I read the article to make sure I was reading it right but yeah, Rep. Wolf simply just wants to change the law so that the current republican governor can take out some people that were appointed by the previous democratic governor.

by Canaan on May 11, 2011 9:01 am • link • report

So "curbside" buses will not be curbside anymore. How is it that NYCDOT can leave well enough alone DDOT just can't?

by Steve S. on May 11, 2011 9:03 am • link • report

Montgomery County parking fees and garages: Has anyone asked Montgomery County about the digital parking spaces available signs in the Silver Spring garages (Wayne & Ellsworth). For the first couple of years the garages were open the signs flashed outrageous and incorrect numbers for the amount of space remaining in the garages. Then the signs went dark. The interesting thing is that there do not appear to be any sensors installed in the garages to monitor parking. I agree that parking is priced too low in Silver Spring. But if the county is going to raise parking prices, taxpayers and folks parking in Silver Spring deserve some accountability for the money spent on apparently useless electronics in the garages.

by David Rotenstein on May 11, 2011 9:04 am • link • report

The lead-in for the article re DCPS wait lists is misleading, if not just incorrect. All students have the right to attend their respective neighborhood DCPS starting in Kindergarten. The article is about limited slots for preschool, not elementary, middle or high school.

by dcd on May 11, 2011 9:48 am • link • report

@ICC
I am not surprised; right now the road is only useful to those going to the Olney area. I have also timed my trips via the ICC and the various back ways I used before. During rush hour the ICC at best saves me 5 minutes of driving time, hardly worth the buck each way.

Though if it saves me 5 minutes now it will likely save 15 or more minutes once it is completed.

The state is just going to have to wait until completion to see if its profitable.

by Matt R on May 11, 2011 9:55 am • link • report

I wonder what price of gasoline were the traffic projections based upon.

by David J on May 11, 2011 10:09 am • link • report

Details about increases in parking fees here.

Doesn't look to me like much of an increase.

by MattF on May 11, 2011 10:10 am • link • report

The District is slowly corralling curbside intercity bus services into the Union Station parking garage. DDOT wants to charge operators for public space permits to continue using curbside stops.

And that is a bad thing? You can't run long distance bus service with check-in and luggage lines curb side. That's just abuse of public space. It would be great is those bus services got their own corner somewhere at Union Station and opened an info or ticket desk there as well. That will increase the competivity between the companies as well, as customers can easily compare pricing and options. The Gare du Nord in Paris has something similar. It ain't pretty, but it will be efficient.

by Jasper on May 11, 2011 10:12 am • link • report

I echo was DTD said. I was really surprised to hear DC wasn't allowing neighborhood kids to attend their local school, but, yeah that's only for Pre-K and has been that way for a while (forever maybe?). I guess the news would be that more schools than the upper NW schools are getting their Pre-K slots taken up. The really story there is less about in boundary kids having to look elsewhere for pre-K, and more about out of boundary kids getting more and more pushed out of WOTP schools since getting in at Pre-K is the largest entry point for them.

Also, I think it is a loss not to have more pick up points for private bus lines throughout the city. A lot of Dupont residents take the bus to go to NYC. Why not allow them (through a permit mechanism) to invite the buses to their neighborhood? Just because it's a private company shouldn't bar the use of public space (hello outdoor cafes).

by TM on May 11, 2011 10:23 am • link • report

Concerning curbside buses etc.

I actually helped do the impact study for the intercity bus pilot program, and had to spend many hours on-site recording numbers of passengers alighting and arriving, and how the intercity bus corrals impacted traffic within the garage. I have also been a frequent user of intercity buses myself, that being my main mode of transport between Philly and DC on a weekly basis for two years. I have also made many trips up to NYC. I don't think it's a bad thing necessarily to consolidate all intercity bus stops into one covered location. I do understand that Union Station is not centrally located to a number of neighborhoods though. I also know that Greyhound is looking to move their operations into the garage there as well, with new offices.

by Paul C on May 11, 2011 10:26 am • link • report

I guess the news would be that more schools than the upper NW schools are getting their Pre-K slots taken up.

