Thursday, March 24, 2011

Streetcar Meeting + Transit Happy Hour

In the next week there are two Anacostia streetcar-related events that you should definitely attend. The first is hosted by the Federal Transit Administration and the District Department of Transportation, and is related to the Phase 2 Environmental Assessment and Historic Preservation Study for the Anacostia line. From the www.DCStreetcar.com website:
The study is anticipated to be completed by September 2011 and is intended to identify the best alternatives that address the project’s purpose and need, maximize environmental benefits, and minimize the potential for adverse impacts. In addition, DDOT will evaluate potential effects to cultural resources in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
These meetings are a great way to voice support and ask questions. Citizen participation makes a huge difference.
What: Public Meeting for Anacostia Streetcar Phase 2 Environmental Assessment & Historic Preservation Study

When: Saturday, March 26, 10AM-12PM

Where: Matthews Memorial Church, 2616 MLK Ave SE



The second event is a happy hour at Uniontown Bar & Grill sponsored by the DC chapter of the Sierra Club. The happy hour is a way to informally discuss ways to improve transportation in the District.

What: Transit Happy Hour

When: Monday, March 28, 6-8PM

Where:
Uniontown Bar & Grill, 2200 MLK Ave SE
I hope to see you all at one or both of these events. The streetcar is a project that will have a major impact on the future of the neighborhood, and the city needs to hear your voices!

2 comments:

AnacostiaQUE said...

I thought the meeting went well with not too much drama, although a couple of tables seem to be have eleavate discussions (love the passion). The moderators did a good job of keeping folks on point, since we only had 2 hours. This meeting could've gone another hour easily. For example, there were people speaking for tables that didn't necessarily reflect the views of everybody at the table so others felt compelled to also speak for the same table - which meant other tables had to be brief.

Some people seemed to bring issues that are important, but had very little to do with streetcars. Funding for streetcars is funding for sreetcars. It was good to have a healthy mix of opinions, and people seemed to be respectful of each other. I thought our table did a godo job of listening and collaborating and showing sensitivity to genuine concerns.

That being said, the downside was that some options were listed without discussion of any cost or physical limititations. If CSX tracks (currently in place) is really a cost prohibitive option, why list it as an option?

I would hope that the experts, not so much the community, could be the leaders on that side of the equation. Despite what the community wants, planners are experts so it is important that they help guide us with options that are reasonable.....based on industry standards, best practices and cost considerations.... We save time in the process.

As for the job/job-training issue, a person could get a college degree in engineering, by the time this project is fully completed. That's a different discussion....

Sariane Leigh said...

Thanks for the update AQ. I attended the Happy Hour and blogged about the ideas that generated at Uniontown!

http://anacostiayogi.blogspot.com/2011/03/southeast-anacostia-circulator.html