Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Zoning meetings are your chance to ask for more bicycling facilities

The District, through the Office of Planning, is currently holding meetings to discuss draft revisions to the District's the zoning code. Among several proposed changes, the zoning revision will update parking regulations for vehicle parking and bicycle parking.  

The vehicle parking changes – eliminating minimums in transit-rich areas - will likely be the most contested.  This process could be on interest to bicyclists because it could reduce the space available for automobile parking and increase bicycle parking and infrastructure as well as increasing pedestrian and transit access.

The Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) is working with WABA and other organizationsto draw attention to the issue and to invite the public to attend meetings held in each Ward. CSG has created a petition that contains the main talking points for the zoning update. 

For those not able to attend the meetings, two Twitter Town Halls are scheduled, on Monday, December 14 2012 and Friday, January 14 2013, both starting at noon. Check the Zoning Revisions Review website for more details. 

Below is a calendar of revision meetings: 

December:
Ward 6 
December 8, 2012            
Saturday, 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 noon Second floor, 1100-4th Street SW (above the Safeway, Waterfront Station on the Green Line)
Ward 2
December 11, 2012         
Tuesday, 6:30 P.M – 8:30 P.M. 421 7th Street NW (2 blocks south of Gallery Place Station on the Red, Green and Yellow Lines)
Ward 8
December 13, 2012
Thursday, 6:30 P.M – 8:30 P.M.                 
Savoy Elementary School, 2400 Shannon Place SE (Anacostia Station on the Green Line)
 
January (To Be Determined)
(Update Locations added)
Ward 1
January 5, 2013
Saturday, 10:00 P.M – 12:00 noon 
Harriet Tubman Elementary School
3101 13th Street NW
1 block east of the Columbia Heights metro station on the green and yellow lines           
Ward 3
January 8, 2013
Tuesday, 6:30 P.M – 8:30 P.M.
Wilson High School
3950 Chesapeake Street NW
1 block east of the Tenleytown metro station on the red line                  
Ward 5
January 9, 2013
Wednesday, 6:30 P.M – 8:30 P.M.
Foster Auditorium, Ely Building, Gallaudet University
800 Florida Avenue NE
5 blocks east of the NY Ave / Gallaudet metro station on the red line.
Ward 7
January 12, 2013
Saturday, 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 noon
Room 2309/10, DOES Building
4058 Minnesota Ave. NE
Adjacent to the Minnesota metro station on the orange line
Ward 4
January 16, 2013
Wednesday, 6:30 P.M – 8:30 P.M.   
Takoma Education Campus
7010 Piney Branch Road NW
About 3 blocks west of the Takoma metro station on the red line.