I frequently walk that area as well, and when drivers feel link inching up on me, I often decide to stop in the crosswalk.

by Malnurtured Snay on Sep 21, 2010 2:55 pm • link • report

"The driver is enraged when I shake my head in disbelief."

I've noticed that when drivers are forced to face their mistakes, their immediate reaction is often unbridled rage. Can a commenter who knows something about psychology explain this to me?

by Chris Loos on Sep 21, 2010 2:56 pm • link • report

Has anyone said there are not enough police to do this, or is it only that they do not?

by Lisa on Sep 21, 2010 3:02 pm • link • report

I've never seen DC police ticketing drivers for this sort of conduct. Apparently they have better things to do.

by RPM on Sep 21, 2010 3:04 pm • link • report

I feel your pain. I too have been car-free for the last several years and have experienced everything you described. I haven't had the heart to takes notes as you have done, but I have absolutley changed my routes to avoid certain intersections even if the change takes me out of my way. The walking part of my commutes are no longer a chance to get some exercise - I am constantly on guard and wary of every vehicle I encounter, in a way that was never true before; it's mentally exhausting.

I would also add that I think it's getting worse- the rage you describe and the utter contempt for laws. I even have gotten very angry responses in discussions with friends/drivers who defend all drivers at the expense of all pedestrians.

As for a solution - ??? Given what I've seen and experienced, I don't think even greater enforcement will have any effect. I don't know what would.

by ZZinDC on Sep 21, 2010 3:09 pm • link • report

As a non car owner myself it's funny to me that I just accept these notes as the norm. I applaud you for taking the time to write them down. One thing that always gets me is that drivers really don't understand that pedestrians have the right of way in crosswalks. I cross MTP street at Hobart a lot. There is a crosswalk there but no stop sign or light for drivers. On more than one occasion I have been walking across the street and received honks from drivers who thought they had the right of way. (Maryland tags but I digress). One time I took the time to stand in front of the car and give a quick lesson. "Cross walk. Me walk cross. you yield". Never mind the fact that if you don't actually take the initiative to start walking across the street the cars would never just stop and let you cross. You have to exert yourself or they will just keep going all day long fully aware you are waiting to cross at the cross walk. As for Bikes on the sidewalks. This is a huge prob on Conn Ave and 16th street. Obviously no cyclist in their right mind would want to ride in the street there. But are there long term plans for dedicated bike lanes on these busy avenues the way NYC has done?

by Anon on Sep 21, 2010 3:11 pm • link • report

Thank you for writing this, Sharon L! It's very appreciated. I have been a pedestrian for many many years, further towards town than where you are, and while I don't feel quite as invisible, I appreciate your frustration.

I hope you can keep chronicling your experience.

by Jazzy on Sep 21, 2010 3:11 pm • link • report

Well said. The right to a speedy right turn on red is definitely not in the Constitution.

by aaa on Sep 21, 2010 3:16 pm • link • report

I will admit some guilt as a driver around Georgetown. The problem is that there are some crosswalks on Wisconsin (north of M) which are at signalled intersections, and some are just mid-block. At least once I forgot if the particular intersection where people were crossing was signalled or not, honked at them, and was sheeply reminded that it was in fact a non-signalled intersection. So that's my confession as a driver.

by Aaron on Sep 21, 2010 3:16 pm • link • report

ZZ-I'd agree that it seems to be getting worse. What I've chalked that up to is that we are in a growing region where a lot of the transplants arriving every year are coming to the city with a suburban/rural driving background. Those that arrive here with urban backgrounds likely wouldn't bother with a car. Then they get here where the car isn't king and get frustrated. City driving is a different beast. Just a theory though.

by Anon on Sep 21, 2010 3:17 pm • link • report

"The driver of a car runs a red light at the intersection of Porter and Quebec at the synagogue."

This is a badly designed intersection. There is a light immediately after the right turn. There's not even enough space to get your car into the correct lane after the turn. If you are not familiar with it, you could easily just drive right through it without even noticing. Google maps satellite view makes this extremely obvious.

Likewise, traffic turning left onto Connecticut Avenue from Porter will face heavy pedestrian traffic at many times of day, almost necessitating running the red light in order to make the turn.

This is a perfect example of a problem intersection that could be made much safer for all with a better design. I remember when they redid it about a decade ago, being stunned that no left-turn arrow was added for this traffic turning onto Connecticut.

You can blame cars for running the lights here, and I am not excusing that behavior, but if you create constructs that are difficult to navigate legally, it's stupid to just blame drivers for the safety problem that results.

by Jamie on Sep 21, 2010 3:17 pm • link • report

Funny... I've been thinking of documenting all of the unsafe habits of pedestrians I see lately. Particularly those with children. The tendency for pedestrians to wait to cross in the street instead of on the sidewalk - parents generally leading with their young children in strollers - is the one I've seen the most lately. Not to mention the pedestrians who don't look both ways before crossing or pause before walking into an intersection - which they should do even if motor traffic has a stop sign. You'd think with posts like this telling of reckless driving, not to mention simple common sense that would tell you that a car's brakes may malfunction, or the driver - a simple, emotional, irrational human animal - is imperfect and prone to distraction while behind the wheel of a 2 ton killing machine, or that a bicyclist inclined to take "stop" as a suggestion rather than a command (an action that I actually don't have much of an issue with), etc etc. One would think that pedestrians would exercise more caution, and yet there they are shoving their offspring in their $700 strollers into the middle of East Capitol Street instead of waiting on the sidewalk for traffic to calm.

A little understanding and common sense from both drivers and pedestrians would go a long way. No one is perfect - I have to remind myself constantly not to roll through stop signs, particularly when I'm going to turn right - but a little "spend a day in my shoes/car" seems to be in order for people on both sides of this issue.

by Nichole on Sep 21, 2010 3:18 pm • link • report

Thank you for sharing this. Those of us who have been involved with Connecticut Avenue Pedestrian Action found this account to be entirely consistent with the extensive audit process in May of this year, both in terms of driver and pedestrian behavior as well as structural issues associated with specific intersections, signage and other markings.

We are in the process of finalizing our report to Councilmember Mary Cheh, DDOT and the community. Working with the various stakeholders, we hope to see changes on this corridor in the very near future.

by Andrew on Sep 21, 2010 3:25 pm • link • report

Sharon,

Thank you for sharing this with us. I have been in DC for 2 years, without a car, living in Adams Morgan and Eckington, working at Union Station. I almost get hit by a car literally every day. My husband has been "grazed" twice.

