2019 Virginia by Design Award for Potomac River Water Transportation Framework Plan

We are pleased to announce that on Saturday April 27, 2019 Michael Winstanley AIA AICP accepted the Virginia by Design  2019 Prize for Public Interest Design at The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design‘s Bunch at The Branch. Virginia By Design recognizes the best efforts of designers or visionaries in Virginia who, by profession or avocation, have made creating, preserving, and enhancing design in Virginia a notable endeavor, which elevates the power of design. The prize is for a creative project that has transformed its surroundings, whether a setting, neighborhood, or community. It is for an individual or entity responsible for shepherding the project within Virginia.

The Potomac River Transportation Framework Plan is a comprehensive master plan outlining a water-based transportation network on the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia, for commuters, tourists, and the federal government. This plan outlines an enormous opportunity to expand the regional transportation network at a fraction of the cost (both in dollars and environmental impact) of other transportation modes.

One of the most important components to a successful water-based transportation system is the integration with existing public transportation networks. The Master Plan identifies over 30 landings in the metropolitan region including a new landing at Reagan National Airport. An intermodal station prototype was also designed to transfer riders from watercraft to rubber wheeled trolleys or buses. Integral to this transfer is to provide as much cover for riders from sun and rain and to bring the ships and trolleys as close together as possible, minimizing the time and inconvenience of transfers.

This work was initiated and funded by Winstanley Architects & Planners, and its purpose was to raise awareness of the feasibility of such a plan and to stimulate public discussion about the importance of increasing public transportation alternatives. Michael Winstanley AIA AICP has lectured widely on the Master Plan including at Design DC and the Greater Washington Board of Trade 2018 Outlook Conference.