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{{short description|Parkway in Washington D.C.}}
{{Distinguish|Rock Creek Park}}
{{Distinguish|Rock Creek Park}}
{{Infobox road
{{Infobox road
|state=DC
|header_type=hist
|type=Pkwy
|country=USA
|name=Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway
|route=Rock Creek and Potomac
⚫
|maint=[[National Park Service|NPS]]
|marker_image=none
|map=Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Map.svg
|map=Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Map.svg
|map_notes=Map of the District of Columbia with Rock Creek Parkway highlighted in red
|map_notes=Map of the District of Columbia with Rock Creek Parkway highlighted in red
|length_mi=2.9
|length_mi=2.9
|length_round=2
|length_ref=<ref name="google"/>
|length_ref=<ref name="google"/>
|established=1944
|established=1944
|restrictions=No commercial vehicles<ref name="restrictions">[http://cfr.vlex.com/vid/7-96-national-capital-region-19768726 36 CFR 7.96 (f )(1))] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804073738/http://cfr.vlex.com/vid/7-96-national-capital-region-19768726 |date=2009-08-04 }}</ref>
|restrictions=No trucks<ref name="restrictions">[http://cfr.vlex.com/vid/7-96-national-capital-region-19768726 36 CFR 7.96 (f )(1))] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804073738/http://cfr.vlex.com/vid/7-96-national-capital-region-19768726 |date=2009-08-04 }}</ref>
⚫
|maint=[[National Park Service|NPS]]
|direction_a=South
|direction_a=South
|terminus_a=[[Lincoln Memorial|Lincoln Memorial Circle]] on the [[National Mall]]
|terminus_a=[[Lincoln Memorial|Lincoln Memorial Circle]] on the [[National Mall]]
|junction=
⚫
|junction={{jct|state=DC|I|66}} in [[Foggy Bottom]]<br>{{jct|state=DC|US|29}} in [[West End, Washington, D.C.|West End]]
*{{jct|state=DC|I|66}} in [[Foggy Bottom]]
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*{{jct|state=DC|US|29}} in [[West End, Washington, D.C.|West End]]
|direction_b=North
|direction_b=North
|terminus_b=Shoreham&nbsp;/ [[Beach Drive|Beach]] Drives in [[Rock Creek Park]]
|terminus_b=Shoreham&nbsp;/ [[Beach Drive|Beach]] Drives in [[Rock Creek Park]]
|system={{infobox road/browselinks/USA|state=DC}}
|embedded={{Infobox NRHP
|embedded={{Infobox NRHP
| name = Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Historic District
| name = Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Historic District
| nrhp_type =
| nrhp_type =
| location= Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, [[Washington, D.C.|Washington, District of Columbia]]
| location = Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, [[Washington, District of Columbia|Washington, D.C.]]
| coordinates = {{coord|38|54|47|N|77|3|16|W|display=inline}}
| coordinates = {{coord|38|54|47|N|77|3|16|W|display=inline}}
| built = 1889
| built = 1889
| architect = Olmsted, Frederick Law, Jr.; Langdon, James G.
| architect = Olmsted, Frederick Law, Jr.; Langdon, James G.
| architecture = Designed Historic Landscape
| architecture = Designed Historic Landscape
| added = May 4, 2005
| added = May 4, 2005
| area = {{convert|0|acre}}
| area = {{convert|0|acre}}
⚫
| mpsub = {{NRHP url|id=64500258|title=Parkways of the National Capital Region MPS}}
| governing_body = National Park Service
⚫
| refnum = 05000367<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2009a|dateform=mdy}}</ref>
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| mpsub = {{NRHP url|id=64500258|title=Parkways of the National Capital Region MPS}}
⚫
| embed = yes
⚫
| refnum = 05000367<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2009a|dateform=mdy}}</ref>
⚫
| embed= yes
}}
}}
}}
}}
The '''Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway''', often known simply as the '''Rock Creek Parkway''', is a [[parkway]] maintained by the [[National Park Service]] as part of [[Rock Creek Park]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] It runs next to the [[Potomac River]] and [[Rock Creek (Potomac River)|Rock Creek]] in a generally north–south direction, carrying four lanes of traffic from the [[Lincoln Memorial]] and [[Arlington Memorial Bridge]] north to a junction with [[Beach Drive (DC)|Beach Drive]] near [[Connecticut Avenue (DC)|Connecticut Avenue]] at Calvert Street, N.W., just south of the [[National Zoological Park (United States)|National Zoological Park]].
The '''Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway''', informally called the '''Rock Creek Parkway''', is a [[parkway]] maintained by the [[National Park Service]] as part of [[Rock Creek Park]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] It runs next to the [[Potomac River]] and [[Rock Creek (Potomac River)|Rock Creek]] in a generally north–south direction, carrying four lanes of traffic from the [[Lincoln Memorial]] and [[Arlington Memorial Bridge]] north to a junction with [[Beach Drive]] near [[Connecticut Avenue (DC)|Connecticut Avenue]] at Calvert Street, N.W., just south of the [[National Zoological Park (United States)|National Zoological Park]]. During [[rush hour]]s, the parkway is converted to one-way traffic corresponding to the peak direction of travel: southbound in the morning and northbound in the afternoon.


