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A comment period for this project closes
May 2, 2025:
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Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Multimodal Safety and Operational Improvements Plan/EA
Rock Creek Park » Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Multimodal Safety and Operational Improvements Plan/EA » Document List
Update: Comment Period Open Through May 2, 2025
The National Park Service values community involvement in shaping the development of the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Multimodal Safety and Operational Improvements Plan and corresponding Environmental Assessment. Comments are encouraged and will be accepted from April 2, 2025 through May 2, 2025 . Comments can be submitted electronically on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) site or by mail. Three files are available for review and comment:
RCPP Multimodal Public Scoping Summary. This 9-page document provides a summary of the concepts, developed by the National Park Service, for improvements to the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway in Rock Creek Park and the National Mall and Memorial Parks.
RCPP Multimodal Public Scoping Public Meeting Presentation. This 98-page document is the presentation file shared at the April 2, 2025 public meeting and includes the project background, parkway history, NEPA and Section 106 processes, existing conditions, and proposed concepts for improvements to the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway in Rock Creek Park and the National Mall and Memorial Parks.
Public Meeting Recording. This 2-hour video with transcription includes all information presented by the National Park Service on April 2, 2025 and an approximate 40-minute question-and-answer period with meeting attendees.
To submit comments online:
Click on the link on the left-hand side of this page that says "Open for Comment (1)". On the page that opens, under "Select a document to review and comment", click on "Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Public Scoping." To submit comments, click on the button that says "Comment Now".
To submit comments by mail:
Superintendent, Attn: RCPP Plan EA
National Park Service,
3545 Williamsburg Lane NW
Washington, DC 20008
Mailed comments must be postmarked by May 2, 2025, to receive consideration.
Please be aware that the entire comment submitted, including Personally Identifiable Information (PII), such as address, phone number, and email address may be made publicly available. Requests to withhold such PII from public release will be considered, but there is no guarantee it will be withheld.
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Update: Public Scoping Meeting, April 2, 2025 6 PM and Opportunity for Public Comment
The National Park Service invites the public to attend a virtual public meeting and share written comments on the development of the Plan and a corresponding Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway.
The Plan will:
- Improve safety for visitors and commuters.
- Minimize vehicle congestion.
- Increase pedestrian and bicycle safety and access.
- Extend the life of roads and trails while respecting the Parkway's scenic and historic character.
The Plan will examine the following improvements:
- Ending reversible lanes.
- Improving safety and operations at four locations affected by ending reversible lanes.
- Widening the Rock Creek Multi-Use Trail between P Street NW and Virginia Avenue NW.
- Installing a roadway barrier to improve safety between P Street NW and Virginia Avenue NW.
The Plan will also examine pavement resurfacing and restoration on the Parkway and its connecting ramps, sign improvements, pavement striping, and repair and installation of guardrails.
How to Participate:
The National Park Service values community involvement in shaping this project and you can participate in a few ways. The public is encouraged to attend the virtual public scoping meeting on April 2, 2025, to learn about the project, and is invited to submit written comments either online or by mail during the 30-day public comment period from April 2 to May 2, 2025. To submit comments, click on the link on the left-hand side of this page that says "Open for Comment (1)". On the page that opens, under "Select a document to review and comment", click on "Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Public Scoping Summary." The summary document can be opened by clicking on the link that says "RCPP Multimodal Public Scoping Summary Final 508.pdf", under the "Document Content" section. To submit comments, click on the button that says "Comment Now".
Virtual meeting details:
Date: April 2, 2025
Time: 6 to 8 p.m.
To join the meeting, click on the following link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZDY0MDFiY2UtMmQ0OC00ZTVmLTkwMzgtNWJkMThlYTZmMjg0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2216ed5ab4-2b59-4e40-806d-8a30bdc9cf26%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2209007ca8-0d33-4ae5-aaaf-1539ef19504b%22%7d
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In the spring of 2025, the National Park Service will engage with the public about an environmental review for the historic Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway. The project will focus on the stretch of roadway between the Beach Drive NW/Shoreham Drive NW intersection in Rock Creek Park to the north, to the Ohio Drive NW/E Street NW Expressway intersection in the National Mall and Memorial Parks to the south. It will look at potential safety and operational issues, including widening the multi-use trail between P Street NW and Virginia Avenue NW, ending one-way operations during rush hours, improving safety and traffic flow at key intersections, and consider center-lane safety improvements south of P Street NW. The project also proposes to rehabilitate the parkway pavement, replace missing streetlights, and fix damaged guardrails.
These concepts are based on a National Park Service study, completed under a contract with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Volpe center, that examined safety on the parkway and recommended solutions that improve public and US Park Police safety while preserving the historic character of the roadway. A copy of this report is uploaded to this web page. Click on the "Documents List" link on the left-hand side of this web page. In addition, Appendix C - - Vehicle Diversion Methodologies - - has also been uploaded to this web page.
The project, which will be considered under an Environmental Assessment, will start with public engagement. Please come back to this page to learn about the project meetings the National Park Service will be holding this spring. The National Park Service places a strong emphasis on public stakeholder engagement with projects on federal parkland. It is critical to the mission of the NPS to provide excellent resource stewardship, be a good neighbor and host, and to foster communications that helps the NPS achieve its mission.
