Last week, the District Department of Transportation issued a notice of intent that moves forward on a transformative project for Columbia Road that has been in planning since 2021. The section of Columbia Road between 16th Street and Connecticut Avenue has not worked well for anyone: busses slowed by traffic, traffic impeded by double-parked cars, not enough curbside space for businesses, unsafe pedestrian crossings, and a higher concentration of bicycle crashes than almost anywhere else in the District. The new Columbia Road will have new protected bike lanes between 16th Street and Connecticut Avenue, a 24/7 bus lane and other transit improvements, as well as numerous safety improvements like pedestrian islands.

The notice gives ANC 1C until mid-March to offer feedback on the plan before DDOT moves forward with construction later this year. I strongly supported this project in the concept phase and I can’t wait to see it move forward!