The Parkway was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on May 4, 2005. Built from 1923 to 1936, it is "one of the best-preserved examples of the earliest stage of motor parkway development".<ref>{{cite web |work= [[Historic American Buildings Survey]] |id= No. DC-697 |url= http://loc.gov/pictures/item/dc0806/ |title= Rock Creek & Potomac Parkway |publisher= Library of Congress}}</ref>
The Parkway was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on May 4, 2005. Built from 1923 to 1936, it is "one of the best-preserved examples of the earliest stage of motor parkway development".<ref>{{cite web |work= [[Historic American Buildings Survey]] |id= No. DC-697 |url= http://loc.gov/pictures/item/dc0806/ |title= Rock Creek & Potomac Parkway |publisher= Library of Congress}}</ref>

⚫
During [[rush hours]], a [[reversible lane]] setup is used between [[Ohio Drive (DC)|Ohio Drive]] and [[Connecticut Avenue (DC)|Connecticut Avenue]] to permit all lanes to be used for the predominant direction of travel. More specifically, the Parkway is [[one-way traffic|one-way]] southbound on weekdays from 6:45&nbsp;a.m. to 9:30&nbsp;a.m., and one-way northbound from 3:45&nbsp;p.m. to 6:30&nbsp;p.m.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.nps.gov/rocr/faqs.htm#CP_JUMP_68721 |title= When is the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway one way? |work= Frequently Asked Questions |publisher= National Park Service }}</ref> The Parkway officially became one-way during rush hours on Valentine's Day 1938.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ghostsofdc.org/2013/01/29/rock-creek-parkway-becomes-one-way-traffic-zone/|title=When Did Rock Creek Parkway Become One-Way?|last=Tom|date=2013-01-29|website=Ghosts of DC|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-19}}</ref>

Plans for Rock Creek Park announced by the National Park Service in November 2005 include a redesign of the intersection between the Parkway and [[Beach Drive (DC)|Beach Drive]] for greater safety and a reduction of the [[speed limit]] on part of [[Beach Drive]] from 25&nbsp;mph (40&nbsp;km/h) to 20&nbsp;mph (30&nbsp;km/h).{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}


==Route description==
==Route description==
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[[File:Rock Creek Parkway and Beach Drive time-lapse.webm|thumb|left|Time-lapse video of a northbound trip on the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway and Beach Drive]]
[[File:Rock Creek Parkway and Beach Drive time-lapse.webm|thumb|left|Time-lapse video of a northbound trip on the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway and Beach Drive]]


The Parkway has two points of origination on its southern end, one at the [[traffic circle]] around the [[Lincoln Memorial]], and the other at the intersection of [[Ohio Drive (Washington, D.C.)|Ohio Drive]] and [[Independence Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Independence Avenue]]. The eastern portion of the Lincoln Memorial traffic circle has been closed for several years, and there is no longer any easy access to the northbound parkway from that point. The Ohio Drive branch is now the main originating branch. Before the [[Theodore Roosevelt Bridge]] ([[I-66]]) was built, [[Constitution Avenue]] ran to the parkway, with Ohio Drive ending at Constitution Avenue.<ref name="google">{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Rock+Creek+Pkwy+NW%2FShoreham+Dr+NW&daddr=Unknown+road&hl=en&sll=38.905365,-77.06046&sspn=0.035867,0.084543&geocode=FZLkUQIdukpo-w%3BFZlnUQIdjklo-w&t=h&mra=prv&z=14|title=overview of Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway|accessdate=August 1, 2012}}</ref> The parkway's entrance is framed by two monumental statues, ''Music and Harvest'' and ''Aspiration and Literature'', which together form a group known as ''[[The Arts of War and The Arts of Peace|The Arts of Peace]]''. They were designed by [[James Earle Fraser (sculptor)|James Earle Fraser]] and erected in 1951.<ref name="Folliard">Folliard, Edward T. "Truman Accepts Italy's Gift of Memorial Bridge Statues." ''Washington Post.'' September 27, 1951.</ref><ref name="FourBronzeHeroes">"Four Italian Bronze Horses Here for Span." ''Washington Post.'' June 8, 1951.</ref>
The Parkway has two points of origination on its southern end, one at the [[traffic circle]] around the [[Lincoln Memorial]], and the other at the intersection of [[Ohio Drive (Washington, D.C.)|Ohio Drive]] and [[Independence Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Independence Avenue]]. The eastern portion of the Lincoln Memorial traffic circle has been closed for several years, and there is no longer any easy access to the northbound parkway from that point. The Ohio Drive branch is now the main originating branch. Before the [[Theodore Roosevelt Bridge]] ([[I-66]]) was built, [[Constitution Avenue]] ran to the parkway, with Ohio Drive ending at Constitution Avenue.<ref name="google">{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Rock+Creek+Pkwy+NW%2FShoreham+Dr+NW&daddr=Unknown+road&hl=en&sll=38.905365,-77.06046&sspn=0.035867,0.084543&geocode=FZLkUQIdukpo-w%3BFZlnUQIdjklo-w&t=h&mra=prv&z=14|title=overview of Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway|access-date=August 1, 2012}}</ref> The parkway's entrance is framed by two monumental statues, ''Music and Harvest'' and ''Aspiration and Literature'', which together form a group known as ''[[The Arts of War and The Arts of Peace|The Arts of Peace]]''. They were designed by [[James Earle Fraser (sculptor)|James Earle Fraser]] and erected in 1951.<ref name="Folliard">Folliard, Edward T. "Truman Accepts Italy's Gift of Memorial Bridge Statues." ''Washington Post.'' September 27, 1951.</ref><ref name="FourBronzeHeroes">"Four Italian Bronze Horses Here for Span." ''Washington Post.'' June 8, 1951.</ref>


