Barracks Row Retailers Oppose DOT Plan to Reduce Parking
By Larry Janezich
Posted June 27, 2024
Image: DDOT
Barracks Row would lose 18 parking spaces under the current concept for the 8th Bus Priority Project
Wednesday night, Andrew Grinberg, DDOT Project Planner for the 8th Street Bus Priority Project, presented the latest concept for the project to the ANC6B Transportation Committee, chaired by Commissioner Frank DeFontaine. The stated goal of the project is to improve bus service, safety, and access on the 8th Street Corridor from East Capitol to M Street, SE. Wednesday night’s focus was on the changes coming to the portion between Pennsylvania Avenue SE and the 8th Street overpass.
Recently, Barracks Row merchants have expressed concern to DDOT and ANC6B Commissioners that the plan would have a negative impact on their businesses because it would reduce the amount of 8th Street parking – parking which, they say, is utilized by patrons of their stores and restaurants. The plan would also reduce the space currently available for loading, and in the case of Yes! Organic, eliminate it entirely. Several of the merchants and restaurateurs attended last night’s virtual meeting to express their concerns to the committee and to Grinberg.
DDOT’s PowerPoint presentation showed a total of 18 spaces which would be lost between Pennsylvania Avenue and Eye Street, SE. Much of the eliminated parking will come from converting angled parking to parallel parking. The parking spaces currently being used for streateries would be unaffected.
DDOT is skeptical of the claims that this loss of parking will have a significant effect on the Barracks Row businesses, noting that the 54 parking spaces in the lot under the freeway are underutilized and that there are plans to make the lot more accessible and user friendly.
DDOT is in the process of finalizing the concept which will lead to construction beginning in 2025. The next step is for DDOT to engage in a collaborative process with the Barracks Row stakeholders to establish new curbside regulations. These could include:
- Increase or move loading zones
- Addition of short term parking in some locations to facilitate turnover
- Addition of handicap parking spaces
- Moped/scooter parking zones
Here’s a link to the 8th Street Bus Priority Project which has a link to the PowerPoint presentation to the ANC6B Transportation Committee last night: https://buspriority.ddot.dc.gov/pages/8thstse
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 
A single parking space will help a restaurant owner fill at best 1 table per hour, usually less. Better bus service can bring in a stream of folks every 5/10/15 minutes. You’d think they would prefer the option with a much higher limit on potential for business.
“In study after study in city after city around the world, researchers have found that merchants exaggerate the share of patrons who arrive by car and undercount those who walk, bike, or ride transit.” –Vox
I’m not a fan of parking, but as someone who regularly crosses 16th St NW, I’m concerned about the way buses pick up speed on their dedicated lanes. We seem to have a binary choice between uselessly slow and dangerously fast.
8th Street SE doesn’t have dedicated bus lanes.
The freeway parking lot needs better signage and advertisement. I always forget it’s there.
Yep. It’s always empty. They need to fix the lights too.
The biggest issue at the moment is that DDOT’s plan doesn’t contemplate commercial loading zones. It also does nothing to alleviate double parking by all of the food delivery apps that seem to think they can stop their cars anywhere. It’s almost nonstop double parking in front of the fire station.