I sincerely fear that my (small, low to the ground) dogs are going to be run over while walking them, since no one actually stops at stop signs. This was terrible in Adams Morgan - and I would literally watch police watching these violations without doing anything.

In Eckington, it is just as bad, or worse, as people drive faster and seem to see the streets as thoroughfares and not neighborhoods.

DC is incredibly dangerous for pedestrians (see either recent examples like Adams Morgan's fatality or the recent stats on how DC stacks up - it's not pretty) and while DDOT IS trying to make things better, there needs to be BETTER ENFORCEMENT of existing laws to protect vulnerable users.

A great example of this is when people park at bus stops, preventing the bus from pulling to the curb, which means it cannot on- or off-load wheelchair users. Yet DC parking enforcement does not regularly ticket these violations, even in the most typically violated zones (see: North Capitol and Mass in front of the Post Offce).

I don't know why DC residents (and non-residents who work or visit here) are not more enraged. It actually makes it really unpleasant to live here.

by Allison on Sep 21, 2010 3:27 pm • link • report

This is hysterical. And I'm looking forward to the segments dealing with jaywalking pedestrians and renegade bikers.

And I wonder how this would be written if the author did own or drive a car. Subtle change in perspective on city driving. Instead, it is just another episode of "cars are evil".

by charlie on Sep 21, 2010 3:38 pm • link • report

Drivers treat New Jersey Ave. between Florida and New York like an expressway.

I cross NJ Ave. daily on bike or on foot and only three drivers have ever yielded me right of way in the crosswalks at O and NJ NW in the last 18 months.

These two crosswalks are right in front of Dunbar High School and many students walk to class.

Drivers have screamed at me when I try to cross, they've blared their horns and veered around me to keep going. Once I saw an large SUV stop, and a friend and I went into the intersection, and I saw another driver veer around the stopped car to pass. I had to yank my friend back out of the other lane or she would have been hit.

A friend once asked a police officer to try to do a few days of enforcement and we were told it wasn't his jurisdiction. He was parked about a half a block away.

Does it take somebody hitting a high school student before these drivers are ticketed for 1) speeding and 2) failing to yield to pedestrians?

by Unsafe on NJ Ave on Sep 21, 2010 3:42 pm • link • report

Funny Charlie. I've owned a car about half the years I've been in DC. In fact, it is being a pedestrian that has changed my driving habits. Now I am an extremely slow driver, and am much more aware than I was years ago. So, it's not what effect being a driver has on walking, but rather the reverse.

by Jazzy on Sep 21, 2010 3:44 pm • link • report

It is all about enforcement. Look at the car/ped situation in Chinatown. Lots of cops do nothing to enforce the laws that are on the books.

by anonymous on Sep 21, 2010 3:47 pm • link • report

Again, Jazzy - it's not that one-sided. As a driver, who only very occasionally walks, I can say that driving informs my walking. (for instance, the reason why I always, always, always make my dog sit before we cross the street is because it's unsafe for her - and me - to wait in the street to cross and to cross streets without pausing. This is true even if we as pedestrians have the legal right of way. I'd rather we both be safe than right.)

The point is (again) that drivers and pedestrians need to do a better job of seeing the world from each others' perspectives. However, I'm not sure that this post - at least without a counterpoint from a driver's perspective - helps that in any way.

by Nichole on Sep 21, 2010 3:49 pm • link • report

Hooray for Liz: I really hope you get some action on this. Have you considered wearing a portable videodevice for a week to record your experience?

As someone who drives and bikes I am amazed at the number of others who get annoyed that I stopped for pedestrians in the crosswalk, or who were crossing with a walk signal. Whats worse is that the car/cyclist will then attempt to go around me, directly into the pedestrian. I can see tripling the fines to be a good revenue source for the city.

by SJE on Sep 21, 2010 3:49 pm • link • report

And I wonder how this would be written if the author did own or drive a car. Subtle change in perspective on city driving. Instead, it is just another episode of "cars are evil."

I hope you never get hit by one while crossing the street, with the Walk light and inside the crosswalk. Might change your perspective, but it's a hell of a price to pay.

by Jim Treacher on Sep 21, 2010 3:50 pm • link • report

Like Jazzy being a frequent pedestrian and bike rider has made me a more conscientious car driver.

by Tina Jones on Sep 21, 2010 3:51 pm • link • report

This morning during my wait for the pedestrian light coming from Key Bridge across Canal/M, I saw one person looking at his phone and one person actually texting while making this rather tight turn.

@ Nichole: I'd rather we both be safe than right.

True, but that doesn't take away from the fact that you should not have to.

by Jasper on Sep 21, 2010 4:08 pm • link • report

having lived in the boston area for 13 years, i feel your pain. it is an outrage. and i agree with treacher: the writer of that comment clearly does not understand the "rules of the road."

cars are machines that can kill and drivers are expected to understand the rules of the road, which is why they are "licensed." in a battle called 'pedestrian v/s car' who do you think will win?

sadly, i think you're going to have to get up in drivers' faces [to the extent you can] and give 'em a little back, b/c clearly, that is all they understand. some might say it is a reflection of how uncivilized our society has become, that drivers of cars think nothing of running lights and endangering pedestrians.

i am currently in Sydney, Australia, which is a virtual police state when it comes to driving fines. all sorts of traffic cameras, speed cameras, random roadside breath tests, etc. it's totally 100% fascist. and guess what: the cars stop for pedestrians in those 'zebra' crosswalks that don't even have traffic lights...amazing...

by Nina on Sep 21, 2010 4:09 pm • link • report

In my hometown (New Orleans) there are no vehicles moving when pedestrians are moving and vice versa. When I moved here I could not understand why we have a situation where vehicles are told to turn on a green arrow while at the same time pedestrians are crossing the intersection.

It creates a situation that pits drivers against Peds to get through the intersection before the light changes and it becomes far more serious during rush hour when many Peds are moving on the streets.

by NPGMBR on Sep 21, 2010 4:15 pm • link • report

Who hasn't been tempted to enter crosswalks leading with an extended baseball bat for the non-yielding driver?