After passing under the Roosevelt Bridge, the parkway passes the [[Kennedy Center for Performing Arts]], including an [[at-grade intersection]] with [[F Street Northwest (DC)|F Street Northwest]] north of the building. Prior to the building of the Kennedy Center, [[New Hampshire Avenue]] ran to the parkway. Beyond F Street, the parkway runs past the [[Watergate building]]; there it intersects [[Virginia Avenue]], which provides easy access to and from the [[Interstate 66|Potomac River Freeway (I-66)]]. The Potomac River sweeps to the west at approximately this point; the parkway continues along its rough north–south path and instead parallels the small Potomac tributary of Rock Creek.
After passing under the Roosevelt Bridge, the parkway passes the [[Kennedy Center for Performing Arts]], including an [[at-grade intersection]] with [[F Street Northwest (DC)|F Street Northwest]] north of the building. Prior to the building of the Kennedy Center, [[New Hampshire Avenue]] ran to the parkway. Beyond F Street, the parkway runs past the [[Watergate building]]; there it intersects [[Virginia Avenue]], which provides easy access to and from the [[Interstate 66|Potomac River Freeway (I-66)]]. The Potomac River sweeps to the west at approximately this point; the parkway continues along its rough north–south path and instead parallels the small Potomac tributary of Rock Creek.
Line 54: Line 49:
Past Virginia Avenue, the parkway has many characteristics of a [[freeway]], most notably limited access by ramp. The first [[interchange (road)|interchange]] is with [[K Street (Washington, D.C.)|K Street Northwest]], lying inside the newer [[Whitehurst Freeway]]/[[Potomac River Freeway]] interchange. Due to the partial nature of the interchange, some movements are made via Virginia Avenue instead. Just to the west, K Street crosses Rock Creek over the [[L Street Bridge]], with the Whitehurst Freeway overhead and separate side bridges for the ramps to and from the northbound Parkway. After K Street, the parkway crosses Rock Creek, paralleling it to the west for a while.
Past Virginia Avenue, the parkway has many characteristics of a [[freeway]], most notably limited access by ramp. The first [[interchange (road)|interchange]] is with [[K Street (Washington, D.C.)|K Street Northwest]], lying inside the newer [[Whitehurst Freeway]]/[[Potomac River Freeway]] interchange. Due to the partial nature of the interchange, some movements are made via Virginia Avenue instead. Just to the west, K Street crosses Rock Creek over the [[L Street Bridge]], with the Whitehurst Freeway overhead and separate side bridges for the ramps to and from the northbound Parkway. After K Street, the parkway crosses Rock Creek, paralleling it to the west for a while.


[[Image:RockCreekParkway directions.jpg|thumb|right|Signage indicates the times during which the Parkway is one-way.]]
[[Image:RockCreekParkway directions.jpg|thumb|right|Sign indicates the times during which the Parkway is one-way.]]
[[Pennsylvania Avenue]] crosses over both the parkway and the creek on a [[Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge|combined bridge]], with a single loop ramp from the southbound Parkway to Pennsylvania Avenue eastbound. Just to the north, [[M Street (Washington, D.C.)#M Street NW|M Street Northwest]] also crosses the parkway and creek together, with no access between the roads.
[[Pennsylvania Avenue]] crosses over the parkway and the creek on a [[Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge|combined bridge]], with a single-loop ramp from the southbound parkway to Pennsylvania Avenue eastbound. Just to the north, [[M Street (Washington, D.C.)#M Street NW|M Street Northwest]] crosses the parkway and creek together, with no access between the roads.


Further north, [[P Street (Washington, D.C.)#Northwest|P Street Northwest]] crosses the parkway and creek, with ramps from P Street to the parkway both northbound and southbound and from the southbound Parkway to P Street. Just after crossing under P Street, the parkway crosses to the east side of the creek on the [[Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Bridge near P Street|Bridge near P Street]], and a northbound onramp from P Street merges. It passes under [[Q Street Northwest]]'s [[Dumbarton Bridge (Washington, D.C.)|Dumbarton Bridge]] over the creek with no access.
Further north, [[P Street (Washington, D.C.)#Northwest|P Street Northwest]] crosses the parkway and creek, with ramps from P Street to the parkway northbound and southbound and from the southbound parkway to P Street. Just after crossing under P Street, the parkway crosses to the east side of the creek on the [[Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Bridge near P Street|Bridge near P Street]], and a northbound onramp from P Street merges. It passes under [[Q Street Northwest]]'s [[Dumbarton Bridge (Washington, D.C.)|Dumbarton Bridge]] over the creek with no access.


