DDOT says three Columbia Heights intersections are "most dangerous"

The DC Department of Transportation identified three (four, if you count U Street) intersections in the 14th Street corridor in Columbia Heights as some of the most dangerous for pedestrians in the city. TBD writes about these and 20 more places in the city on its website.

The neighborhood crossings are 14th and Columbia, Irving, and Kenyon streets. I can't think of a day when I didn't cross 14th Street from east to west (or vice versa) recently, and it's most always at one of these intersections. Am I worried for my safety, not really. Am I worried for other pedestrians, almost always.

Take for instance the corner of 14th and Irving, not only are sidewalks often very crowded with foot traffic, you have people rushing across crosswalks trying to catch the nearly dozen buses there, sometimes ignorant bikers in the lanes on 14th Street, and cars speeding up on yellow lights (especially when heading east on Irving and south on 14th). Watching this intersection is one of my favorite things to do while on a stationary cycle at the gym, but I've gasped aloud at the close calls happening below me.

During the planning of the Columbia Heights Streetscape project, I recall reading that traffic was reduced to a single lane in both directions on 14th Street to not only slow down any vehicular traffic but also to encourage cars and trucks not to use it as a north-south route. From my observations and now this DDOT report, that seems to be ignored.

How would you improve pedestrian safety on 14th Street in Columbia Heights?

One solution: bring on the pedestrian bridges?

View Dangerous D.C. intersections in a larger map

More of Columbia Heights on the Internets

Sometimes all it takes is a simple message on the Columbia Heights listserv that leads to a 60-minute internet surfing and searching extravaganza. The fruits of my time well-spent:

The Malcolm X Drummers and Dancers have a new website - http://malcolmxdrummersanddancers.weebly.com/index.html - and be sure to stop by Meridian Hill Park on Sundays after 3 pm for the weekly drum circle.

The Circulator has a YouTube channel with profiles of cool neighborhood businesses and people.





Since we have been posting about local history recently, check out this video: “Columbia Heights: The Legacy of Public Development in DC”

Let's Circulate: Bus Arrives Tomorrow

According to DCCirculator.com, our new bus should arrive tomorrow.

You can click here for the route, which is called Woodley Park - Adams Morgan - McPherson Square Metro. I, however, am going to call it the Columbia Heights route.

And, on Monday - the 16th Street Express starts. It's like "Buses Gone Wild" around here.

Countdown to Circulator: Bus route announced

As reported last month, a Circulator bus will begin service to Columbia Heights in late-March, and now the Washington Business Journal has a preview of its route:


View Larger Map

At only $1 per trip, the bus service is affordable and—from using its other routes—dependable as well. With a Circulator arriving every 10 minutes will you even wait for a 50-bus anymore to head south on 14th Street?

Transportation Report: Street Cleaning, Yogurt Pretzels, Single Tracks

A few transportation notes to report.

Street sweeping is back on March 23, 2009. Have fun moving your cars all summer long, folks.

The Yellow/Green line is single tracking again this weekend between Mt. Vernon and Shaw. When will it end? I don't know because WMATA won't tell me.

And we have three escalator alerts for the Columbia Heights Metro station. The date given below is when it's expected to be fixed. These dates get pushed back, and pushed back some more. I can't help but wonder if the first INCIDENT/ACCIDENT involves those yogurt pretzels that are now part of the Northbound stairs. If that side of the escalator wasn't busted before, I bet it is now after months of not running and being covered in Columbia Heights garbage:

INCIDENT/ACCIDENT 3/17/09
Escalator between street and mezzanine, 14th Street Northbound Entrance

CALLBACK/REPAIR (no date)
Escalator between street and mezzanine, 14th Street Southbound Entrance

MAJOR REPAIR 3/28/09
Escalator between street and mezzanine, 14th Street Northbound Entrance

Escalator Watch: Deadline, Metro

The escalator on the Northbound Buses side of the Metro? It's broken. Still. You probably already knew this.

We wrote a while back that it's classified as a "major repair," and now it's also listed as an "incident/accident." And while they make these "major repairs" to the "incident/accident" we are treated to a trash-laden and dangerously icy hike up and down the metal teeth.

