Potomac River Transporation Plan.Indd
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Potomac River Transportation Framework Plan Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland Water transportation is the most economical, energy effi cient and environmentally friendly transportation that exists for major cities today. The vast river network that was the original lifeblood of the Washington, DC region remains underutilized. The Potomac River Transportation Framework Plan is a comprehensive master plan outlining a water based transportation network on the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia, for commuters, tourists and the federal government (defense and civilian evacuations). This plan outlines an enormous opportunity to expand the transportation network at a fraction of the cost (both in dollars and environmental impact) of other transportation modes. The plan includes intermodal connections to the existing land based public transportation system. See Detail Plan GEORGETOWN REGIONAL PLAN KENNEDY CENTER RFK STADIUM NATIONAL MALL THE WHARF BASEBALL The plan to the left GEORGETOWN STADIUM NAVY YARD PENTAGON BUZZARD POINT/ SOCCER STADIUM POPLAR POINT illustrates the reach of FORT MCNAIR JBAB the transporation plan KENNEDY CENTER that includes Virginia, NATIONAL AIRPORT RFK STADIUM JBAB / ST. ELIZABETHS SOUTH Maryland, and the DAINGERFIELD ISLAND NATIONAL MALL GENON SITE District of Columbia, CANAL CENTER ROBINSON TERMINAL NORTH fully integrated with THE OLD TOWN- KING STREET existing land based WHARF ROBINSON TERMINAL SOUTH BASEBALL PENTAGON STADIUM NAVY YARD JONES POINT transporation. NATIONAL HARBOR POPLAR POINT BUZZARD POINT/SOCCER STADIUM FORT MCNAIR JBAB A TERMINAL ‘A’ Both Plans illustrate B TERMINAL ‘B’ C TERMINAL ‘C’ potential routes and landings for D TERMINAL ‘D’ MOUNT VERNON FORT WASHINGTON Commuters, Tourists NATIONAL AIRPORT and the Federal JBAB / ST. ELIZABETHS SOUTH MARSHALL HALL DAINGERFELD ISLAND FORT BELVOIR (GUNSTON COVE) Government. WOODBRIDGE (PRINCE WILLIAM MARINA) WOODBRIDGE (OCCOQUAN HARBOR MARINA) WOODBRIDGE (BELMONT BAY MARINA) GENON SITE CANAL CENTER ROBINSON TERMINAL NORTH INDIAN HEAD LOCAL PLAN OLD TOWN- KING STREET The plan to the ROBINSON TERMINAL SOUTH HARBOR STATION / POTOMAC SHORES right illustrates the JONES POINT overall layout of COMMUTER / FERRY TOURISM / TAXI the metropolitan COMMUTER / FERRY DEFENSE NATIONAL HARBOR FERRY TERMINAL Washington network TOURISM / TAXI DEFENSE of routes, landings and BUS ROUTES FERRY TERMINAL TOWN OF QUANTICO connections back to METRO STATION existing Metro routes and stops. THREE DISTINCT RIDER GROUPS 31 LANDINGS INTERMODAL TRANSIT The three populations most likely to utilize the Along with the network routes, we have also One of the most important components to river transportation network are commuters, projected approximately 31 landing locations a successful water-based transportation tourists, and the federal government. These that we believe would be the starting point for system is the integration with existing public three groups have distinct travel destination a robust waterway network with many of the transportation networks. Land-based public routes and travel times that form the basis networks sharing landings. As an example, transit already exists near potential ferry of three distinctive networks as illustrated the National Airport landing would be used by stops. Our water transportation network by the previous diagrams. Based on the all three networks. outlines the connections from the water specifi c criteria of each population, ferries landings to the existing metro and VRE and water taxis would be designated to move The following pages describe in detail the stations. As part of the transfer from water to each population at specifi c times. Water three population network routes and stops. land, we have developed intermodal transit landings would be designed to accommodate stations to transfer riders from water craft to the specifi c need of that network. Stops for rubber wheeled trolleys or buses. commuters would need parking structures, whereas stops for tourists might not. GEORGETOWN KENNEDY CENTER Commuter Routes and Landings RFK STADIUM NATIONAL MALL THE WHARF BASEBALL With the growing congestion on the highways, STADIUM NAVY YARD PENTAGON BUZZARD POINT/ SOCCER STADIUM POPLAR POINT the necessity of traveling from places south in FORT MCNAIR Virginia into the District is an onerous task for JBAB The region’s highways and public daily commuters. Additionally, those who need NATIONAL AIRPORT transit sytem are both at maximum to travel from parts of Maryland to places in JBAB / ST. ELIZABETHS SOUTH DAINGERFIELD ISLAND capacity and at times, failing. Water Virginia (and conversely) have the long ride to GENON SITE bridge crossings at I 495 or Rt. 301 in the south, CANAL