The [[Charles C. Glover Bridge]] carries [[Massachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Massachusetts Avenue]] over the parkway and creek. Access to and from the south is provided via Waterside Drive, which merges into the parkway at a Y interchange. To the north, Waterside Drive merges back into the parkway, providing for all movements but a southbound offramp.<!--what about when the parkway is southbound?--> Soon after, the parkway again crosses to the west side of the creek on the [[Shoreham Hill Bridge]].
The [[Charles C. Glover Bridge]] carries [[Massachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Massachusetts Avenue]] over the parkway and creek. Access to and from the south is provided via Waterside Drive, which merges into the parkway at a Y interchange. To the north, Waterside Drive merges back into the parkway, providing for all movements but a southbound offramp.<!--what about when the parkway is southbound?--> Soon after, the parkway again crosses to the west side of the creek on the [[Shoreham Hill Bridge]].


The end of the parkway is near an intersection with [[Beach Drive (DC)|Beach Drive]], which continues next to the creek. A left turn from southbound Rock Creek Parkway provides access to Beach Drive from local roads. Just north of Beach Drive, the parkway again splits, with [[Cathedral Avenue (DC)|Cathedral Avenue]] heading northeast next to Beach Drive under the [[Taft Bridge|William H. Taft Bridge]] and [[Duke Ellington Bridge]] ([[Connecticut Avenue]] and [[Calvert Street (DC)|Calvert Street]]), and the parkway becoming [[24th Street Northwest (DC)|24th Street Northwest]] at Calvert Street, with easy access to Connecticut Avenue. Cathedral Avenue is one-way at the same times as the parkway. Beach Drive continues as a two-lane road parallel to Rock Creek, enters a [[tunnel]] under a hill, passes the [[National Zoological Park (United States)|National Zoo]], and continues towards [[Maryland]].
The end of the parkway is near an intersection with [[Beach Drive (DC)|Beach Drive]], which continues generally northward along the creek. A left turn from southbound Rock Creek Parkway provides access to Beach Drive from local roads. Just north of Beach Drive, the parkway again splits, with [[Cathedral Avenue (DC)|Cathedral Avenue]] heading northeast next to Beach Drive under the [[Taft Bridge|William H. Taft Bridge]] and [[Duke Ellington Bridge]] ([[Connecticut Avenue]] and [[Calvert Street (DC)|Calvert Street]]), and the parkway becoming [[24th Street Northwest (DC)|24th Street Northwest]] at Calvert Street, with easy access to Connecticut Avenue. Cathedral Avenue is one-way at the same times as the parkway. Beach Drive continues as a two-lane road parallel to Rock Creek, enters a [[tunnel]] under a hill, passes the [[National Zoological Park (United States)|National Zoo]], and continues towards [[Maryland]].


Commercial vehicles, such as trucks, are prohibited from the entire length of the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway.<ref name="restrictions"/>
Trucks and other commercial vehicles are barred from the parkway.<ref name="restrictions"/>

==One-way operation==
⚫
During [[rush hours]], a [[reversible lane]] setup is used between [[Ohio Drive (DC)|Ohio Drive]] and [[Connecticut Avenue (DC)|Connecticut Avenue]] to permit all lanes to be used for the predominant direction of travel. The parkway first became one-way during rush hours on Valentine's Day 1938.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ghostsofdc.org/2013/01/29/rock-creek-parkway-becomes-one-way-traffic-zone/|title=When Did Rock Creek Parkway Become One-Way?|last=Tom|date=2013-01-29|website=Ghosts of DC|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-19}}</ref>

The parkway is posted [[one-way traffic|one-way]] southbound on weekdays from 6:45&nbsp;a.m. to 9:30&nbsp;a.m., and one-way northbound from 3:45&nbsp;p.m. to 6:30&nbsp;p.m., [[Federal holidays in the United States|federal holidays]] excepted.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.nps.gov/rocr/faqs.htm#CP_JUMP_68721 |title= When is the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway one way? |work= Frequently Asked Questions |publisher= National Park Service }}</ref> The changeover requires four to five [[United States Park Police]] officers to travel the length of the parkway on motorcycle, manually placing barricades and cones and directing traffic. As each changeover takes 30 minutes, in practice the effective time of one-way operation is roughly two hours per day in each direction.<ref name="DOTImpact">{{cite web |title=Elimination of Reversible Operations Along Rock Creek & Potomac Parkway: Transportation Impact Assessment |url=https://parkplanning.nps.gov/showFile.cfm?sfid=717841&projectID=122202 |publisher=National Park Service |pages=5-13}}</ref>

===Safety===
The one-way arrangement has been criticized as confusing and unusual. (Full roadway reversals are rare in the United States; more common are individual reversible lanes, such as those found locally on [[Interstate 395 (Virginia-District of Columbia)|Interstate 395]] in Virginia<ref name="DCist">{{cite news |title=How Do Lanes Of Traffic Get Reversed On Weekdays? |url=https://dcist.com/story/18/11/26/how-do-lanes-of-traffic-get-reversed-on-weekdays/ |work=DCist |language=en}}</ref>)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tapper |first1=Jake |title=Death Valley |url=https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/275937/death-valley/ |work=Washington City Paper |date=9 October 1998}}</ref> After the District of Columbia eliminated the reversible peak-hour lane setup on Connecticut Avenue in 2020, the National Park Service began exploring a similar idea for Rock Creek Parkway.

