Restore the Connecticut Avenue Boulevard!

What probably took a few months back in the 1960s to destroy will probably take years to reverse, but we should keep trying. If the city can close the street at Dupont Circle on Sundays for the FreshFarm Market, no reason they can't close this silly service lane at Cleveland Park on weekends so folks can enjoy some safe window shopping, strolling, and outdoor dining. But eventually, the only course of action worth taking is to brick up the service lane once and for all.

Helen

I agree that widening the sidewalk will bring more business and a better feel to the neighborhood. It will be more harmonious.

Eileen Davis

The service lane is a pedestrian safety hazard, and is not accessible to people in wheelchairs. Restore the sidewalk to its 1940s dimensions to make the sidewalk safe and pedestrian friendly.

The cars drive too fast down the service lane and the sidewalk is far too narrow for the amount of pedestrian traffic. Restore the sidewalk now!

Sally Gifford

Please make the street safer for all users on this stretch of Connecticut. Besides making it safer, this would make the area that much more livable and businesses, especially restaurants and bars, would see an increase in customers.

Peter Mason

The sidewalk situation is dangerous - a wheelchair meets a stroller and someone has to use the street! More and more people use CP Metro station to visit the Zoo and large groups completely fill the sidewalk and others are forced into the access road.

Roger Hart

A sidewalk that interacts more with pedestrians and less with parked cars (when there is a parking lot just down the street) would be a boon for Cleveland Park (and there is no excuse not to with the amount of transit in the neighborhood).

I think this would be a fantastic improvement to the street scape in this lovely neighborhood.

Shaun Bell

Any perceived loss in business revenue from people not being able to park within feet of the stores will be more than made up for by encouraging people, like me, and pretty much everyone I know, to hang out in a nice pedestrian friendly sitting area. This brings business. How many examples do you need?

Jake Lynch

This service lane might have seemed like a good idea in the 1960's, but what we're learning from Columbia Heights is that wide sidewalks, outdoor seating and other streetscape amenities are what really makes a place great and attracts people.

Christopher Ziemann

I have lived in various parts of the neighborhood for 15 years, and have avoided the businesses along that stretch because the sidewalk is too narrow. I can't be the only one.

Tracy Johnke

 

I used to live in the neighborhood, and plan to someday go back. I think this is a terrific idea.

Georgia Abraham

In addition, many of the "facts" associated with maintaining the status quo are based on no data. For example, merchants claim that their businesses would be significantly harmed by removal of the service lane, but there have been no studies about the percentage of drivers versus pedestrians that make up the customer base, or even a count of how many cars park on the service road on a typical day. Good public policy is made on the basis of empirical evidence, not uninformed opinion. The data available suggests that the neighborhood would be better off with the service road removed.

Christopher Payne

Thanks for bringing momentum to this important discussion for our neighborhood's livability!

Ramon Munoz-Raskin

Cleveland Park is home. Younger people do not step aside to allow one to pass on the narrow sidewalk. I have stepped in the street many times. It is dangerous. A boulevard would be beautiful.

Marcia Kass

As a District resident and frequent visitor to Cleveland Park, both by car and as a pedestrian, I wholeheartedly endorse this petition.

Elizabeth Pomper

I often pass by this section of CT Ave, but rarely venture to park in the side street. I can never tell if there is parking (unless it is first thing in the morning) and I don't want to get stuck in there with someone trying to park ahead of me on either side. Plus it is really unpleasant to walk on the cramped sidewalk. Too bad, because there are some nice stores there that I would patronize more.

Lynda Williams

Almost got run over by a car in the service lane, because was pushed off the narrow sidewalk by someone (by accident of course)

Alexander Samaha

Walking along the East side of Connecticut Ave in Cleveland Park is completely dangerous. I can't count the number of times I've been forced off the sidewalk by large groups as a car barrels down the service lane behind me. Surely the local businesses would benefit from sidewalk seating much more than from an extra 25 parking spaces. Additionally, the CP businesses would benefit much more from a more pedestrian-friendly (and downhill) route to the zoo for tourists and families than having them miss all of the Woodley Park shops by heading north from the Metro. The WP/Zoo/Adams-Morgan signage decision has never made any sense to me at all. Tourists spend money, and they have no chance to do that walking to/from the WP Metro and bypassing the shops south of the metro.

