September 1^st, 2020

Commissioner Amber Gove

Chair, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6A

1349 A St. NE
Washington, DC 20002

Via Email: amberanc6a@gmail.com

NOI # 20-79-PSD

Re: Notification for the Installation of Advisory Bike Lanes on Tennessee Ave NE

Dear Commissioner Gove,

Pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Amendment Act of 2000” D.C. LAW 13-249 (48 DCR 3491 April 20, 2001), the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is required to give a written notice of our intent to install advisory bike lanes and modify parking on Tennessee Avenue NE within ANC 6A.  This letter is being forwarded to you for the purpose of notification and solicitation of comments on our intent to implement the following in your jurisdiction.

DDOT proposes to:

• Install advisory bike lanes on Tennessee Ave between Constitution Ave and 15^th St NE.
• Install crosswalk markings and corresponding ADA ramps across Tennessee Avenue at its intersection with E Street NE.
• Install a contraflow bike lane and sharrows on Tennessee Ave between East Capitol Street and Constitution Ave.
• Modify parking to conform to the current DDOT design and engineering manual (DEM) standards. This typically means greater setback of parking from crosswalks and alleys to preserve sightlines between drivers and people crossing the street.

The existing conditions of the Avenue is two travel lanes and two parking lanes, and the absence of most pavement marking besides the crosswalks and stop bars.  The pattern DDOT would use for advisory bike lanes would be to add parking boxes on both sides, dashed bike lanes throughout, and a shared center travel lane for two-way traffic.  This installation is part of a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of this pattern.  The Unit block will have a different configuration, a contraflow bike lane and sharrows in the direction of travel (similar to G Street NE nearby), which will allow for back-in parking to continue on this block.

This project is an important step in expanding the bike lane network, now also used by scooters and other personal mobility devices.  This facility will connect to existing bike lanes on East Capitol, C Street, D Street, 13^th Street, 14^th Street, and 15^th Street.  It will also connect both Maury Elementary, Kingsman Academy and Miner Elementary, as well as Lincoln Park.

We anticipate the following benefits:

• Expanded biking / scooter route for people traveling in and through Northeast DC
• A contiguous and safe bikeway designed around users between 8 and 80 years old
• Substitution of automobile trips for walking, biking, and scooting trips in this area
• Reduction of conflicts between drivers and bikeway users
• Reduction of sidewalk conflicts between people walking and people on bikes/scooters
• Reduction of vehicular travel speeds on the Avenue
• Improved safety due to reduction of existing conflicts

All comments on this subject matter must be filed in writing, no later than October 15, 2020, thirty (30) business days after the date of this notice, with the District Department of Transportation Planning and Sustainability Division, 55 M Street, SE, 5^th Floor, Washington, DC, 20003 or via email at will.handsfield@dc.gov.  If you would like to check the status of this Notice of Intent (NOI), please visit DDOT’s website at https://wiki.ddot.dc.gov/display/NOI. In addition, if you have questions, have trouble accessing the NOI site or are unable to do so, please contact me at 202-671-3378.

Sincerely,

Will Handsfield
Transportation Planner

Planning & Sustainability Division

Cc:

Nyasha Smith, Secretary to the Council of the District of Columbia

George Branyan, Active Transportation Branch Manager, DDOT

Andrew DeFrank, Ward 6 Community Engagement Specialist, DDOT