In 2024, a [[United States Department of Transportation|Department of Transportation]] study found that crashes are disproportionately higher during the one-way periods, due to the heavy traffic and antiquated construction of the parkway, and identified several other design and signage factors that contribute to driver confusion.<ref name="DOTImpact" /> The barricades preventing wrong-way entry are simple wooden [[sawhorses]] with signs attached so they can be moved easily; Park Police officers state it is common for drivers to illegally move them themselves.<ref name="DCist" /><ref name="DOTImpact" /> The study recommended discontinuing one-way operation and adding construction to reduce anticipated traffic backups.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gelman |first1=Scott |date=23 August 2024 |title=National Park Service explores ending reversible lanes along Rock Creek Parkway |url=https://wtop.com/dc/2024/08/national-park-service-explores-ending-reversible-lanes-along-rock-creek-parkway/ |work=WTOP News |language=en}}</ref> The National Park Service plans to begin collecting public feedback for its environmental assessment over the winter of 2024-25.


==Major intersections==
==Major intersections==
{{mileposts}}
{{mileposts}}
The entire route is in [[Washington, D.C.]] All exits are unnumbered.{{jcttop|state=DC|nocty=yes|hatnote=off|unnum=yeslength_ref=<ref name="google"/><ref name=Mapquest>{{cite web|title=Route of Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway|url=http://mapq.st/1o1a5tH|archive-url=https://archive.is/20140806113741/http://mapq.st/1o1a5tH|dead-url=yes|archive-date=August 6, 2014|publisher=MapQuest, Inc.|accessdate=August 3, 2014}}</ref>}}
The entire route is in [[Washington, D.C.]].
{{jcttop|state=DC|nocty=yes|hatnote=off|unnum=yeslength_ref=<ref name="google"/><ref name=Mapquest>{{cite web|title=Route of Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway|url=http://mapq.st/1o1a5tH|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140806113741/http://mapq.st/1o1a5tH|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 6, 2014|publisher=MapQuest, Inc.|access-date=August 3, 2014}}</ref>}}
{{DCint
{{DCint
|location_special=[[National Mall]]
|location_special=[[National Mall]]
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|type=incomplete
|type=incomplete
|mile=
|mile=
|road={{jct|state=DC|I|66|road=[[E Street Expressway]]}}
|road={{jct|state=DC|I|66|road|[[E Street Expressway]]}}
|notes=No southbound exit}}
|notes=No southbound exit}}
{{DCint
{{DCint
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{{Jctbtm|keys=incomplete}}
{{Jctbtm|keys=incomplete}}



⚫
==Parallel Trail==

The Rock Creek Park Trail runs parallel to the Parkway from the Lincoln Memorial to Connecticut Avenue where it then continues along Beach Drive to Broad Branch Road. Another section of the trail runs along Beach farther north from Joyce Road to Bingham Drive. The section of the trail along the Potomac was built first, prior to 1967, when it was known as the Shoreline Trail.<ref name="upgrade">{{cite news |title=Recreation and Parks Plans Upgrade of Bike, Hiking Trails | work=The Washington Post |date=2 October 1997}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=AMAZING PHOTO OF WATERGATE AND KENNEDY CENTER CONSTRUCTION FROM THE AIR |url=https://ghostsofdc.org/2013/10/15/amazing-photo-watergate-kennedy-center-construction-air/?goal=0_d9e00475ec-97b5311c63-69318673 |website=Ghosts of DC |accessdate=5 December 2018}}</ref> The trail was extended through the park in September of 1971 between the Whitehurst Freeway and Calvert Street.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bike Lanes End on Friday Night |work=The Washington Post |date=16 September 1971}}</ref> That year the Park Service set aside a lane of the Parkway north of Virginia Avenue for a week to promote commuting by bicycle. The experiment was a success, but caused traffic jams, so the Park Service paved over bridle paths dating back to the founding of the park to create the multi-use trail.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cranor |first1=David |title=A brief history of biking in Rock Creek Park |url=http://www.thewashcycle.com/2012/09/a-brief-history-of-biking-in-rock-creek-park.html |accessdate=7 September 2018}}</ref> In 1997, the Shoreline Trail section was repaved and realigned.<ref name="upgrade"/>
⚫
==Trail==
[[File:ROCK CREEK PARKWAY BELOW OVERPASSES. A SCENIC ROUTE THROUGH THE PARK, IT ALSO SERVES AS A MAJOR TRAFFIC ARTERY - NARA - 546722.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of the L Street Bridge and Rock Creek Parkway Trail, at center, 1973]]
The Rock Creek Park Trail runs along the Parkway from the Lincoln Memorial to Connecticut Avenue, where it continues along Beach Drive to Broad Branch Road. The trail continues north along Beach from Joyce Road to Bingham Drive.