The latest "deadline" WMATA has posted is 3/31 for the "major repair" and 3/6 for the "incident/accident."

So starting today - we are on escalator watch. Will anything change before tomorrow's "deadline," and if not - with 26 days to go, can WMATA make a major repair?!?!

We're watching WMATA... Ok, we're actually mostly tripping on the stairs, but that's a form of "watching," so... We're watching.

Circulator Bus on its way to Columbia Heights

Councilman Jim Graham has issued a news release touting his recent transportation accomplishments. Among them, that a DC Circulator bus route is indeed coming to Columbia Heights: "Beginning March 29, a new DC Circulator route will be added to serve Ward One/Ward Two neighborhoods.  This express bus will run from Woodley Park Metro station to McPherson Square Metro station stopping in Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant, Columbia Heights, U Street, and Logan Circle."

While route details have not been announced yet, check out The Heights Life's suggestions from November. 

Circulator Bus Stop Coming to the Neighborhood?

The Examiner has a small article about Metro and Councilman Jim Graham’s proposal to eliminate the 98 bus that runs from Woodley Park to U Street. Its replacement would be a Circulator bus—similar to what runs along K Street between Union Station and Georgetown—that would connect Woodley Park and McPherson Square. According to the article, the route would have stops in Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights, and the U Street Corridor. DCist has a few thoughts on it, too.

When I lived in Adams Morgan, I was a fan of the 98 bus because it cost only $.25 however oftentimes it was easier just to walk to U Street because traffic was so bad on 18th Street. While there is no final decision on the Circulator route or start date, below are my ideas for where the bus should provide service.


View Larger Map

Poll Fails to Predict the Future

And Columbia Heights residents are a bunch of pessimists. The 14th Street North Metro escalators are once again working, after being out of service for about six days. Also, track work delays continue to plague the Green and Yellow lines this weekend. However, if you are on a train, hope for one with a speedy operator. The drivers of the trains I was on this afternoon were determined not to get stuck single-tracking and stopped for about 10 seconds less at affected stations.

Biking the Heights: CH on Two Wheels

Though based on ArtBart's recent posts, it would seem that this blog has rededicated itself to booze reviews instead of notes on life in the Heights. I swear we've got more for you.

And today, we've got biking. ArtBart and I are both recent converts to the way of two wheels and we've noticed a plethora of cyclists in the area recently. I know some of you have been doing this for years, but many of you might want to jump on the band wagon with gas prices up and metro full of butts on poles. DC was recently ranked the most improved city for cyclists by Bicycling Magazine (read about it here on the City Bikes blog). So, in case you plan to pick up a new Schwinn at Target, we've got some notes for you on biking the Heights.

1. Going downtown = Easy, fun / Coming home from downtown = A bitch
For those of you who are employed south of the Heights, biking to work is a breeze. It's a smooth ride with few sweat-inducing moments. But it's not called "Columbia Lows" and that means the trip home is a climb. Be prepared to sweat through your oxford on the trip uphill, or do what we do - bring some extra clothes and consider the trip home your daily cardio.

2. The local hills are not all equal...
11th Street: Steep, but short, with a bike lane. This is a good option in both directions, even if it takes you off course a little.
14th Street: Long drag, no bike lane, buses. I do it all the time, but I don't always like it. Traffic.
15th Street: Super steep, awkward turns. I say avoid this, and as a commenter points out - it's one way, so don't go downhill as I previously suggested. I never take this street.
16th Street: Might be a bit gentler than 14th St. Also long, but with a sidewalk option to avoid buses. Lots of traffic.

3. Buses are thine enemy!
I think I hate the 50 buses the most when I'm on a bike. The S buses on 16th certainly aren't friendly, but they don't have any means by which to cut you off, thus they are forced into some degree of submission.

The 50 buses, on the other hand, are beasts. Between CH and U St. there isn't a bike lane, but as soon as that bike lane comes in north or south of CH, the 50 buses see a prime opportunity to cut off the ever-exposed biker. They pull into and out of that bike lane as if you aren't right there. It's a bit dangerous, and we all know Metro buses aren't known for NOT hitting people. Keep an eye on those 50s.

