The appeal of the Traffic and Parking Board’s February decision on the Braddock Road redesign in the Rosemont and Del Ray neighborhoods is heading to City Council Saturday (May 16).
Four petitions against the redesign came from residents living along the Braddock Road corridor, as well as Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and Community Praise Church on W. Braddock Road. Appellants are hoping City Council will overturn the board’s decision, which would remove parking on Braddock Road between Mount Vernon Avenue and Russell Road to add new bike lanes. According to a city memo, appellants are concerned that the loss of parking will affect access to homes and places of worship.
The churches’ opposition focuses on the loss of parking that serves their congregations. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church additionally objected to the relocation of a handicap parking space from the front of its building, which affects access for congregants with disabilities.
Another concern involves consolidating turn lanes and through lanes at Braddock Road’s intersections with Commonwealth Avenue and Mount Vernon Avenue, which appellants say could worsen traffic congestion.
Appellants are not opposing changes to the Braddock Road segment between West Street and Mount Vernon Avenue. Under the redesign, Braddock Road would be reduced from two lanes to one in each direction between West Street and Mount Vernon Avenue — creating two-way bicycle lanes on one side and adding a commercial delivery loading zone next to the bike lane on the other.
City staff are recommending City Council uphold the board’s decision, citing conditions that do not adequately support people walking, biking and using scooters. The road redesign would allow the city to fill bike lane gaps between Mount Vernon Avenue and Russell Road, providing connections to the Potomac Yard Trail, the Metro Linear Trail, Braddock Road Metro Station and Commonwealth Avenue. City staff cited surveys showing more bicyclists would be likely to use the roads if traffic conditions improved.
During the Traffic and Parking Board review, bike lane supporters testified in support of dedicated lanes for bicyclists, as well as wheelchair users and other multimodal road users, to improve connections to the Braddock Road Metro.
If City Council does not overturn the board’s decision, city staff will pursue design work for the Braddock Road changes into 2027, with implementation to follow in 2028.
The changes approved by the Traffic and Parking Board include:
Reducing lanes in each direction from two to one on Braddock Road between Mount Vernon Avenue and West Street
Removing on-street parking on Braddock Road between Mount Vernon Avenue and Russell Road, except about 100 feet in the unit block of E. Braddock Road and 60 feet in the 200 block of E. Braddock Road
Removing on-street parking on Commonwealth Avenue between Braddock Road and Spring Street
Consolidating the turn lanes and through lanes on the Braddock Road approaches to the intersection of Braddock Road, Russell Road, and W. Alexandria Avenue
Consolidating turn and through lanes at approaches to the intersection of Braddock Road and Commonwealth Avenue
Consolidating the eastbound turn lanes and through lane on Braddock Road at Mount Vernon Avenue, and convert the westbound lanes from three left, through and right lanes to two through/left and right-only lanes.
Adding a commercial loading zone on Braddock Road between the Yates Corner driveway entrance and the Metro Linear Trail
Relocating one disability parking space from the unit block of W. Braddock Road and adding ones on Hancock Avenue at Braddock Road and Luray Avenue at Braddock Road
Image 2 via Google Maps
