Mary Buckley - Comments

I am an ANC, representing ANC 8B01 & I live in the Randal Heights neighborhood of SE DC. The closing of the 11th Street bridge access to the 3rd Street Tunnel will greatly impact negatively on the people here to get to & from 1) our churches at 9th & P Street in NW, O & 9th Street, & Howard University on 1/20/09. Our church (shiloh Baptist) is having viewing from the santuary & many here in SE were planning to attend. 2) It also effects us in event of an emergency to get to the hospital that many of us use at George Washington Hospital as well as Georgetown University Hospital. Yes, I know there is greater SE Hospital, but our doctors are at GWU &GUH & prevents us from getting there the entire day in event of illiness. The 3rd Street tunnel is not a place that any pedestrian would utilize even without cars, its cold, smelly and not access for entering the tunnel because there are no residential neighboorhood to easily access the tunnel, not even bike, its solely a driving ramp with no residential neighborhood surrounding the tunnel. Why can't the 11th/13th street bridges be open to people who have driver's license to show that they live in SE DC. With closure of the 11th Street Bridge, all residents along (east of 295) @ the Anacostia Metro, Congress Heights Metro/Alabama Ave/Good Hope Road only access to NW is to drive due north to Penn Ave & try to work our way to GWU or the church or access 295 & exit at New York Ave or take Benning Road. Most of those areas (except NY Ave) are closed off once we reach Capitol Hill area. So you can see that the best alternative is to restrict 11/13th street bridge to residents with licenses with proof they live in the area of SE that is so negatively impacted with the closure of 11th street bridge with access to 295.