December 17, 2007
New Traffic Pattern for Adams Morgan Harris Teeter
Adams Morgan residents on the streets surrounding the new Harris Teeter received official notice at the end of last week that the District Department of Transportation is changing the flow of traffic to accommodate the anticipated increase in cars on the surrounding residential streets. As it stands right now, all three streets that bound the block containing the store are two-way thoroughfares. As of January 21, they'll all become one-way. As detailed in the letter:
- 1600 block of Kalorama Street, will become one way, west bound, from 16th Street to 17th Street;
- 2400 block fo 17th Street, will become one way, north bound, from Kalorama Street to Euclid Street;
- 1600 block of Euclid Street, will become one way, east bound, from 17th Street to 16th Street.
Signs warning of the coming changes are to be posted in the neighborhood beginning today. The new pattern should help keep things moving on what were already fairly narrow two-way streets on the surrounding blocks — though there's sure to be head-scratching on Euclid, where traffic will run one way for a block and a half east of Columbia Road, two-way for a single block, and then back to one-way again until it hits 16th. DDOT said they would monitor the effects of the changes and make adjustments where necessary.
The letter also states that the changes are "due to the opening in March, 2008" of the store. With DDOT taking action to re-route traffic, perhaps this is finally a firm date (last time we reported on it, the opening was set for February). After seeing delay after delay, neighborhood residents probably aren't holding their breath.
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Does anyone know if there will be a charge for parking?
I hope so - if people want to drive into the neighborhood, they should have to pay for that privilege. Those of us walking and biking aren't putting any costs on the store to provide the parking.
Will that store have any parking aside from street parking?
Yes, the Harris Teeter will have parking. There is a small lot behind the store as well as underground parking beneath the store. I'm not sure how much of the back lot belongs to HT. Still, I am bracing for the parking clusterf*ck to commence!
Last report had the Teeter with 90 parking spaces. But that was in 2005; they might have re-negotiated it since then. The Pentagon Row/Crystal City/Penn Ave SE stores all have parking lots; usually the first hour is free.
The parking lot behind the Harris Teeter is the resident parking lot for the Dorchester House Apartments. The only off-street parking for the HT is in their garage. This Washington Post story says the garage was originally slated for 90 spots.
hahahahaha...that harris teeter is NOT opening in march. have you looked in the windows? nothing. zip. zero. and i never see them working on it.
The small lot behind the store is private parking for residents of the Dorchester unless there is some other small lot I'm unaware of.
I think, regardless of parking, the traffic situation in the neighborhood will be ridiculous. The streets are clearly not wide enough to support such an increase in traffic.
i think an important question here that the store should be asked is, "will you offer grocery delivery service?"
whole foods and harris teeter should offer delivery, as safeway and giant do.
in an urban setting, it would do wonders to cut down on traffic. having a delivery service would eliminate many trips made by automobile.
of course, i know that they don't want to offer delivery. they'd rather you came into the store looking for $10 worth of items and end up making some impulse purchases that leave you with a $25 bill at the check-out...
Thanks for the parking info, everyone. I had forgotten about the garage.
The one way streets might help the traffic flow a little bit, but (to quote the poster above...) it still looks like a bit of a "clusterf*ck." I hope that a lot of people will just walk or bike there.
On another note, I saw the Happy Mondays play in that building a long time ago.
The whole point of adding neighborhood supermarkets is so that neighbors don’t have to drive, or even take a bus, to buy groceries. You drive to Whole foods, Trader Joe’s, Rodman’s and Costco, but walk to whichever Giant/Safeway/Harris Teeter is closest or most convenient, unless you’re particularly annoyed that one store just keeps running out of one of your staples, and you walk a few minutes more out of your way to an alternative. I’m surprised that it sounds like such a foreign concept to many. And if you really want to discuss those few shoppers who drive, I expect that if HT is so impractical to get to by car, drivers will go to a more car-accessible supermarket, like the Columbia Heights Giant. With that idea, the less parking spots at HT, the better, so we don't encourage anyone to drive there.
“of course, i know that they don't want to offer delivery. they'd rather you came into the store looking for $10 worth of items and end up making some impulse purchases that leave you with a $25 bill at the check-out...”
Uhh, does Peapod really do many deliveries of $10 worth of groceries?
