From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.

The U Street Corridor is keeping the District Department of Transportation(DDOT) busy from now until the spring of 2013.

Construction begins on at 9th Street NW on the U Street Streetscape project. NW (Luis Gomez Photos).

The (nearly) yearlong construction plan, which began June 11, will reconstruct a 0.4-mile segment of U Street NW, from 9th Street to 14th Street. The project will improve and landscape the sidewalk areas, repair the roadway and perform upgrades to the streetlights, traffic signals and storm drains.

What work has been done so far? DDOT has worked on laying out the electrical conduit, saw cutting for electrical trenches between 9th and 14th Streets and installing electrical conduits on the 900 blocks. This work is expected to continue though June 25th, and parking is temporarily impacted between 9 am and 3:30 pm in the immediate work areas.

Once the electrical work is completed on each block, the actual rehab of that block will begin; each block will be constructed separately, one side at a time.

Throughout the construction process, DDOT is intent on keeping residents updated on the project’s progress and impacts. In fact, on Wednesday, June 20th, the project team held a meeting for constituents in front of Nellie’s Sports Bar to discuss the effects of the project. Attendees were also encouraged to express concerns and ask questions related to the ongoing construction.

You can check the project’s website for frequent updates on any project disruptions, including temporary public transportation and/or business closures and delays.

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By Michelle Lancaster. You can follow her and let her know your news on Twitter @MichLancaster. Email her at michellel[AT]borderstan.com.

Beautification comes at a price for city residents; the flower boxes and trees are an improvement to acres of concrete, but the process from start to finish is anything but lovely. Adams Morgan businesses and residents have been enduring a seemingly endless improvement project that has led to traffic snarls, decreased business and a lot of headaches. P Street businesses remember the year plus where parking spaces for local restaurants were non-existent as construction was underway.

Streetscape Project for U Street is scheduled to begin June 11. (Luis Gomez Photos)

Well, U Street, you’re next. The city plans on beginning work on U Street between 9th and 14th Streets NW on Monday, June 11, and will go one block at a time, starting at 9th Street and moving westward. (For the full story, see Tom Hays’ Streetscape Project: U Street Rehabilitation To Begin June 11.)

Sidewalks will be widened, the streets will be repaved and storm drains replaced in addition to the landscaping components. The Washington Post reports you should expect less parking and anticipate making alternate arrangements for about a year. I wonder if anyone’s warned all the prospective buyers further down 14th Street.

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JBG Cos. plans for developing Florida Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets NW are on the Thursday night agenda of the U Street Neighborhood Association. (Luis Gomez Photos).

The monthly meeting of the U Street Neighborhood Association is tonight, May 10, at the Third District Police Station community room at 7 pm.

On the Agenda

• DDOT will give updates on the U Street streetscape project.
• The DC Office of Planning will provide an overview of the Planned Unit Development (PUD) process.
• JBG Cos. will have updates and will describe the variances they are requesting for the project at Florida Avenue and 8th Street NW. (See Feb. 2: ANC 1B Takes Closer Look at Florida Avenue Development.)
• Hiba Abdallah will talk about a facility planned to be built at 9th and S Streets NW  for people aging out of the foster care system.
• Zahir Rahimi (owner of Mila at 2015 14th Street NW) will present his case for converting his clothing store to a restaurant.
• The U Street Movie Series: Harrison Field Under the Stars. The summer schedule of outdoor films series starts May 23 with The Pelican Brief.

For more details see the agenda at U Street Neighborhood Association website.

About the U Street Neighborhood Association

The boundaries of the U Street Neighborhood Association in Northwest DC are:

• 16th Street to the West
• 8th Street to the East
• S Street to the South and
• Barry Place to Florida Avenue to W Street to the North

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ANC 2B hosted a forum on residential parking regulations. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Tom Hay. Questions for Tom? Send him an email at Tom[AT]borderstan.com. You can follow him on Twitter @Tomonswann.

