Crosswalks are supposed to make it safer to walk across a street, but they don’t work if drivers don’t stop or slow down. This video of my morning commute shows how scary walking can be, and why it’s worth taking efforts to make crosswalks better.

Video of the walk across North Capitol at Pierce Street NE by the author. “Please pardon the Blair Witch Project-style framing,” he says!.

Motorists in DC are required by law to stop when a pedestrian is in a crosswalk, just as if there were a stop sign. But morning commuters on North Capitol Street don’t seem to know or think much about this law.

Every day, the 80 and 96 buses let off passengers by a crosswalk on North Capitol at Pierce Street NE. There aren’t any signs reminding drivers to yield, and trying to cross the street to get to NoMa is something people do at their own peril. Check out the video to see what I mean.

North Capitol and Pierce Street NE, where the author shot the video. Image from Google Maps.

I didn’t set out to film this video. I was more focused on crossing the street alive than documenting the experience. But I had my camera out and it just occurred to me to hit record since nobody would otherwise believe what I face every morning trying to get to work.

As you can see, drivers don’t stop regardless of whether a person is standing in the middle of the intersection long before they get there. And that’s even when cars may have to stop after they get through the crosswalk.

Wildebeest migration across the Mara River. Photo by jeaneeeem on flickr

In my 14 years here, I’ve seen DDOT add more prominent street paint, signs, and bollards, all of which I have to assume is to remind motorists to stop and to make streets safer.

For the specific problem I’m talking about, perhaps WMATA could move the bus stop to coincide with a traffic light one block south of Pierce Street at L Street. DDOT could also make the light timing accommodate people crossing instead of just motorists turning left. Either way, leaving a crosswalk there and no protection for anyone using it is a recipe for disaster.

As an occasional motorist myself, I know it’s not fun to stop every few blocks when you’re trying to get somewhere. But if we can learn to yield to people in crosswalks, we won’t need a dedicated light or stop sign and everyone can get where they are going safely.

Another crossing that’s particularly dangerous because drivers rarely stop is where Rhode Island Avenue NW meets 7th Street, right by the Shaw library. Do you know of others? Let us know in the comments. Maybe DDOT will take note.

Steven Glazerman is an economist who studies education policy and specializes in teacher labor markets. He has lived in the DC area off and on since 1987 and settled in the U Street neighborhood in 2001. He is a Senior Fellow at Mathematica Policy Research, but any of his views expressed here are his own and do not represent Mathematica.