Three northern sections of Beach Drive in the District have been largely car free since a few weeks into the pandemic, for the purpose of socially-distanced outdoor recreation. The National Park Service is proposing that car-free summers continue, but with vehicle through-traffic resuming their pre-pandemic weekday access for the rest of the year.
NPS released its proposal and its environmental assessment on Monday. WAMU/DCist’s reporting on the recommendations included an interview with Rock Creek Park Superintendent Julia Washburn. The assessment is available for download and for comment here. Scroll to the bottom of the page for those links and for information on a July 18th virtual public meeting, where the public’s comments will also be recorded. The deadline for comments is 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, August 11th.