Project Overview

Project Overview and History
The U Street area is largely a Victorian-era neighborhood, developed between 1862 and 1900, the majority of which has been designated as a historic district.

Historically, the area included row houses constructed rapidly by speculative builders and real estate developers in response to the city’s high demand for housing following the Civil War and the growth of the Federal government in the late 19th century.

The corridor became commercially significant when a streetcar line operated there in the early 20th century, making it convenient for the first time for government employees to commute downtown to work and shop.

U Street

Now the U Street corridor is a collection of shops, restaurants, nightclubs, galleries, and residences along a nine-block stretch from extending from 9th Street to on the east to 18th Street and Florida Avenue on the west.  Most of this area is part of the larger Shaw Neighborhood with the western end entering the DuPont Circle Neighborhood which is served by U Street Metro Station and WMATA bus service.  The development of the U Street NW Upgrade project is being conducted by the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Infrastructure Project Management Administration.

The initial phases of project development involved engaging the U Street community early in the planning and design process through a series of public meeting, public presentations, and meeting with individual businesses and organizations.  A Steering Committee was created that includes the U Street residents, small business owners, the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) commissioners, the local U Street civic associations, non-profit organizations, schools, emergency medical, public safety, and the District government officials. The Steering Committee was instrumental in voicing the collective community interest in the project design and shared comments regarding the project via public meetings, emails, phone, and through DDOT officials.

The project is currently in the final design phase.  A Transportation Management Plan (TMP) is concurrently being developed for the project which is a comprehensive document that details the work zone impact management strategies and how they will be implemented.