Yep. And that's good news.

The real story there is less about in boundary kids having to look elsewhere for pre-K, and more about out of boundary kids getting more and more pushed out of WOTP schools since getting in at Pre-K is the largest entry point for them.

It's not just "west of the park", though. Plenty of Capitol Hill schools are facing a crunch for PS3/PK4 slots, even for in-boundary kids, and for a lot of NE/SE families, those schools are the first choice (Most families living on the Hill aren't excited about the prospect of commuting to AU Park every morning--go figure.) This is happening pretty much anywhere there are large numbers of middle-class families with children. While there are obvious losers in this dynamic, overall it's a sign of the improving health of the system.

This is what a recovering public school system looks like.

by oboe on May 11, 2011 10:31 am • link • report

The most disturbing thing in the ICC article is that the state will be spending $1.4 million to advertise a highway that has only collected maybe $130k in fares thus far. What a joke.

If those new buses have that "Don't stand by the rear doorway" announcement, I may become homicidal. One driver refused to move the bus until the announcement stopped, even though she was the one who allowed all the extra people on board. I guess passengers are expected to magically defy the laws physics to allow bodies of mass to occupy the same space at the same time. That's sensible.

by Adam L on May 11, 2011 10:38 am • link • report

I like when the intercity buses go to Union Station garage area because the Circulator and metro is right there. It's also protected from the elements. I do worry, however, about the freshness and unique-ness of the intercity buses degrading once they are brought into a traditional station. Bus stations always become sleazy and unattractive after a while. It's been encouraging to see the rise in popularity of intercity buses. I just hope moving them to Union Station doesn't make it all start to feel like a Greyound bus station.

by aaa on May 11, 2011 10:42 am • link • report

re: 5-year old killed by SUV

The red SUV was traveling in the direction of the District on Martin Luther King Highway at the time of the accident, Rodriguez said. He said the girl was not in a crosswalk.

I think about this a lot when my daughter--who's about the same age--rides her bike around our neighborhood. All it takes is one small mistake by these young kids, and their lives can be snuffed out in an instant. It's just such a sad indictment of the shitty built environment we've constructed--and the free pass that drivers are given.

(After all, this child was "not in a crosswalk", so society has determined she's fair game. Never mind the fact that society couldn't be bothered to provide her with a crosswalk.)

But it's what we're stuck with. All we can do at this point is ask folks to slow down and pay more attention.

By the way, here's the intersection on Google Street View: http://goo.gl/maps/spRF

Her parents should sue the county/state back into the fucking Stone Age.

by oboe on May 11, 2011 10:54 am • link • report

@Oboe, are you familiar with that area of MLK Ave? I can assure you, there is absolutely, positively, NO REASON that a 5-year old should be anywhere along that stretch of road unsupervised or anywhere near the street. This is also true for the intersection in question. There is only a house there and nothing north, south, and west of it. Only trees, and the highway itself.

That said, if a cyclist were killed in a bike lane, wouldn't the fact that he/she were in the lane be an important point to know? You would likely use that as justification for your position (of sorts) against cars. Yet, I can imagine that had a driver of a car killed a pedestrian on a sidewalk, you would think that important.

You're a bit over the top this am. Really you are. Sue the county? Unless she lives in the sole corner house, she shouldn't have been riding a bike or playing kickball anywhere near that intersection

by HogWash on May 11, 2011 11:35 am • link • report

Why can't Metro buy the nice buses that the Circulator uses? In terms of passenger comfort, they're leaps and bounds better.

by andrew on May 11, 2011 11:37 am • link • report

I'm gonna miss the diesel buses, it seems like WMATA is retiring buses before their time (buses have a 20 year life span).

They retired the 1993-1995 Fixible D and E buses way too early as well as the 1995 NABI artics.

