Beach Drive Closures: National Park Service Solicits Public Input

WASHINGTON, DC — The National Park Service is requesting public input on the future of the northern part of Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.

The stretch of Beach Drive between Broad Branch Road and the Maryland border has been closed since April 2020 to allow more room for physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Portions of the section of Beach Drive have been open for cars to reach picnic areas.

"We look forward to hearing people's thoughts on the future of Beach Drive," Rock Creek Park Superintendent Julia Washburn said in a statement. "We recognize that making any long-term change to the way we manage this part of Beach Drive would affect people who use, enjoy and care about Rock Creek Park, the oldest, urban park in the National Park System."

The NPS is reviewing a range of alternatives for the section of Beach Drive. Using the public feedback it receives, the NPS plans to further refine the alternatives. This fall, NPS staff will present the refined alternatives, along with an analysis of the impacts in an environmental assessment, and again ask the public for feedback.

During this process, the NPS will continue to temporarily limit drivers' access to this section of Beach Drive.

The NPS has closed the northern section of Beach Drive to cars on weekends and holidays since the 1960s. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, traffic in this section of Beach Drive varied between approximately 5,500 and 8,000 vehicles per weekday. By comparison, the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway averaged about 50,000 vehicles per weekday.

To provide comments online, visit https://parkplanning.nps.gov/beachdrive and submit a comment by Aug. 22. Mailed comments, which must be postmarked by Aug. 22, can be sent to:

Superintendent
ATTN: Beach Drive
Rock Creek Park
3545 Williamsburg Lane, NW
Washington, DC 20008