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Residents and businesses press DOT on parking changes as 8th Street bus-priority work moves forward
Summary
DOT told residents it received 20 written comments on the 8th Street SE notice of intent—about 60% generally supportive—but many objections focused on parking loss; DOT described mitigation steps including a converted underpass lot, 10-minute turnover zones and added loading provisions.
Residents and business representatives raised parking and curbside concerns during a Department of Transportation pre-construction meeting on the 8th Street SE bus-priority project, while DOT staff said the agency has tried to limit parking losses and will pursue targeted curbside adjustments where feasible.
DOT said the notice of intent that closed in mid-January produced 20 written comments, about 60% of which were generally supportive, and that most organized opposition focused on parking impacts. "We did receive 20 written comments. 60% of them were generally just supportive of the project," an Agency official said.
Mitigations and curb changes: DOT staff outlined several measures intended to offset parking impacts: converting some rush-hour restricted spaces to full-time parking on I Street; extending the underpass parking-lot time limit from two to eight hours to help employees and patrons; consolidating abandoned bus stops and reclaiming that space to create roughly 11 parking spaces; and proposing 10-minute turnover parking zones (roughly 10 spaces) to support short pickups and deliveries.
Loading and business access: DOT described a new loading zone on Pennsylvania Avenue that will operate except during the PM peak bus-lane window; the agency said that change and other loading expansions are intended to reduce double-parking and improve deliveries for businesses such as the market near Pennsylvania. DOT also said it coordinated with the Marine Barracks and the local fire station to minimize operational conflicts and will allow limited use of bus lanes by emergency vehicles when needed.
Public questions and follow-up: Residents asked about a "holistic" review of northern residential parking and whether construction would interfere with the July 4 parade. DOT replied that a neighborhood-level look at curb regulations is possible but largely outside the project's strict scope; the agency also said no construction is scheduled on holidays and that it will avoid equipment staging on 8th Street during parades. On streeteries, DOT said existing temporary streeteries will be removed for construction and that any permitted permanent streeteries approved through the public-space permitting process would be built after the project is complete.
What remains unresolved: DOT acknowledged some neighborhood concerns persist—particularly in the northern residential section—but said it will continue coordination with neighborhood stakeholders and ANCs. The agency encouraged residents and businesses to review the NOI and project materials on the website and to send suggestions for curbside adjustments for DOT to consider.