I know WMATA has preserved at least one bus from each series so I wonder why they never do fan trips like they do in New York or Philly.

All of these new buses have no character and they all look the same.

by force on May 11, 2011 11:39 am • link • report

I'm gonna miss the diesel buses

You will be the only one.

by Mark P. on May 11, 2011 11:54 am • link • report

@HogWash,

No, but it's pretty obvious that there's a sidewalk that runs alongside MLK. So I can think of at least one "reason a 5-year old should be anywhere along that stretch of road unsupervised or anywhere near the street." A mother walking with two children between a house on the north end of Gondar Ave and the north end of Fiji Avenue would almost certainly choose this route. And the county's perfunctory creation of "sidewalks" would certainly encourage it. Driving along that stretch, if you were in the right lane, you'd literally be 3-4" from a child on the sidewalk. Hell, at that point, a pickup truck with larger-than-normal side-view mirrors could be a fatal threat.

Your attitude is pretty common, though. This is obviously a residential area, but a lot of folks believe there's no cost or danger in permitting vehicles to operate at 35, 45, 55 mph within inches of a sidewalk in an area with houses about. After all, the Golden Rule of survival that has to be drummed into all children from the time they can walk is that drivers always have the right of way, and that all responsibility lies on the shoulders of the pedestrian to stay out of their way.

Rather than an unavoidable tragedy, this is the completely expected result of 50 years of transportation policy.

by oboe on May 11, 2011 11:59 am • link • report

@Canaan

Wolf is trying to do more than just swap out Kaine's MWAA appointees with McDonnell's appointees. He wants to increase the total number of VA appointed members on MWAA so that VA's representation is more proportional to the facilities that are located in VA. This all stems from MWAA's decision to locate the Dulles station underground, which might be great from a design/planning perspective but the resulting $300M cost overrun has soured the relationship between VA and MWAA which is more important in the long term.

There is already evidence of the soured relationship. There's a certain design of a silver line substation in Falls Church that requires Fairfax's zoning approval. Right now, it looks like Fairfax won't approve the redesign which will result in an 8 month delay and cost MWAA $300K a day in penalties to the contractor.

This fight is getting really nasty.

by Falls Church on May 11, 2011 12:00 pm • link • report

Can't get enough of these, love the sound of the engines:

Flxible A and B series engine (Years 1986-1989)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGY4GJBkNQM

1992 Orion V
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emmYktq4wAU

by force on May 11, 2011 12:05 pm • link • report

This is obviously a residential area, but a lot of folks believe there's no cost or danger in permitting vehicles to operate at 35, 45, 55 mph within inches of a sidewalk in an area with houses about.

Checking Google Street View further, there's several Metro bus stops directly on MLK here, and the posted speed limit is 40 mph. From what we know of general driver behavior, we can assume that autos travelling along this 6-lane stretch of highway would be doing no less than 50-60 mph.

MD traffic engineers killed this child.

by oboe on May 11, 2011 12:07 pm • link • report

Actually plenty of transit fans feel the same way jackass.

Yes, I'm sure residents and users prefer an ugly, loud, diesel fume spewing bus roaring down the street over a modern, clean, accessible, and more energy efficient model.

by Mark P. on May 11, 2011 12:17 pm • link • report

I have deleted a comment by "force" which used name calling.

Please refrain from insulting people with whom you disagree. If you disagree with someone, please do so with a civil discussion.

by Matt Johnson on May 11, 2011 12:19 pm • link • report

RE The ICC:

Not really surprising. I took it a number of times before the tolls went into effect and twice afterward, and it doesn't really decrease times to get anywhere, except Olney. Even then most Olney residents would still use Georgia Ave (MD97) to commute since most probably work in DC or lower Mongtomery. Taking the Beltway (coming from Germantown) takes almost exactly the same amount of time to get to I-95 and Silver Spring, vs the ICC and MD198 and the ICC and MD97 respectively. The only time it would be faster is if the Beltway was backed up (which isn't really uncommon).