That's a lovely idea Pru, but I know people who live in Adams Morgan near Pierce Park and who have said they will drive to the Harris Teeter when it opens...lovely....
Walking to the supermarket is fine if you're the type who goes a few times a week on the way home from work. But if you do your grocery shopping once a week, chances are that you'll want to drive. Carrying a week's worth of groceries more than two blocks is most definitely not fun. While I'm sure the Harris Teeter will have alot more walk-up traffic than a traditional grocery store, there will still be people who will drive.
For deliveries -- when I lived in Ireland, the supermarkets there would deliver your groceries for free if you spent more than 20 pounds in the store. I've always wondered why you don't see more urban grocery stores in the U.S. doing that.
you're right, pru, peapod doesn't deliver $10 worth of groceries, and i guess i was mixing stories there. for your small grocery runs, deliveries won't help, but i think it's still valid that some stores want you to come in (and not have stuff delivered) so that they can entice you to bump your $80 purchase up to $100, let's say...
regardless of the numbers, 'window shopping' in the aisles results in a net gain for the store.
People drive to supermarkets because walking with groceries sucks. HT is going to provide parking no matter what, because the fat and lazy are their favorite and most profitable customers.
"But if you do your grocery shopping once a week, chances are that you'll want to drive."
I found that the trick was to break that habit of going once a week.. but that's only really viable if the store is really close, and you can't have a grocery store close to everyone.. the density in DC just won't support it. That may be an aspect that pru didn't take into account.
"when I lived in Ireland, the supermarkets there would deliver your groceries for free if you spent more than 20 pounds in the store. I've always wondered why you don't see more urban grocery stores in the U.S. doing that."
Many places do this.. but instead of delivering the groceries, they will give you a ride home (IMGoph's post hits on the reasoning). I know the Safeway in SW does this, and stores in other places I've lived also did it.
"But if you do your grocery shopping once a week, chances are that you'll want to drive."
I found that the trick was to break that habit of going once a week.. but that's only really viable if the store is really close, and you can't have a grocery store close to everyone.. the density in DC just won't support it. That may be an aspect that pru didn't take into account.
"when I lived in Ireland, the supermarkets there would deliver your groceries for free if you spent more than 20 pounds in the store. I've always wondered why you don't see more urban grocery stores in the U.S. doing that."
Many places do this.. but instead of delivering the groceries, they will give you a ride home (IMGoph's post hits on the reasoning). I know the Safeway in SW does this, and stores in other places I've lived also did it.
(I usually don't complain.. but is it really that hard to run a website, gothamist? cmon..)
The old A&P groceries in DC used to hire neighborhood kids to deliver groceries on their bikes and Radio Flyer wagons. Don't think their insurance would cover that nowdays. Too bad kids can make more money selling their soiled underwear on the Internet than delivering food, but there it is.
"On another note, I saw the Happy Mondays play in that building a long time ago."
Aw, c'mon now, idontwantadcistid, now you're just twisting my melon, man.
Hey Harris Teeter, come away from that place
You know they're gonna take away your parking space
Hey Adams Morgan they just wants what you got you know
They'll never bother with a new parking lot
They're gonna step on you again.
They're gonna step on you.
It's gonna be weird shopping for groceries where I once saw Siouxsie & the Banshees play a show.
PEOPLE!!!! Haven't any of you ever seen or used an apartment cart? Geeeesh. Who in their right mind would carry groceries for blocks when you can use the cart in the store and to haul them back?
You think that's weird? Next time you're in line at the CVS on Columbia Road, just think about the fact that the Ramones and the Clash both played there...
Walking to the supermarket is fine if you're the type who goes a few times a week on the way home from work. But if you do your grocery shopping once a week, chances are that you'll want to drive.
I 'unno, I do my shopping once a week (the lines at the Senegalese Safeway are so awful you wouldn't want to visit it any more than necessary), and it would never occur to me to drive, or even use the courtesy car.
Yeah, I'm single, so I don't need much. And I've got cloth shopping bags, which are much easier to carry than plastic ones. And I don't drink pop, which helps keep the grocery weight down. But single Brita-owning eco-weenies are a major market segment in DC, and we can easily walk home with a week's groceries.