While we're at it, add the Ward Circle crosswalks as another deathtrap.

by dand on Sep 21, 2010 4:22 pm • link • report

This is old new. It all comes down to one thing:

Cops in D.C. completely FAIL to do their job.

They don't care, and nobody holds them accountable. D.C. streets are pure anarchy, and the mass of the motor vehicle wins. People get hit and killed and there are ZERO changes. Nobody gives a rat's ass.

by DCMultiModer on Sep 21, 2010 4:45 pm • link • report

Thank you so much for this! I was a full-time pedestrian for over 8 years in the District and now live and work in suburban Maryland where I drive 98% of the time. I can't say I'm surprised by your experiences. My many years as a pedestrian definitely inform my driving, but even as a driver I am incredibly frustrated with the piss poor driving I see every day. No one uses their turn signals, I see an incredible number of run red lights and 80% of the people around me are driving erratically while using their cellphone. I am even more of a defensive driver than I was a defensive pedestrian. Whenever I see a police car, I hope that they will pull over one of these fools and teach them a lesson, but no...most of the time the cops are driving like careless idiots too. What's the point of having traffic laws if no one follows or enforces them?

by Carolyn on Sep 21, 2010 4:47 pm • link • report

@Jazzy; I think you are kinda making my point -- since you started to "walk" you became a better driver. Is the reverse true? Do people who walk every bother to understand why an intersection is bad, or why they shouldn't jaywalk here.

@Jim Treacher: thanks for the death threat.

From a quick look at the "Stuck in DC" spreadsheet I see 3 "incidents" that occurred in this area (Van Ness to the Zoo). Might I suggest that this data suggests Cleveland Park is not as dangerous as one might imagine.

Should probably confess the one jaywalking ticket I got in DC was on Macomb.

by charlie on Sep 21, 2010 4:59 pm • link • report

@ Nicole:

Right, because a "balanced" piece showing how all of the people driving cars who are being endangered by pedestrians.

Bottom line is that this post is about people driving cars putting others in danger due to their careless actions. Nobody is blaming "all drivers", only bad ones and their dangerous actions.

If this post makes you feel defensive, perhaps you should start by looking in the mirror. Your "car drivers as a persecuted class" argument is a tough sell.

by DCMultiModer on Sep 21, 2010 5:03 pm • link • report

Just more evidence that drivers are the most selfish people on earth.

by SW on Sep 21, 2010 5:05 pm • link • report

@ Nicole:

Except for our friend, SW, above.

I have to agree this kind of generalization gets us nowhere.

by DCMoultiModer on Sep 21, 2010 5:07 pm • link • report

The requests for equivalence are just red herrings in my opinion.

by Jazzy on Sep 21, 2010 5:15 pm • link • report

drivers don't yield to pedestrians at all here. maybe more explicit signage about stopping for peds in the crosswalk would help. they had these types of signs all over the city where i used to live and most people obeyed them. more enforcement would be good but i won't hold my breath on that one.

please walk defensively sharon! while people often drive terribly, you have to look out for your own safety. after narrowly escaping a road rage situation a while back, i realized (a) that some people have uncontrollable rage issues that defy logic and (b) the most important thing is to get out of there and not put your life in their hands. sometimes it's better to be safe than right, which is something all peds and bicyclists have to weigh carefully.

in the meantime, thanks to ggw for promoting these important issues.

by pedwithacar on Sep 21, 2010 5:18 pm • link • report

We're all assholes - whether we're driving a car, riding a bike, or walking. I've had near-death experiences as a driver, a cyclist and a pedestrian. The funny thing is, having set foot on five out of seven continents in the past decade, it's only in DC I've ever seen this level of rage. Perhaps we need more Xanax in the water.

by varun on Sep 21, 2010 5:36 pm • link • report

Perhaps this is a bit risky but when a car is stopped in a crosswalk but there is still room for me to walk in front of the car while still being in the cross walk, I will do so, instead of walking behind the car. That way the car has to wait at least 10 or 15 seconds while I walk past.

by Scoot on Sep 21, 2010 5:59 pm • link • report

I've said it before and I'll say it again:
People will not behave if they have nothing to lose.

Enforcement is so lax that, in effect, traffic laws are not enforced at all.

Spend just 5 minutes on Dupont Circle and you realize that just about every cycle of the light at each intersection comes with a traffic infraction.

by wr on Sep 21, 2010 6:25 pm • link • report

And talking about stupid non-driver tactics:

CROSSING IN FRONT OF THE BUS ON A STATE HIGHWAY.

I ride the bus every single day. And every single day I see folks trying to cross the street in front of the bus. It is just painful to watch.

I will overgenarlize that many who try this are obviously illegal immigrants, but I'll also say that I see lots of red blooded americans doing it too.

by BO on Sep 21, 2010 7:34 pm • link • report

@DCMultimoder - I don't feel defensive at all. It's more frustrated at the lack of understanding and the lack of willingness to examine a situation from all perspectives. Are there a lot of shitty, angry drivers in DC? Yes. Should aggressive driving laws be better enforced? Absolutely. But, despite @Jasper's point that we shouldn't have to compromise the right thing for safety - the world is an imperfect place. All I'm saying is that a lot of these posts tend to be very one sided and people (particularly around these parts) seem to be content to end the discussion at "drivers are selfish assholes and there needs to be better enforcement of traffic laws." I'm not disputing that statement (well, we're not all selfish assholes, but whatever). What I'm saying is that there is another facet to the conversation: pedestrians need to be responsible for their own safety. It's not an either/or thing - I'm not in any way saying that drivers are in the right all the time. Far from it. What I'm saying is that if you know an intersection sucks, until it's resolved by the powers that be (DDOT, MPD, whatever): avoid it. And don't be defiant by walking into the street b/c you have the right to do so - be cautious.

The intersection at my corner (10th and Constitution NE) was TERRIBLE for years. It wasn't safe for drivers or pedestrians. Yet, people continued to try to cross there every single day. I didn't even like to drive through that intersection and would go around the block to avoid it. After several years of lobbying DDOT and other agencies, Tommy finally got us stop signs and now it's safe.

If the definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result - at what point do you question whether it's worth it to continue to cross at a certain intersection? There's a woman who often writes on the MPD 1D listserv about almost getting hit by cars. I applaud her for appealing to MPD to be more vigilant, but I also wonder what it is that she's doing to have this happen so often, when she's the common denominator.