So even if it were FREE I don't see much incentive for anyone using it. When it opens to I-95 it should be a totally different story though.

by TerrapinKing on May 11, 2011 12:23 pm • link • report

@Oboe..HA!

Well according to the article, the girl was "had crossed eastbound Martin Luther King Jr. Highway into the median with her father when she broke free from his hand and ran into the westbound lane where she was struck near the road's intersection with Fiji Avenue

To me, that sounds like her dad ushered them across a busy hwy, the girl darted out into traffic and was killed. Other than installing barriers along the sidewalk and median, I'm not sure what the city could have done to prevent that. As a pedestrian, her father (grieving I'm sure) should not have tried that.

But I get it, it's these people, their policies, and those evil cars are ruining american.

BTW, in this case, it seems as if the driver DID have the right of way whether he was going 15 or 65 mph.

by HogWash on May 11, 2011 12:26 pm • link • report

@hogwash, perhaps we could have expected drivers to slow down upon seeing a small child crossing the street...

by Tina on May 11, 2011 12:31 pm • link • report

And this was 2:30 in the afternoon; and there were nothing but sightlines--no curves, no hills, no nothing. But remember...the SUV had the right-of-way. In fact as HogWash says, it didn't matter if the SUV was going 15 or 65 mph (in other words, 25 mph over the speed limit). I don't mean to single out HogWash--clearly his attitude is one held by the majority in this country.

What an odd and disgusting culture we've created.

by oboe on May 11, 2011 12:55 pm • link • report

@ Falls Church:

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved MWAA's appeal by a 6 to 4 vote: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/post/accord-reached-on-metro-train-control-room/2011/05/10/AFuBUpkG_blog.html

by Dizzy on May 11, 2011 1:09 pm • link • report

@Tina, yes perhaps so. And perhaps the father w/child should have realized that cars travel along that route and attempting to cross that same busy route through a medium (which offers mere inches of space from the street) was not a bad idea, especially with an easily distracted 5-year old.

@Oboe, Yes, it was 2:30 in the afternoon, around the time elementary students get out. And yes again, the SUV had the right away. Unlike people like you, I recognize that having a "right of way" does actually apply to cars too.

Yes, I'll admit, my attitude is likely the prevailing attitude for many Americans. And your attitude represents the small yet vocal number of those who bitch and whine about anything where a pedestrian or a bike isn't hailed as perfect form. In this case, the PEDESTRIAN is @fault. Yet, you turn it into one of your (and those who support your irrationality) screeds against those evil car thingys.

Wanna cross a busy hwy? Try doing so @a crosswalk. Not a 3ft median because you might end up attached to the bumper of a car.

And lets' be clear, you are singling me out because I don't blame the car thingy and the county for this unfortunate accident.

by HogWash on May 11, 2011 1:23 pm • link • report

You can take a look at Metrobus's complete fleet inventory on Page 38 of this PDF.

The oldest currently-operating buses were built in 1990, which is actually a bit younger than I thought.

by andrew on May 11, 2011 1:27 pm • link • report

Awesome. We're blaming a 5 year old girl for her own death.

Stay classy, guys.

by andrew on May 11, 2011 1:28 pm • link • report

The MWAA board is starting to look as irresponsible as WMATA's. MWAA's planned toll increases have been carefully calculated to provide sufficient funding to pay the debt service and to refund the bonds necessary to build Phase 1 (so far). High level MWAA management has informed the public that they have looked at the price points where increased prices will push enough drivers off the DTR so that the financial plan does not succeed.

Until now, the MWAA board members were quite cautious. For example, they told the Tysons landowners that MWAA will not help fund the three-to-five lane expansion of the DTR to accommodate Tyson's planned 2030 growth.

