Pedestrian signal mucks up N.Y. Ave. traffic - WTOP

Posted By Cary Silverman, 12/10/09 3:33 PM

If our neighborhood ever had a chance to obtain changes from DDOT to the timing of lights along the 300-400 Blocks of New York Avenue NW so that we can make it across the street without playing frogger, you can bet the probability went significantly down after this morning debacle at NY Avenue and Bladensburg Road.

Here is some of the WTOP report:

An effort to make crossing New York Avenue safer for pedestrians backfired for drivers coming into the District Thursday morning. The D.C. Department of Transportation installed a new pedestrian signal at Bladensburg Road. Outbound New York Avenue drivers encountered the problems Wednesday afternoon. Inbound drivers got caught in traffic jams Thursday morning. With the new pattern, the lights turned green for less than 40 seconds. Traffic backed up on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Md. 202 and other roads that feed into the city. "They shaved time off the green cycle for inbound New York Avenue at Bladensburg Road for the morning rush. That is almost unbelievable. It is a mess." DDOT was not looking to cause more congestion with the change, but needs to find a balance between pedestrian safety and traffic. "We have to get residents and visitors and business people and people trying to get to their jobs across the intersection, as well," she says. The delays started to ease at 8 a.m., after DDOT changed the timing to allow the green lights to last 1 1/2 minutes.

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Comments

I feel bad that commuters have to sit in traffic, but making New York Ave safe for pedestrians should be a priority. Every morning and evening I dread walking by the intersection of NY and North cap because I have witnessed so many near misses of pedestrians. Even this morning as I walked past there was a boy, no older than 10, stuck in the middle of NY ave with traffic and trucks flowing inches from body on both sides.

Posted By Mark B / At 12/11/09 8:59 AM

I noticed this week that DDOT has installed more, I'm not sure what to call them, traffic barrier posts, on the north east side of the 5th and NY Avenue intersection. This stemmed from MVSNA's meeting with DDOT seeking additional walk time to get across that street between the historic district and the Safeway/CityVista. Since DDOT felt that they could not increase walk time without impeding traffic flow, the posts were their solution (we had also discussed increasing the size of the island on the north side by a few feet). The purpose seems to be to cut down on the crosswalk distance by providing more of a safety zone. I think it provides at least nominal added safety, but I wonder how residents feel about the posts?

Posted By Cary Silverman / At 12/11/09 9:33 AM

Well, I'm glad DDOT is doing something but I don't think those posts are going to do a great deal. Maybe if they put some down the middle of the road near the intersection it would help?

Posted By Sam Farmer / At 12/11/09 9:53 AM

ugly. and i bet they are a "temporary" solution that somehow becomes permanent. I would looooove for ny ave to get the nice landscaped median treatment. turn it into a boulevard vs a fug dangerous highway thru our hood. CT ave around dupont? RI ave? Hell I'd help plant. Give us the dirt!

Posted By Si Kailian / At 12/11/09 3:05 PM