K Street Bus Plans Would Reduce Parking

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Planners in D.C. want to reduce the parking spaces on K Street NW, and add two or three lanes for the exclusive use of buses.

Traffic is slow on the K Street corridor, home of many of D.C.'s law and lobbying firms.

Bus rider Hayley Severance said, on Thursday -- during the rainy weather -- it took her one hour and 45 minutes to go by bus from Georgetown to K Street.

The current design of the roadway is about 30 years old. K Street has main traffic lanes and service roadways. The service roads allow parking.

Planners want to convert two or three lanes of traffic into lanes which will be used exclusively by buses. Some proposals also call for a bicycle lane.

The service roadways and most of the parking would disappear. Planners believe the reconfiguration would speed the buses through the busy corridor.

Mary Sutherland, who parked her car on K Street in the early afternoon, was appalled at the idea.

"I think we need more parking, not less parking," said Sutherland, who was late for a meeting because she had to circle the block so many times waiting for a space to open up.

Merchants are also worried about fewer parking spots. Shashi Sharma, a manager at A-1 Wines and Liquors on K Street, pointed out many of his customers, "park their cars for five minutes, then come in..." Sharma predicted a reduction in on-street parking would be, "bad for business."

On the net:
K Street Bus Plans Details