Bowser announces expedited traffic safety projects with “truncated” community engagement
DDOT took away parking spots here to improve visibility for cyclists and pedestrians after two people were killed by drivers. Image by Joe Flood licensed under Creative Commons.
In the midst of widespread anger over pedestrian safety after a number of high-profile crashes injuring and killing children, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced an expedited safety improvement process in a press conference Tuesday morning.
Bowser said she’s asked the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to “streamline our internal process so safety projects can get from start to finish more quickly.” As part of that effort, DDOT is setting a goal to complete a “blitz” of 50 safety infrastructure projects in six weeks, she said.
The change, Bowser said, is intended to address frustration from residents about the time it takes to get traffic safety infrastructure implemented.
“When you experience dangerous conditions and neighbors experience dangerous conditions, people expect an immediate action from the government,” Bowser said.
These safety projects could include measures to slow traffic like speed humps and stop signs, said Acting DDOT Director Everett Lott. The goal, he said, is to protect the road’s most vulnerable users: pedestrians, bicyclists, and children.
One major change DDOT will make to shorten the time to make safety improvements is to shorten the public engagement process for some projects, Bowser said.
“To expedite some of these processes, the community engagement process will be truncated,” Bowser said. “I don’t do that lightly. But we have professional traffic engineers to make recommendations and take implementation steps that will make our community safer.”
The announcement follows an incident last week on National Walk to School Day in which a driver hit a father and two young daughters in Congress Heights, causing serious injuries. The stretch of Wheeler Road where the crash happened has been part of a traffic safety study since at least 2019; a public survey is currently open, asking for feedback on crash and speed reduction measures.
Lott said moving forward, DDOT will target 100 intersections in the District each year for safety improvements, and will publish a public dashboard to track progress.
Bowser’s administration has been criticized in recent months (including by op-ed writers in GGWash) for a lack of results on Vision Zero. Years after DC committed to eliminating traffic deaths, fatalities have been moving in the wrong direction. In September, DCist reported that the Office of the DC Auditor is investigating the program.