Pedestrians are in a rush as often as drivers, and take short cuts (figuratively and literally). In both cases, the pedestrian is the one whose safety is more often than not compromised. All I'm looking for is a little acknowledgment that pedestrians have a responsibility for their own safety - that many of them often overlook.

by Nichole on Sep 21, 2010 7:51 pm • link • report

I've been told that one of the problems is that DC doesn't have a dedicated traffic enforcement unit, so any traffic enforcement that happens is kind of incidental.

It seems like making officers take an occasional day to do serious traffic enforcement could improve safety and raise some much needed revenue. I suspect behavior might improve if you had a non-zero chance of getting a ticket unless you were in an accident.

by Kate on Sep 21, 2010 7:55 pm • link • report

I'm with the original poster and @Nichole on this. When I commuted by walking I called myself "roadkill waiting to happen." Now that I commute by car I do my best to consider pedestrians and bicyclists. There are however, the times when I do stop for pedestrians in unsignalled crosswalks, when my heart ends up in my throat because of drivers behind me who don't get the brake light thing. I try to anticipate what the pedestrian is going to do early enough to give good brake light signals to those behind me and to set an example for those in the outside lanes, but I'd like to see more enforcement (and more cell phone tickets). Daily however, I encounter accidents waiting to happen in the form of jaywalking pedestrians, kamikaze cyclists, and even now texting with their heads down versions of both. We gotta help each out here.

by PeanutB on Sep 21, 2010 9:55 pm • link • report

@Jim Treacher: thanks for the death threat.

Don't be an idiot. I got hit by a car in DC while crossing with the light, inside the crosswalk, and I hope it never happens to you.

by Jim Treacher on Sep 21, 2010 11:17 pm • link • report

Enforcement is so lax that, in effect, traffic laws are not enforced at all.

This here is probably the single biggest cause of the issue. 2 years running, I still have yet to see MPD (or PGC for that matter) do any sort of traffic enforcement. Setting up a car with a mobile speed camera DOES NOT COUNT.

by Froggie on Sep 21, 2010 11:49 pm • link • report

My experience as a ped in Cleveland Park, and anywhere else, is the same as Sharon's, and I've been carless here for 30+ years. I worked on the CAPA survey as well and everything said here is consistent with what I saw. I think everyone has said whatever could be said, so I'll just add this: I don't see it often, but I have seen some enforcement -- a couple of months ago, in fact, I watched a police officer, on foot, chase a driver who had failed to stop for a family trying to cross the street and at Wisconsin and Idaho (another horrendous intersection for peds). He caught her and I believe ticketed her (can't be sure of that because I was on the other side of the street -- could hear him yelling for her to stop and then reprimanding her but couldn't see if he wrote out a ticket), but it was a great thing to watch. So, it does happen. But I agree that enforcement of pedestrian rights does not get the resources it deserves.

by Eileen on Sep 22, 2010 12:17 am • link • report

one last request to all you drivers: Please come to a stop when I have the right of way and am walking in a crosswalk. Rolling, coasting, or inching your way past me is just plain intimidating, and makes me feel like you're trying to see just how close you can come to scraping my kneecaps without actually doing so.

I love this part. None of us should have to suffer the indignities of being threatened like this. This behavior can and will change, but it requires us to share experiences like this, point them out, and support an actual change of behavior. It can be enshrined in law if it is not yet already, and with or without the law, we can set expectations for appropriate behavior.

The only thing i'd say about the bike-on-the-sidewalk deal is that the city needs to provide a safe environment for everyone, and that includes bikers. If bikers are on the sidewalk, it's because the City has failed to provide a safe environment for them to ride on the street.

Y'all will probably see a lot of new sidewalk riders with the new BikeShare -- every time it happens, just call up your councilperson and say, "What's up, Councilor? Yeah, I just saw someone else riding on the sidewalk -- are we going to accommodate bikers on the streets or are we gonna continue to let cars scare them up onto the sidewalks? It's not the bikers' fault -- it's the City's fault. We need more cycletracks, more protection for cyclists all around. You need to give Gabe Klein more authority to make the streets safer for cyclists faster. People want to ride their bikes, but we have to let them."

by Peter Smith on Sep 22, 2010 12:30 am • link • report

Eileen: traffic enforcement *PERIOD* doesn't get resources. The only jurisdictions I've seen around here that even remotely do consistent traffic enforcement are the Maryland State Police and Fairfax County (and the latter isn't saying much).

by Froggie on Sep 22, 2010 1:30 am • link • report

The requests for equivalence are so tiresome, but I will try to explain. No, driving has not "informed" my life as a pedestrian. I have always known how to walk safely in DC, and I do not need driving a car to tell me what is safe and what is not. WALKING does that. All one has to do is walk the streets and one will learn. Period.

by Jazzy on Sep 22, 2010 7:15 am • link • report

Fines don't matter in an egotistic, above median income city like this. Jail time would work. 15-30 days should do it. Across the board regardless of income or job title. There may be disparity of income, making $500 painless for some, but time is equal for everybody. Can you give up a month of your life? That sort of punishment would sting, wouldn't it.

by crin on Sep 22, 2010 7:26 am • link • report

I walk a lot in this city, but usually on weekends and rarely north of Woodley-Adams Morgan-Columbia Heights. Wonder if it's worse in the more northern areas of the city which tend to be more suburban.

But this article will make me a little more careful. Although last time I was walking through Kalorama Triangle, it wasn't the drivers who were distracted, but me, as I struck up a conversation with a fine female citizen of our fair city who had selected a very short pair of spandex pants for her walk-n-jog across town. I spent more time looking at her shorts than checking for traffic, so as a pedestrian, I definitely need to be more careful!

by David on Sep 22, 2010 7:51 am • link • report

It is always risky and annoying for a pedestrian. I feel sorry for your experience. To put a full stop for this, we must give them a jail time punishment. That would cost them more than fines. Since we say we are busy people it would definitely cost them. Actually you know being busy means “Being in Satan’s yoke”. People because of their busy life even doesn’t care about other people life :-(

by greetingsvirginia on Sep 22, 2010 8:05 am • link • report

I'm not sure how long it's been up there, but there is a radar sign with drivers' speeds by Connecticut and Brandywine. I believe the speed limit is 25mph, yesterday I saw someone going through at 38mph, and that's not even the worst. I swear, I've lived on Connecticut Ave for a little over a year and seen at least six or seven car accidents, including a woman getting hit by a car IN A CROSSWALK that didn't have a light by it. I won't cross Connecticut without a light.