Matthew Spence

The Cleveland Park service lane drives me nuts. I often find myself walking in it because of the lack of space on the actual sidewalk. I know parking is scarce in Cleveland Park, but no one is going to go bankrupt because we took out 25 spaces.

Richard Mereand

This is a no-brainer.

Michael Durr

With a Metro station nearby, this antiquated use of precious sidewalk space is even more irrelevant. As the petition suggests, this service lane is dangerous and a public health and safety issue. Let's make Cleveland Park more welcoming and less dominated by vehicles.

Nicholas Schmidt

A great idea!

Kara O'Brien

Let's preference people and community over cars. This will make our neighborhood so much more wholesome and family-friendly! Like when I used to visit my grandfather in Italy, we would take a stroll after dinner. Great idea.

Benjamin Luzzato

Yes! I have been saying this for years.

Cene Ketcham

After reading many of the arguments for and against the service lane, I feel strongly that CP would be a better community without it. Walking on the crowded sidewalk with a stroller is next to impossible making it a very unfriendly place for families. Also having lived in the area for almost ten years--I can count, on one hand, the number of times I have actually been able to find parking in the service lane. The handful of spots provided by the service lane is not worth all of the potential wider, more pedestrian/community-friendly sidewalks would provide.

Katie Spellacy

I support better, bigger sidewalks and less parking in Cleveland Park due to its excellent public transit.

David Spett

 

 

The thought of sidewalk cafes is very appealing to me, and I would imagine a host of other people. And if people eat in a neighborhood, they will shop in a neighborhood. The rest of Connecticut Ave. can survive without a service lane, and I don't see why this area is any different.

Elke

I haaate the service lane and all its awkwardness.

@meggwall

Widen the sidewalk, eliminate the unnecessary and unattractive parking lane, and I think both residents and business owners will be pleased with the results.

Mr T in DC

I don't understand how that service lane has lasted this long. No other retail corridor along Connecticut has such a strip-mall parking lot in front of it. The funny thing is that if this service lane weren't there already, nobody would even begin to suggest that the existing street-front businesses be bulldozed to make way for one. The idea that we have to keep something because that's the way its "always" been is fallacious.

Parking itself also induces its own demand. For every person who demands the right to park as a necessity there are 10 people in that lot who parked there, not because Metro/biking/walking isn't possible for them, but simply because parking is available.

Adam L

Restoring the sidewalk makes most sense and business owners on that strip should be in huge favor, especially those with potential sidewalk cafes. I always thought the service lane was peculiar when comparing CP to other CT Ave neighborhoods.

John M

Almost got run-over there last weekend, after bumping into someone because the sidewalk was so narrow and falling into the service lane. People who frequent the shops will still do so if the parking is removed, making it a sidewalk is a terrific idea.

Alex

As a CP resident, I would prefer a sidewalk so that I don't have to constantly step in to the street to avoid groups on the narrow sidewalk - especially during "zoo season." Sidewalk seating for the local restaurants is a side benefit.

Jeff

I don't see how retail would be hurt. By adding 12 sidewalk cafes, benches, bike racks, plantings and trees, you will be attracting a lot more people to the strip than before. 25 less cars, but a lot more people by foot, bike, transit. More people coming to dine equals more people coming to shop. The sidewalk would probably be wide enough to incorporate some sort of fountain or sculptures. Wide enough to host a farmers market too. So long as market rates are charged for available parking there will always be turnover and spaces available for those that have to drive. I imagine if/when it happens people will wonder why they didn't change it back sooner.

Johnny

I am a resident of Cleveland Park, currently on assignment out of the country, but this issue is near and dear to my heart.

Without fail as the lanes on Connecticut Avenue shift for rush hour, a car will crash at either Macomb and CT Ave or Ordway and CT Ave. This has become such a regular occurrence I don’t even need to set my alarm clock in the mmakeorning. I am honestly amazed that drivers, hanging essentially a U turn from south bound CT Ave onto the service lane running northbound, have not struck and killed anyone. Beyond the confusing traffic pattern that the service lane creates, the sidewalk through this area is simply narrowed too much to safely accommodate pedestrians, joggers, bikers, moms with strollers, school groups, people with grocery bags, etc. …

I’m very proud of my neighborhood and although this commercial district is zoned for the primary needs of local residents, I know the vibrancy of my neighborhood exists because of its’ ability to attract non-local patrons. Cleveland Park does not end at an arbitrarily drawn line, residents from Dupont to American University can easily access our neighborhood via multiple modes of transportation and their business should be welcomed with the best neighborhood we can provide. …

If you are one of the few people who truly needs to drive to access Cleveland Park there will continue to be spaces available (would be more if we got approval for performance parking) even without the service lane present. It’s important to remember that this is not suburbia.