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2B (ANC 2B) in Dupont Circle hosted the first of two public forums Tuesday night to discuss issues surrounding DC’s residential parking program (RPP). ANC Commissioner Mike Feldstein hosted the event and invited Damon Harvey of the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to lead the discussion. (See related posts at bottom, including ANC 2F Votes to Support New Parking Regs Benefiting Residents.)

About 20 people attended the forum including ANC2B Commissioners Mike Feldstein (2B01), Jack Jacobson (2B04), Ramon Estrada (2B09) and Mike Silverstein (2B06). DDOT’s Harvey wowed the attendees with his extensive knowledge and anecdotes about resident parking throughout DC and repeatedly mentioned that he and DDOT will really listen and respond to residents concerns about the scarcity of parking.

David Alpert was also featured prominently in the forum. Alpert, founder and editor of Greater Greater Washington and a resident of ANC 2B, wrote an overview of some of the challenges of parking in the neighborhood and offered a few options in his article and during the forum. A few of the major concerns were quickly identified early on. Residents are frustrated with lack of curbside parking near their homes, especially in the evenings.

There is concern that Logan Circle’s plan to test an “enhanced residential parking program” will have a spillover effect in Dupont as visitors scout for spots there since fewer will be available to them in Logan. Comments also surrounded the  growing popularity of Dupont and Logan Circle as a nightlife destination and its impact on parking.

The discussion on nightlife brought up Mayor Gray’s recent budget proposal to generate more revenue through extending the hours that bars can operate. Commissioner Mike Silverstein, who is also a member of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, pointed out how the Mayor’s proposal has the potential to put considerable pressure on parking.

Silverstein explained that by extending bar hours, DC’s closing time will be later than both Maryland and Virginia bars, making DC appealing for late-night entertainment. However, Metro will not be open to accommodate riders’ returns home at the later hours, forcing visitors to drive to DC rather than use public transportation.

Attention then shifted to some options to provide relief. The enforcement period for RPP could be extended to later in the evening — currently a visitor could legally park on the street at 6:30 pm and remain until the next morning. Dupont could adopt the program that will be tested in Logan in which one side of the street will be reserved for residents of the zone; note that parking zones and DC ward boundaries are the same. Another idea suggested is implementation of performance parking, in which visitors pay-by-cell for parking on residential streets.

As the forum drew to a close Damon Harvey offered some welcome news; DDOT is working toward moving the visitor parking permit process online. So the trip to the police station when you have out of town visitors should be eliminated in the future. The date of the next public forum has not been set. That meeting should firm up some of the conclusions and recommendations before moving to the ANC agenda for action.

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Related Posts

• ANC 2F Votes to Support New Parking Regs Benefiting Residents
• Better parking for Logan Circle or bonanza for Kalorama? (David Alpert, Greater Greater Washington)
• Special Parking Permit Zones for Residents Coming to Logan Circle?
• Census Frenzy: Ward 2 Population Up 16%, Ward 1 Up 4%
• In Pictures: Development Projects Line the 14th Street Corridor

From Maggie Barron. You can reach her at maggie[at]borderstan.com and follow her on Twitter @maggiebarron. 

Despite DC’s high marks in pedestrian and bike safety, there are still some intersections where we should tread cautiously. In a new performance review, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) identified 24 of “the most dangerous intersections for pedestrian crashes over the past 3 years.” Two of those are in the Borderstan area, and another 11 are directly surrounding us — any guesses as to where they are?

The intersection at 12th and Massachusetts is one of the most dangerous in the area. (M. Rhoades)

If you picked 14th and U Streets NW, you’re on the money. The other one to be aware of is at 12th Street and Massachusetts Avenue NW. This isn’t surprising for anyone who has tried to cross there as aggressive northbound vehicles turn left onto Massachusetts.

In terms of other nearby hotspots, 14th Street NW in Columbia Heights made the list three times at Columbia Road, Irving Street and Park Road. And those walking along K Street should be extra-alert, as the intersections of K and 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th Streets NW all made the list.

TBD has a full list of the 24 intersections. And a DCist reader plotted most of the intersections (though not all) on a handy Google map.

