A debate continues over a possible pedestrian pathway on Dalecarlia Parkway

A plan to transform a portion of Dalecarlia Parkway, a wide road in DC’s farthest west area, into a shared-use path for pedestrians and cyclists is on ice because of neighborhood opposition. But some residents are trying to bring it back.

Near the NW DC-Maryland border is the Dalecarlia Parkway, a four-lane, one-mile, vehicle-only 40-mph road with no sidewalks on either side. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the road was underutilized by vehicles, with volumes lower than even nearby two-lane roads in the area.

With an underutilized road and lack of pedestrian pathway, it makes perfect sense to examine whether we should convert two of the four vehicle-only lanes to a shared-use pathway for all residents, including bicyclists, pedestrians, families, children, and others.

Since at least April 2005, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has included adding a shared-use path along Dalecarlia Parkway in its Master Plan. This pedestrian pathway would connect Westmoreland Circle to Loughboro Road and ultimately MacArthur Blvd, a needed link in Upper Northwest’s connectivity. (Currently, you have to wind your way through the Spring Valley neighborhood on side streets, a longer, more circuitous route.)

Unfortunately, there has been no movement on the project for 15 years, due in part to opposition from some neighbors.

What’s in the study

DDOT’s Rock Creek Livability Study includes the most recent concept for a shared-use pathway along the Dalecarlia Parkway. This study, which includes a number of pedestrian-friendly projects for the area, recommended a Dalecarlia Parkway pilot to obtain real-world data on whether the implementation of a pathway makes sense. You can see illustrations of the pathway below:

Resistance to the plan

The above renderings, show the four-lane street revamped into one that is more in line with other neighborhood roads. But even standing up a pilot of this shared-use pathway along Dalecarlia was anathema to a small number of very vocal residents.

Their concerns about the pilot can be found in a presentation they gave to Councilmember Mary Cheh (Ward 3) in November 2019.

The group expressed concern about safety and access to Sibley Hospital, whose entrance is along Dalecarlia Parkway.

Opponents claimed that ambulances to Sibley Hospital would no longer be able to arrive at the Emergency Room — something that Sibley Hospital has never stated. According to DDOT, which has actually spoken with the hospital, Sibley has “no concerns at this time” about the pilot.

They also cited concerns about the environment and traffic, suggesting vehicles would idle in the parkway, increasing pollution or cut through local neighborhoods. Finally, they expressed the view that the pedestrian pathway is not “practical” because no one will use it.

Opponents of the plan also flooded Nextdoor.com with arguments warning the pathway was being developed by “traffic planners from outside our neighborhood,” while simultaneously accusing the ANC of “taking the role of being the neighborhood transportation planner.”

They attacked the “bike lobby” and complained about bicyclists who couldn’t keep up with the parkway’s 40 mph speed limit, but expressed worry that dedicated bike lanes — which ostensibly would have resolved some of the shared road concerns — would only create “more traffic” and “vehicle exhaust.”

Ultimately, however, 928 people signed a petition, against the plan in August 2019.

A more urgent need for space

However, the world looks very different than it once did — and pedestrian-friendly outdoor spaces in DC are needed now more than ever.

On April 1 a stay-at-home order was placed on the District. We are quarantined in our homes to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. And even as DC and the region slowly start to the reopening process, many businesses remain closed, and people still need to practice social distancing.

Data from Google shows that movement has surged by 25% in residential areas, like the ones the Dalecarlia Parkway runs through, as it’s decreased by 78% at workplaces. The surge of people out walking (which is a good thing) on the limited number of sidewalks and pedestrian pathways (which is a bad thing) has forced people to claim the roads for additional space.

An additional one mile of pedestrian pathways along Dalecarlia Parkway would go a long way toward giving residents a place to walk, while maintaining a safe physical distance.

Within the last month, over 200 people have signed our petition urging DDOT to immediately implement its plan to add pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure to the Dalecarlia Parkway.

What happens next

While DDOT hasn’t given up on the Dalecarlia Parkway pedestrian pathway project, it is no longer on their 2020 Bikeways List. And in a February 18th letter DDOT informed ANC 3D that they support the ANC’s creation of a special committee to look at Dalecarlia improvements as the “modifications to Dalecarlia require further study.”

In the meantime, DDOT will start implementing projects at other Ward 3 sites, which don’t face as much opposition.

Opposition from a vocal group delaying a beneficial project is not new, of course. But it is unfortunate to see how a few loud voices can impact a greater community benefit.