The Shoreline section along the Potomac is the oldest section of the trail, built before 1967.<ref name="upgrade">{{cite news |title=Recreation and Parks Plans Upgrade of Bike, Hiking Trails | work=The Washington Post |date=2 October 1997}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=AMAZING PHOTO OF WATERGATE AND KENNEDY CENTER CONSTRUCTION FROM THE AIR |url=https://ghostsofdc.org/2013/10/15/amazing-photo-watergate-kennedy-center-construction-air/?goal=0_d9e00475ec-97b5311c63-69318673 |website=Ghosts of DC |access-date=5 December 2018}}</ref>

In 1971, the Park Service set aside a lane of the Parkway north of Virginia Avenue for a week to promote commuting by bicycle. The experiment was a success, but caused traffic jams, so the Park Service paved bridle paths immediately to the west that had existed since the park was founded.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cranor |first1=David |title=A brief history of biking in Rock Creek Park |url=http://www.thewashcycle.com/2012/09/a-brief-history-of-biking-in-rock-creek-park.html |access-date=7 September 2018}}</ref> The trail was extended in September 1971 to Calvert Street,<ref>{{cite news |title=Bike Lanes End on Friday Night |work=The Washington Post |date=16 September 1971}}</ref> and then {{convert|2|mi}} to Bluff Bridge in 1972.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hodge |first1=Paul |title=Bike Path to Extend South of Alexandria: Before Christmas |work=The Washington Post |date=11 November 1971}}</ref>

In 1981-82, the [[L Street Bridge|parkway bridge]] over Rock Creek at L Street was replaced and as part of that project, a separate trail bridge was built. It replaced a narrow section of the existing bridge that then served as part of the bike path.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rock Creek Parkway Construction |work=The Washington Post |date=27 August 1981}}</ref>

In 1997, the Shoreline Trail section was repaved and realigned.<ref name="upgrade" />


==See also==
==See also==
*{{portal-inline|National Register of Historic Places}}
*{{portal-inline|National Register of Historic Places}}
*{{portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}
*{{portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}
*{{portal-inline|Washington, D.C.}}
*{{portal-inline|United States}}


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway}}
{{Commons category}}
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
*{{HAER |survey=DC-55 |id=dc0966 |title=Rock Creek Park Road System}}
*{{HAER |survey=DC-55 |id=dc0966 |title=Rock Creek Park Road System}}
*[https://www.nps.gov/places/rock-creek-and-potomac-parkway.htm Official site] at the National Park Service
*[http://www.nps.gov/rocr/ Rock Creek Park (National Park Service)]
*[http://www.nps.gov/rocr/ Rock Creek Park (National Park Service)]
*[http://ghostsofdc.org/2013/01/29/rock-creek-parkway-becomes-one-way-traffic-zone/ Rock Creek Parkway Becomes One-Way Traffic Zone]
*[http://ghostsofdc.org/2013/01/29/rock-creek-parkway-becomes-one-way-traffic-zone/ Rock Creek Parkway Becomes One-Way Traffic Zone]


{{Streets in Washington, DC}}
{{Streets in Washington, DC}}
{{Protected Areas of the District of Columbia}}
{{authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rock Creek And Potomac Parkway}}
[[Category:Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway| ]]
[[Category:Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway| ]]
[[Category:Streets in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Streets in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:United States federal parkways]]
[[Category:United States federal parkways]]
[[Category:Parks in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Rock Creek (Potomac River tributary)]]
[[Category:Rock Creek (Potomac River)]]
[[Category:Roads with a reversible lane]]
[[Category:Roads with a reversible lane]]
[[Category:Roads on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Roads on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C.]]

Latest revision as of 16:07, 11 September 2024

Not to be confused with Rock Creek Park.
Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway
Map of the District of Columbia with Rock Creek Parkway highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NPS
Length2.9 mi[1] (4.7 km)
Existed1944–present
RestrictionsNo trucks[2]
Major junctions
South endLincoln Memorial Circle on the National Mall
Major intersections
North endShoreham / Beach Drives in Rock Creek Park
Location
CountryUnited States
Federal districtDistrict of Columbia
Highway system
Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Historic District
LocationRock Creek and Potomac Parkway, Washington, D.C.
Coordinates38°54′47″N 77°3′16″W / 38.91306°N 77.05444°W / 38.91306; -77.05444
Area0 acres (0 ha)
Built1889
ArchitectOlmsted, Frederick Law, Jr.; Langdon, James G.
Architectural styleDesigned Historic Landscape
MPSParkways of the National Capital Region MPS
NRHP reference No.05000367[3]
Added to NRHPMay 4, 2005

The Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, informally called the Rock Creek Parkway, is a parkway maintained by the National Park Service as part of Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C. It runs next to the Potomac River and Rock Creek in a generally north–south direction, carrying four lanes of traffic from the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington Memorial Bridge north to a junction with Beach Drive near Connecticut Avenue at Calvert Street, N.W., just south of the National Zoological Park. During rush hours, the parkway is converted to one-way traffic corresponding to the peak direction of travel: southbound in the morning and northbound in the afternoon.

