Great Streets meeting

[from DDOT]

"Great Streets" are coming to your community. 

The District Department of Transportation has targeted $100 million to improve six Great Streets identified by Mayor Williams, but you need to tell us how. 

Where do you need new sidewalks, lights, trees or public art? Do you want a typical streetscape? Something historic? Something completely different?

Meeting for the Georgia Avenue corridor:
Tuesday, Oct 25, 6:00-8:30pm          
Raymond Elementary School
915 Spring Rd NW

http://www.greatstreetsdc.com

Comments

[Joseph Martin]

This issue is a perfect one for an ANC 4C town hall, a forum I would like to see revived. Until the DC ANC law was changed around 1990, ANCs were required by law to hold four town hall meetings per year. The set up of the AFRH meetings inspired me to think more about single-issue, town-hall forums. Feel free to share your thoughts in emails directly to me rather than interfere with the discussion here of the Great Streets program. FYI, there are other issues on the Nov. 8th ANC 4C agenda as well. Looking forward to seeing a good crowd.

Email: [email protected]

Thanks.
Joe Martin
ANC 4C Acting Chair
202-309-1817 cell

[Ed]

I had low expectations for the meeting, Garrett, not the project itself. I'll be attending the Nov 8th meeting if I don't have to work.

[carol herwig]

Notes from the Great Streets program on Tuesday night.
I arrived late, so missed any speeches. I arrived as people attending were asked to hover over where their neighborhood was on a large map of georgia avenue (spread out over several tables).
David Jannarone, our former ANC and a Petworth Action Committee member was there, as was another PAC member and a gentleman from 8th street (sorry, I should have taken better notes) The DDOT people asked us what we wanted, and we provided a list. The opening concept was that the Georgia Avenue-Petworth metro stop was the gateway to Petworth and should represent the best of what it has to offer. So here's the list we presented.
1. Better lighting, pedestrian friendly lighting (lower poles, maybe double bulbs such as those recently installed on Virginia Avenue near the Kennedy Center. Lighting that will make people feel at ease walking about at night.
2. Less concrete, more green. Expand the tree boxes, for example. (A note here: We didn't address what will be done at the sites already targeted for development because those are the responsibility of those developers.)
3. Better intersections - safer, more negotiable for pedestrians. More attractive.
4. More/better street cleaning. I put myself out on a limb and called for alternative-side parking if that's what it takes.
5. Banners -- welcome to petworth or something along those lines. This request was echoed by just about every neighborhood group.
6. Historic signage, much like there is on U street.
7. Public Art/sculpture. We've been told a sculpture has been commissioned for the metro station. What about inviting local large-format artists to display their works along the street, perhaps on a year-long basis. There are several significant art schools in the area, including Maryland and the Corcoran.
8. More and attractive trash cans.
9. Street planters.
10. An ice cream store - and other retail that brings people out.
11. a Flower market at the metro.

We focused on the blocks from princeton north to shepherd street as deserving of special attention.
DDot had categories - $500,000; $1M, $2M. etc. $500,000 would by basic street upgrading -- lights, curbs, repaving. $2M gets lots more.
This meeting was about the entire 7th street/ga. ave. corridor from Mount Vernon Square to Eastern Avenue.

The other streets targeted for Great Streets are H NE, Benning Road NE, MLKJr. Ave., Penn. Ave. SE, Minn. Ave., Nannie Helen Burroughs. The model to look at is Barracks Row -- 8th street SE from the Eastern Market Metro to past the Marine Barracks to the waterfront.

In addition, DDOT said the Georgia Avenue/New Hampshire intersection improvement was already in the planning stages, using federal money separate from the Great Streets funds. We were told the ground-breaking goal is next spring. So come to the ANC meeting Nov. 8 to get your 2cents in.
Also, there will be a Great Streets followup this winter for Georgia Ave., so stay posted.

As to working on getting trees for the New Hampshire Street run, please contact me. I've worked with Casey Trees and DC Greenworks on other projects.
Carol Herwig

[Garrett]

The Great Streets program is underway but nothing for Georgia Ave is yet set in stone. They have just finished analyzing what is there and what studies already exist. The soliciting of ideas from the community for Georgia Ave. was last night. There are additional meetings for the other streets on other nights this month. The next step for Great Streets is to develop a real plan for Georgia Ave.

Great Streets is going to work in conjunction with the redesign on the Ga/NH Ave intersection. Speaking of which... DDOT will be presenting their plan of this intersection to ANC 4C at the November 8th meeting. PLEASE ATTEND! You all will be happy to know that, as part of this redesign, tree lined medians will be extending from the intersection all the way north to Grant Circle. DDOT's work does not, however, include the trees. I posted a few months ago about the Ward 4 folks getting organized to work with us & DC Greenworks to procure & plant the trees. Who's interested?

[AJS]

Just to clarify, are there already Great Streets proposals underway for GA Ave. or is this the kickoff for a program of idea soliciting.

Also, is the Great Streets program connected with the proposal to remake the intersection of GA Ave and NH Ave.?

[Bill]

Thanks Garrett for the extra info. I ran into a neighbor last night who went to the meeting, she also said it was a constructive exchange, quite focused with little negativity. I for one wish I could have made it last night, I think it's a great chance to help shape our urban environment. Hopefully I can attend any followup events...

[Garrett]

Ed, it's unfortunate that you have low expectations for the Great Streets project. It's an exciting program, it's well organized and unlike the other multiple studies that have been done for Georgia Ave, this one actually has money in the bank to implement its ideas. Out of the 100 million dollars, 15 to 20 million will be set aside for Georgia Ave.

Last night's meeting was an overview of the corridor and its challenges as presented by the Great Streets team. A few key nodes have been identified on Georgia where the majority of the money will be spent. Focus groups then discussed in detail what the residents thoughts were on Transportation, Aesthetics & Investment.

I encourage you to come out to the future public events. In November there will be a four-day exhibition showing what the plans are for all of the Great Streets corridors. Check it out: www.greatstreetsdc.com.

Garrett

[Ed]

I didn't expect much of this meeting and was not too upset I had to work while it was going on. Did anybody attend who would like to post some info?