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DDOT opens Phase 2 of North Capitol Street study, emphasizes near-term safety fixes over immediate deck‑over work
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Summary
At a virtual public kickoff, the District Department of Transportation said Phase 2 of the North Capitol Street corridor study will focus on medium‑term, multimodal safety and connectivity improvements between Massachusetts and Michigan avenues, while keeping earlier, higher‑cost options such as a deck‑over on the table for later review.
The District Department of Transportation opened a virtual public kickoff meeting for Phase 2 of the North Capitol Street corridor study, saying the work will focus on multimodal safety improvements and neighborhood connectivity between Massachusetts Avenue and Michigan Avenue rather than immediately advancing earlier, high‑cost options such as a deck‑over of the Rhode Island Avenue underpass.
“Phase 2 is focused on things that we can do a little on the faster side that will improve multimodal transportation options and improve safety, without precluding a deck over or other grade changes,” said Ted Van Houten, transportation planner with DDOT, who is managing the project.
The focus matters because North Capitol is a Vision Zero Tier 1 corridor with a high concentration of crashes on the southern half of the roadway. DDOT staff said the study will produce draft alternatives and return to the public in early 2026; final concepts are scheduled for spring 2026. In the meantime, DDOT is continuing work from Phase 1: a Notice of Intent (NOI) for “quick‑build” pedestrian improvements covering eight intersections is open for comment and, if approved, DDOT expects to install those changes later this year.
DDOT summarized the scope and sequence of the work: complete the existing‑conditions analysis, develop alternatives that address pedestrian, bicycle, transit and freight needs, conduct a federal road safety audit (RSA) that DDOT plans to walk with agency partners and the public (likely over two days, during AM and PM peak periods), and run an environmental review that will include historic and cultural resource checks.
Lily, a consultant on the project, outlined a public‑space/public‑life survey that recorded who uses the corridor and how people spend time there; the team said that data will inform design choices. Megan Canady, associate director for DDOT’s Capital Planning Division, told attendees that current budget constraints mean the agency will prioritize projects that can be advanced with available funding and that the deck‑over is not being funded now but has not been formally rejected.
Members of the public raised repeated concerns about narrow, substandard or non‑ADA sidewalks; short pedestrian signal timings at major intersections near schools such as Langley and McKinley Technical High School; and specific dangerous locations including the underpasses and slip lanes near Florida Avenue. Huma, a commissioner in Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5E, said pedestrians sometimes have as little as 15 seconds to cross 6–8 lanes at rush hour near schools and asked DDOT to evaluate signal timing for pedestrian safety. Camilla Sanford, a Bloomingdale resident, asked whether a left‑turn signal from northbound North Capitol onto Michigan Avenue could improve access to nearby hospitals; Van Houten said DDOT would check with the signal‑operations team to see if a faster change is possible.
Several commenters urged DDOT to pursue a deck‑over or to “bring everything up to grade.” Van Houten and Canady said Phase 1 included feasibility analysis and cost estimates for those large transformations and that Phase 2 will not advance them but will “not preclude” them in the future. A participant cited Phase 1 cost figures for a deck‑over in the range of about $44 million to $82 million; DDOT staff said the Phase 1 materials and cost estimates are posted on the project website and that staff can follow up with detailed documents.
DDOT described other near‑term and medium‑term options under consideration: quick‑build measures already under NOI review (including intersection treatments), sidewalk repairs and upgrades guided by the North Capitol streetscape guidelines, transit improvements (including signal priority and other bus tools, not necessarily dedicated lanes), freight access strategies (loading management), and ways to improve east‑west bicycle connections. The agency also said bus shelters and standard design treatments from DDOT manuals will be considered where sidewalks are wide enough and where ridership metrics qualify stops.
Community members asked about enforcement tools such as automated speed and red‑light cameras; DDOT staff said enforcement is part of a broader safety approach and noted that camera revenue goes to the city’s general fund rather than directly to DDOT, but the agency will consider automated enforcement as one of many potential safety measures. The project team encouraged residents to participate in an RSA planned for July (date to be confirmed), to join the project’s community advisory committee, and to use the project Miro board and comment processes; the meeting recording and project materials will be posted on DDOT’s website and YouTube channel.
DDOT reiterated process constraints and next steps: the team will finish the existing‑conditions analysis, prepare draft alternatives for public review (early 2026), and develop final concepts (spring 2026). The agency asked residents to submit outstanding written materials (for example, ANC resolutions) to ensure they become part of the study record. The project team said it will provide follow‑up on the NOI schedule, the RSA invitation list, and Phase 1 cost documents on request.
The meeting included a Title VI participation survey and an invitation to join further outreach; DDOT asked people who want to join the RSA or the community advisory committee to email the project manager for meeting invitations and notes.