The Parkway was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 4, 2005. Built from 1923 to 1936, it is "one of the best-preserved examples of the earliest stage of motor parkway development".[4]

Route description

[edit]
View north on the parkway at the Lincoln Memorial Circle, including the sculpture group The Arts of Peace
Time-lapse video of a northbound trip on the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway and Beach Drive

The Parkway has two points of origination on its southern end, one at the traffic circle around the Lincoln Memorial, and the other at the intersection of Ohio Drive and Independence Avenue. The eastern portion of the Lincoln Memorial traffic circle has been closed for several years, and there is no longer any easy access to the northbound parkway from that point. The Ohio Drive branch is now the main originating branch. Before the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge (I-66) was built, Constitution Avenue ran to the parkway, with Ohio Drive ending at Constitution Avenue.[1] The parkway's entrance is framed by two monumental statues, Music and Harvest and Aspiration and Literature, which together form a group known as The Arts of Peace. They were designed by James Earle Fraser and erected in 1951.[5][6]

After passing under the Roosevelt Bridge, the parkway passes the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, including an at-grade intersection with F Street Northwest north of the building. Prior to the building of the Kennedy Center, New Hampshire Avenue ran to the parkway. Beyond F Street, the parkway runs past the Watergate building; there it intersects Virginia Avenue, which provides easy access to and from the Potomac River Freeway (I-66). The Potomac River sweeps to the west at approximately this point; the parkway continues along its rough north–south path and instead parallels the small Potomac tributary of Rock Creek.

View south at the north end of the parkway

Past Virginia Avenue, the parkway has many characteristics of a freeway, most notably limited access by ramp. The first interchange is with K Street Northwest, lying inside the newer Whitehurst Freeway/Potomac River Freeway interchange. Due to the partial nature of the interchange, some movements are made via Virginia Avenue instead. Just to the west, K Street crosses Rock Creek over the L Street Bridge, with the Whitehurst Freeway overhead and separate side bridges for the ramps to and from the northbound Parkway. After K Street, the parkway crosses Rock Creek, paralleling it to the west for a while.

Sign indicates the times during which the Parkway is one-way.

Pennsylvania Avenue crosses over the parkway and the creek on a combined bridge, with a single-loop ramp from the southbound parkway to Pennsylvania Avenue eastbound. Just to the north, M Street Northwest crosses the parkway and creek together, with no access between the roads.

Further north, P Street Northwest crosses the parkway and creek, with ramps from P Street to the parkway northbound and southbound and from the southbound parkway to P Street. Just after crossing under P Street, the parkway crosses to the east side of the creek on the Bridge near P Street, and a northbound onramp from P Street merges. It passes under Q Street Northwest's Dumbarton Bridge over the creek with no access.

The Charles C. Glover Bridge carries Massachusetts Avenue over the parkway and creek. Access to and from the south is provided via Waterside Drive, which merges into the parkway at a Y interchange. To the north, Waterside Drive merges back into the parkway, providing for all movements but a southbound offramp. Soon after, the parkway again crosses to the west side of the creek on the Shoreham Hill Bridge.

The end of the parkway is near an intersection with Beach Drive, which continues generally northward along the creek. A left turn from southbound Rock Creek Parkway provides access to Beach Drive from local roads. Just north of Beach Drive, the parkway again splits, with Cathedral Avenue heading northeast next to Beach Drive under the William H. Taft Bridge and Duke Ellington Bridge (Connecticut Avenue and Calvert Street), and the parkway becoming 24th Street Northwest at Calvert Street, with easy access to Connecticut Avenue. Cathedral Avenue is one-way at the same times as the parkway. Beach Drive continues as a two-lane road parallel to Rock Creek, enters a tunnel under a hill, passes the National Zoo, and continues towards Maryland.

Trucks and other commercial vehicles are barred from the parkway.[2]

One-way operation

[edit]

During rush hours, a reversible lane setup is used between Ohio Drive and Connecticut Avenue to permit all lanes to be used for the predominant direction of travel. The parkway first became one-way during rush hours on Valentine's Day 1938.[7]

The parkway is posted one-way southbound on weekdays from 6:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., and one-way northbound from 3:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., federal holidays excepted.[8] The changeover requires four to five United States Park Police officers to travel the length of the parkway on motorcycle, manually placing barricades and cones and directing traffic. As each changeover takes 30 minutes, in practice the effective time of one-way operation is roughly two hours per day in each direction.[9]

Safety

[edit]

The one-way arrangement has been criticized as confusing and unusual. (Full roadway reversals are rare in the United States; more common are individual reversible lanes, such as those found locally on Interstate 395 in Virginia[10])[11] After the District of Columbia eliminated the reversible peak-hour lane setup on Connecticut Avenue in 2020, the National Park Service began exploring a similar idea for Rock Creek Parkway.

