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D.C. to Target Drivers Who Don't Yield at Crosswalks

THE AREA NEAR THE INTERSECTION of Wisconsin and Idaho avenues on the border of Cleveland Park and McLean Gardens is a dangerous place for pedestrians. There's an uncontrolled crosswalk a half block to the south at Norton Place, adjacent to the neighborhood Starbucks, where cars whizzing by on busy Wisconsin Avenue rarely yield to pedestrians who have the right of way. And it was in that crosswalk where a 70-year-old was hit by a Metropolitan Police Department cruiser in September.

Photo by Dayna Smith/The Washington PostThis morning, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier and D.C. Department of Transportation Director Emeka Moneme are scheduled to gather at the intersection to launch a new crosswalk safety campaign that will target drivers and pedestrians. The gathering will also feature a live enforcement exercise — so drivers, be on your best behavior.

From the city's announcement:

The campaign will feature crosswalk enforcement targeting motorists who don't stop for pedestrians. It will also target motorists who are speeding and pedestrians who cross against signals and endanger themselves in traffic.
The District's initiative comes on the heels of an increase in fatal incidents involving pedestrians and cars across the region. On Monday, a man in a crosswalk near the Twinbrook station in Montgomery County was killed by a Metrobus. An investigation is pending. On Wednesday, another Metrobus driver was sentenced to a year in prison for killing two pedestrians who were crossing Pennsylvania Avenue and 7th Street NW in February. The increase in fatal pedestrian accidents involves a range of situations this year, from a 6-year-old D.C. boy killed in a crosswalk by a sport utility vehicle on Sargent Road in Ward 5 to a fatal accident involving a woman crossing Connecticut Avenue in Kensington at a spot where no crosswalk exists.

In the District, 25 pedestrians have been killed so far this year. According to the city, the primary cause is drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk, or as was the case with the September incident at Norton Place, drivers passing vehicles stopped for pedestrians in a crosswalk. Last year, 17 pedestrians were killed.

On Wednesday, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett announced a pedestrian safety initiative, in which problem intersections will be studied. So far this year, 16 pedestrians have been killed in the county.

» "Bus Driver Gets 1-Year Sentence for Killing D.C. Pedestrians" [WaPo]
» "Montgomery Co. Aims to Reduce Pedestrian-Vehicle Accidents" [WTOP]

EARLIER:
» "Crosswalk Where Man Was Struck by Cruiser Under Scrutiny" [WJLA/ABC7]
» "Vehicles 38, Pedestrians 0" [WaPo]
» "A Deadly Turn at Intersection With History of Pedestrian Peril" [WaPo]
» "6-Year-Old Hit, Killed Walking to D.C. School" [WaPo]
» "Woman Struck, Killed While Crossing Street" [WaPo]

File photo by Dayna Smith/The Washington Post

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COMMENTS (3)

  • if there is an intersection in the city, and it isn't controlled by traffic lights, then it should certainly have a 4 way stop sign set up. the fact is that, you can remind people about pedestrian vs. automobile right-of-way until you're blue in the face, but the cars won't stop for peds unless there is something big and red in their face telling them to.

    By IMGoph , Posted December 6, 2007 10:52 AM

  • Two years of citizen pressure finally brought a "ped x-ing" sign and speedbump to in-bound E. Capitol St, NE of Lincoln Park. The geniuses of DC Govt put the speedbump after the x-walk. While it is gratifying to see suburban vehicles take to the air on the way into town, it does not help pedestrians.

    By Mike Licht , Posted December 6, 2007 12:43 PM

  • More pedestrian signals. Please. With enforcement, it is the only way to ewven the playing field.

    By William , Posted December 6, 2007 10:24 PM
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