Florida Ave reconstruction mustn’t block Duke plan

DDOT is reconstructing the segment of Florida Avenue between U Street and Sherman Avenue (around 9th and 10th Streets, NW). It’s only changing a few things: there are a couple of new bulb-outs (good) but a ridiculously narrow sidewalk is staying as is (bad).

The bigger question, though, is the future of this area. If we follow the Duke plan approved in 2004 and the Great Streets plan from last year, some of these intersections will ultimately look completely different.

Right now, the blocks south of Howard University between Sherman and Georgia are covered with surface parking in large superblocks. It’s not walkable, and not even drivable: motorists have to drive a few blocks north or south to get east or west. The Duke Plan calls for connecting the street grid by extending W and Bryant across from Georgia to Sherman. A denser grid creates a more walkable experience, more opportunities for street retail or cafes, a more neighborhood feel, and less traffic. And a roundabout where the new Bryant hits the intersection of Florida and Sherman (along with another new one at Sherman’s other end at New Hampshire and utilizing the already-extant one on 9th) would create a walkable and less wide-open intersection.

That is, as long as DDOT’s work now doesn’t preclude our ability to put in the roundabout or reconnect the streets. On 17th Street in Dupont, for example, we’ve been told nothing can be done about the excessively wide corner of 17th and R because DDOT recently redid it, reducing pedestrian space to increase the turning radii (which speeds traffic and hurts safety) instead of creating the bulb-outs that would be appropriate there.

There are plenty of possible reasons why DDOT might need to redo this street now instead of waiting. But it’s important to ensure that this reconstruction won’t create an obstacle to the better one down the road.