As a commissioner, I will work to ensure that U Street is a vibrant, livable community. To me, that means the following things:
Wider Sidewalks 4 U!
U Street has very narrow sidewalks, impeding safe pedestrian movement through the neighborhood. New streetscape programs should prioritize walkability and ADA compliant accessibility improvements that protect pedestrians and encourage more people to walk to our shops and restaurants. An analysis I performed in 2020 shows consistently narrow sidewalks in our neighborhood, especially western U Street. Check out the map here.
More protected bike lanes!
Biking is an affordable, healthy, and sustainable method of transportation that should be safe for all users, regardless of age or ability. Building additional protected bike infrastructure will encourage more residents and visitors to safely bike in the neighborhood. A greater share of people biking will reduce private vehicle and uber/lyft trips that create traffic and take parking spots away from people who need to drive. Well designed bike lanes also encourage pedestrian safety by ensuring cyclists and e-scooters have a safe place to travel that’s not the sidewalk.
With Capital Bikeshare continuing to break records, continued build out of the city’s bike lanes will those numbers increase, reducing pollution, traffic and noise while improving the livability of the neighborhood. Fun fact, the Capital Bikeshare Station at New Hampshire and T St NW (just south of 1B07) is routinely one of the busiest bikeshare stations in the whole city!
More public transit!
The 16th Street Bus Lanes are an important project that has helped speed up travel times on some of the busiest bus routes in the city, but essential projects like this shouldn’t take decades to complete. I support efforts in the neighborhood to continue to improve bus access like Florida Ave Bus Priority and the U Street Bus Priority Projects to help people move more efficiently through the neighborhood and beyond.
More housing!
The District of Columbia is facing a housing shortage caused by high demand and a lack of inventory across the city. U Street is a desirable neighborhood, rich in amenities including good schools, jobs, and public transit. The ANC should do its part to support building more housing in the neighborhood so more people can benefit from living here. When affluent neighborhoods resist development, we perpetuate residential segregation and put unfair pressure on other neighborhoods to pick up the slack. To keep our neighborhood vibrant and inclusive, we must support the development of more housing, including affordable units.
1617 U Street
1617 U Street is home to the 3rd District Police Headquarters and DC Fire Engine #9. These important services for our neighborhood and city have properties from the 1960s that are outdated and underbuilt. With a dilapidated parking garage prominently on U Street, the current configuration creates a dead zone between the eastern and western sides of one of the city’s most important commercial corridors.
To help address these issues, the District is in the early stages of reimagining these properities. Going through the zoning process now, eventually there will be a public request for proposals process that could potentially redevelop the property. According to the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), plans could include a mixed use development featuring modern public facilities, housing, and commercial space.
According to DMPED, any development here will require new Police and Fire stations on site.
I am strongly in favor of District efforts to improve this site and have testified in front of the Zoning Commission in favor of rezonings on the site.
The process to redevelop this site will take many years and I believe constant communication and accurate information about the District’s goals and intentions will be key to a successful project. I live right next to the site and want to make sure that both the short and long term impacts of any project on the site benefit the neighborhood.
Read my letter to the Zoning Commission here.
For more information:
More local businesses!
Our local businesses are what gives the neighborhood its character. 1B07 sits in between Adams Morgan and the Wider U Street Corridor. The ANC should be a supportive facilitator between our local businesses and the DC Government, encouraging the success of existing businesses and attracting new businesses to fill empty storefronts.
Ward 1 Recall Campaign
There is currently an effort to recall our popularly elected Councilperson, Brianne Nadeau. Councilmember Nadeau has been a champion of smart growth policies and safer transportation in our Ward and has been popularly elected for several terms. I do not support this recall effort.
Wider Sidewalks 4 U 