ANC6D Blisters DC Circulator Re Changing Eastern Market/L’Enfant Plaza Route

ANC6D Blisters DC Circulator Re Changing Eastern Market/L’Enfant Plaza Route

by Larry Janezich

Last night ANC6D did not hold back in its criticism of DC Circulator’s proposal to eliminate the Eastern Market/Barracks Row portion of the bus service to L’Enfant Plaza via M Street and extend the route from L’Enfant to Mt. Vernon Square.  In doing so, it joined ANC6B’s more measured opposition to cutting the Eastern Market/Barracks Row section of the route last week.  ANC6D went further both in rhetoric and in action, opposing ANY change in the current service.    

Commissioner Andrew Bosssi made the motion to oppose changing in the route, saying that L’Enfant Plaza was already well connected to Mt. Vernon Square by bus service and lamented the loss of a connection to Eastern Market for Southwest residents.  He said a one-seat ride to Eastern Market and Barracks Row was critical to those who live in Southwest. 

Commissioner Andy Litsky opposed both the proposal and the process, noting that Mayor Bowser attended last month’s virtual ANC6D meeting where transportation issues were central to the discussion and a handful of days later, DC Circulator put forward this proposal without  notice.  He termed DDOT’s skipping consultation with the ANC “nonsense – not the way to approach a route change”, adding “The Mayor should be ashamed … the Circulator needs to be preserved the way it is.  I hope the Mayor embraces the ANC’s recommendation”.

Commissioner Rikki Kramer termed the proposal “outrageous” saying she had heard from constituents opposed to the route change.  She noted that DDOT’s agenda “is not usually aligned with resident’s needs”.

The motion to send a letter opposing the route change passed unanimously, 7 – 0. 

Here’s a link to the DC Circulator Transportation study:  http://www.dccirculator.com/tdp2020/   (See pages 114 – 116).