But recently, with a still bad economy, the virtual certainty that defense-related contracts will decline, and general cost overruns, especially for planned Phase 2, the MWAA has made two very stupid decisions -- one to put the Dulles Station underground at an extra cost of $300 million plus a give-away to labor unions (a project labor agreement) in a right-to-work state. Both of these plans would increase the costs of the project and could force toll increases above levels where the revenues are sufficient to handle the bonds. Moreover, the higher the tolls, the more drivers take other routes that will increase traffic congestion in other parts of the county.

This is simply stupid behavior by the MWAA board that, if not stopped, cause harm to the residents of Fairfax County. Most of our elected officials from both political parties are working together to protect the county residents' intetests.

If MWAA wants the underground station at Dulles, it should pay the added costs by surcharging fares at the station. Those are the beneficiaries who should pay. The PLA should simply be scrapped as it will hurt the many businesses and workers in Virginia who don't have any relationship with labor unions. It's just another OPM giveaway. (Other People's Money).

by tmtfairfax on May 11, 2011 1:59 pm • link • report

@Hogwash - "a medium (which offers mere inches of space from the street)"

Of course if you look at google maps, you'll see the sidewalks only offer mere inches of space from the street as well.

Ideally, everyone would cross at intersections with crosswalks (because they magically protect pedestrians from cars), but in the real world, walking far out of your way (along a sidewalk inches from traffic) to do so isn't always going to happen.

I wouldn't want to live with hitting a small child even if I had the right of way...

by JD on May 11, 2011 1:59 pm • link • report

Let's remember that it's called "right of way", not "duty of way". The fact that one has a right, does not mean that one has to exercise it. In this case, clearly, it would have been better if the car driver had opted to acknowledge the irrational and spontaneous behavior of the child, in stead of exercising his right to be somewhere.

by Jasper on May 11, 2011 2:28 pm • link • report

"I wouldn't want to live with hitting a small child even if I had the right of way..."

Yep. Drive accordingly.

by bikermark on May 11, 2011 2:39 pm • link • report

@andrew

No one is blaming the 5yo. Her father is the one to blame.

@Jasper

The pedestrian death last month off the GW parkway was caused by a driver not taking the right-of-way.

by TGEoA on May 11, 2011 2:44 pm • link • report

Re MLK Highway: I'm continually surprised (although I shouldn't be) that knowledge of traffic laws is so poor. Every time a similar incident comes up on GGW, let's all remember: In Maryland (and, I'd venture to guess, in every state) every side of a street intersection is a crosswalk, whether one is painted or not. No, this does not magically protect pedestrians from cars, but it might inform the question of who had the right of way. So Hogwash, if they were crossing at the intersection of Fiji Avenue as indicated in the article, then that 3 ft median they were standing on is in the crosswalk. And of course we all know that pedestrians in the crosswalk have the right of way, and drivers are required to slow down or stop to let them cross. Yes, I know that the article also said that the PG County police spokesman said that the girl was not in a crosswalk, but I've seen the police make this same mistake many times, that is, not knowing what an unmarked crosswalk is.

by J. Walker on May 11, 2011 2:46 pm • link • report

God forbid DDOT and the District allow market forces to determine where we are allowed to board buses.

A neighborhood company wants to provide service from Dupont Circle to New York. People in our neighborhood appreciate the safety and convenience, especially if you're getting back after dark. It also brings foot traffic to our local businesses.

Arlington and Bethesda allow curbside boarding, because it's been successful and popular in DC.

It ain't broke, folks. Please don't fix it.

by Mike S. on May 11, 2011 2:47 pm • link • report

@JD, Of course if you look at google maps, you'll see the sidewalks only offer mere inches of space from the street as well.

I don't have to look @google maps since I know the area quite a bit. Taking that into account, the median separates the directional traffic lanes. And this was a kid who darted out into traffic. This wasn't some silly, irresponsible driver who failed to pay attention. It's hard to pay attention to something that darts out in front of you. But I doubt that the driver is flushed with glee over killing anyone, especially a child.