In 2024, a Department of Transportation study found that crashes are disproportionately higher during the one-way periods, due to the heavy traffic and antiquated construction of the parkway, and identified several other design and signage factors that contribute to driver confusion.[9] The barricades preventing wrong-way entry are simple wooden sawhorses with signs attached so they can be moved easily; Park Police officers state it is common for drivers to illegally move them themselves.[10][9] The study recommended discontinuing one-way operation and adding construction to reduce anticipated traffic backups.[12] The National Park Service plans to begin collecting public feedback for its environmental assessment over the winter of 2024-25.

Major intersections

[edit]

The entire route is in Washington, D.C..

LocationmikmDestinationsNotes
National Mall0.000.00Independence Avenue SW / Ohio Drive SW – MemorialsAt-grade intersection
0.280.45Memorial Bridge – Virginia, Arlington Cemetery
Foggy Bottom I-66 / E Street ExpresswayNo southbound exit
0.420.68Kennedy CenterAt-grade intersections; no left turn southbound
0.921.48abbr= Virginia Avenue NW to I-66 / E Street Expressway – Kennedy Center, Thompson Boat CenterAt-grade intersection; no left turn northbound
West End1.031.66K Street NW / Whitehurst Freeway (US 29 south)
Rock Creek Park1.171.88Pennsylvania Avenue NW eastSouthbound exit only
1.62–
1.77		2.61–
2.85		P Street NWNo northbound exit
1.99–
2.62		3.20–
4.22		Massachusetts Avenue NW (via Waterside Drive NW)No southbound exit
2.904.67Beach Drive NW / Cathedral Avenue NW / Connecticut Avenue NW – National ZooAt-grade intersection; access via Shoreham Drive NW
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi


Trail

[edit]
Aerial view of the L Street Bridge and Rock Creek Parkway Trail, at center, 1973

The Rock Creek Park Trail runs along the Parkway from the Lincoln Memorial to Connecticut Avenue, where it continues along Beach Drive to Broad Branch Road. The trail continues north along Beach from Joyce Road to Bingham Drive.

The Shoreline section along the Potomac is the oldest section of the trail, built before 1967.[14][15]

In 1971, the Park Service set aside a lane of the Parkway north of Virginia Avenue for a week to promote commuting by bicycle. The experiment was a success, but caused traffic jams, so the Park Service paved bridle paths immediately to the west that had existed since the park was founded.[16] The trail was extended in September 1971 to Calvert Street,[17] and then 2 miles (3.2 km) to Bluff Bridge in 1972.[18]

In 1981-82, the parkway bridge over Rock Creek at L Street was replaced and as part of that project, a separate trail bridge was built. It replaced a narrow section of the existing bridge that then served as part of the bike path.[19]

In 1997, the Shoreline Trail section was repaved and realigned.[14]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "overview of Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  2. ^ a b 36 CFR 7.96 (f )(1)) Archived 2009-08-04 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  4. ^ "Rock Creek & Potomac Parkway". Historic American Buildings Survey. Library of Congress. No. DC-697.
  5. ^ Folliard, Edward T. "Truman Accepts Italy's Gift of Memorial Bridge Statues." Washington Post. September 27, 1951.
  6. ^ "Four Italian Bronze Horses Here for Span." Washington Post. June 8, 1951.
  7. ^ Tom (2013-01-29). "When Did Rock Creek Parkway Become One-Way?". Ghosts of DC. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  8. ^ "When is the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway one way?". Frequently Asked Questions. National Park Service.
  9. ^ a b c "Elimination of Reversible Operations Along Rock Creek & Potomac Parkway: Transportation Impact Assessment". National Park Service. pp. 5–13.
  10. ^ a b "How Do Lanes Of Traffic Get Reversed On Weekdays?". DCist.
  11. ^ Tapper, Jake (9 October 1998). "Death Valley". Washington City Paper.
  12. ^ Gelman, Scott (23 August 2024). "National Park Service explores ending reversible lanes along Rock Creek Parkway". WTOP News.
  13. ^ "Route of Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway". MapQuest, Inc. Archived from the original on August 6, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  14. ^ a b "Recreation and Parks Plans Upgrade of Bike, Hiking Trails". The Washington Post. 2 October 1997.
  15. ^ "AMAZING PHOTO OF WATERGATE AND KENNEDY CENTER CONSTRUCTION FROM THE AIR". Ghosts of DC. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  16. ^ Cranor, David. "A brief history of biking in Rock Creek Park". Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  17. ^ "Bike Lanes End on Friday Night". The Washington Post. 16 September 1971.
  18. ^ Hodge, Paul (11 November 1971). "Bike Path to Extend South of Alexandria: Before Christmas". The Washington Post.
  19. ^ "Rock Creek Parkway Construction". The Washington Post. 27 August 1981.
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