MEMORANDUM INTRODUCTION Board of Zoning Adjustment District
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
1140 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 202.296.8625 MEMORANDUM To: Amanda Thomas Cushman & Wakefield Paul Samala Gensler Christine A. Roddy Goulston & Storrs From: Tracy Jones-Schoenfeld Robert B. Schiesel, P.E. Daniel B. VanPelt, P.E., PTOE Date: April 18, 2017 Subject: Middle East Institute – Comprehensive Transportation Review INTRODUCTION This memorandum presents a Comprehensive Transportation Review (CTR) of the proposed expansion of the Middle East Institute (MEI), located at 1761-1763 N Street in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Northwest Washington, DC. This document was prepared in support of the project’s Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) application. Figure 1 identifies the regional site location within the District, and Figure 2 identifies the location of the site in relation to the neighborhood. The site is currently improved with a three-story structure occupied by the Middle East Institute. The proposed project will retain the existing historic building along N Street NW and include a 10,787 square foot addition to the rear of the existing building, including a conference center and a language center, as approved by the Historic Preservation Review Board in November 2016. In addition to traditional office work, the MEI also hosts regular language classes and conferences. The MEI currently has 25 full-time staff, and 15 teachers in the evening. The bulk of the events that the MEI holds includes talks and panels that are held over lunch time once a week, and range in size from 25 to 80 attendees. All language classes are hosted in the evening from 6:15pm – 8:45pm on Monday and Wednesdays or Tuesday and Thursdays. Classes are not offered during the work day, on weekends, or on Fridays. There is a maximum of seven (7) classes each evening with a maximum of seven (7) students in each class. The proposed expansion will not significantly add to the number of staff or teachers on site, nor will it alter the way in which events and classes are scheduled. The majority of staff and attendees take transit, bike, or walk to and from the site, and are expected to continue to do so. The site is located less than 0.2 miles from the Dupont Circle Metrorail Station which provides direct connection to areas in the District and Maryland along with interchanges to Virginia, as well as direct access to Union Station and the District core. Pedestrian facilities near the site provide excellent connections to transit and other destinations. The presence of numerous bike facilities near the site will increase the use of non-vehicular travel modes to and from the site. The purpose of this memorandum is to: ▪ Provide a summary of the proposed development program, including existing site conditions and details on the proposed expansion plans. Board of ZoningBoard Adjustment of Zoning Adjustment Transportation Planners and Engineers District of ColumbiaDistrictwww.goroveslade.com of Columbia CASE NO.19500 Case No. 19500 EXHIBIT NO.32 32 Middle East Institute BZA – Comprehensive Transportation Review Page 2 April 18, 2017 ▪ Review the major transportation elements of the site plan, namely a review of pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the vicinity of the site; a review of transit facilities near the site; and parking accommodations, including curbside management and a review of available public parking near the site. ▪ Provide a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan, for staff and employees. ▪ Provide a Large Events Transportation plan, for events that have an attendance that exceeds 100 individuals. The following conclusions were made regarding the proposed expansion of the Middle East Institute: ▪ The site is surrounded by an extensive network of transit, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities that results in an excellent environment for safe and effective non-auto transportation; ▪ Given the site’s excellent access to numerous modes of transportation, minimal vehicular parking is anticipated to be necessary to serve the programmatic needs of the development; ▪ The amount of parking generated by the expansion can easily be accommodated in the public parking supply in parking garages close to the building; ▪ The planned expansion of the Middle East Institute will not significantly alter the number of staff or the way in which events are held under existing conditions. Site access, trip generation, and parking demand are anticipated to remain the same as they are under existing conditions; and ▪ A robust TDM plan will encourage non-auto use by employees and visitors of the Middle East Institute, further reducing the needs to provide on-site parking. EXISTING CONDITIONS This section provides a review of the existing transit, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities in the vicinity of the site. The site is served by several public transportation sources, including Metrorail, Metrobus, and the DC Circulator bus system. The project site is also served by a pedestrian network consisting of sidewalks and crosswalks along the streets surrounding the project site. Additionally, the site is served by an on-street bicycle network, consisting of bike lanes, shared lanes, and signed bicycle routes. Transit The development is well-served by numerous public transit options in close proximity to the site. Local transit services that provide access to the Middle East Institute site include Metrorail, Metrobus, and the DC Circulator. These services are operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and DDOT. WMATA operates Metrorail, the nation’s second largest heavy rail transit system, as well as Metrobus, the nation's fifth largest bus network. DDOT and WMATA collaborate to operate the DC Circulator, a system of six (6) bus lines that provide frequent service and low fares throughout the city. The Dupont Circle Metrorail Station is located 0.2 miles from the development and is served by the Red Line, which provides direct connections to areas in the District and Maryland along with interchanges to Virginia. The Red Line connects Shady Grove with Glenmont while providing access to the District core in a “U” shape. Red Line trains run approximately every three to six minutes during the morning and afternoon peak hours. The Red Line runs about every 12 minutes during weekday non- peak hours, every 15-18 minutes on weekday evenings after 9:30 pm and 12 to 15 minutes on the weekends. Gorove/Slade www.goroveslade.com Middle East Institute BZA – Comprehensive Transportation Review Page 3 April 18, 2017 Additionally, the Farragut West Metrorail Station is located 0.5 miles from the development and is served by the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines. The Blue Line travels north from Springfield, VA to Rosslyn then continues east to Largo, MD. Trains run approximately every 12 minutes during the morning and afternoon peak periods. They run about every 12 minutes during weekday non-peak periods, every 20 minutes on weekday evenings after 9:30pm, and every 12-20 minutes on weekends. The Orange Line travels east from Fairfax, VA to New Carrollton, MD. Trains run approximately every 6 minutes during the morning and afternoon peak periods. They run about every 12 minutes during weekday non-peak periods, every 20 minutes during weekday evenings after 9:30pm, and every 12-20 minutes on weekends. The Silver Line travels east from Reston, VA to Largo, MD. Trains run approximately every 6 minutes during the morning and afternoon peak periods, every 12 minutes during weekday non-peak periods, every 20 minutes during weekday evenings after 9:30pm, and every 12-20 minutes on weekends. Figure 3 identifies the major transit routes, stations, and stops in the study area. Seventeen (17) bus routes are located within a quarter-mile walk from the site. Five (5) bus stops serving these routes are located within a quarter-mile of the site, with two (2) of the stops located within one block of the site. Table 1 shows a summary of the bus route information for the lines that serve the study area, including service hours and headways. Table 1: Bus Route Information Route Line Name Service Hours Headway Number Monday – Saturday: 4:30 am – 3:00 am 42,43 Mount Pleasant Line 10-30 min Sunday: 4:30 am – 1:00 am Weekdays: 7:10AM – 9:42AM 8-10 min D1 Glover Park – Franklin Square Line 4:40PM – 7:18PM 30 min Weekdays: 5:34AM – 1:41AM 10-40 min D2 Glover Park – Dupont Circle Line Saturday: 6:33AM – 1:52AM 20-40 min Sunday: 6:47AM – 12:19AM 20-30 min Weekdays: 4:10AM – 2:42AM 15-30 min D6 Sibley Hospital – Stadium-Armory Line Saturday: 4:45AM – 2:14AM 30-45 min Sunday: 5:15AM – 1:19AM 30-40 min Monday – Saturday: 5:10 am – 1:25 am G2 P Street-LeDroit Park Line 15-30 min Sunday: 6:30 am – 12:20 am Weekdays: 6:30 am – 9:00 am H1 Brookland-Potomac Park Line 30 min 4:15 pm – 6:15 pm Weekdays: 5:00 am – 12:15 am L1,L2 Connecticut Avenue Line Saturdays: 5:45 am – 1:00 am 10-30 min Sundays: 6:00 am – 1:00 am Monday – Saturday: 5:10 am – 1:25 am N2,N4,N6 Massachusetts Avenue Line 15-30 min Sunday: 6:30 am – 12:20 am Northbound: 5:42 am – 10:04 am 10-15 min S1 16th Street-Potomac Park Line Southbound: 3:58 pm – 7:42 pm 10-15 min Weekdays: 4:40 am – 3:00 am 5-20 min S2,S4 16th Street Line Saturdays: 4:15 am – 2:54 am 10-15 min Sundays: 4:33 am – 1:40 am 10-15 min Weekdays: 7:10AM – 9:42AM 8-10 min S9 16th Street Limited Line 4:40PM – 7:18PM 30 min DC Sunday – Thursday: 7:00 am - 12:00 am Dupont Circle-Georgetown-Rosslyn Line 10 min Circulator Friday and Saturday: 7:00 am - 3:30 am Gorove/Slade www.goroveslade.com Middle East Institute BZA – Comprehensive Transportation Review Page 4 April 18, 2017 Bicycle Facilities The site is well connected to existing on-street bicycle facilities.