Archive: Safety
Final Sessions on D.C. Pedestrian Plan
The District government this week is holding the last two public meetings on its pedestrian safety plan, which will help restore some of the lost balance between the needs of walkers and drivers in the city. New crosswalk safety system on Brentwood Road NE. (Thomson) Post writer Eric Weiss noted in his Sunday story (Drivers Feeling Shunned by D.C.) that many suburban drivers interpret such plans as a city attack on them. Here are some of your views on the various efforts to create a more walkable city. These are drawn from comments that I was not able to post Monday while we were having computer trouble with the online discussion. Capitol Hill: There's a lot of anger out there over the commuter thing. I would like to point out though that a lot of these [traffic] calming measures are in residential streets. The average speed on Constitution Ave in...
By | July 8, 2008; 07:31 AM ET | Comments (19)
Meeting Tonight on D.C. Pedestrian Plan
The District Department of Transportation will host a citywide public meeting tonight on its final draft of the Pedestrian Master Plan. The plan, developed over 18 months, lays out safety improvements for each of the city's eight wards over the next decade. Two pedestrians were killed last year at 7th and Pennsylvania. (Thomson) It designates eight high priority corridors -- streets across the city that have many pedestrians and too many pedestrian injuries -- to receive special attention. Many of the plans in those corridors will affect the movements of drivers as well as walkers. Some examples: Right turns on red would be restricted, signals of various types added, sidewalks improved, curbs and medians added, traffic enforcement cameras positioned and bus stops relocated. See our Commuter page feature on the plan. Tonight's session will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 at the University of the District of Columbia's Van Ness...
By | June 24, 2008; 08:43 AM ET | Comments (15)
Engineering Solutions for Pedestrians
Followup on posting about the recent crosswalk enhancement on Brentwood Road NE: New Brentwood Road crosswalk. (Thomson) Background: Brentwood is a four-lane, heavily traveled roadway between a Home Depot and a small shopping center containing a Department of Motor Vehicles office. It's a difficult crossing for pedestrians. The new crosswalk installed by the District Department of Transportation to enhance pedestrian safety is quite visible, and has prominent signs alerting drivers that they must stop for pedestrians. A walker can hit a red button that sets amber lights flashing on both sides of the road. (The amber lights are below the words "in CROSSWALKS" in the picture.) I found traffic stopped most of the time, but had one bracing experience in which a truck didn't even slow down after I hit the button and walked out. Update: George Branyan, the District's pedestrian program coordinator, said this design isn't perfect, but is...
By | June 18, 2008; 06:09 AM ET | Comments (3)
DC Publishes Pedestrian Plan
The District government has published the final draft of its Pedestrian Master Plan and made it available online. (That's an 11 MB pdf file.) Two pedestrians were killed last year in wide crossing at 7th and Pennsylvania. (Thomson) This is the plan, based on a year and a half of study, that the District hopes to put into effect over the next decade. There will be public meetings on it in June. The sessions will be held in Wards 3, 6 and 7, but will be open to everyone. These are some of the important goals I see in the program's summary: -- Improve safety at signalized crossings and intersections -- Improve safety at uncontrolled crossings and intersections (those without stop signs or traffic signals). -- Focus on improving eight high priority corridors, with sidewalk repairs and construction, better location of bus stops, changes in signals, enhancements to crosswalks and...
By | May 20, 2008; 01:32 PM ET | Comments (22)
Mixed Results at Crosswalk
A blog reader suggested I check out the new crosswalk set up by the District Department of Transportation to enhance pedestrian safety on Brentwood Road. New Brentwood Road crosswalk. (Thomson) Here's how the reader described it: "It USED to be nearly impossible to cross Brentwood road near the DMV during rush hour. This is a very frequently used crosswalk from a neighborhood to go through the Home Depot parking lot and to the Metro. For a while, we actually had a police officer every morning to help us cross." "Now - a compliment to DDOT! The new crosswalk button with flashing lights is AMAZING. I've never seen anything like it in the District. It works incredibly well." I walked over and tried it on Thursday morning. What I like best is that the District is trying new ways to make walking safer. What I learned was that this particular method...
