Draft Recommendations for Transportation Study

The DC District of Transportation has issued the draft recommendations coming out of the Circulation and Access Study it has been performing in Georgetown since last year. The recommendations are in the document below, but here are a couple highlights:

• They recommend a couple one-way street conversions. In Georgetown this includes making 28th St. northbound only between M and P and making 29th southbound for that same stretch. Notably, the recommendations do not include making N St. one-way, which has been the subject of a lot of debate over the years. The recommendations also do not include any changes to 30th and 31st, which were recommended for conversion way back in the 2008 Georgetown Transportation Study.
• The consultants found that the removal of the rush hour lanes on M and Wisconsin can be permanent. The strongest evidence in connection with this is the sharp drop in collisions since the introduction of the extended sidewalks/streateries in 2020.
• The draft recommendations suggest further looking into a Barnes Dance for M and Wisconsin. This is a term for an all-pedestrian phase in the light cycle. In other words, every few minutes the entire intersection will be closed to cars and pedestrians can cross any side (or walk diagonally). (This was also recommended in the 2008 study but was later rejected by DDOT.)

There’s a lot more in there, so please read it for yourself. There will be a public meeting to formally present the recommendations the first week of April (in person on April 2nd at 6:30 – 8:00 pm at St. John’s; virtual April 3rd at the same time). So please attend to have your say!