by r on Sep 22, 2010 8:26 am • link • report

In my neighborhood they have crossing guards at the elementary school next to my house, which really controls traffic, making walking much safer. At 16th/Park, where I catch the bus there is also a crossing guard (I think it's DDOT) which also makes it safer. There are a lot of kids walking to Sacred Heart and the charter school there. I'm really happy when DDOT puts a physical body in the intersection to control the traffic, cars, peds, and bikes.
Overall my neighborhood is great for peds because of the very narrow streets and because the streets are two-way. It seems that they should be one-way, but it's better that they are two-way. Cars are forced to slow down because there is barely a foot between cars when they pass each other. It's a great way to control speed.

by dc denizen on Sep 22, 2010 9:56 am • link • report

Driving in the city is evil and drivers are selfish, lazy jerks. If you drive, you are deciding to threaten everyone who uses the streets with violent death or injury, to pollute the air, and to generally make the city an uglier, less-convenient place, all to avoid getting off your rear end and traveling on foot, by bike, or by public transportation. While pedestrians obviously need to be careful, putting the onus on them is like blaming rape, murder, or mugging victims. Arguing in defense of drivers is simply rationalization of an immoral act.

by j on Sep 22, 2010 11:11 am • link • report

I had the pleasure of spending eight days in Barcelona this summer. One of the things that I immediately noticed was that vehicles (all of them, scooters, cars, even bikes) always, always, always yielded to pedestrians at signalized intersections. And virtually always at other crosswalks, too. The signalized intersections generally included a flashing yellow light--coordinated to flash at the appropriate time--for the motorized traffic, notifying the drivers that there was a crosswalk.

As a pedestrian I never felt intimidated by cars that were waiting, even though they zipped through once it was clear for them. No creeping up or other intimidating behaviors.

On the other hand, if you did not have the walk signal. . .watch out!

I don't know if there is strict and harsh enforcement or if it's just a cultural difference, but it sure made walking the city streets less stressful.

by Steve O on Sep 22, 2010 11:33 am • link • report

This starts out with a good idea--documenting a problems and ends up with typical DC whining. The comments more or less follow from the latter. No action steps, just more complaining.

I haven't owned a car in 3 years and seem to drive locally less and less with each passing year. I live 6 blocks from 5 Metros and do most of my errands on foot. I also walk in the 'burbs (not for the fainthearted). I used to be in Cleveland Park (on foot) at least once or twice a week.

I should be a big fan of all of this--have nearly been runover by cyclists and tangles with the usual oblivious suburban SUV idiots talking on cell phones in complex intersections. Metro Police does not have a traffic enforcement unit--perhaps someone should try to get them to have one. Perhaps someone whose really angry at drivers should get organized, like the cyclists. Maybe get the police to have some sort of liaison with pedestrians. No, instead, it's someone else's responsibility. And no attention to the need for a few DC streets to be actual thoroughfares, so that tradespeople and delivery people can actually do their jobs without making people complain (probably some of the same who whine here). Change requires effort and and change should be based on good policy that recognizes different interests.

I used to live near a neighborhood in Atlanta that did a major "traffic quieting" makeover with bulb-outs, speed bumps a traffic circle (dinky and ultimately dangerous) on street too narrow to be a thorougfare, but busy enough to support buses and a lively streetcar strip. On paper, the plan had popular support. After construction, not so much.

Want something different--think about how to get it, but also think about the totality of uses.

by Rich on Sep 22, 2010 10:29 pm • link • report

West of the Parkers must love their cars

by RD on Sep 23, 2010 12:56 am • link • report

No. I refuse to believe this. Everyone knows that only cyclists are scofflaws. Drivers are paragons of civic virtue, and the only reason there aren't piles of dead pedestrians and cyclists is that drivers have superhuman skills behind the wheel.

by oboe on Sep 23, 2010 9:17 am • link • report

Having just returned to DC after living in London, without a car, for a year, I am really struck by how different it feels to be a pedestrian here. Although it took us a little while to adjust to different rules and expectations in the UK (not least that whole driving on the wrong side of the road business), I think the system works much better in the UK for both pedestrians and drivers. Some differences:

In the UK there is a clear difference between a crosswalk ("zebra crossing") and a signalled intersection. They are never colocated. At a zebra crossing the pedestrian always has the absolute right of way, and drivers invariably stop (even if a pedestrian is merely thinking about crossing). I don't know why they stop--whether this is cultural, or the result of better law enforcement, better driver training, greater clarity around laws/signage, or if it relates to the relative infrequency of such crosswalks (whereas here we are likely to stripe all four parts of a 4-way intersection, in London you sometimes have to walk out of your way a bit to get to a crosswalk), or what, but I almost never saw drivers failing to yield at a crosswalk. Here, I'm shocked when I do see someone yield.

At signalled intersections in London, the pedestrian has the absolute right of way when the walking sign is lit. The signals are set up so that while pedestrians are crossing, cars cannot move--turns are not permitted, and there is no turning on red. Some intersections even freeze traffic in both directions and allow pedestrians to cross diagonally. So cool. It took me a while to recognize my own instinct to check for turning cars when I had the walk signal, and to realize that Londoners don't do that.

I find the designation of crosswalks here to be confusing and I'm sure it contributes to drivers' tendency to ignore them. For example, the presence of a crosswalk obviously does not give pedestrians the right to cross against a "don't walk" sign--pedestrians are supposed to wait. Whereas at an unsignalled crosswalk cars are supposed to stop for all pedestrians, (although very few do). But why do both kinds of crosswalk look the same? I suspect the intention of crosshatching all crosswalks is to call drivers' attention to the presence of pedestrians, but it sends a confusing message as to who has the right of way.

In London, at all places other than signalled intersections and zebra crossings, pedestrians cross at their own risk. Drivers are not expecting to slow down or look for pedestrians, and they generally don't. This can be a little terrifying. Jaywalking is not illegal, however--it is treated as a matter of common sense. If you can cross the street safely you are welcome to do it anywhere, but if you miscalculate--you may get killed but you won't get a ticket. Regardless, I rarely saw pedestrians stepping out in front of oncoming traffic (with the exception of a few crowded tourist areas, and I suspect many of those people were my fellow Americans). Here I see people crossing the street in the path of oncoming cars (yes, I also drive) all the time--in the dark, with small children, in the rain, you name it. And I am not talking about crosswalks.