Jeffrey H

Is the fear of change higher in Cleveland Park than other neighborhoods? I'm not sure. But what I am sure about is that there's nothing special about Cleveland Park or that block that requires a service lane.

Peter

… There is enough density on Connecticut Avenue, with the large scale residential between each of the low-rise commercial strips, to support the businesses without the 25 or so cars the service lane accommodates. The poor choices made in that era should not be preserved for future generations to endure.

Andrew

The portion of Cleveland Park along Connecticut Ave is quite urban given the number of large apartment and condo buildings and metro access. Furthermore, businesses along Connecticut that are north of Cleveland Park seem to do just fine without a service lane, and they are certainly less urban.

Sameer

My opinion is that we don't need to go in search of new parking to replace the handful of spaces that would be lost by removing the service lane. I say that as a Mount Pleasant resident that uses the service lane often, but only because it's there. If parking becomes harder I will just stop driving and take the bus or Capital Bikeshare. I suspect there are plenty like me who are not adverse to transit but will drive if you make it convenient for us.

You may alienate a few patrons who just refuse to take transit, but by eliminating the service lane you will be making CP an infinitely more attractive place to shop, eat, and linger. If anything there will be a bump in patronage to the strip and plenty more room to accommodate them. Shopkeepers should remember that diners are shoppers too and not fall victim to the usual fear mongering.

Right now I use the service lane most often to pick up Vace’s Pizza. No shopping going on for those trips. Eliminate the service lane and Vace’s can get outdoor seating and maybe serve draft beers too. I'll happily bus over and make an evening of it then. See a movie and do some shopping. …

If we do close the street for a weekend to test the waters then steps should be taken to temporarily activate the space as it would be if it becomes permanent. Arrange a farmers market? Rent some temporary seating for the restaurants to set up outdoor areas. Otherwise a trial run could do more harm than good as people just stand around in the drab closed service lane wondering if the change is worth it.

But I must say I find it odd that we even have to "test" a service-lane free sidewalk when they are the norm in every other neighborhood in the city. By all accounts we have been "testing" the service lane in CP for 40 years and the result is that it's a major failure. Hence why they weren't adopted anywhere else.

That service lane is such a waste of space. Not only does it not even provide a lot of parking, but it also makes crossing Connecticut very dangerous. Replace the service lane parking with on-street parking in the main travel lanes (rush hour exceptions, of course). Make the service lane into a wide sidewalk, capable of supporting cafes, and other sidewalk space, just like across the street by Uptown Theatre.

John M

Those who don't want a wide sidewalk couch their opposition with phrases like it's "interconnected to other problems and must be decided as part of a comprehensive plan" and "it is the type of problem that gets more complex the more you examine it." It's not complicated at all. Just look at Connecticut Avenue from the White House to Chevy Chase Circle. No service lanes. Nada. Not a single one. And nobody is asking for anywhere else. Why? Because narrow sidewalks impede pedestrians, because they are ugly, because they stymie local businesses (foot traffic is much better for most local businesses than cars), because they are not historic, because they are pedestrian dangers. What makes this one block strip in Cleveland Park so special that the service lane needs to be preserved? Nothing, except the fear of change.

Jeremy

Of course, any given individual might not be able to park if there are fewer spaces … But if the sidewalk is made larger, there will be more people walking, which translates into more shoppers.

Daniel

My first year in DC, I lived on Ordway in a sublet in CP. The most persuasive argument for getting rid of the access road is safety. The entrance and exit to the service road are both 5 way intersections that have high accident rates. There's a reason that CP is a perpetual traffic snarl. The idea that locals use those parking spots is a myth. Locals know to stay the hell out of their cars in the neighborhood.

CJ

I live near the intersection of Connecticut and Macomb, and the service road confounds many drivers, and is therefore a safety issue -- for pedestrians as well as vehicle drivers. …

I see and hear many accidents and near misses many times every week at the intersection, and the majority seem to involve the service lane in some manner. What I know for sure is that more drivers than you'd imagine get confused by the service road and do crazy and unsafe things, like bottom out on the median strip, which they somehow do not see when turning left onto the service road from Macomb east-bound or Connecticut Avenue south-bound, thus nearly hitting pedestrians waiting to cross Connecticut Avenue (the pedestrians always save themselves by fleeing in the face of the oncoming car), or they hit other cars while somehow being confused by the presence of the service lane. There is an entire public safety issue with the service lane that is not being addressed in this discussion or in city planning vis-à-vis this service lane.

