Georgetown Decks Sidewalk Widening

The BID is building approximately 4,000 linear feet of sidewalk deck panels on M Street between 34th Street and 29th Street, and on Wisconsin Avenue between Q Street and the Canal.

The decking will extend Georgeotwn’s narrow sidewalks from an average of 9.5 feet to an average of 15 feet, using removable 4′ x 6.5′ panels. The deck extensions are designed to be accessible to those using a wheelchair or pushing a stroller, to allow stormwater to flow under the deck to the curb, and to keep storm drains and fire hydrants clear. The panels will be built with composite decking on top of a wood frame. A combination of black metal barriers and concrete barriers will protect the sidewalk extensions to keep diners and pedestrians safe.

The sidewalk deck panels will be in place through December 31, 2021, during which time the BID and the community will evaluate the project and modify, as necessary, to respond to specific issues. If the project is successful and the community wishes to keep the extensions in place beyond 2021, the BID will go through another permitting process to keep them up longer.

Three prototypes of the sidewalk extension panels are in place at Clyde’s at 3236 M Street, Laduree and Thunder Burger at 3060 M Street, and L’Annexe at 2917 M Street.

Wider sidewalks will allow restaurants to provide outdoor dining that is more comfortable than the current outdoor dining that is in the street. Tables may be set up on the deck or on the sidewalk against the building, preserving the deck as clear pedestrian passage. In sections where restaurant dining is on the deck, the extensions will be six feet wide with concrete barriers around that entire section, in accordance with DDOT safety standards.

Retailers may be able to use the deck, or the sidewalk against the building. The city is currently deciding whether to allow retail streateries. If permitted, retailers would be allowed to display or sell merchandise in the widened area.

Sidewalk extension space that is not used by a restaurant or retailer will remain open to provide more space for pedestrians to comfortably walk through Georgetown, alleviating the crowded and uncomfortable conditions that have been common.

The current budget for this project is approximately $1.3 million. The BID received a grant from the DC Council in the FY 2021 budget for $500,000. The remainder will be paid for by the BID out of its capital projects budget.

Construction of the deck extension panels will begin in March 2021. Davis Construction will build the panels in a factory off-site and install panel sections as they are built. We anticipate that installation will begin in mid-April and be complete by mid-May. The sidewalk extensions will be in place through December 2021, and may be extended into 2022 and beyond if the businesses and the community want to keep them in place.

The BID hosted community meetings in March 2021 and December 2020. Upcoming community meetings will be held in June and September 2021, and more information about those meetings will be available closer to the date.

• March 24-25, 2021: Click here to view the March meeting presentation. Click here to view a recording of the March 24th meeting.
• December 21, 2020: Click here to view the December meeting presentation. Click here to view the recording of the 10:30am meeting and click here for the recording of the 6:30pm meeting.

In addition, the BID has presented at multiple ANC2E meetings since June; hosted meetings about sidewalk widening for BID members in June and July 2020; provided updates on sidewalk widening at BID Member meetings in October, 2020; shared updates in BID Member email updates; and included sidewalk widening in the Georgetown Recovery Plan.

The BID Clean Team will be responsible for monitoring the conditions of the sidewalk extension and keeping them clean and safe, including seasonal power washing and rodent abatement underneath the sidewalk extensions. Adjacent businesses that have a permit to use the deck extension for dining, retail, or other uses will be responsible for cleaning their section of deck, and all of their furnishings.

The BID will work with businesses, the community, the Historic Preservation Office, and other stakeholders to develop standards relating to signs on barriers and streateries using the deck.

The BID is developing an evaluation program to measure the impact of sidewalk widening and evaluate whether to continue the program beyond 2021. Because the sidewalk deck extensions are built using a modular system, we can modify, remove, or add decking in response to unanticipated issues that arise. We know that there will be a period of adjustment for everyone and we’re committed to making this program work for Georgetown.

Criteria may include the following:

• Pedestrian counts
• Visitor counts
• Sales data
• Leasing activity
• Vacancy rate
• Business feedback
• Resident feedback
• Visitor feedback
• Vacancy rate
• Double parking incidents
• Curbside conflicts
• Traffic congestion
• Parking availability
• Parking enforcement
• Media coverage
• Maintenance costs
• Crash data

The BID will conduct surveys throughout the pilot program in June and September, with exact dates TBD. Additional community meetings will also provide businesses and residents to provide feedback.

Loading zones and pick-up/drop-off zones will be available on most blocks, to accommodate loading, trash, parcel delivery, on-demand delivery, and other immediate loading. All existing loading zones on side streets will be maintained. Three types of zones are proposed:

• Flex Zone: 30 minute commercial loading Monday-Friday 7:00am-4:00pm; Immediate commercial loading all other times
• PUDO: Passenger pick-up/drop-off only 24/7
• Loading/Parking: 30 minute commercial loading Monday-Friday 7:00am-4:00pm; 2 hour paid parking Monday-Friday 4:00pm-10:00pm and Saturday 7:00am-10:00pm

The BID will also be working a loading management plan in 2021 and will be in touch with business owners and property owners to discuss loading operations. Click here for the results of the Georgetown Loading and Delivery survey conducted in November 2020.

On M Street, buses will stop in the travel lane and passengers will get on and off the bus from the extended deck. There will be a 32’ break in the barriers to allow for bus access and a warning strip on the edge of the deck to alert riders with disabilities. One bus stop on M Street will move slightly:

• Westbound stop at M Street and 33rd Street will move across the intersection to the west side of 33rd Street

On Wisconsin Avenue, most bus stops will remain as they are, and the bus will pull to the bus stop at the curb. Two bus stops on Wisconsin Avenue will move slightly:

• Northbound stop at Wisconsin Avenue and N Street will move to the north side of the crosswalk at Prospect Street
• Southbound stop at Wisconsin Avenue and P Street will move to the south side of Westbound P Street

Approximately 200 metered parking spaces will be removed on M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, less than the 224 spaces indicated in earlier plans. As the specific deck layout on each block has changed in response to business feedback and design requirements, fewer parking spaces will be removed. The BID is also working with parking garage operators to offer discounted parking rates, improve signage, market garages. Additionally, the BID will install more bike racks, scooter corrals, and dedicated ridesharing spaces.

DDOT conducted a corridor-wide traffic analysis, indicating the sidewalk extensions would have low to moderate impacts at 12 of 13 intersections in the project area. DDOT recommended changes at the intersection of M Street and Wisconsin Avenue and on the north side of the 3300 block of M Street, which have been incorporated into the plan.

Symmetra Design, an independent traffic engineering firm, provided supplemental analysis of traffic impacts to Georgetown. This supplemental analysis confirmed that the sidewalk widening would not adversely impact traffic flow.

For small snow events, the BID and adjacent property owners will remove all furnishings from the extension panels and pull the metal barriers onto the panels so that they are not damaged by deicing activities. For large events, the metal barriers will be pulled back up to 7’ from the roadway so that snow plows can push the snow onto the extension panels.

Utility companies must maintain access to their utility covers and infrastructure under the street. The BID will mark the outside edge and top of the deck to indicate the presence of a utility cover under that section of deck. The BID will also provide utility companies with a contractor that is available 24/7 to remove barriers and deck panels when needed.

Businesses using the deck should understand that there will be planned and unplanned utility work that may require temporary removal of the deck and a temporary suspension of their use of the deck. The BID will coordinate with utilities and businesses to the best of our ability to manage planned work.

Please email Joe Sternlieb at jsternlieb@georgetowndc.com and Jamie Scott at jscott@georgetowndc.com to ask questions or provide comments on the sidewalk widening plan.