14th Street Bridge DC/Virginia planning project: meetings this week

Flickr photo of the 14th Street Bridge by Jonathan Gagle.

This week there are public hearings on the 14th Street Bridge Corridor Environmental Impact Statement.

-- Website, 14th Street Bridge Corridor planning project

Tuesday February 28th

Westminster Presbyterian Church

400 I St. SW

DC

6:30pm - Open House

7:00 pm - Presentation and Hearing

Thursday March 1st

Walter Reed Community Center

2909 16th Street South

Arlington, VA

7:30pm - Open House

8:00 pm - Presentation and Hearing

One nice element of the bridge is the bike/walking path across it, which is a rare amenity considering the bulk of federally-funded highway projects across the country.

This piece of bike- and walking-enabling infrastructure on this bridge, part of I-395 and the Federal Interstate Highway System is a perfect example of why biking, walking, and transit infrastructure planning and inclusion requirements need to be included in federal highway projects.

Highway infrastructure is primarily for cars, so it's very easy for vehicular traffic to be prioritized, even though with some changes and minimal increases in costs on a comparative or percentage basis, it's possible to incorporate the right accommodations when they will be used.

The 14th bridge pedestrian/bicycle crossing provides a key pathway into and out of DC by bicycle especially, and enables bicycle commuting as a practical and efficient and safe choice for tens of thousands of people.

Flickr photo of the 14th Street Bridge Bike Path Over the Potomac River by Mr. T in DC