By | May 19, 2008; 06:36 AM ET | Comments (38)
Is Jaywalking Safer?
The final letter in my May 4 column was from a driver worried about jaywalkers, and it proved to be a hot topic among drivers and pedestrians. Included in the many responses was this defense of jaywalking, and I wanted to know what you thought. Dear Dr. Gridlock: Philip Lalka of Wheaton suggested in his letter that police should step up efforts to ticket pedestrians who fail to use crosswalks. As someone who routinely jaywalks, I feel I have to respond. I think the public would be better served if police increased efforts to ticket the drivers who force me and others to cross streets illegally. I have never come close to being hit by a vehicle while jaywalking. I have however, had several close calls while using properly designated cross walks. Drivers often run red lights, turn right on red without stopping, even at intersections where it clearly says...
By | May 13, 2008; 06:28 AM ET | Comments (38)
Most Dangerous Crossings
This week, we'll be talking about traffic jams connected to the Wilson Bridge project and transit delays because of Metro's plan to replace a switch at Mount Vernon Square. There will be forums about the Purple Line in Maryland and an announcement from Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine about how he wants to restore financing for transportation. But I'd like to start by asking you a question about pedestrian safety stemming from a letter in Sunday's Dr. Gridlock column in The Post. First, the letter. Dear Dr. Gridlock: So many people cross between corners that it is no wonder there are so many pedestrian deaths. Add to this the fact that people do not pay attention to the crosswalk signs, and there is a major problem. A gentleman walked in front of me in the middle of a block while on his cellphone last week. Downtown Silver Spring could probably support...
By | May 5, 2008; 09:44 AM ET | Comments (22)
Arlington Safety Enforcement Today
Fair warning from the Arlington Police Department: From 3 to 7 p.m. today, according to police, they will target four busy intersections for enforcement of pedestrian safety laws. This is part of the region-wide Street Smart campaign. These are the intersections: North Veitch Street and Key Boulevard, George Mason Drive and South 13th Street, Columbia Pike and South Scott Street and Columbia Pike and South Frederick Street. (The first two were picked because they're near elementary schools. The other two are very heavy areas for vehicle and pedestrian traffic along the Columbia Pike corridor.) What you'll see: Officers will ticket drivers who speed or fail to yield for pedestrians in crosswalks. But they'll also be watching for pedestrians and bicyclists who fail to obey traffic laws....
By | March 26, 2008; 12:01 PM ET | Comments (5)
Renewed Focus on Safety
The region's transportation and law enforcement officials are about to launch their 2008 Street Smart campaign for pedestrian safety. It's both an educational and enforcement effort, directed at pedestrians and bikers as well as motorists. The campaign, which began in 2002, responds to these sad facts: On average in our region, about six pedestrians are injured each day, and a pedestrian is killed every 4.4 days. Pedestrians account for a quarter of traffic fatalities What's your pedestrian safety tip? Many safety improvements are visible on our roads, including better crosswalks and traffic calming methods. But here's a letter I got from a reader illustrating things we can do to protect ourselves, without waiting for the government or the police to take action on our behalf. Dear Dr. Gridlock: When it is dark or during inclement weather, it is quite an achievement that the Metro bus drivers are able to simultaneously...
By | March 5, 2008; 06:16 AM ET | Comments (19)
DC Moves for Safer Sidewalks
This is good news for people who walk in Washington: D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and Transportation Director Emeka Moneme announced this morning that the city has a new pedestrian safety standard that requires either covered walkways or protected open walkways at most construction sites. In general, the District policy says, traffic control plans at construction sites should replicate the existing pedestrian walkways as nearly as possible. You can see all the rules at this link on the District Department of Transportation Web site. Fenty and Moneme, joined by D.C. Council Member Jim Graham and Terry Lynch, a longtime advocate for people who live and work downtown, announced the new standard from underneath a covered walkway near 20th and L Streets NW. We need more such walkways and fewer streets where pedestrians confront signs that say, "Sidewalk Closed." Fenty began his remarks by noting that people often ask him why it's...