The National Park Service values community involvement in shaping the development of the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Multimodal Safety and Operational Improvements Plan and corresponding Environmental Assessment. Comments are encouraged and will be accepted from April 2, 2025 through May 2, 2025 . Comments can be submitted electronically on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) site or by mail. Three files are available for review and comment:
RCPP Multimodal Public Scoping Summary. This 9-page document provides a summary of the concepts, developed by the National Park Service, for improvements to the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway in Rock Creek Park and the National Mall and Memorial Parks.
RCPP Multimodal Public Scoping Public Meeting Presentation. This 98-page document is the presentation file shared at the April 2, 2025 public meeting and includes the project background, parkway history, NEPA and Section 106 processes, existing conditions, and proposed concepts for improvements to the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway in Rock Creek Park and the National Mall and Memorial Parks.
Public Meeting Recording. This 2-hour video with transcription includes all information presented by the National Park Service on April 2, 2025 and an approximate 40-minute question-and-answer period with meeting attendees.
To submit comments online:
Click on the link on the left-hand side of this page that says "Open for Comment (1)". On the page that opens, under "Select a document to review and comment", click on "Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Public Scoping." To submit comments, click on the button that says "Comment Now".
To submit comments by mail:
Superintendent, Attn: RCPP Plan EA
National Park Service,
3545 Williamsburg Lane NW
Washington, DC 20008
Mailed comments must be postmarked by May 2, 2025, to receive consideration.
Please be aware that the entire comment submitted, including Personally Identifiable Information (PII), such as address, phone number, and email address may be made publicly available. Requests to withhold such PII from public release will be considered, but there is no guarantee it will be withheld.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Update: Public Scoping Meeting, April 2, 2025 6 PM and Opportunity for Public Comment
The National Park Service invites the public to attend a virtual public meeting and share written comments on the development of the Plan and a corresponding Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway.
The Plan will:
- Improve safety for visitors and commuters.
- Minimize vehicle congestion.
- Increase pedestrian and bicycle safety and access.
- Extend the life of roads and trails while respecting the Parkway's scenic and historic character.
The Plan will examine the following improvements:
- Ending reversible lanes.
- Improving safety and operations at four locations affected by ending reversible lanes.
- Widening the Rock Creek Multi-Use Trail between P Street NW and Virginia Avenue NW.
- Installing a roadway barrier to improve safety between P Street NW and Virginia Avenue NW.
The Plan will also examine pavement resurfacing and restoration on the Parkway and its connecting ramps, sign improvements, pavement striping, and repair and installation of guardrails.
How to Participate:
The National Park Service values community involvement in shaping this project and you can participate in a few ways. The public is encouraged to attend the virtual public scoping meeting on April 2, 2025, to learn about the project, and is invited to submit written comments either online or by mail during the 30-day public comment period from April 2 to May 2, 2025. To submit comments, click on the link on the left-hand side of this page that says "Open for Comment (1)". On the page that opens, under "Select a document to review and comment", click on "Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Public Scoping Summary." The summary document can be opened by clicking on the link that says "RCPP Multimodal Public Scoping Summary Final 508.pdf", under the "Document Content" section. To submit comments, click on the button that says "Comment Now".
Virtual meeting details:
Date: April 2, 2025
Time: 6 to 8 p.m.
To join the meeting, click on the following link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZDY0MDFiY2UtMmQ0OC00ZTVmLTkwMzgtNWJkMThlYTZmMjg0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2216ed5ab4-2b59-4e40-806d-8a30bdc9cf26%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2209007ca8-0d33-4ae5-aaaf-1539ef19504b%22%7d
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In the spring of 2025, the National Park Service will engage with the public about an environmental review for the historic Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway. The project will focus on the stretch of roadway between the Beach Drive NW/Shoreham Drive NW intersection in Rock Creek Park to the north, to the Ohio Drive NW/E Street NW Expressway intersection in the National Mall and Memorial Parks to the south. It will look at potential safety and operational issues, including widening the multi-use trail between P Street NW and Virginia Avenue NW, ending one-way operations during rush hours, improving safety and traffic flow at key intersections, and consider center-lane safety improvements south of P Street NW. The project also proposes to rehabilitate the parkway pavement, replace missing streetlights, and fix damaged guardrails.
These concepts are based on a National Park Service study, completed under a contract with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Volpe center, that examined safety on the parkway and recommended solutions that improve public and US Park Police safety while preserving the historic character of the roadway. A copy of this report is uploaded to this web page. Click on the "Documents List" link on the left-hand side of this web page. In addition, Appendix C - - Vehicle Diversion Methodologies - - has also been uploaded to this web page.
The project, which will be considered under an Environmental Assessment, will start with public engagement. Please come back to this page to learn about the project meetings the National Park Service will be holding this spring. The National Park Service places a strong emphasis on public stakeholder engagement with projects on federal parkland. It is critical to the mission of the NPS to provide excellent resource stewardship, be a good neighbor and host, and to foster communications that helps the NPS achieve its mission.