The environmental assessment (EA) of DDOT’s various plans to rebuild Broad Branch Road is finally in. And the community is invited to a public meeting next week to learn more about the impacts and costs of each plan.
The meeting will be held Tuesday, November 5th at The Methodist Home (4901 Connecticut Avenue), from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. It will cover the rehabilitation of the 1.7 mile stretch of Broad Branch Road between Linnean Avenue and Beach Drive. Questions about the meeting should be sent to wayne.wilson@dc.gov.
You can download the report here (be warned – it’s a big one). Or, head to the Chevy Chase, Cleveland Park or Tenley Libraries to review a copy.
DDOT is collecting comments through November 22th via BroadBranch@parsons.com or mail: District Department of Transportation, ATTN: Wayne Wilson, 55 M Street, SE, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20003.
It’s been a year since DDOT and Parsons Transportation Group first laid out their design objectives and offered four proposed design plans. The EA indicates little has changed on those fronts.
1) No Action Alternative. From the EA: “Under the No Action Alternative (Alternative 1), the improvements to Broad Branch Road would include short-term minor restoration activities (safety and routine maintenance) that maintain the continuing operation of the existing roadway.”
2) Candidate Build Alternative 2. “It consists of two 10-foot travel lanes with standard curb and gutter on the east side with either a standard curb and gutter or a linear rain garden (bio-swale) to capture stormwater runoff on the west side.” (see below)
3) Candidate Build Alternative 3. “…Two 10-foot travel lanes, a 6-foot wide sidewalk on the west side of the roadway for the entire length, and standard curb and gutter.” (see below)
4) Candidate Build Alternative 4. “The widest of the project alternatives and consists of two 10-foot travel lanes, a 6-foot wide sidewalk on the west side, a 4-foot wide bike lane on east side, and standard curb and gutter.” (see below)
WashCycle.com has a more detailed summary of what Alternative 4 entails.
Our survey last fall of Broad Branch Road users clearly favored #4. Also, one of DDOT’s design objectives is to “create a safe road for all travel modes.” In our survey, 68% of respondents said this was very important to them. They were far less concerned about another objective: “Minimize use of public parkland.” And last June, ANC 3F unanimously voted to support Alternative 4.
Where do you stand? If you participated in our survey last year, have your views changed?