In a hearing last Friday before the City Council, Neha Bhatt, chair of the Pedestrian Advisory Council, testified that over 10% of DC residents walk to work. According to data in the DDOT performance review, since 2005 the number of crashes involving pedestrians has ranged from 567 to 782 per year, with a much smaller number of incidents (14 to 25) resulting in fatalities. (Hat tip to TBD’s John Hendel for covering the hearing, which was apparently poorly attended by DC council members).

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Dupont Circle traffic lights will be off for several hours on Tuesday. (Luis Gomez Photos)

The traffic lights around Dupont Circle will be off today for several hours this morning, according to the DC Department of Transportation. The traffic lights are expected to be turned off around 10 am this morning.

DC officials said the lights will go off for several hours while city crews do maintenance and make upgrades. There will be officers to direct traffic, but be prepared for delays around the area. WTOP has more details.

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The 15th Street bike lane. (Luis Gomez Photos).

By Michelle Lancaster. You can follow her and let her know your news on Twitter @MichLancaster. Email her at michellel[AT]borderstan.com.

TBD investigated what is and is not allowed for a church funeral. The official policy indicates that parking in the bike lane is not permissible; tweets from some irritated cyclists, however, testify to the policy on the street being compassionate “parking permissiveness.”

If the cars were double-parked and causing traffic on 15th Street NW for motorists, would the situation have been different? It’s worth noting that the DC Department of Transportation responded to the cyclists’ complaints, but the cars were gone by the time the unit showed up at the church (St. Luke’s Episcopal at 15th and P NW, by the way).

This is not the first time residents have voiced concerns over a church’s parking; in 2006 and then again in 2008, Sunday morning double-parking sparked a lot of heat and anger in Logan Circle. Since the issues have been raised (then and now in the comments), as to whether is this simply a preferential play for cars… or do Christian churches, or African-American Christian churches, get spared more tickets than area temples?

Or is ticketing just infinitely more lax on Sunday, which has little to do with some people thinking that it’s God’s day?

Streetcar planning tweaks (Luis Gomez Photos)

By Michelle Lancaster. You can follow her and let her know your news on Twitter @MichLancaster. Email her at michellel@borderstan.com.

Greater Greater Washington has reviewed all the plans for the streetcar network and has a few suggestions for the transit agency, in addition to the tweaks already made by DC Department of Transportation.

Adams Morgan and U Street are part of the proposed lines in Corridor 6 — which would help the extortion fees for cabs out of Adams Morgan late at night, and the complaints from your friends that the Green Line/U Street is somehow inconvenient.

How the plans interact with the bike lanes will be something to watch in our area. Also, for those of you fighting for parking spaces for your cars, you should note the plans indicate the authorities are aware that ‘refinement’ of existing street parking is necessary, yet also a ‘challenge.’

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14th and T Streets NW: Cheer up, it's already Wednesday and the weather is supposed to be great. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Michelle Lancaster. Follow her and tell her your news on Twitter @MichLancaster or email her at michellel@borderstan.com.

No Resolution to Last Year’s Metro Deaths

Washington Examiner looks into the still mysterious death of Lou Stancari, found last year at the Farragut North metro station. After a dinner in his neighborhood of Capitol Hill, his fare card was swiped at Dupont Circle. Everything else is mystery, including what and/or who inflicted the blunt force trauma that was ruled the cause of death. Was it a drunken stumble, an assault, a suicide attempt or other foul play? His friends are confused and frustrated with the investigation.

It is a bizarre death that is made even odder by its similarity to the death of Benoy Chacko, who was ruled an accident. Investigators in that case think he decided to walk along the tracks and was clipped by a passing train. In a system that is attempting to better prevent and handle fatalities, these investigations do not bring much hope or optimism to 2012. Is anyone else surprised that there is not video evidence, or video surveillance at all, of either of these events?

