• By Stephen Staudigl
• February 05, 2024

NCPC Approves Anacostia Riverwalk Trail Extension and National Arboretum Access Bridge Final Plans

At its February 1, 2024 meeting the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approved preliminary and final site development plans for the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail Extension and National Arboretum Access Bridge. Plans submitted by the National Park Service, in collaboration with the District Department of Transportation, are for the extension of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail through the Kenilworth portion of Anacostia Park and across the Anacostia River to the National Arboretum. The project will provide pedestrian and bicycle access to the National Arboretum from Ward 7 neighborhoods to the east of the river, and access to Anacostia Park (near Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens) from Ward 5 neighborhoods to the west of the river. A new 390-foot, multi-use bridge with three piers would carry the trail over the river.

The Commission heard testimony from 17 individuals. Two other testimonies were submitted, as well as 67 public comments. Commissioners took this input into consideration before deliberating on the project. They believed that the project will greatly improve pedestrian and bicycle accessibility across the Anacostia River and help connect neighborhoods on both sides, providing better access to the National Arboretum, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, and other amenities.

They supported a low-profile bridge design that will complement its surroundings, minimize disturbance of existing subsurface landfill on the river’s east side and subsurface contamination on the west side, and locate in-water piers outside of competitive rowing lanes. The bridge location is within a 3.5-mile stretch of river between Benning Road and Bladensburg, Maryland which does not have other pedestrian/bicycle river crossings.

The Commission approved preliminary building plans for the William Howard Taft Bridge Pedestrian Railing Improvements submitted by the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT). The approved Option 3A includes removing and replacing existing concrete pedestals and metal railings with new, taller railings and pedestals that meet the project’s safety requirements. The project entails constructing a suicide deterrent barrier system that minimizes impacts to the historic bridge’s existing fabric and viewsheds. The span, constructed between 1897 and 1907 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, carries Connecticut Avenue over Rock Creek Park.

Commissioners reiterated their support for the project’s objective to enhance pedestrian safety and deter future suicide attempts. They thought that option 3A best maintains the bridge’s original design. They recommended that DDOT continue refining the design by focusing on minimizing the top railing’s size and diameter, maximizing picket spacing, and providing appropriate fence transitions at the ends of the bridge.

NCPC provided comments to the General Servies Administration (GSA) on concept plans for the St. Elizabeths West Campus Gate 1 Garage and Site Development. Plans call for a four-story, underground garage with 1,500 employee parking spaces on the campus’ northeast corner off of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue. To help maintain the historic campus’s landscape, the garage’s roof would have a planted meadow with a woodland edge. A one-story 8,000 gross square foot security pavilion would also sit above the garage.

Commissioners liked the garage’s design and how it would be integrated into the landscape. They felt that the garage would provide functional, ecological, and stormwater management benefits to the campus. For the next review phase, they requested that GSA provide updates on applicable Environmental Impact Statement mitigation measures, especially those related to Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue roadway improvements.

Commission actions and related materials are available online.

The Commission approved three items on the Consent Calendar (no presentations were made). Unless otherwise noted, all projects are in Washington, DC.
1. Preliminary and final building plans for the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building Antenna Array Modifications, 451 7th Street, SW. (8514)
2. Preliminary and final building plans for the Hubert H. Humphrey Building Antenna Array Modifications, 200 Independence Avenue, SW. (8515)
3. Comments on concept plans District of Columbia Armory Vehicle Control Point Design, 2001 East Capitol Street, SE. (8517)