“Dear PoPville,
The proposals for the crosstown bus lanes are out now and they want feedback. Would be cool if you could surface it for folks who live in columbia heights.”
“Overview
The Columbia Heights Crosstown Bus Priority Project will improve safety and bus transit operations on multiple roadway segments in Ward 1. The issues with bus operations and multimodal mobility in this area are interrelated, so DDOT is assessing problems and developing solutions for multiple corridors through this project.
The corridors included in this project are:
Columbia Rd between Warder St and 16th St NW
Irving St between Park Pl and Mt Pleasant St NW
Harvard St between Columbia Rd and Mt Pleasant St NW
Mt Pleasant St between Harvard St and Irving St NW
14th St between Euclid St and Newton St NW
Project Details
The Columbia Heights Crosstown Bus Priority Project contains multiple corridors that experience interrelated challenges. Through a needs assessment conducted in 2024, DDOT received public comments that outlined safety concerns when riding a bike or scooter in the corridors; illegal “double” parking that contributes to congestion and unsafe weaving; severe congestion that leads to slow buses, frustrated and reckless driving, and loud, slow emergency vehicles; and narrow sidewalks and a lack of street trees that make walking uncomfortable. DDOT’s analysis also determined key problems with bus speeds, particularly west of 11th St NW; high crash rates at intersections with 14th St NW and Georgia Ave NW; and narrow sidewalks that make walking feel crowded and uncomfortable.
DDOT developed concepts that include bus lanes (curbside or offset), bus bulb-outs, extended parking setbacks, widened sidewalks, added street trees, and other opportunities for roadway improvements. In the video presentation below, we outline DDOT’s proposed solutions for:
Crosstown routes – three scenarios for Irving St and Columbia Rd NW;
Columbia Rd to Irving St NW connection; and
14th St NW.”