@Jasper, In this case, clearly, it would have been better if the car driver had opted to acknowledge the irrational and spontaneous behavior of the child.

Right, the driver should have known that a 5-yr would 1)be in the median in the first place 2)dart out in the street. And here it is again, that old irresponsible-driver-of-that car thingy again.

by HogWash on May 11, 2011 2:48 pm • link • report

The pedestrian death last month off the GW parkway was caused by a driver not taking the right-of-way.

Or by a driver following too closely for conditions.

by J. Walker on May 11, 2011 2:51 pm • link • report

DDOT is not telling bus operators they have to stop using curbside spaces. They are just asking operators to get permits and pay fees if they want to do so. Maybe the fees will be too high, maybe not, but some people seem to be assuming (and the summary does push in that direction) that DDOT is trying to get everyone to stop using curbsides.

by David Alpert on May 11, 2011 2:52 pm • link • report

To be honest, based off of the experiences in NYC, corralling all of the DC buses into a lot or garage would be a huge improvement. The lot in Chinatown was great thanks to the fact that there was adequate room to park for drivers picking up bus riders, the staging area, and the area's great transit accessibility. That new Megabus lot on K St is sketchy and far from everything, while the curbside stops in NYC are chaotic and cause major disruption to pedestrian traffic through the already-congested area.

Also, this seems like it might actually be a fairly decent way to justify the continued existence of the Union Station garage.

by andrew on May 11, 2011 3:19 pm • link • report

HogWash,
Blame aside, shouldn't something like this (with happens with such frequency that people are immune to it really) shouldn't we be wondering why a road that connects neighborhood presents such a hazard rather than doing its best to safely accomodate users? This isn't an interstate and in a city (because this isn't some country road in the dark) shouldn't all users have a chance to operate safely. In short, instead of wondering why they were trying to cross a dangerous part of the road we should wonder why is the road dangerous. Roads shouldn't be dangerous simply because it helps cars move faster (excepting things like interstates which already have rules about pedestrians and non motorized transit.)

by Canaan on May 11, 2011 4:12 pm • link • report

@TGEoA "The pedestrian death last month off the GW parkway was caused by a driver not taking the right-of-way."

+1 to this. I can't tell you how many times I've seen normal situations turn very ugly, very fast because someone decided to be "nice" and not take their right of way. Behaving unpredictably in 2 tons of steel going at 50mph surrounded by 5-8 other similar vehicles is not a recipe for success.

@Jasper -- "clearly"? We have no idea what the traffic situation was like. For all we know, if the driver had slammed on the brakes, or swerved he'd have caused a worse accident which still might have wound up killing the girl.

It's a horrible situation, to be sure. But let's not all sit around and pretend we've got perfect knowledge when all we have so far is a vague description, supposition and conjecture.

by Andrew in DC on May 11, 2011 4:24 pm • link • report

"Few driving the ICC..."

Maybe, just perhaps, that's because the ICC is currently a road to nowhere.

Duh!

I know a lot of people hate its very existence, but let's wait until the road is completed before we pass
judgement.

by ceefer66 on May 11, 2011 5:04 pm • link • report

@Canaan, I never intimated that we shouldn't be concerned. What I attempted to do is respond to oboe's effort to use this unfortunate accident as a means to attack those car thingys. Here, I followed what we knew..not what we assumed.

However, creating a black asphalt utopia isn't really a reasonable option on the table. Pedestrians - yes pedestrians need to understand that they should use much more caution than a ton-weighing car thingy. Can't tell you the number of times I see people downtown walk straight through an intersection, completely ignorant to the fact the cars turn, then you cross after you are directed to do so.

No, I'm not as touchy feely sensitive as some of those here which allows me less irrational in my thoughts on this than others.

