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| BID Programs > Public Space Improvements Public Space ImprovementsThe Downtown BID is working with the city to implement a physical improvement program that includes brighter and more attractive new street lights, a top quality signage and wayfinding system, upgraded sidewalks, new street furniture and landscaping. New streetscapes and public places like markets and sidewalk cafes will also be developed to make Downtown vibrant throughout the day and into the evening. Great downtowns have great pedestrian streets. Since 1997, the Downtown BID has worked to upgrade our public environment by designing high quality streetscapes standards and pushing for new, pedestrian-friendly lighting, trees, seating, trash cans, planters, banners and kiosks. In 1998 and 1999, the Downtown BID initiated a process to develop new streetscape standards for our area. The District government adopted the standards that came out of this process as design guidelines for new city regulations that went into effect in early 2000. We anticipate that most Downtown sidewalks will be upgraded to the new standards over the next decade as DDOT now builds these new streetscape designs into their routine Downtown street reconstruction and resurfacing contracts. Today, Downtown DC has new streetscapes that welcome you to stroll, sit, shop, eat, and people-watch - exactly what a great street should encourage you to do! The private sector invested more than $13 million in new Downtown sidewalks, lighting, and street furniture, while the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) invested another $11 million. Completed public projects include G Street in front of the Martin Luther King Library, 9th Street from the National Portrait Gallery to the FBI building and H Street in Chinatown from 4th to 9th Street. DDOT and the National Park Service are collaborating currently to reconfigure and upgrade Thomas Circle. This project will include nearly $1 million in streetscape work, in addition to utility upgrades and traffic/circulation improvements. One of the most significant public projects to date has been the 10th Street reconstruction from Pennsylvania Avenue to H Street. Nearly $3 million went into resurfacing and reconstructing the streets and sidewalks with particular emphasis on the historic 500 block in front of the Ford's Theatre and the Pedersen House (where President Lincoln died). New streetlights, curbs, sidewalks, street trees and stoplights help to create a pedestrian friendly experience for 1.5 million annual visitors. All of the Downtown BID's work on streetscape standards have been put into a book of guidelines to make it very easy for developers and their architects, as well as city engineers, to design the newly required high quality streetscapes. The guidelines include a comprehensive section on Street Furniture and Streetscape Components and can be downloaded from the BID website. (Please note that this PDF document is 44MB, and may take several minutes to download depending on your connection speed.) The city's Downtown streetscape regulations can be found on the DDOT website. For more information: |
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