Transit

Photo by PoPville flickr user jsmjr

From DDOT:

“Enhanced Bus Service Prioritized in DDOT’s 16th Street NW Action Plan

DDOT has continued to receive petitions from residents and various Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) in support of a dedicated bus lane on the corridor, and we’ve taken note.

• DDOT’s draft moveDC plan has identified 16^th Street NW as a transit priority corridor. Our draft moveDC report designates 16^th Street NW as one of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) 24 Bus Priority Corridors in the metropolitan region. These 24 corridors carry over half of all of the bus riders in the region.
• DDOT is committed to improving bus service on the 16^thStreet NW corridor and we have developed an action plan that will continue to improve service in the corridor. In the past five years, the addition of the S9 limited stop service and more service in the southern part of the corridor has increased  ridership by around 5,000 riders a day, and yet there are still problems: buses bunch, get stuck in traffic and passengers have a hard time onboarding and off-boarding.

Quick Signal Optimization (July 2014): DDOT recently completed a focused signal optimization timing plan for the 44 signals along 16^th Street NW between H Street and Portal Drive. The preliminary assessments show that this  led to travel-time savings, and DDOT will continue to evaluate the results over the next 6-8 weeks.

Additional Articulated Buses (August 2014): Later this month, WMATA will add additional articulated buses to the corridor. These longer buses will add more bus capacity on the corridor and will hopefully help get people on and off buses in a more efficient manner.

Potential “Enhanced Rush Hours” (Fall 2014): DDOT is exploring the possibility of extending rush hours along 16^th Street NW by up to an hour in each direction. These would enable buses at the tail ends of the morning and evening rush hours to make up some time and improve operational efficiency.

Transit Signal Priority (TSP) and Full-Scale Signal Optimization (mid-2015): DDOT is already working hard on a citywide signal-optimization project. The northern area of the city, including 16^th Street NW, will get a full-blown network optimization in mid-2015. Around the same time, DDOT and WMATA will also optimize traffic signals along 16^th Street NW and in some other major bus corridors so that buses can have a little extra “green time,” which will lead to less bus back-ups and quicker travel times.

Transit Priority Study (2015-2016): In 2015, DDOT plans to conduct a transit priority study that will examine various alternative approaches for improving transit along the 16^th Street NW corridor, including examining the potential for bus lanes. The study—which will be conducted with public involvement—will take approximately one year to complete, and will identify specific long-term capital needs for improving transit service in the corridor.

Throughout all the phases of our 16^th Street NW Action Plan, DDOT will be collecting data and evaluating performance of buses and the broader transportation network. As the District continues to grow, we think 16^th Street NW can be a model for improving public transit and maximizing  our large roads so that they can efficiently move people and support healthy neighborhood life.”

12th and Maryland Ave, SW

Thanks to a reader for sending:

“Here are some security fences that have gone up by the Mandarin Oriental and FCC”

You can see the list of street closures here.

Photo by PoPville flickr user ep_jhu

Thanks to all who passed on the press release:

“The 2014 U.S. – Africa Leaders Summit will take place from Monday, August 4th through Thursday, August 7th in Washington, D.C.

Security and transportation plans have been developed by a partnership of local and federal law enforcement and public safety agencies. Road closures, parking restrictions, and changes to public transportation routes and public works services will be necessary during the U.S. – Africa Leaders Summit. Additions or updates to this plan may be made prior to the start of the event.

Area Road Closures/Parking Restrictions/Pedestrian Screening:
Road Closures: Closures will be coordinated by the District Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Police Department. The closures will be staggered in implementation based on the locations of Summit Events. Beginning and ending times and dates have been included with each days’ closures. All of the following areas will be posted with Emergency No Parking signage. Fencing and other physical barriers will also be in place as will uniformed law enforcement officers. Vehicular traffic will be limited to law enforcement, official participants, employees, and in certain locations, guests.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2014
 29th St. NW between K St. NW and M St. NW from 7/30/14 (12:00AM) to 8/8/14 (12:00AM)
 F St. NW between 14th St. NW and 15th St. NW from 8/3/14 (12:00AM) to 8/8/14 (12:00AM)
 23rd St. NW Southbound Curb Lane from E St. NW to Constitution Ave. NW from 8/3/14 (6:00AM) to 8/7/13 (6:00PM)
 29th St. NW between the Canal Channel to M St. NW from 8/3/14 (12:00AM) to 8/8/14 (12:00AM)

Continues after the jump. (more…)