"People drive to supermarkets because walking with groceries sucks."
Don't fear the foldable grocery cart!
http://www.stacksandstacks.com/shop/view-all.html?productId=20
Shoppers around the world use them! Of course, since they do use them, they get a better selection of those in the eurozone http://www.chariot-course.com/
Although the opening has been delayed numerous times, I tend to believe this time it will open in March. We live next door, I walk my dog past it every morning, and there are always contractors, delivery people, construction workers, supervisors, etc. heading in to the HT building for work in the morning.
At least this time DDOT sent us all a notice about the street changes...last time (about 8 months ago) they just put up the one way/do not enter signs and expected us all to figure it out. When you live there and are so used to driving the same direction on those roads, it takes awhile to realize you are now driving the wrong way! Then the signs disappeared as fast as they went up.
As a resident of the area, I have mixed feelings on the opening of the HT. Positive, because I hate the lines/service/selection at the Safeway and don't feel like driving to Giant/WF/TJs for groceries, and it helps the neighborhood in general. Negative is all the increased foot and car traffic, and of course these new pain in the rear traffic regulations that make me drive around in circles to get home.
I always have to hold my breath when I walk down 17th Street, particularly on Sunday mornings. Between the urine, Jumbo Slice remains, and vomit, it can smell a little ripe. Here's to hoping that the rats at Harris Teeter don't leap at your head when you walk past their dumpsters.
Wizzyliz: exactly!
These look easier to handle than the clunky all-metal ones and less likely to lose a wheel on the way home: http://www.lifestylecart.com
It's not just fat lazy people who drive. WHen you have small kids and the groceries include bulky stuff like diapers and it's raining, all self-righteous environmentalism goes out the door.
I live a few blocks from the HT and I'll usually walk, but will definitely drive sometimes as well. If they don't have parking, I'll go to Giant-Tivoli or Whole Paycheck instead.
right on, DC Daddy. "self-righteous environmentalism" should always go out the door, but it seems hard to have one without the other... Never driving only makes sense for single local people who dont also have a case of beer/week habit.
PEOPLE!!!! Haven't any of you ever seen or used an apartment cart?
I've got one, but I rarely use it. My groceries usually just aren't bulky enough to make it necessary. Typically, I only have to break it out before a dinner party, or when I run out of laundry detergent and toilet paper.
Never driving only makes sense for single local people who dont also have a case of beer/week habit.
I dunno how it is where you live, but my local Safeway doesn't carry beer, so I have to make a separate trip for that. And a nice thing about DC is that we have lots of liquor stores, so I only have to go a few blocks -- easily walkable, even with a case over each shoulder.
I feel sorry for the folks on Euclid where the traffic will be two ways for one block. I am sure that people are going to be laying down on the horn trying to deal with people not paying attention.
So......when is the Harris Teeter at the Potomac Ave metro stop opening?
Yes, it's great when you can walk to the grocery store. And for a lucky few that's a great luxury.
But let's be honest. That's just not a logical option for many of us. Here on the Hill I'll still be at least 10 blocks from any decent supermarket even after the HT and such open. I'm simply not going to walk 20 blocks round trip to go shopping. Especially in crappy weather, with melting frozen goods, etc.
If that makes me an environment-hater, so be it.
DC is not NY. And as long as people keep fighting any sort of infill development we never will have enough density to truly have a walkable city for the majority of city residents.
I'm all for walking to the store, but be careful. With the amount of armed robberies within 3 blocks of the store lately, it's not somewhere where I would walk after dark, alone, or with a group of 6. Hopefully more traffic of all kinds, foot, bike, or car will help to make Adams Morgan a safer place to live.
Be aware and be careful.
I'm all for walking to the store, but be careful. With the amount of armed robberies within 3 blocks of the store lately, it's not somewhere where I would walk after dark, alone, or with a group of 6. Hopefully more traffic of all kinds, foot, bike, or car will help to make Adams Morgan a safer place to live.
Be aware and be careful.
I'm all for walking to the store, but be careful. With the amount of armed robberies within 3 blocks of the store lately, it's not somewhere where I would walk after dark, alone, or with a group of 6. Hopefully more traffic of all kinds, foot, bike, or car will help to make Adams Morgan a safer place to live.
Be aware and be careful.