City engineers, urban designers and transportation officials envision a renovated New York Avenue that features parks, bike trails, wide sidewalks — even a bridge over the Florida Avenue intersection.
Yesterday, they presented their ideas to about 65 residents who live near the east-west thoroughfare. The D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT) held its fourth public meeting on its “New York Avenue Corridor Study” at New Samaritan Baptist Church in Northeast.
“It’s a cold day, but this is a hot topic,” said Rick Rybeck, DDOT’s deputy administrator for transportation policy and planning.
Officials and engineers are planning to renovate New York Avenue from South Dakota Avenue NE to Seventh Street NW, focusing on six of its major intersections — Bladensburg Road, Montana Avenue, Brentwood Parkway, Florida Avenue, North Capitol Street and Interstate 395.
Plans include erecting a traditional or suspension bridge over Florida Avenue and constructing a tunnel under New York Avenue from Interstate 395 at Fourth Street NW to First Street NE. The estimated cost for the renovation is more than $1 billion, and no date has been set for construction to begin.
City planners’ No. 1 concern is safety, Mr. Rybeck said.
“There are too many collisions on New York Avenue,” he said. “The year we looked at the data; there were 80 collisions at New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road. It’s the highest collision intersection in the District.
“Further down the corridor between Florida Avenue and I-395, there are about 250 collisions annually in the five or six intersections in that stretch of New York Avenue,” Mr. Rybeck said.
After watching a presentation on the renovation plans, residents questioned the designers and officials about some of the details and offered their own ideas for the avenue.
Some voiced doubts about the proposed bike paths, while others expressed concern about maintaining the integrity of their neighborhoods. Some asked about traffic projections and how the construction would affect the quality of their lives.
Kathy Henderson, advisory neighborhood commissioner for 5B10, said she is pleased with how DDOT is going about its planning.
“My area will be [affected] by this project, as will most of Ward 5, but so far it’s been a very inclusive process,” Ms. Henderson said. “A lot of times, projects start and the community doesn’t have an opportunity to weigh in. From the start, DDOT has welcomed community input.”
Columbus Key, 57, said he is pleased the project will not destroy any of the homes in his neighborhood or displace any residents.
“Of course, I’m concerned about construction and the length of time it will take to complete the project and what impact that will have on the community. But it’s a beautiful concept,” Mr. Key said.
A fifth public meeting on the renovation will be held in the spring.
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