From: Marilyn Lashley
Subject: Your Personal Attendance Requested: First Street Tunnel Forum Meeting
Date: Fri, 16 May 2014 16:59:50 -0400
Dear Honorable Council Member,
This email letter is to inform you of our grave concerns for public safety and damage to our homes and formally request you to attend the First Street Tunnel Forum meeting and address our concerns on May 29, 2014, 7pm at St. Georges Church 160 U Street NW.
Concerned residents of First Street Northwest seek assistance from you to stop imminent implementation of DDOT’s Revised Traffic Plan that will remove tree boxes that foremost serve as traffic barriers for our residential street, First Street NW between Rhode Island and Michigan Avenue.
DDOT’s revised plan of April 24, 2014 reverses its original plan that restricted non-resident thru-traffic for the 27-month duration of this phase of construction in the First Street Tunnel Project. The revised traffic plan removes the traffic barrier tree-boxes and moves two-lane traffic to abut the sidewalk and places high volume two-way traffic within 50 inches of the doorsteps to our 105 year-old homes and within mere inches of pedestrians.
According to DC Water, DDOT revised DC Water’s Traffic Plan to accommodate the transiting needs of its primary stakeholders, police and emergency service providers and tax-exempt entities and their commuter employees over the interests of the taxpaying Bloomingdale Community. Please note that EMS and MPD are not precluded from using any streets in the District of Columbia and that Washington Hospital Center has assisted in traffic mitigation on First Street NW in recent years.)
The affected homeowners are not opposed to change and economic development. To the contrary, we value progress and applaud DC Government’s rapid responses to address Bloomingdale’s horrific flooding problem by moving forward on the First Street Tunnel Project.
However, our neighborhood and the greater LeDoirt Park community is a residential community and we do not want to endanger our homes or personal safety, particularly since DC Water’s interim flood abatement measures (regularly cleaning the neighborhood sewers and Flagler and Bryant Street sewer upgrades) have succeeded—There have been no further flooding incidents despite heavy rainfalls on April 30th or May 15, 2014.
Attached are copies of DC Water’s response to First Street homeowners emails of concern and the petition (currently circulating) seeking a viable remedy—reversal of DDOT’s revised traffic plan that places persons and properties at serious risk of physical harm.
On behalf of the concerned residents of First Street NW.
Sincerely,
Marilyn Lashley, Ph. D.
First Street NW
Washington DC 20001
Begin forwarded message:
From: Thomas Lindberg <Thomas.Lindberg@dcwater.com>Subject: RE: First Street Traffic Pattern During Tunnel ConstructionDate: May 9, 2014 12:26:09 PM EDTTo: Marilyn LashleyCc: Janice Jessup <Janice.Jessup@dcwater.com>, "Angela Ray
Hello Marilyn,
Since you and others wrote to us on April 29th regarding your concerns about the traffic plan, pedestrian safety and the loss of planter boxes, in the area of First & V Streets-the First Street Tunnel Team has reviewed the design plans, discussed traffic safety issues and as a result have added a safety barrier between the traffic and the sidewalk.
We will be sending you and other interested/concerned citizens by the COB today an email letter with diagrams attempting to show and explain the work at First & V Streets. Once folks have time to review the new information, the FST team will be available to discuss. Please keep in mind that DDOT is the permitting authority and the traffic flow on First Street has a number of stakeholders, including Fire/EMS/MPD as well as residents.
Having the Tunnel Forum allows us to have a two-way conversation, address critical issues that arise, like this one. So I appreciate your involvement as well as Ms. Ray. Your knowledge of the scope of work and the design challenges will continue to improve the project.
Construction will be difficult, so it is important to keep the lines of communication open, for the benefit and safety of all.
Sincere Regards,
Tom Lindberg
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