The opening of the new AC Hotel Bethesda and the Corella Café & Lounge has been delayed until August, but today I have a sneak peek inside the future restaurant. You may recognize some of the interior features, such as the wiry hanging sculptures and bar area, from the renderings I posted last December. So far, it is looking exactly like those images, down to the accent lighting along the walls. Let's take a sneak peek inside, and a new walkaround of the public spaces and art installations outside the AC Hotel and the adjoining Avocet Tower, located at 7373 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda.
7 comments:
That entire area is totally screwed up. Please report on the ridiculous bike lane that has forever, it seems, taken a much needed travel lane out of commission. Who is making these decisions? The "green party"? The bike lane is one block. There's a new light pole that has a stop light on top of it and it's facing toward EW Highway not towards Wisc Ave. What is that for? Lastly, the stupid planners should have seen the development coming because, well, they're the planners approving these projects, and reversed the one lane direction on Old Geo'twn to EW Highway which used to be two-way traffic in front of Our Lady of Lourdes, BCC, etc heading down the hill on EW. That short sight has snarled the traffic and it's awfully tough to get to places along there because of it. Add to that the one block bike lane. Unreal.
The bike lane is part of a whole network of separated bike lanes around and through downtown Bethesda. Lots more to come to connect the walkable downtown with much safe and protected pathways. It takes time to build these out.
I agree that the one way loop on East West Highway, Old Georgetown Road, and parts of Woodmont and Montgomery Lane should be reverted back to full two way traffic. The Downtown Bethesda Sector Plan has made this a priority, but I have not yet heard when it will happen. One way streets are terrible ideas for urban areas as they increase traffic speed and reduce the visibility of adjacent retail signage, for very little reduction in congestion management. The goal is not to get traffic to flow quickly through and around Bethesda, encouraging folks to pass through, but to make it a better destination. We don’t need mini-freeways passing through downtown at high speed. More two way streets would help disperse traffic around more streets, reducing overall congestion.
7:15 - A very good reply I must say. I don't understand the bike lane build out when they take out of commission travel lanes which clogs traffic not making it flow. People need to get to places not be logged jammed while doing errands in town or whatever. The goal should be to let the traffic flow as freely as possible. It's to make it a better destination? I would argue that it's already a desirable destination. The one-way should be opened up and I am glad someone else agrees with that. It's silly to have to go around Bethesda Hyatt on Old Geo'twn Road just to get to EW Highway eventually. I can tell you that getting to BCC, Our Lady of Lourdes and other places along there, is far from simple now. It'll never change but should. This is only the beginning because the other side of Wisc Ave (Chevy Chase Cars side, etc) will soon be blown up with major projects. Is all that bad? No, but again, traffic needs to flow. Not all can be or want to be walking or on bikes and certainly not parents dropping kids off and picking them up at school.
6:20 the bike lane design has been explained to you repeatedly. If you still are unable to comprehend then maybe just move on with your life and accept you aren't a traffic engineer.
OK Mr. Anonymous 9:17, explain it to us.
9:17 - Traffic=good, cars=bad, bike lanes=good.
You need that explained to you? The radical Left, which has totally taken Biden hostage, wants high gas prices. They want heavy traffic. And true to form here locally, they echo those green utopian views. Bike lanes are good and cars are bad. Not sure that's so hard to see. Why else would anyone take a popular and much needed travel lane out of commission or never ends the streetery? Please.
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