You know, that "disgusting culture" oboe complained about earlier. Irrational, emotional response take 1.

by HogWash on May 11, 2011 5:14 pm • link • report

@ David,

You are certainly correct that DDOT is not - at this time - seeking to outlaw curbside boarding. But taxation and fees are methods of changing behavior and making it more expensive to do something.

In this case, it would make the DC2NY bus more expensive, and I'm not sure what the public good would be. Certainly, if I am forced to go to Union Station or some seedy bus terminal to take the DC2NY bus, I will use it far less frequently if at all.

I also want to know the legal difference between Vamoose and DC2NY, which provide interstate service, and Dillon's Bus Service, which provides interstate bus service to Columbia, Maryland. Should we force those commuters who take the Dillon's Bus choose between going to Union Station or driving Route 29 each day? Or are they special?

by Mike S. on May 11, 2011 5:21 pm • link • report

@ tmtfairfax; agree with you on MWAA, but there are reasons for an underground station besides union contracts.

charging station users will never pay for anything. A small fee on airport users, however, would raise $300M in no time flat.

@MikeS: it's called luggage and boarding times.

by charlie on May 11, 2011 5:35 pm • link • report

And I question why we must put the burden of safety on the pedestrian. If you're the one driving a car capable of killing just by being in motion then you should be the one being careful. In this particular instance maybe nothing could have been done but I question the assumption that just because the pedestrian was in a dangerous spot then there somewhere they shouldn't be. Again, why is the spot dangerous? So I believe that people at large don't truly realize how dangerous driving is and if I have to be anti-car in order to be pro bike/pedestrian then so be it.

by Canaan on May 11, 2011 5:37 pm • link • report

@hogwash, @oboe, @everybody...

As is often the case, I agree with all of you... you're all right despite seeming to take opposing viewpoints.

First to hit the legal issues: this area doesn't technically have even an unmarked crosswalk as the median breaks it up. The motorist did have the right-of-way and the pedestrians did not.

Now if there was a crosswalk & median cut-through there: yes, the pedestrians would have had the right-of-way; but would it have changed much? Crosswalks across such high-speed roadways might give it bit more sense of safety, but in practice: most motorists will disregard that as much as they will if there isn't a crosswalk. Now that fault is shifted, but in either case a pedestrian dies.

Or with marked crosswalks comes an additional risk: what if a motorist does stop? Now what about the motorist behind them who doesn't know why that lead vehicle is stopping... they're fixated on the brake lights, & change lanes -- unaware of pedestrians just as pedestrians can't spot him. That's one part of what's collectively called the "multithreat risk", which applies to uncontrolled crosswalks across roads with more than 1 lane in a given direction.

The family took a risk to cross here. There aren't many short-term fixes that would have been justifiable here which would have prevented the tragedy... unless we really want signals at every block of every intersection.

What's a bigger issue is how our transportation policy has structured our built environment for the past several decades: we built these auto-dependent regions which are now finding themselves with a pedestrian presence; but the infrastructure was never intended for pedestrians.

The task of retrofitting in pedestrians isn't as simple as adding in sidewalk & crosswalks; it takes a complete redesign of the street. But to do that takes political will: and as of yet the populace hasn't stepped up to demand that to such a degree as is needed to see any change. With the current environment: anyone who'd propose the multitude of changes that'd be needed to make MLK a low-speed, reduced-capacity complete street would be laughed out of office. I'd personally love to see such a change in our transportation vision; but there's a large voting base which disagrees.

by Bossi on May 11, 2011 5:39 pm • link • report

One thing I forgot to mention was the amount of garbage that passengers left at the old bus stop area (where the city center is now being built). No one really cleaned up the mess. In this respect, it makes sense for the city to charge a clean up fee or whatever they want to call it to keep the curbsides looking tidy. Bus customers really tore the sh*t out of the Art Walk there too. Addtionally, the area started attracting homeless people as a camping spot. Maybe there's no getting around it. Bus pick up spots just get ugly sometimes. Maybe it's time to concentrate the ugly in Union Station?