By | February 4, 2008; 11:21 AM ET | Comments (25)
Motorcycle Safety Draws Attention
During a Live Online discussion on May 29 and again in my Dr. Gridlock column on Sunday, issues about motorcycle safety arose. Partly influenced by Grid Sister's work over the years with head injury victims, I said in the chat that I did not recommend motorcycling as a way of commuting to and from the District. In the Sunday column, a reader wrote in to warn other cyclists about the dangers of uneven pavement on I-270 and on other roadways under construction. Uneven paving during I-270 resurfacing drew reader concern. (Robert Thomson) Since then, I've received these two letters from cyclists who wanted to discuss aspects Dear Dr. Gridlock: There's a reason (or two) that you see more people interested in bikes here. I guess public transportation is your first love but for some people, myself included, it's not an option and the only viable alternative is motorcycling. Being a...
By | June 6, 2007; 07:29 AM ET | Comments (63)
Bridge Crash Highlights Safety Problem
The fatal crash Thursday on the Bay Bridge highlights a problem we've created for ourselves. Two-way traffic on one span is an accommodation to increasingly heavy volume, but it leaves motorists with no protection from the oncoming traffic a lane over. (Here's a link to a WJLA TV video of the crash scene.) It's one more case in which the rapid growth of the Washington region has far outstripped the travel system designed in the mid-20th century to support that growth. (Here's a link to a Maryland state task force report on the future of the Bay Bridge.) Drivers observe that same flaw in our system where shoulder lanes that should be available for breakdowns are converted into travel lanes for cars or buses. In Virginia, the latest planning for highway expansion -- the creating of the high occupancy or toll (HOT) lanes on Interstate 95/395 -- has raised concerns...
By | May 11, 2007; 08:28 AM ET | Comments (39)
D.C. Moves For Street Safety
At a forum last night on pedestrian safety, D.C. Council member Jim Graham talked about the transportation bill now before the council that expand and empower the District's force of traffic control officers. Their numbers would grow from 43 to 63 and they would have the authority to stop and ticket vehicles and pedestrians who violated traffic laws. Traffic control officer directs drivers and pedestrians. (Robert Thomson) Both the traffic control officers and the school crossing guards would become part of the District Department of Transportation. The officers now work for the Department of Public Works and the crossing guards are part of the D.C. police department. All of them would get raises. These are all good moves, suggesting that the District is committed to addressing concerns expressed by commuters and D.C. residents alike about traffic safety. Nothing, though, was as effective at getting the attention of the audience at...
By | May 4, 2007; 07:55 AM ET | Comments (45)
Speed Camera Fines Begin Today
No more Mr. Nice Guy: As of today, Montgomery County will be fining motorists who drive more than 10 mph above the speed limit where the speed cameras are in place. The grace period during which only warnings were issued has ended. The City of Rockville also began its crackdown this week. Sticker on back of van announces speed camera operation. (Robert Thomson) Del. Bill Bronrott of Bethesda, who sponsored the legislation that allowed Montgomery County and several municipalities to begin the program, joined some of the police chiefs involved in it and road safety advocates today at Meadow Hall Elementary School on Rockville's Twinbrook Parkway. The parkway is one of the places where you'll find the cameras, loaded aboard vans marked with a red, white and blue "Safe Speed" logo. While the name "parkway" might call up visions of a wide commuter route, Twinbook at this point is a...
