New quick curb at 15th and W.

DDOT finally installed “quick curb” at the dangerous intersection of 15th and W yesterday, after previously saying that they didn’t have the materials available. How did that happen?

“We don’t generally have quick curb in stock, but our Traffic Operations Administration did find some and went ahead and installed it while we are waiting for the new order to be delivered,” said DDOT spokesperson John Lisle via email. While it’s great that TOA was able to rummage up some quick curb for this dangerous spot, it raises some questions.

If DDOT does not carry quick curb in stock, where did the quick curb installed yesterday come from? Why did it take a month for it to be installed at the exact location where a pedestrian was killed, while DDOT had enough curb to install it at other locations in the intersection?

Perhaps more importantly, why doesn’t DDOT carry a supply of quick curb in stock to enable them to make quick changes at high-priority areas? I’ve requested further comment from DDOT.