by aaa on May 11, 2011 6:28 pm • link • report

@oboe
So let me get this straight. A five year old wanders onto a highway and gets hit and killed by a car. You want to blame this on the driver and "society"? Get real. There is something called parenting and part of parenting means keeping your child out of harm's way. Above all else, it is the parents who have failed us in this tragedy.

by movement on May 11, 2011 6:45 pm • link • report

@Jasper
Yeah, I understand what right of way means. Sometimes it takes a heroic act by the driver to avoid this sort of accident. And sometimes there is nothing you can do.

by movement on May 11, 2011 6:51 pm • link • report

Movement,

Besides the fact that the article purports that the daughter broke free from her father's grasp you don't think there is any say to question both who was driving and the environmental factors around? The driver may have done nothing wrong and our response is supposed to be "dad shoulda kept a tighter hand on his daughter"? Really?

by Canaan on May 11, 2011 8:24 pm • link • report

Wow, it seems like half of you need to give up your drivers licenses if you dont understand what the laws are.

1) Basic speed law. Driving too fast for conditions. If you hit something you are at fault because you were driving too fast to avoid an obstacle. Deer, tree limb, overturned truck, 5 year old kid.

2) Unmarked crosswalks. Did maryland put a curb in the way that illegally blocks wheelchair access? Yes. Someone should sue them. Doesn't stop the fact that its a crosswalk.

Bossi thats what the "shark teeth" or line of yield triangles are for. Car stops at the marked "line" allowing ample visibility of the crosswalk from the neighboring lanes. Theyre all over san francisco.

Did MD just lose a lawsuit for negligent road design? Sue them again, their engineers are murderers on the loose.

by JJJJJ on May 11, 2011 9:30 pm • link • report

@ HogWash: Right, the driver should have known that a 5-yr would 1)be in the median in the first place 2)dart out in the street.

The driver can't know the future, so you're statement is nonsense. But, the driver could have seen the young child, and realized that young children have no concept of traffic rules and behave irrationally. He could have anticipated the kid darting out. Anticipation is not a crazy concept. It is the law in the Netherlands.

@ Andrew in DC: For all we know, if the driver had slammed on the brakes, or swerved he'd have caused a worse accident which still might have wound up killing the girl.

Sure, cuz there's only two ways to operate a verhicle, 1: Driving at the speed limit while assuming that children never behave irrensponsibly, and 2: Slamming the breaks assuming that other people forsee your irresponsible action. Slowing down a bit and keeping an eye on the kid as you pass by is not an option at all.

@ HogWash: Can't tell you the number of times I see people downtown walk straight through an intersection, completely ignorant to the fact the cars turn, then you cross after you are directed to do so.

Pedestrians have the right of way. In light of your previous comment on the right of way rights of the killer of the 5-year old, why can't pedestrians assume that car drivers - surely more responsible than a 5-year old - understand traffic rules?

@ movement: Sometimes it takes a heroic act by the driver to avoid this sort of accident. And sometimes there is nothing you can do.

And most of the time, you can just slow down a bit when children are present. Again, this is not a crazy concept. It is the law in the Netherlands, and many other places.

by Jasper on May 11, 2011 10:48 pm • link • report

Bossi, please substantiate your statement that the presence of a median in the middle of the street means that there is no crosswalk in the intersection. Maryland Law says nothing of the sort. Here's the definition of crosswalk in Section 21-101 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, Transportation Article:

"Crosswalk" means that part of a roadway that is:

(1) Within the prolongation or connection of the lateral lines of sidewalks at any place where 2 or more roadways of any type meet or join, measured from the curbs or, in the absence of curbs, from the edges of the roadway; or

(2) Distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other markings.

Again, the crosswalk does not in and of itself protect pedestrians. But it does mean that the driver had a duty to yield to the people crossing, and he failed in that duty.

by J. Walker on May 12, 2011 4:46 pm • link • report