Road in D.C.’s Rock Creek Park to Stay Car-Free

The National Park Service (NPS) has decided to close the upper portion of Beach Drive through Rock Creek Park closed year-round, passing on an option to reopen the road to cars after pandemic closures, and striking a blow to the car-centric planning status quo.

The NPS working with the District Department of Transportation, undertook an Environmental Assessment (EA) to inform the decision. According to an NPS press release, the EA considered three options—Alternative 1: No-Action Alternative Pre-Covid-19 Pandemic Management; Alternative 2: Full-Time Closure for Recreation; and Alternative 3: Seasonal Closure for Recreation—deciding on the second alternative, which will close the road to cars.

“This decision prioritizes park access for recreational use including walkers, runners, cyclists and others seeking respite in natural areas. In selecting the year-round closure over the previously proposed seasonal closure, the NPS recognizes that the closure has allowed outdoor recreation in the park to flourish and has provided enormous mental and physical health benefits to those who have used the upper portion of Beach Drive for recreation since its initial closure in April 2020,” according to the press release.

The EA reports that the road closure would have a minimal impact on traffic on nearby roads and streets, but also warns that increased foot traffic in the park threatens to have negative impacts on the park’s plant and wildlife population. “The NPS plans to mitigate these impacts by developing a visitor use plan, which will include monitoring and active management of unofficial trails, and implementing the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Recovery Plan for the Hay’s Spring amphipod,” according to the press release.

Rock Creek Park’s history of road closures to cars, actually dates back to 2016

Previous Planetizen coverage of cars in Rock Creek Park

• Universal Design in D.C.’s Rock Creek Park (September 2022)
• National Park Service Weighs Changes to D.C.’s Beach Drive (July 2022)
• Road Through D.C.'s Rock Creek Park Closing to Cars (April 2016)
• Parks for Pedestrians: No Easy Matter (June 2014)