Road Removal

Ah, Klingle Road; a little slice of road that was so fragile it was washed out by a storm back in 1991. At the time the District of Columbia was so broke it didn't have the money to repair or replace it and so it sat and sat and sat. Grass grew in and around it. Fire engines that would normally use the road figured out other ways to get between Woodley Road and Rock Creek Park. The homeless discovered its quiet serenity as did many of the homeowners whose homes backed up to what they began to think of as parkland. These homeowners got several environmental groups involved in the cause of saving this national treasure.

The other day the D.C. City Council voted to turn this area into a hiker/biker trail, thereby killing any hopes that Klingle Road would find its way back onto ADC's maps. Commuters have not had it available to them for so long that it isn't even viable as an option. Klingle Road is officially dead. Now it's up to somebody to go in there with several large dogs and clean out all of the homeless waste and the needles and condoms. Closing Klingle Road probably just put several thousand dollars into the pockets of several of the homeowners in the area who can now advertise the rolling parkland just steps from their homes.  Ah, the power of the dollar.

Speaking of money and road closures it should be noted that a year or so ago District Mayor Fenty put an end to a study that was to analyze tearing down the Whitehurst Freeway. This is the road that comes off of K Street and connects with Canal Road on the west side of the Key Bridge. It is the only viable route to get traffic out of the West End of the city. The problem was that several people bought fancy condominiums in Georgetown and though they could have a better view of the Potomac (read: property values and "GREAT RIVER VIEWS") if only that pesky road was taken down. Council Member Jack Evans bought into it and set the wheels in motion. The last mayor probably had other things on his mind and let it go forward. Fenty though realized that there would be nowhere for all that traffic to go; certainly M Street through Georgetown wouldn't be able to handle it and neither could the side streets through the neighborhoods.

Taking a road out of the mix is usually not a good idea. In the case of Klingle Road it probably won't do any harm if for no other reason than it's been out of commission for 17 years. In the case of the Whitehurst Freeway it would have been a disaster.

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On a somewhat related point: the Outer Loop span of the new Wilson Bridge was dedicated this week.  This is the second ceremony to celebrate this section of highway and it's been treated like it was the placement of the last brick in the Great Wall of China. It's not; it's just a bridge. Can someone please tell me why this isn't being paid for by tolls?  It's as much a part of the daily commute as the McHenry Tunnel in Baltimore or the George Washington Bridge in New York and yet billions of dollars in local and federal money went to pay for it. Are those in Virginia nervous that truckers would use the west side of the beltway as a way to avoid the toll? Has that been the experience in Baltimore where an option to paying for the toll has been to ride the beltway? I may be beating a dead horse here but it's not the first time I've mentioned that tolls would help pay for this beast and for the maintenance that is sure to be required.

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Steve Eldridge is a long-time reporter, observer and commentator on the Washington region's transportation issues. You can contact him directly by writing to: Steve@SprawlandCrawl.com. Unless otherwise requested, letters or portions of letters can be used within future columns. Letter writers will be identified by their first name and city/neighborhood.

Comments

[jeff]

I'm amazed that a blog based on smart transportation options, smart growth and living car free/lite would allow someone to post such a pro-road piece. Your comments on Klingle Road do not fit here in that they value auto traffic convenience over quality of life of district residents, not to mention your disgusting attack on our homeless population(sick dogs on them?? really??)

You also over simplify the Whitehurst Freeway issue. Many people work, live and play along the section under the Whitehurst, not just rich condo owners. The road will not simply be removed with no thought as to its affect on traffic, and its awfully one sided to paint it as such.

"Taking a road out of the mix is usually not a good idea." I beg to differ. From limiting through traffic in residential neighborhoods to the Embarcado example mentioned above, removing roads can often have great effects on surrounding neighborhoods. Traffic will adapt or user will switch to other modes.

[Paul DeMaio]

Society cannot build its way out of congestion. You build a road and it fills up, requiring it to be enlarged and for more roads to be built. Congestion begets congestion. The question is whether we want more roads or more transit, biking, and walking. I believe the era (error?) of more roads is over.

[Steve]

Actually, taking down the Whitehurst Freeway is not such a bad idea. Remember the Embarcadero Freeway in San Francisco? It was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and subsequently demolished. It has been replaced by a lovely waterfront boulevard. Many people predicted total gridlock with it gone, but amazingly, the traffic just disappeared and the entire area is significantly improved.

Removing the Whitehurst would allow for potentially wonderful waterfront development to happen (and yes, some current property owners would make money, too). It takes a long-term vision, but it can be done. I'm not an expert, but making M St 1-way W-bound and K St 1-way E-bound would be part of the solution.

There are people on both sides of this issue. Count me on the "let's give it some real thought" side.

[Repair Klingle Road]

Klingle Road is not dead. Klingle Road was intended to be a highway forever. If you think Klingle Road should be opened to automobiles, please sign our petition.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/klingle/