from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. DDOT is calling their analysis a “livability study,” meaning a systems-level look at improvements to public space for pedestrians, cyclists, commuters, and drivers. The recommendations will touch on crosswalks and sidewalks, bike travel, traffic calming, driver signage, accessibility for bus stops, and ultimately Vision Zero, D.C.’s initiative to eliminate traffic deaths by 2024.

District Department of Transportation

After the May 18 meeting, DDOT will continue to evaluate its design concepts and refine its recommendations. Another public workshop about the project is scheduled for September.