CENTER ROBINSON TERMINAL NORTH transportation offers a low cost, which can take well over an hour. OLD TOWN- KING STREET ROBINSON TERMINAL SOUTH environmentally friendly option for JONES POINT The commuter routes outlined in the network NATIONAL HARBOR alleviating commuter demands. are predominantly from locations south of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge for general business commuters with some opportunities for commuters in Alexandria and National Harbor. The east-west routes are targeted for military personnel commuters that have to get to the bases located along the river. At these landings, accommodations for parking would certainly GEORGETOWN be required. Due to the volume of travelers MOUNT VERNON KENNEDY CENTER FORT WASHINGTON during these set times, larger craft would be RFK STADIUM required on a fi xed schedule. There are 23 NATIONAL MALL MARSHALL HALL FORT BELVOIR (GUNSTON COVE) commuter stations, including Georgetown, THE WOODBRIDGE (PRINCE WILLIAM MARINA) WHARF Indian Head, Old Town, and Woodbridge. These BASEBALL WOODBRIDGE (OCCOQUAN HARBOR MARINA) PENTAGON STADIUM NAVY YARD would require parking lots or structures at the POPLAR POINT BUZZARD WOODBRIDGE (BELMONT BAY MARINA) POINT/SOCCER suburban stations and would operate during STADIUM FORT MCNAIR rush hour. JBAB A TERMINAL ‘A’ B TERMINAL ‘B’ C TERMINAL ‘C’ The Ferry from Old Town Alexandria to the D TERMINAL ‘D’ Southwest Waterfront would take 9 minutes. NATIONAL AIRPORT In comparison, driving from Old Town to INDIAN HEAD JBAB / ST. ELIZABETHS SOUTH Washington takes approximately 30-45 minutes DAINGERFELD ISLAND during rush hour. Further down the Potomac, stations such as Woodbridge would be a 45 HARBOR STATION / POTOMAC SHORES GENON SITE minute ferry ride during rush hour to Washington CANAL CENTER versus a rush hour commute between ROBINSON TERMINAL NORTH Woodbridge and Washington of 1.5 hours. Not COMMUTER ROUTES OLD TOWN- KING STREET only would ferries be the most comfortable FERRY TERMINAL ROBINSON TERMINAL SOUTH option, they would also offer onboard amenities JONES POINT like Wi-Fi and newspapers, making it possible TOWN OF QUANTICO for commuters to relax or get work done during NATIONAL HARBOR COMMUTER the trip BUS ROUTES FERRY TERMINAL METRO STATION GEORGETOWN KENNEDY CENTER Tourism Routes and Landings RFK STADIUM NATIONAL MALL THE WHARF BASEBALL As one of the most important economic STADIUM NAVY YARD PENTAGON BUZZARD POINT/ SOCCER STADIUM POPLAR POINT generators of the metro Washington, DC area, FORT MCNAIR tourism is a very important component to this JBAB Last year, 20.3 million tourists came region. The tourism routes occur on the off-peak NATIONAL AIRPORT hours and would be popular throughout the day. JBAB / ST. ELIZABETHS SOUTH DAINGERFIELD ISLAND to this region spending $7.1 billion. The landings for tourists are located in more GENON SITE dense urban areas or at destination locations CANAL CENTER Moving tourists by water would not ROBINSON TERMINAL NORTH along the Potomac River. There is less need OLD TOWN- KING STREET only reduce traffi c congestion, the very for parking at these locations and these routes ROBINSON TERMINAL SOUTH would be serviced by smaller craft running on a JONES POINT experience would increase tourism. NATIONAL HARBOR continuous daily schedule. There are 14 tourist stops, including the National Mall, Nationals Stadium, Georgetown, and Mount Vernon. It is approximately a 20-minute ride from National Harbor to Mount Vernon and a 15-minute ride from Old Town to the National Mall. This market would be the GEORGETOWN easiest to incorporate into a larger ferry network, MOUNT VERNON KENNEDY CENTER FORT WASHINGTON as many of these routes exist today and are RFK STADIUM already in use by thousands of tourists. NATIONAL MALL MARSHALL HALL FORT BELVOIR (GUNSTON COVE) THE WOODBRIDGE (PRINCE WILLIAM MARINA) WHARF National Harbor would be one of the most BASEBALL WOODBRIDGE (OCCOQUAN HARBOR MARINA) PENTAGON STADIUM NAVY YARD important stops on the tourist network because POPLAR POINT BUZZARD WOODBRIDGE (BELMONT BAY MARINA) POINT/SOCCER of the Gaylord National Resort and Convention STADIUM FORT MCNAIR Center. With 470,000 square feet of convention JBAB A TERMINAL ‘A’ and meeting space and 2,000 hotel rooms, it B TERMINAL ‘B’ C TERMINAL ‘C’ is the largest convention center on the East D TERMINAL ‘D’ Coast. National Harbor is an 11-minute ferry ride NATIONAL AIRPORT from Reagan National Airport and a 20-minute INDIAN HEAD JBAB / ST. ELIZABETHS SOUTH ferry ride from the Southwest Waterfront in DAINGERFELD ISLAND Washington. HARBOR STATION / POTOMAC SHORES GENON SITE CANAL CENTER ROBINSON TERMINAL NORTH TOURISM ROUTES OLD TOWN- KING STREET FERRY TERMINAL ROBINSON TERMINAL SOUTH JONES POINT TOWN OF QUANTICO NATIONAL HARBOR TOURISM BUS ROUTES FERRY TERMINAL METRO STATION