New Street Signs to REPLACE EXISTING ONES

Mixed case design comes to street signs near you (or not). Mike DeBonis at the Post outlines the reason for the gradual roll-out of the mixed case (both upper and lower case, as opposed to the previous all caps design) signs — President Obama had to step in to prevent localities from rioting over the costs and tight deadline to switch out signs. DC can now replace the signs at their own pace, which DDOT indicates will be slow. They will replace the signs as needed, and the shelf life of a street sign is about 10 years.

Rush Limbaugh: “This Mary Cheh Babe” = Sexist Liar?

That’s the opinion of a few after reviewing Rush Limbaugh’s comment about Councilwoman Mary Cheh today. He referrred to her as ‘babe,’ which brought out Media Matters. They have previously been on his case for using the term to dismiss and diminish a number of powerful, intelligent women. The The Washington Post’s Mike DeBonis reports his tirade on the misrepresentation of a bill that would ‘relocate’ rat families found by exterminators to the state. He also incorrectly identifies Cheh as the “woman behind the DC plastic bag tax;” she was a supporter, but not the original author. Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II was the interview guest, who is standing by his characterization of the bill after a response from Cheh (all in the article). So, Rush Limbaugh may or may not be a liar. But he doesn’t seem to think much of women.

ACLU Sues WMATA

You may recall the incident at the U Street metro station last year, where a man in a wheelchair was thrown to the ground by Metro Transit Police. The Transit Police said the man, Dwight Harris, was intoxicated and disruptive. What you may not know is that another man, Lawrence Miller, was arrested for inciting violence after asking the police what they were doing and soliciting aid for his friend. 9 News Now reports that those charges were dropped, but now Miller is suing, with ACLU assistance, for violating his First Amendment right to free speech and expression. WMATA doesn’t comment on these type of legal matters, so I guess we will wait to hear their defense in court or in settlement papers.

News from Dupont-Logan-U Street.

From Michelle Lancaster. Follow her and tell her your news on Twitter @MichLancaster or email her at michellel@borderstan.com.

Melody Records Owner Speaks Out

The Washington Examiner nabs a quick interview with Jack Menase, owner of Melody Records. They cut right to the chase, starting out the interview with the “why are you closing” question. Unfortunately, it’s been asked and answered, and it seems that record stores may be going the way of bookstores. In a day where your personal phone can let you preview music, download a book or follow playlists of everyone in your social network, it seems hard to fathom that our beloved indie hideaways stand much of a chance against pocket rocket tech.

Politics of Booze in DC

While Derek Brown plugs his own bar and a few other non-political bars, he does give some decent advice. In the “places that are old DC”, Dupont’s Tabard Inn makes the list in this piece by TVNZ. Yes, Derek is talking about local boozing to a New Zealand media outlet. The Gibson gets a plug as well for “local colour.”

Poor Timing for WMATA’s Fare Hike?

It may never be a good time to raise the Metro fares, but this may be particularly poor execution on their part. TBD chronicles all of their misadventures last week, from a suicide to stunning workday delays and a host of other issues. Now, after we’ve already found out that they essentially made up the length of time for escalator repair at Dupont Circle, they have advised us we can pay more for the pleasure of riding Metrorail. It made me think of this recent piece by the Washington Post on our previous system…which may or may not have been less reliable.

Pay Up, Disabled Motorists

If you are a disabled motorist, you have been able to park at meters for free. Not anymore. DDOT announced the policy change on Tuesday, citing widespread abuse of the policy as the reason for its repeal. New ‘red top’ meters will designate meters that serve disabled drivers; they still must feed the meter, but get twice the time. MyFOX broke the story and cited several downtown workers that said the excessive number of hang tags made it difficult to find parking for workers or customers.

Historic Shots of U Street

U Street Girl has some great snaps of what U Street looked like back in the day. She culled them down out of Lydia DePillis’ full link and interview with the Streets of DC author in the Washington City Paper. I know I’m a bit of sappy sentimentalist, but I think quite a few of these look much better than the buildings that took their place, either in construction or color choice. Hey pea green and mustard yellow complex by the 9:30 Club, I am side eyeing you. Hard.