The Proposed Design for a Public Deck in Dupont Circle

• June 26, 2019

by Nena Perry-Brown

DC has a city-sponsored woonerf on the way in the middle of Dupont Circle.

Last night, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) unveiled the latest design for a public piazza which would utilize a to-be-constructed deck spanning part of Connecticut Avenue off Dupont Circle. The deck, on the short block of Connecticut Avenue between the circle and Q Street NW (map), would house a public plaza, and either side of Connecticut here would be turned into a pedestrian-friendly multimodal woonerf, or shared street.

The "piazza" would host year-round programming such as outdoor movies, a farmer's market, and cultural and arts events. A hole in the deck would provide ventilation to the through-street beneath rather than turning it into a tunnel.

The deck is part of a larger plan to improve the Connecticut Avenue streetscape between the circle and just past California Street; north of Calvert Street, DDOT is also planning to study reversible lanes this fall. 

Attendees at last night's meeting commented on the need for dedicated bus lanes and protected bike lanes down Connecticut Avenue, with some even suggesting that street parking be removed. DDOT will continue refining the design based on public input, with a plan to break ground in 2021. In the meantime, they expect to get National Environmental Policy Act approval this fall and are consulting on historic preservation concerns. 

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/the-proposed-design-for-a-public-deck-in-dupont-circle/15589