The future of the two Bethesda Streateries, which utilize closed streets to provide outdoor dining space, will diverge in two different directions next month. The Norfolk Avenue Streatery in the Woodmont Triangle will remain in place. But on September 7, 2022, the Woodmont Avenue Streatery at Bethesda Row will close. The street will partially reopen to automobile traffic while an extension of the Bethesda Avenue bikeway is constructed along that stretch of Woodmont.
“The Streeteries have provided a practical solution to a pandemic-related problem,” Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said in a statement yesterday. “They served as much-needed gathering spaces during the pandemic and provided a creative solution. Now as the situation has changed, we worked with the community in each area to decide how these spaces will continue to operate. The Streeteries showed new possibilities and I would like to see how we might continue some form of these activities as we move beyond just trying to accommodate the activities within the constraints of the pandemic.”
To that end, the County has hired a consultant to determine if there is a way to expand sidewalk space and shrink the two streets down to one lane in each direction, to allow for a narrower but permanent Streatery. The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center will be circulating a survey to gather feedback on the Streateries from residents and affected businesses, the center announced in an email yesterday. Bethesda Row's property owner, Federal Realty, is also exploring the addition of more outdoor dining space there, the announcement said.
Good Decision. Woodmont Ave is more appropriate for car traffic anyways……….
ReplyDeleteWell, at least some progress. No reason whatsoever for these streets to remain closed. This was a Covid measure and not a bad idea at first. But now we need to get back to normal. These are streets and not parks. The Left though would love nothing more than to never see cars here again and that's what I predict we'll see with Comrade Elrich who will be the primary winner (ouch) and will beat the pants of Sully Reardon in the Fall. Green Energy is a new religion don't forget.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the Streeatery on Woodmont in Bethesda Row was a nice pedestrian space during Covid, it seems wrong to keep this ad-hoc idea going much longer. I live in the area, and I’m getting very tired of the temporary barricades, and temporary dining at picnic tables, and the underused seating pavilions.
ReplyDeleteThis street has restaurants, offices and retail shops along its frontage. Complete and street closure doesn’t seem fair to the non-restaurant tenants.
I would like to see the streetscape redesigned to enlarge the width of the outdoor dining areas on both sides, but preserve two lanes of traffic, without parking, and separated two way bike-lane on the east side. The new design should consider how the future Capital Crescent Civic Green will be developed, and provide a cohesive and integrated design of both spaces.
Regarding the north side of Old Georgetown Road. Maybe making one of the side streets a pedestrian mall with outdoor dining would be nice. Keeping Norfolk may impede businesses overall by just cutting down traffic all together.
ReplyDeleteWhat does The street will partially reopen to automobile traffic while an extension of the Bethesda Avenue bikeway is constructed along that stretch of Woodmont" mean - will the streetery return after the extension is constructed?
ReplyDeleteShould be the other way around.
ReplyDeleteOther way around? Yes, those nasty cars. Let's setup tables in the middle of every street in Bethesda. Why not out front of the diner or on Wisconsin outside the new Channel 5? The women's market is historic but closing. Why not block all traffic there? Ridiculous. They're called streets not parks.
ReplyDeleteThe latest re the survey mentioned in the press release. It has been reopened, so comment away ASAP about the Woodmont Ave location! (unsure of the deadline)
ReplyDelete"The survey for the Woodmont streatery was closed. However, based on the recent DOT press release and the mention of the survey, I've requested it be reopened. You may participate here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf1-jsPRVW1O0btb7IOrs1Sk3MUA00KFJi0F4YxjIlyyrNhYQ/viewform
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Pete Fosselman
Peter Fosselman
Director, Regional Services
Montgomery County, MD
Bethesda, Cabin John, Chevy Chase,
Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,
North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville, and Twinbrook Communities
301-524-0645 Cell"
@5:55am! You're not understanding the meaning of "other way around." The Streetery/Streetery in front of Rock Bottom is the one that needs to be shut down and reopened to traffic, but they won't...one reason is the Friday free concert series. The other Streetery/Streetery seems to have more invested in it, such as those rainbow painted gazebos and way more pic-i-nic benches along with the curving dog leg shape of that segment of the road. Hence, "the other way around" simply means that BUP?! is closing the one which IMHO, should be eliminated!
ReplyDelete5:46 - I see what you mean and I'm in partial agreement. I don't understand why any of these closures are still in tact. Again, these are streets not pedestrian parks.
DeleteI really don’t get the obsession with opening the roads. The whole area is grid it’s not that hard to get around. Traffic is the same as always. It’s nice to have outdoor space to enjoy the community while shopping and eating without some loud car going by. Plus having a space right at the start of the CCT was nice. Both areas are pretty heavily used as frequent them daily. Getting rid of them seems a waste of a good idea.
ReplyDelete7:32 - Do you think that roads should be roads and parks should be parks? Because where these areas are setup are called roads and are and were designed for motor vehicles.
Delete3:31, just like how the area has changed. Designations can change. Why is wrong to convert something into a park?
Delete3:31 seems like the designations are permanent to you. The truth is anything is changeable, parks have been converted into roads or further development, why can’t the same be said for excessive roads?
Delete1:48 - That's just silly and should never happen not in the areas we're talking about anyway. I'm not naive though and understand full well that that's the very intention here to never allow vehicular traffic again. Elrich and his ilk believe just like CA does. Cars are bad and should be severely restricted. Bottom line, the voters, the taxpayers, should decide not bloated bureaucrats who need to go on a diet in more ways than one. These were temporary Covid measures period end of story. No one asked for these to become permanent. They're roads remember?
ReplyDeleteI asked for these to become permanent
Delete10:10 - One voice among the many who could care less about these Covid setups. People are and should be outraged but few speak up because they have busy lives and have stuff to do. Make no mistake, the vast majority want these roads opened up.
ReplyDeleteNot really boss sampling locals and Nextdoor says the exact opposite of what you want
ReplyDeleteSo it would seem to me that you’re the one mistaken
ReplyDeleteGreat forums. Not. Not nearly I representative sample
ReplyDeleteWhat’s your sample exactly? The four posts here?
ReplyDelete" Nextdoor says the exact opposite of what you want"
ReplyDeleteWell there you have it - if Nextdoor says so, it must be! Perhaps you are not aware that most of those who use Nextdoor are Lefty types? It fits their MO.
So you have a skewed point of view. And how do you factor in that gas taxes paid/pay for the roads and upkeep (such as it is).
You didn’t answer the question bud. But I guess that’s the righty prerogative. Also
DeleteYou mean the taxes that cover all roads….I don’t really gets how that relates to a 200 ft stretch of road. What’s the upkeep Pennies on the dollar if that?
7:52 Thank you for making that point. 100% correct. No, not a very good representative sample at all.
ReplyDeleteWhat would a more representative sample be? Have there been polls, some data is better than no data
Delete