4. Bike Lanes = The Best
I frequently go off-route just to ride a street with a bike lane. In the Heights, this can mean going from 13th to 11th to R back to 14th. This route means only about three bike lane-free blocks. Washington now has 30+ miles of bike lanes, so we may as well use them.

DC DOT has a great map of local bike lanes. Here's the section where we live.

5. This is kind of unrelated, but bike taxis are fun!
This has nothing to do with the bike as a totally functional form of transportation, but ArtBart and I once bike taxied ourselves home from a bar and it was probably the best idea ever. They will even come get you! Check out DC Pedicab.

Where are the Columbia Heights Bus Shelters?

As construction winds down at the Columbia Heights metro, will new bus shelters finally arrive to 14th and Irving streets? The answer to that is you'll have to wait until the end of October, at least.

The new bus shelters, part of an agreement between the city and Clear Channel Adshel, made their debut back in the fall. Adshel's website has a calendar of when shelters are supposed to be installed, and it's conveniently divided by ward. And, I have to say, finding the construction schedule was a big surprise, since navigation on dc.gov often starts and ends in extreme frustration. Except when paying parking tickets, I know that process well.

Cuffed in the Metro Circa 7:50PM

Metro police caught someone doing something wrong tonight in the Columbia Heights metro station.

An older woman was cuffed, calm, and waiting with two Metro officers as I exited the station just before 8:00PM. She appeared to be complaining about the cuffs, but cooperating.

Anyone know what happened?

ArtBart speculates that she was caught with food or drink. I didn't think they cuffed you for that, just fined you... I hope not anyhow because I totally snuck a few bites of a cookie the other day. That 12 year old girl was arrested for the french fry incident right as I was moving to Washington, so I normally comply with the food rules, but I was famished and there was a cookie in my purse! It could have been worse, I could have snuck the cookie while also leaning my butt against a metro pole. Anyhow, I'm off-track.

Anyone know why that woman was cuffed?

Taxi Zones Live for 7 More Weeks

From today's WaPo, but I read it first on DCist, natch:

The District's taxi switch from zones to meters will now start on May 1.

The new deadline, replacing the April 6 starting date, came about after [D.C. Superior Court] Judge Henry F. Greene ruled that the D.C. government had published different timetables for public comment on the final regulations for the new meter system. A city official blamed it on a typographical error.

Over the years, the talk about cabs switching to meters has been as numerous as the Real World:DC rumors. There are many arguments as to what is the best option for the city and its taxi drivers, but as someone who lives and works in DC I prefer the proposed metered system.

The WaPo (again, I know, and this will be one of the few times I say something nice about the paper, so savor it) has a great interactive map that allows you to estimate fares comparing the zoned- and metered-systems. For example, going to Capitol Hill from my office is $1 cheaper if charged by zone. But to catch a ride to Columbia Heights from anywhere south of U Street on a Saturday, it will only cost $4.50 under the new meters, compared to $8.80 it costs me every weekend.

It'll be neat to add the taxi zones under my growing list of "I remember when ..." DC potpourri, such as:

• I remember when DC USA was just a giant hole in the ground.
• I remember when The Spot was on F Street instead of condos and the Cowgirl Creamery.
• I remember when there was a movie theater at Connecticut and R streets.

What Just Happened at 14th and Irving?

Either a PETA protester thought that Metrobus was made of fur, or the police were just cleaning blood off the street.

By the time I walked by the bus had been unloaded, but there was still a confused looking crowd meandering about. It's unclear what happened - only a couple of officers and no medical personnel were on the scene. Hopefully my PETA theory isn't too far off?

UPDATE: I just spoke with the friendly neighborhood bike cop (who knew we had a friendly neighborhood bike cop?!) and he said there haven't been any incidents that he knows of. A broken down bus and a busted ketchup bottle? Maybe. (PS - Friendly neighborhood bike cop was also young and good looking, thought the ladies may want to know.)

The Morning Commute

And it's Monday...