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1. What happens to the parking,
loading and traffic along M Street with one less lane for the cars? 1. What happens to the parking, loading and traffic along M Street with one less lane for the cars? A: Not much, according to a comprehensive Transportation Improvement Plan done for the Georgetown Partnership by Gorove Slade Associates. Any trade-offs are well worth the improvements to the pedestrian environment and streetscape. Parking: Lost spaces can be accommodated elsewhere. With the transition of some two-way streets to one-way streets, all but 30 spaces can be relocated within one block of M Street - before taking into account the opening of a new 120-car parking garage at M and Bank Streets. As it is, most spaces on M Street are used by employees who meter-feed. Is the loss of 30 spaces more important that the safety and enjoyment of thousands of pedestrians?? " Traffic: Traffic can be effectively rerouted and reorganized with certain simple changes such as better light synchronization and better organization of entry nodes, as well as more one-way side streets. M Street does not need to be a highway for non-tax-paying commuters at the expense of the pedestrian experience of local residents and other visiting shoppers, diners and tourists. " Loading: Loading can be better handled with shorter term meter parking and special loading hours. The existing loading situation in Georgetown could not be any worse as it is. 2. Why is it so important for Georgetown to widen its sidewalks? A: Many other communities are improving their pedestrian environments. If Georgetown does not take advantage of this opportunity, we will be left with an unpleasant environment in one of the nation's most exclusive, historic neighborhoods. Also, retail businesses will suffer as shoppers and drivers head elsewhere and both commercial and residential property values fall as residents and upscale retailers head to better communities. The District's own streetscape designers for The Georgetown Project, the members of the Old Georgetown Board and the Commission of Fine Arts and the Georgetown Business Improvement District's traffic and parking consultants have all stated the importance of widening the space for pedestrians along M Street. 3. Will more one-way side streets mean more and faster traffic in residential neighborhoods? A: One-way streets carry the same amount of traffic, just in one direction. With Georgetown's short blocks and many stop signs, traffic should travel no faster than it currently does. Actually, given the very narrow widths of the side streets, one-way traffic is much safer. Conflicts are reduced because there is more room to maneuver around double-parked cars and to get in and out of parked cars without worrying about losing a door. Also, emergency vehicular access will improve. Finally, one-way streets reduce opportunities for cut-through traffic and neighborhood parking encroachment because of more circuitous block patterns. 4. Will the costs be prohibitive? A: Similar projects in other neighborhoods have ranged in price from $2-7 million for 8-10 block stretches. Several years ago, prior to the commencement of The Georgetown Project utility work, the city council had set aside $9 million for Georgetown streetscape improvements for approximately 14 blocks along M Street and Wisconsin Avenue. Since then, city and utility budgets have been merged to cover The Georgetown Project's costs of over $50 million. Now, consultants estimate that additional work to widen sidewalks could cost another $3 million representing a 5% increase to the total Project costs. Such costs, however, could be covered from any number of sources including local and federal grants, city funds, bonds backed and serviced by BID revenues and taxes, and grants from private organizations (such as the Casey Tree Foundation). Alternatively, it has even been suggested that the utility companies ought to be funding more of the streetscape improvement work given the length of time and the extent of the physical disruption caused by the repair of their badly deteriorated infrastructure. 5. What about the time involved? A: Anywhere from a 12-18 month delay very well might be involved for certain planning and redesign work associated with implementing a better streetscape scheme for Georgetown, but the trade-offs of living with patched sidewalks a little longer would be well worth it. It may be the last chance in our lifetime to improve our beloved urban village for generations to come. |