It'd be terrific to see the community addressing this.

Cathryn

As far as the service lane's usefulness for parking to do errands is concerned -- you just can't count on it, especially during rush hour. It's even iffy at other times of the day. So if you're planning to shop for food and must have parking, the Brookville isn't your best bet for a supermarket. Chances are that there *won't* be a space in the service lane where and when you want one. There are other nearby supermarkets (the Newark Street Giant, the Van Ness Giant) that have ample parking lots, and you can even push your grocery cart right to your car. The same goes for drycleaners -- there are plenty of others that are also a close drive and have better parking than on the Connecticut Avenue strip.

For parking the service lane is unreliable at best. It would be much better to make it wider for pedestrians, parents pushing strollers, people in wheelchairs, outdoor cafes, and other non-car uses.

Kate

In the agency where I work, the words "careful and considered process" and "balancing perspectives," are euphemisms for "we'll kill this by dragging it out forever." … Give widening the sidewalk a try and let experience be our teacher. If it's a mistake, we can fix it. And the try it/see-if-it-works/fix-it-if-we-must cycle can happen a heck of a lot faster than trying to achieve "the best possible descision" through endless talk.

Jim

From the point of view of the merchants along the strip, the question is whether the loss of business from reduced automobile traffic would be offset by a gain in business from increased foot traffic. Personally, I'd like to think it would be …

I like the idea of testing out the proposal by temporarily closing off the access road, but I'm concerned that the results of such a test would be unfairly skewed against it. The loss of business from reduced automobile traffic would be more or less immediate, while any gain from increased foot traffic would be only gradual as people found themselves attracted to the new configuration over time. Unfortunately landscaping improvements … could not realistically be part of a test. Nor would the restaurants be likely to transform themselves instantly into outdoor cafés for just a few days or weeks. After all, they would have to buy outdoor tables, chairs, and umbrellas without knowing how much real use they would ever be able to get out of them.

Todd

Let's not just consider the additional sidewalk space to be for outdoor seating for restaurants. What if we added grassy areas, flowers, trees, and public benches and tables? It's a regular occurrence that I grab slices from Vace and think, "Wouldn't it be great to have somewhere to sit and eat?" Getting people out of their cars and onto the sidewalks to interact with their neighbors is always a good thing and should be encouraged. Additional foot traffic is not only good for local businesses but it also improves safety in the area.

Melissa

I think fixing the sidewalk would help our merchants as well as our safety. The narrow sidewalk makes it hard for me to understand why we would want to rebrand our metro stop to reflect the proximity to the zoo. Even though the distance to the zoo is just as short as from Woodley, and even though the grade is flat, I have to believe it's much tougher for a family with a stroller to reach the zoo from the Cleveland Park metro on a weekend than from Woodley.

I don't really understand the need for the separated pickup/drop off lane (it seems that almost all other retail strips manage without).

Brendan

Not only is the service road itself taking up space on what was once a wide sidewalk but it contributes to the hazardous intersection at the corner of Ordway and Conn. crossing on all corners. My daughter who is in a wheelchair cannot use that side of Conn. easily and safely as she can the side where the Uptown theater is.

I think this is the worst situation that we face on that strip of Conn. And I don't see why we have to continue to do so. We should put it back the way it originally was to match the other side of the street.

Pat

Eliminating the service lane would return to Connecticut Avenue to its earlier days. … An added benefit would be that the dangerous intersections at Ordway and Macomb would be more manageable without that lane.

Randy

It would be the most wonderful thing to widen that sidewalk (making it the same as every other sidewalk on Connecticut Avenue from Calvert to Chevy Chase Circle) so that the restaurants could have outdoor cafes. Tonight was a beautiful night and I dined at Alero outside, but it would be terrific if one could eat outdoors at the new Tackle Box, Lavandou, Spices or any of the other restaurants on the east side.

