During the pandemic, the Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID) worked with the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT), and the Georgetown--Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC 2E) to create spaces in Georgetown for outdoor dining and social distancing. As the Pilot sponsor, the BID expanded the Pilot to include other uses of the public space such as non-dining lounging areas, bike/scooter racks (without bike lanes) and bus waiting stops (without dedicated places for buses to stop). Many lessons - both positive and negative - have been learned from the Pilot to inform our future.
While there has been some increase in visitors due to the vibrancy of outdoor dining, and certain streateries look beautiful and inviting, the Pilot has come with serious ramifications. The ramifications include:
Increased congestion, traffic, and parking issues. Buses and delivery vehicles are forced to park in the middle of the road, and thus block, the reduced number of available traffic lanes, and bicyclists and scooter-riders have difficult-to-navigate streets resulting in rider safety issues. Pedestrians must now dangerously navigate both bicyclists/scooter-riders and discarded bikes/scooters on the sidewalks. Blocked lanes are resulting in more truck and car idling causing pollution. Drivers are avoiding blocked main roads by using narrower, smaller side streets not meant for commuters.
Operational issues include rodents, some wider sidewalks/streateries sitting unused, and frequent untidy trash management.
Poorly defined and enforced streatery design considerations resulting in aesthetic concerns including jersey barriers, cheap plastic furniture, dead plantings, decaying plastic decking, chipped furniture, and increased advertising all resulting in the erosion of the beauty and charm of historic Georgetown.
These issues are compounded by the fact the city is delayed in issuing its permanent streatery guidelines for public comment. It is unclear when these guidelines will be released, or and if they will address important questions such as how will the city address and enforce the ramifications. For instance, NYC’s capability for enforcement and historic neighborhood standards were carefully considered. We urge DC to follow NYC’s example and carefully consider how standards will be enforced, and that a draft enforcement plan, with status updates, be in place for public review.
It is premature to extend the Pilot with so many unresolved, and potentially unfunded, issues, and when a long-term vision is emerging. Given the interest in both continuing the Pilot and moving toward a permanent program, our community needs to understand the trade-offs and the level of resources needed to sponsor this public space in Georgetown.
We need measurable progress on the documented concerns related to this Pilot while the community simultaneously works on a holistic vision for these public spaces. ANC documentation of concerns from 2020-2023 can be found in the following links:
May 2020 ANC Letter to Linda Bailey
January 2021 ANC Letter to Matthew Marcou
March 2021 ANC Letter to Everett Lott
September 2021 ANC Letter to Georgetown BID
October 2021 ANC Letter to Matthew Marcou
Dec 2022 ANC Letter to Elliott Garrett
Fall of 2023, the BID requested a 4th permit from DDOT Public Space, Old Georgetown Board (OGB), and ANC 2E to keep all of the existing widened sidewalks and streateries along M St and Wisconsin Ave. The permit was approved for two additional years without the full support of the OGB, GCPS and community members at-large. Now, fall of 2024, GCPS urges that the Pilot permit be revoked due to the ongoing maintenance failure of installed widened sidewalks and streateries. The Georgetown BID is currently without a funding source and lacks leadership. The widened sidewalks and streateries should be removed until such time as a permanent design solution is completed, new managerial agency appointed, and corresponding design, installation and maintenance funding is secured. Certain safety, public health, and community standards cannot be undercut.
It’s time to TAKE IT UP.
We urge that all plastic sidewalks, jersey barriers and streateries be removed. Go back to the drawing board and create a wholistic, attractive and historically appropriate outdoor dining and transportation scheme (accommodating bike racks, bus stops, pedestrians). The Georgetown community cannot thrive with this failing Covid era pilot for years on end. It’s time to start over and restore Georgetown. It’s time to take up the failing widened sidewalks and streateries.
To support The Georgetown Coalition for Public Spaces (GCPS) thoughtful approach to Georgetown’s public spaces, please sign the GCPS Petition.
