Tuesday, April 16, 2013

wake up! residents of "north Bloomingdale" should read this -- on transportation impacts from DC Water's 1st Street Tunnel project

Bloomingdale residents -- especially those who live north of Rhode Island Avenue NW -- might wish to take gander at the DC Water environmental assessment document for the 1st Street Tunnel Project.  I have copied a section on Transportation (Traffic).

Lot more in this DC Water document that you should read.



DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY
DC CLEAN RIVERS PROJECT
DIVISION P – FIRST STREET TUNNEL
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
April 12, 2013


5.13.3 Impacts of Alternative B - First Street Tunnel
          
There would be no long‐term impacts on traffic or transportation, but construction areas for Alternative B would require short‐term road detours, road closures, lane restrictions, and other disruptions to traffic.
                             
Alternative B would require hauling of excavated material away from the tunneling sites. The hauling route to move materials for the McMillan Sand Filtration site is proposed along the following route: 

• Truck route to site would take I-395 northbound to New York Avenue, NW eastbound to M Street, NW eastbound to North Capitol Street, NW to Irving Street, NW westbound to Michigan Avenue, NW westbound to First Street, NW southbound. 
• Truck route from site would take First Street, NW northbound to Michigan Avenue, NW eastbound to North Capitol Street, NW southbound to New York Avenue westbound to I-395 southbound. 
                              
DC Water has estimated that approximately seven trucks per hour will enter and leave the McMillan Sand Filtration site during hauling operations, and that hauling would be conducted between the hours of 7:00 a.m and 7:00 p.m. Hauling routes for the other drop shaft and pumping station sites would follow a similar hauling route and would add an additional six to 12 trucks per hour (DC Water, 2013). 
        
The construction of Alternative B would have minimal impact on transit operations. One WMATA transit route exists within the project vicinity - the North Capitol Street line. Except for the minor increase in truck traffic due to hauling operations, the First Street Tunnel project would not impact this transit route (DC Water, 2013). 
         
The construction of the First Street tunnel would require a detour of traffic along southbound First Street, NW. Motorists would be detoured onto Bryant Street, NW then onto North Capitol Street and then onto Rhode Island Avenue. Other roadways that would be closed during construction include: 
                                
First Street, NW south of Adams Street (2 months); 
• Southbound lanes of First Street, NW south of V Street; 
• Flagler Place, NW from Adams Street, NW to W Street, NW; 
• V Street, NW at First Street, NW;
• Thomas Street, NW at First Street, NW; and
• 2nd Street, NW at Bryant Street, NW
           
Traffic volumes for the different phases of the construction of the First Street Tunnel were analyzed to determine levels of service and delays associated with all intersections in the study area. The study found that temporary construction operations will have an impact on traffic during construction. DC Water will work with DDOT to minimize temporary impacts during construction. 
         
The parking study concluded that parking spaces would be reduced during construction along First Street, NW, Channing Street, NW, Flagler Place, NW, Adams Street, NW, V Street, NW, and Thomas Street, NW.
                         
The proposed project would require coordination with DDOT for detours, lane closures, parking closures, and signal impacts; and with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for any disruption to bus operations during construction. Traffic impacts would be mitigated by limiting truck hauling volumes and hours of operations. Additional parking would be provided at temporary lots on V Street, NW and on W Street, NW. DC Water would provide traffic control plans (TCPs) to DDOT and would receive the required approval prior to street closures and lane restrictions. The traffic disruptions are expected to be temporary.
                               
With the appropriate traffic management and mitigation techniques developed by DC Water and specified in the TCPs, the proposed project would maintain access to all businesses and residences throughout constructio,n. The adverse impacts to traffic and transportation under Alternative B would not occur on a regional level but would be noticable and potentially disruptive to residents in the Bloomingdale and LeDroit neighborhoods. Therefore, impacts would be short-term and minor. 

1 comment:

Bloomingdale Resident said...

Scott- curious to know how many people woke up and looked at this post, and the earlier one. Can you also track how many people have clicked on the actual document? Parking will be impacted. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised when this project gets underway.