Kate

I'm amazed that so many people find the service lane convenient. You all must have much better luck than I. I've lived in Cleveland Park almost two years, and not once found a parking spot along there. I suspect during the day there may be more availability, but when I get home from work I would not call it convenient in any way. I've given up trying to use it and instead do what any able-bodied person living in an urban area within a half mile of shops should be prepared to do: I park the car and walk.

Molly

Cleveland Park is a neighborhood friendly to people with visual impairments and hopefully those in wheelchairs. Let's make it even friendlier to all "foot" traffic by widening the sidewalk.

Sally

We've talked a lot about outdoor cafes, but that's not the main advantage of turning the service lane into a wide sidewalk. In fact, I'd be happy if all that happened would be that we got a wider sidewalk. Have you ever seen somebody in a wheelchair try to navigate that very narrow sidewalk? I have, and it's not easy to do. Pedestrians frequently step off the sidewalk and into the service lane because the sidewalk is too narrow. The benefit of a wider sidewalk isn't that we might get some outdoor cafes, it's that we would have a safer, easier to walk on, and a more visually pleasing neighborhood. The service lane is not part of historic Cleveland Park. It was created decades ago during our car mania phase. We should restore the Connecticut Avenue strip to its original broad design.

The decision about whether or not the service lane should be replaced by a wide boulevard should not be the sole property of "established neighborhood organizations, community consultations and technical expertise, as well as the appropriate government agencies." A lot of people aren't members of or can't join various neighborhood groups because they don't live within the organization's boundaries. A lot of people can't attend regular meetings due to family commitments or work. Limiting discussion keeps a lot of people from both being informed about what's going on and participating in the debate.

Converting the service lane to a wide boulevard would restore Connecticut Avenue to its historic charm. It should be done.

David

Having nearly been hit by a car zooming into the service lane, while I was waiting to cross the street at Macomb and Connecticut, I feel strongly that it is a terrible choice. Another poster made the observation that boatloads of pedestrians with kids, strollers, wheelchairs (although most of these people logically prefer the other side of the street) -- many coming directly from the subway -- crowd along that portion of the sidewalk. When crowded, many people are obliged to leave the sidewalk and walk in the service lane. Surely that is a hazard. Also, far too many drivers struggle to make the left-hand parallel parking, causing auto congestion and driver irritation. All in all, the service lane's time has come and gone.

Linda

We should really take heed of a simple adage in city planning: If you design something that is suitable for cars (a service lane) you attract cars; if you design something that is suitable for people (wider sidewalks), you attract people.

If the service lane was removed long term benefits to businesses include: increased foot traffic, increased outdoor restaurant seating, additional sidewalk benches, and improved streetside aesthetics to name a few. Long term benefits to Cleveland Park include: improved neighborhood aesthetics, improved traffic flow on the corner of Connecticut and Ordway, and additional party space for Cleveland Park Day to name a few.

I firmly believe that Cleveland Park has tremendous momentum with the recent expansion of Palena, the addition of Tackle Box, Medium Rare, Ripple, Cacao, and (hopefully) Chipotle. Removing the service lane would be a great next step for the long term progress of our neighborhood.

John

A previous time this issue was discussed on the listserv, someone came up with the great idea of having a month-long period where on weekends the service lane were to be closed to motor vehicles and opened to outdoor cafes. This would allow folks to experience Cleveland Park's Main Street like it hasn't been experienced in a long time.

I like this idea and think the neighborhood and business community should consider a pilot program like this. If it's successful, extending it throughout the warmer months on weekends would be a logical next step. Sounds like it could have some great potential.

Paul

I understand and value the service lane, but it's truly ugly and the Cleveland Park shopping area will never be attractive as long as the service lane is there.

Compare the Cleveland Park shopping/restaurant area with lower Bethesda, which is charming, lively and vibrant. It's also a great, safe place for teens and pre-teens to hang out on weekends, and in the early evening, parents with young kids stroll around. Personally, I always prefer to go to Bethesda for a weekend dinner and movie -- it's vibrant, pedestrian friendly, and almost every restaurant has outdoor seating, which is heaven on evenings when the weather is good. It's truly a community downtown. It also has several large parking lots that are a great source of revenue for the municipality.

Cleveland Park is a fantastic community and it deserves a fantastic shopping and restaurant area that has all the charm of our friendly neighbors in Bethesda.

And with regard to parking for handicapped, someone mentioned the parking spots behind the stores, which could be exclusively for handicapped or someone picking up something heavy or unwieldy like a vacuum cleaner.

Joanne