Also, the streetscape in London is better designed for pedestrians--there are almost always medians or pedestrian islands that enable you to cross busy streets in stages, and underpasses at some of the busiest intersections.

For these and so many other reasons, it was easier to be a pedestrian in London than in DC. Well, time to venture out and dodge some cars.

When crossing the street at a signalled intersection in London you almost always have to push a button to signal the walk light to change. I guess that means that when no pedestrians are present, traffic flows unobstructed, which I'm sure drivers welcome.

There are even some intersections where all traffic comes to a stop and pedestrians can cross diagonally.

Jaywalking is not considered a crime in the UK, but it is considered something you do at your own risk. Americans seem to believe something along the lines of "pedestrians always have the right of way"
I don't know if this is really the law but I have heard this my whole life, and I see people acting all the time as if drivers are required to stop for you even if you do something illegal or dumb like stepping out into oncoming traffic. British drivers don't expect to see pedestrians crossing against the light or walking into oncoming traffic, and they initially seemed reckless to me in asserting rights to the road (for example, if there isn't a marked zebra crossing and no signal light, a driver turning, say from a side street onto a larger road, isn't expected to check for pedestrians and generally doesn't. The assumption is you cross at your own risk. Initially unnerving--but rational, because it reflects common sense.

by Anne on Sep 23, 2010 4:50 pm • link • report

What I'm saying is that there is another facet to the conversation: pedestrians need to be responsible for their own safety.

Just one last thought: The above comment is absolutely fucking insane. Does anyone out there actually believe that the majority of the time, pedestrians aren't actively working to protect themselves against speeding & reckless traffic, or that on the occasional moment they let down their guard, their deaths are justified?

Drivers in this city are out of control, and have a monstrously outsized sense of entitlement developed from more than a half-century of being catered to to the exclusion of pedestrians and cyclists.

Someone mentioned Sydney's approach as "fascistic", which is of course ridiculous. There's nothing wrong with using technology to enforce perfectly reasonable rules of the road. If that's not to your liking, don't drive in the city. It's optional.

by oboe on Sep 24, 2010 9:24 am • link • report

@oboe, um, yes. The number of people I see who choose to wait to cross not on the sidewalk but in the street (past the parked cars) is alarming and many of those have strollers with young children that they have waiting even further out into traffic. People crossing against lights and jaywalking are all things I see regularly on the Hill. I try to avoid NW altogether so maybe it's different in more commercial areas in downtown, but up here, I would say that everyone - drivers, pedestrians and cyclists - tend to be in their own bubble and b/c most of our streets are quieter than in other parts of the city and predominantly residential, people seem to forget to be safe. It doesn't occur to them that waiting in the bike lane or in the street is a bad idea, even when that street is East Capitol.(of course, the bike lanes on East Capitol are filled with moms with strollers, joggers and all kinds of folks that don't belong there in the first place)

Oh, and "or that on the occasional moment they let down their guard, their deaths are justified"? Yeah - no one said that nor was it even remotely implied.

by Nichole on Sep 24, 2010 9:33 am • link • report

Pedestrians die when they screw up. Period. The die when drivers screw up. They may not give you the level of deference you'd prefer, but the idea that everyone is walking around obliviously, and only the mad skillz of DC drivers prevents wholesale slaughter is laughable.

by oboe on Sep 24, 2010 9:57 am • link • report

Just as laughable as the idea that "drivers in this city are out of control, and have a monstrously outsized sense of entitlement."

No, everyone is not walking around obliviously. And no, every driver is not driving around like a bat out of hell. The vast, vast majority of drivers never hit pedestrians.

Isn't there somewhere in the middle? There are bad drivers. They should be dealt with. There are oblivious pedestrians who jog around with iPods on and step in front of 18 wheelers without looking, too. There are some people who should take more caution when sharing space with things that may kill them.

The idea that people who are vulnerable should not bear any responsibility for their own safety is appalling. A city with a ton of vehicular traffic is not a garden path, you and you shouldn't act like it is. Nor is it a closed-track raceway, and drivers shouldn't act like it is, either. There are problems on both sides.

by Jamie on Sep 24, 2010 10:07 am • link • report

@oboe, you need to stop projecting onto what I'm saying. No one is saying that drivers are saving the world or that deference is in order. I'm saying that EVERYONE needs to protect themselves.

by Nichole on Sep 24, 2010 10:14 am • link • report

Just as laughable as the idea that "drivers in this city are out of control, and have a monstrously outsized sense of entitlement."

To start with, not a one obeys the speed limits. That's not debatable.

Pretty much every single time I'm out on my bike I end up with some driver with MD plates *honking* at me from behind to get out of "their" lane. Riding home from Haines Point yesterday, I watched as a driver honked at a mother and her two children crossing East Capitol street at the southwest corner of Lincoln Park. The peds were in the crosswalk with the walk light. If that's not the *definition* of entitlement the word has no meaning.

None of this stuff is out of the ordinary in the least--you see it every single day. Drivers who don't get this are either blinded by their own sense of entitlement, or are so deep in denial, it's a pathology.

by oboe on Sep 24, 2010 10:31 am • link • report

Pretty much every single day as I leave my house in the evening to walk the dogs, some cyclist biking the wrong way runs the stop sign at the corner (which technically he doesn't have, since it's a one-way street) and nearly runs me down. My block of 11th Street is a highway for cyclists going the wrong way in the evening. Around 5 or 6 PM there are easily two or three every minute. Bicycle traffic far outnumbers automobile traffic at this time. They are by far the greatest threat to me as a pedestrian in the evening. I have never had a car fail to let me cross at the stop sign, but bikes do it daily.

Are you going to argue that cyclists don't feel entitled as they routinely ignore stop signs, red lights, one way streets?

Are you going to argue that pedestrians don't feel entitled as they routinely cross streets against the light?

Is there any class of road user that doesn't routinely violate the laws that they choose to violate? How is one group more entitled than the other?

by Jamie on Sep 24, 2010 10:55 am • link • report

How is one group more entitled than the other?