By | May 2, 2007; 02:01 PM ET | Comments (25)
Traffic Calming Program Begins in District
Some people who care about saving lives on D.C. streets got together at Fort Reno Park this morning to launch a campaign called Pace Car. So far, they've gotten 400 drivers to sign pledges that include the following phrases: -- "I will drive within the posted speed limit on city streets." -- "I will not be pressured by others' impatience to drive above the posted speed limit." Pace Car program window decal. (WABA) If you drive in the city, you know these are bold steps. Traveling to the press conference, I took Military Road, where the speed limit is the District's standard 25 mph for neighborhood streets. It looked like half the drivers were honoring the numerous signs and sticking to the limit. So what do the pledge signers get in exchange? It's a sticker to place on the vehicle's back window, and it says, "DC Neighborhood Pace Car, 25...
By | April 25, 2007; 12:29 PM ET | Comments (39)
Kaine Signs Traffic Safety Bills
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine announced today that he has signed several bills on traffic safety that were passed by the General Assembly. One restores the red-light camera program for the jurisdictions that want it, another limits use of cell phones by young drivers and a third raises the required age for use of child restraint seats. Kaine has not acted yet on what many Virginia leaders regard as the big enchilada, House Bill 3202, which would change the way the state finances its transportation improvements. He's likely to amend that one next week and send it back for review by the assembly. These are the specifics on the new laws Kaine signed: -- House Bill 1778 (sponsoredby De. John A. Cosgrove)/ Senate Bill 829 (sponsored by Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis) give localities the option of installing photo-monitoring systems to enforce traffic light signals. Kaine said he may submit a technical amendment...
By | March 23, 2007; 03:12 PM ET | Email a Comment
Traffic Safety Challenges for Drivers, Walkers
At 7th and Pennsylvania, which recently became ground zero for our concerns about traffic safety, you can see the four corners of the issue. The broad junction of Pennsylvania Avenue and 7th Street in downtown Washington is daunting for pedestrians. (Robert Thomson) Traffic control officers from the D.C. Department of Public Works, those people who earn their living by standing between us and oncoming vehicles, were directing the flow through that enormous intersection where two pedestrians were fatally struck by a Metrobus last month. Metro and the District government can put up signs and retrain bus drivers, but there's nothing as effective for both pedestrians and drivers as a person with a whistle and a pair of arms controlling the rush hour flow. Traffic officer gets the attention of pedestrians and drivers. (Robert Thomson) To reach the intersection, I took the new MetroExtra bus down Georgia Avenue into downtown. Along...
By | March 22, 2007; 08:29 AM ET | Comments (18)
Campaign For Pedestrian Safety Begins
Many of the region's political and law enforcement leaders were at Thomas Circle in Washington today to renew their annual "Street Smart" campaign for pedestrian and bicycle safety. Of late, pedestrian accidents have provided their own unfortunate reminders that we need to be alert and aware of our surroundings as we drive, ride and walk. But the problem didn't suddenly arise in the past few weeks: One out of every four people killed on the region's roads was walking or biking when the accident occurred. Police Chiefs Kathy Lanier of the District and Thomas Manger of Montgomery attended campaign launch. (Robert Thomson) There are many letters in the Dr. Gridlock mailbag from people concerned about what's going on. Some are proposing law enforcement solutions. Usually, that means they want to see more law enforcement, like more ticketing of cellphone-using drivers in the District. On the other hand, I did get...
By | March 20, 2007; 12:01 PM ET | Comments (10)
Traffic Officers On Duty at Midday
Some of you who leave your offices for lunch in downtown Washington have been telling me there's something different in the air: the sound of whistles. In fact, you're right. The District's Department of Public Works figured out it had enough traffic control officers between the morning and evening rush hour shifts to start a midday patrol at 16 dowtown intersections. I saw three of them working last week at Connecticut Avenue and K Street. One officer took the center of the intersection and the other two monitored crosswalks, where the lunchtime crowding was heavy. Another three officers were right nearby at 17th Street and Connecticut. That's a lot of whistles. The DPW program is two years old. It used to be that if you saw the traffic officers at midday, they were trainees, getting their first experience before being assigned to the more demanding rush hour shifts. But since...
By | November 6, 2006; 08:10 AM ET | Comments (15)
