 |
FAQ's Why a Park? The Environment Get Involved Current Events Contact
|
Klingle Valley – Wilderness in the Heart of
the City
Klingle Valley is a heavily wooded stream valley with
100-year-old trees, a boulder-strewn creek with waterfalls, and a rich
diversity of birds and other wildlife. Widely enjoyed today by
cyclists, joggers, and families, it would be one of the jewels of the
D.C. park system – and one of the special wild places that make D.C.
great.
|
The Superintendent of Rock Creek Park, Adrienne Coleman, publicly opposes any paved road in Klingle Valley because it would pollute Rock Creek.. The closed part of Klingle Road runs directly alongside Klingle Creek, with no green buffer. A road would channel contaminated stormwater from Klingle Creek into Rock Creek, the Potomac, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.
|
The washed out section of Klingle Road is a steep, narrow, winding, unlighted ½-mile road running between Woodley Road and Porter Street. It does not cross Rock Creek Park, but connects to Porter, which does. Even before it washed out, Klingle Road carried less than 2 percent of the east-west traffic, according to DC DOT head Dan Tangherlini. DPW's traffic consultant recently concluded that Klingle Road "is incapable of relieving traffic or reducing the current level of service at surrounding intersections."
|
Because Klingle Valley is so steep and narrow, building a road there that meets today's engineering, safety, and environmental standards would be very complicated and expensive. Recently revised financial data that showed reconstructing the road would cost over $4.25 million more than the planned recreational green space. Accommodate both a recreational trail and a motor vehicle road would cost around $5.5 million more than just a recreational greenspace alternative, and that the hiker biker trail will add only about $200,000 to construction costs.
This large chunk of funding resources would be used for just a half-mile stretch of road that would essentially be a shortcut for a limited number of people. Maintenance costs would also be high because of the frequent floods that occur in Klingle Valley. Repairing the drainage problems and building and maintaining an impermeable walking/biking trail would cost considerably less.
Examples of How $4.25 million Could be Used
Twelve Natural Gas Buses: DDOT could purchase 12, 40-foot natural gas buses, with the capacity to carry approximately 5,900 passengers/day. (estimated cost of $343,500 each).
•Eight Fiscal Years of Traffic Calming Studies: DDOT could fund eight years of Traffic Calming Studies throughout the District for $4.25 million (estimated cost: $50,000 per study at a rate of ten studies per fiscal year).