Simple. Despite your (and others') alarmism about being "nearly run down" every time you leave the house, bicyclists severely injuring pedestrians in this town--statistically--never happens. It ranks right up there with pit bulls and airplane crashes as a threat to public safety. The fact that, in your opinion, bikes pose "the greatest threat to [you] as a pedestrian" says much more about your risk-assessment capability than it does about the situation in the world outside your noggin.

Cars kill and injure pedestrians. All the time. Bikes and pedestrians don't.

by oboe on Sep 24, 2010 12:04 pm • link • report

Nobody is disputing that cars are potentially more dangerous than pedestrians. What bearing does that have on the fact that every type of road user often acts with a sense of entitlement?

You seem to be arguing that, in fact, the very vulnerability of pedestrians and cyclists grants them a license to act in an entitled manner. Personally, when I am either, I try to act in a manner which would tend to give me the greatest chance of surviving, since entitlement is of little consolation when you are crushed by a car. A driver acts "entitled" when they speed. A pedestrian acts "entitled" when they walk in front of a car without looking.

The pedestrian is far more likely to be injured as a result of his entitlement, which makes it that much more mind boggling that you would try to defend that entitlement. It's not right or wrong, it's just simple reality: you could be killed by acting that way.

There is nothing anyone can do to alter the physical dynamics. When you are a pedestrian, you can be killed by a car. Even if every single car obeyed the speed limit and came to a complete stop at a stop sign, that reality is still true, and some people would still get hit by cars.

As I have said, we absolutely need to work on cracking down on bad drivers. No argument there. Actually, in my daily experience, the people who stop least often at crosswalks are MPD cruisers, which is symptomatic of the cultural problem. But that is clearly only one part of the problem.

by Jamie on Sep 24, 2010 12:12 pm • link • report

Jamie - I think part of the problem you experience on 11th NW is due to road design/planning. I'm sure you know that from Monroe St.NW south 11th is two way and has bike lanes on each side. 11th is only one way for 2 blocks n. of Monroe where it dead ends at Spring. Thus its a natural bike thoughfare for the area. And, for a biker to follow the rules as the roads are they are currently designed in the area requires someone riding north on 11th to turn east on Monroe because Monroe is one-way eastbound -what if persons' destination is north and west of that point? 11th is much safer to ride then 14th. There's very little car traffic on 11th compared to 14th, Monroe and Sherman to the east of 11th.

I'm sure you're fully aware of why there are a lot of bikers on the one-way part of 11th just north of Monroe.

That doesn't excuse anyone from being discourteous to you and your pooches and I'm sorry if you and the pooches felt threatened.

What if there was a contra-flow bike lane on those 2 blocks of Monroe with a special stop/yeild sign for bikers?

by Tina on Sep 24, 2010 12:37 pm • link • report

pardon my incoherence: ^ And, for a biker to follow the rules on the area roads as they are currently designed requires...

by Tina on Sep 24, 2010 12:42 pm • link • report

"The pedestrian is far more likely to be injured as a result of his entitlement..."

I think the disconnect here is that you're looking for a different word than "entitlement". Perhaps "obliviousness" or "lack of care."

But sorry, as far as "entitlement" goes, until you can find me daily examples that match my "MD asshole honking at children in the crosswalk" example, which is actually quite common.
The mere fact that, as in Nicole's example, pedestrians are standing at the side of the road waiting to cross is not the same thing. Half the time you must do this in order to be able to see around the illegally parked cars in this city.

I'd argue that pedestrians have absolutely zero "sense of entitlement". It's a healthy and reasonable anger and resentment at the depredations of the area motorists.

by oboe on Sep 24, 2010 12:46 pm • link • report

@Tina, yes, I know why they are there: because it's the easiest way to go. I honestly wouldn't care if they ever stopped at the intersections, though it is annoying when you come around the corner from Spring Road and find yourself playing chicken with someone barreling up the middle of the street.

There are also a ton of kids on my block, who are always running in and out from between cars. Most of our automobile traffic is local. People rarely drive very fast on my block. I can honestly say that the cyclists are more of a threat to all the kids than the cars are.

I don't think the road is wide enough for a contraflow lane. When driving, you pretty much have to stop to let them pass safely, even if they pull over as far as is practicable.

The thing is, I don't think that those two blocks being the easiest route either justifies the practice, or is necessarily true.

As you note, 11th ends at spring road. Almost everyone is passing through to the north, and ends up riding on Spring to either 13th or 14th. Why wouldn't you just ride on 13th or 14th in the first place?

Sure, there's much less traffic on 11th, but it only saves you two blocks of being in that.

by Jamie on Sep 24, 2010 12:50 pm • link • report

"I'd argue that pedestrians have absolutely zero "sense of entitlement."

Okay... ummm... yeah, no pedestrians never cross when it's illegal. It seems your definition of entitlement differs depending upon its object.

Exhibit A: Page one of the Connecticut Avenue Pedestrian Action report.

Do you think that the average pedestrian is simply "oblivious" to Don't Walk signals? Or that they choose to walk against them, regardless of the fact that drivers will have to react to this?

When I honk at a cyclist who has just cut me off at a 4-way stop and forced me to slam on my brakes, and he gives me the finger, who is the entitled one?

by Jamie on Sep 24, 2010 12:56 pm • link • report

Why wouldn't you just ride on 13th or 14th in the first place?
The incline of the hill (13th VERY difficult except for the most fit or up for a challenge, plus no bike lane on 13th)11th has a lesser incline then 14th too.

Speed bumps (not humps but the very narrow kind.) can really slow bikers down and since the cars are only going 5-10 mph on those two blocks anyway it wouldn't much impact drivers.Just an idea.

I think as long as the hill stays the same there are going to be bikers on 11th NW. Trying to stop them may be akin to trying to stop the rain.

by Tina on Sep 24, 2010 1:00 pm • link • report

I mean just for those two blocks. The hill not steep on any route for those two blocks. If you came from downtown you've already dealt with far worse.

11th ends at Spring Road. Why not just cut over to 13th or 14th on Monroe? It won't add any distance at all unless your destination happens to be on Spring Road right near 11th.

