U.S. Highways in DC

[NE2]

(see froggie's post below - a routing is signed to bypass this non-turn)

Maps have long shown US 29 going K-11th-Rhode Island-7th-Georgia. But there's no left turn allowed from Rhode Island onto 7th; I don't know how recent this is. Have any signs been installed for US 29 in this area? Barring a move back to 16th, it looks like the best route would be 9th-Florida-Sherman-New Hampshire.

[Michael in Philly]

Oops!

I'm still used to it running Whitehurst/K/New Hampshire/16th.  But who follows US route numbers through a major city anyway?  (In other words, who other than us would actually notice?)

But it looks to me like they could route it from Rhode Island to 7th using Q St. NW.

[NE2]

But it looks to me like they could route it from Rhode Island to 7th using Q St. NW.

I suggest 9th-Sherman to avoid the recent two-lane (with bike lanes) piece of 7th. However, the part of 11th that US 29 follows has also been reconstructed in this manner. To avoid this, southbound could use 9th directly to K but northbound would need a few turns (K-11th-L-Mass-9th for example).

[NE2]

I found DDOT GIS data for the signed routes:
http://data.dc.gov/Metadata.aspx?id=425
http://data.dc.gov/Metadata.aspx?id=428

It has US 29 going directly from K to 7th via Mount Vernon Square, which is not possible because the last block of K is one-way.

[froggie]

RI to 6th to FL is the partially-signed workaround, since there's a left turn lane from EB Rhode Island to NB 6th.

Two problems with using 9th/Sherman.  First is that 9th is one-way southbound at Mt. Vernon Square, so you'd have to loop completely around the square in order to get from K St to 9th going north.  Second is that there are no left turns allowed from northbound New Hampshire onto northbound Georgia.

Your earlier comment suggests that US 29 should follow 4-lane streets and not 2-lane streets.  If that's how you feel, Sherman Ave won't work for you either since the city is in the process of reconstructing it into a 2-lane divided street.  The city also has plans to redo the short segment of Florida between 9th/V and Sherman Ave to add bike lanes and permanent on-street parking (vice during non-rush hour only).

It has US 29 going directly from K to 7th via Mount Vernon Square, which is not possible because the last block of K is one-way.

As I noted a few months ago, there are signs on northbound 11th.

[NE2]

Ah, thanks for the input. I guess US 1 and US 29 bump at RI and 6th.

Except for the issue of turning left from K to 16th (which appears to be legal but lacks a separate lane), moving US 29 back to 16th seems to be the best option. (Getting into fictional territory here...) North Capitol-New Hampshire is very tempting for a more major rerouting, given that it's by far the most (over?)built approach from the north.

But who follows US route numbers through a major city anyway?  (In other words, who other than us would actually notice?)

Given the lack of freeways in many corridors, well-signed routes would be useful for tourists, and could be part of a strategy to concentrate through traffic on several major streets, with others reconfigured to better serve the local communities.

[froggie]

Downtown is already at gridlock because of the *HUGE* volume of commuters.  "Concentrating through traffic" would have the effect of adding to it further on those "several major streets".   Nevermind that the commuters would use the "local community" streets in an attempt to bypass the gridlock and congestion, much as they do today.

In all reality, the best bet for the tourists isn't to drive into the city...it's to take Metro in.

[NE2]

In all reality, the best bet for the tourists isn't to drive into the city...it's to take Metro in.

I'm thinking more about a tourist, for example, coming from the north and staying in Rosslyn. He could go the long way around on I-495, but outside rush hour US 29 would probably be a reasonable alternative.

[froggie]

Other way around.  During rush hour, going through town is probably the better bet.  But the Beltway would be just as fast if not faster outside of rush hour.