Section 10-A907. UD-1.5 OVERCOMING PHYSICAL BARRIERS

 

907.1Physical barriers in the city such as highways and rail lines present urban design challenges. Besides their obvious impacts on walkability and aesthetics, they may create psychological and economic divides. Barriers not only include transportation features; they include natural features like rivers and streams, and land use features such as power plants and military bases. 907.1

 

907.2There are a number of urban design solutions to better connect the city and reduce the effect of physical barriers. These include short-term techniques such as safer highway crossings for pedestrians and well-lighted underpasses and longer-term solutions that eliminate barriers entirely. Examples of the latter include air-rights development over sunken freeways (such as I-395) and the rebuilding of the bridges across the Anacostia River with wider sidewalks and bike lanes. 907.2

 

907.3Policy UD-1.5.1: Mitigating Freeway Impacts

 

Reduce the negative effects of freeways on neighborhoods by decreasing blight around freeway overpasses and underpasses, and improving pedestrian and bicycle overpasses. Longer-term solutions that address the design of the freeways themselves also should be explored. Such solutions should consider rebuilding freeways to reduce their “iron curtain” effect and developing the air rights over sunken freeways. 907.3

 

907.4Policy UD-1.5.2: Major Arterials

 

Reduce the barrier effects created by major arterials (such as New York Avenue and South Capitol Street) through improved signal timing, traffic calming, mid-crossing medians, and other design improvements that improve aesthetics and enhance safety at pedestrian crossings. 907.4

 

907.5Policy UD-1.5.3: Reducing Railroad Barriers

 

Upgrade railroad overpasses and underpasses to maintain the continuity of the street network along rail lines and ensure the comfort and safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. In appropriate settings, such as Downtown Washington, explore longer-term solutions to addressing railroad barriers such as air rights development over the tracks. 907.5

 

907.6Action UD-1.5.A: Waterfront Barriers

 

Continue to explore ways to address freeway and highway barriers along the Anacostia waterfront, including the removal of Water Street along the Southwest waterfront and the narrowing of I-395 at the Anacostia River. The city should also continue to study options for addressing the visual barrier presented by the Whitehurst Freeway and the physical barrier presented by the waterfront CSX rail line. 907.6

 

907.7Action UD-1.5.B: Light Rail Design

 

To the maximum extent possible, ensure that the design of the streetcar line along the east side of the Anacostia River does not create a barrier to waterfront access from East of the Anacostia River neighborhoods. 907.7

 

See also the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Element for a discussion of trail policies, and the Lower Anacostia Waterfront/Near Southwest Area Element for a discussion of detailed provisions related to barriers and access to the Anacostia River.

 

notation

The provisions of Title 10, Part A of the DCMR accessible through this web interface are codification of the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. As such, they do not represent the organic provisions adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia. The official version of the District Elements only appears as a hard copy volume of Title 10, Part A published pursuant to section 9a of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1994, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1 -301.66)) . In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions accessible through this site and the provisions contained in the published version of Title 10, Part A, the provisions contained in the published version govern. A copy of the published District Elements is available www.planning.dc.gov.