The simple reality is, cyclists choose it because it's got less traffic, at the expense of people who live there. As I said I probably wouldn't care if they stopped at the intersections of Otis and Spring (which they rarely do), kept to the right, and rode slowly. But they don't.

by Jamie on Sep 24, 2010 1:04 pm • link • report

11th ends at Spring Road. Why not just cut over to 13th or 14th on Monroe? Because Monroe is one-way eastbound; (it has a lot more traffic then both 11th and Spring, and there's a down hill coast from Monroe to Spring) but mostly b/c Monroe is one-way eastbound and has a lot of traffic.

This is a part of what I meant when I referred to the way the streets are designed/planned in the immediate area, with the geography playing a role in directing bikers to continue on 11th even though it becomes one-way southbound for 2 blocks.

by Tina on Sep 24, 2010 1:27 pm • link • report

Monroe isn't one way eastbound. Google maps.

Yes, it has more traffic - that's because everyone going up 11th has to use it to keep going north. That's the whole point of it being one way in the first place, so people don't use a narrow residential street as a thru route. And it's probably not wide enough either, which again, is why it can be a problem when bikes go the wrong way.

As I said, I understand why bikers do it. Because it's easier, it's the path of least resistance. That doesn't make it right, and I don't think that there's a good argument to be made for "staying out of traffic for two blocks" when you're just going to end up in that traffic two blocks later. Especially when it has a negative affect on the other people using the road legally.

They could also just as easily ride up 10th street which would hardly add any time to the trip, either, and has no traffic.

by Jamie on Sep 24, 2010 1:35 pm • link • report

"I'd argue that pedestrians have absolutely zero "sense of entitlement."
Okay... ummm... yeah, no pedestrians never cross when it's illegal. It seems your definition of entitlement differs depending upon its object.

Look, words have meanings, Jamie. What about the folks who participated in the Boston Tea Party. They were pissed. They ignored several laws. But to say they were "entitled" kind of misses the point.

There are many reasons why pedestrians jaywalk. 9 times out of 10 it's because the environment is focussed almost exclusively on the convenience of drivers. Is it "entitlement" when someone says "fuck it" when told to stand on the side and wait for 90 seconds to cross an empty road. What if they cross there daily, and know that when it does change, there going to have 12 seconds to get across?

Do you think that the average pedestrian is simply "oblivious" to Don't Walk signals? Or that they choose to walk against them, regardless of the fact that drivers will have to react to this?

Yep, they choose to walk against them. But jaywalkers are the most attentive road users out there. Since such signals are timed exclusively for the convenience of drivers, ignoring them isn't an act of entitlement, but simply one of reasserting one's rights.

When I honk at a cyclist who has just cut me off at a 4-way stop and forced me to slam on my brakes, and he gives me the finger, who is the entitled one?

I won't bother defending some cyclist. Those guys often do have a sense of entitlement, as in "I'm every bit as entitled to be here as you." Given the amount of stick cyclists take from drivers, I'm surprised they don't give *more* back.

by oboe on Sep 24, 2010 1:41 pm • link • report

Monroe isn't one way eastbound. Thats right. I was thinking from 17th to 14th.

I still think a quest to stop northbound bikers on those two blocks of 11th is futile. This has nothing to do with my thinking they are right or wrong for going that way.

by Tina on Sep 24, 2010 1:51 pm • link • report

I agree it is futile, and I would never bother embarking on such a futile quest. I just bring it up as a daily example of entitlement I see among cyclists.

Sooner or later, though, someone is going to catch it when a car comes around the corner from Spring Road where cars don't have to stop before turning. I've seen a couple close calls just randomly at Otis, as cars start to cross 11th and a bike goes in front of them from the south.

by Jamie on Sep 24, 2010 2:02 pm • link • report

there has been two pedestrian deaths in the last year in my neighborhood in riverside, ca. one man was in his 30s, and was hit while putting his children in his car in front of his house, and the other was a 14 year old boy jogging for soccer practice. he was hit in the crosswalk, and died instantly. neither of the two drivers recieved anything more than moving violation fines..... absolutly obsurd in my opinion. we need to stiffen the laws to protect pedestrians.

by ryan mabus on Nov 15, 2010 10:38 pm • link • report

I am surprised that there are no entries after November 2010. This issue should be talked about on a daily basis. But the real heart of the matter is after you have been hit by a car and you are in the right of way, what happens. I'll tell you as I was hit by a car while I was in the cross walk and I had the right of way. Her behavior afterward was unspeakable yelling at me and she tried to grab me before the ambulance came. An employee from a store yelled at her to leave me alone. She continued to be obnoxious and even cursed out the policeman that gave her a ticket.
Now after 2 years of rehab, and almost $10,000 in medical bills, not being able to work for several months after the accident and unable to pay my rent, not being able to feed my son, who many times had to go to a relatives house to eat because I could not afford to buy food for us; her insurance company, Allstate is trying to give me the shaft by offering me less than $18,000 to settle the claim. I am insensed that they think what I went through after being hit by a woman that had a bad driving record and was insured by Allstate, is worthless. After I pay the medical bills and the lawyer, I will have nothing left.
Unless we start showing up to the courtrooms and making our dissatisfation known the insurance companies will allow these kinds of breaches in common sense and human morality.
It is ridiculous for a driver to think that they have the right of way when there is a pedestrian in the intersection, but low and behold, I am living proof by the grace of God that drivers do think that way. The punishment for hitting a human being with a car does not measure up to the offense.
If you do not believe me, I will be in Superior Court on Tuesday, July 12 at 9:00 AM in Judge Anita Josey-Herring's courtroom. Come see for yourselves where Allstate will try to convince the judge that they have no moral obligation to set things right by stepping of the plate and their insured should not be taken off of the streets as a warning to drivers when they don't comply with the 'yield to right of way' law.
I assure you if I would have thought that the driver of that car would have been so careless behind the wheel I would not have stepped across the cross walk but as it happens I was close to stepping up on the sidewalk when she hit me. Her car was stopped, next thing I know I'm being mowed down by her car. I'd hate to think that she did this on purpuse, maybe she was texting or something because for her not to see me in the cross walk her eyes had to be closed. Oh by the way, Allstate knows I still have a limp from this accident that I'll probalby have for the rest of my life. There is no moral compass for them to do the right thing, so why should they. The driver did her ugly deed and then the insurance company takes over to protect themselves not the driver and forget about the unfortunate person that got hit, they are collateral damage. Please be careful out there being hit by one of these idiots is not joke.

by Afterbeinghitbycar on Jul 11, 2011 10:33 pm • link • report