by Marlene Berlin
On Monday, October 21st, at Union Station, the District Department of Transportation unveiled the policy priorities for its 25-year plan, moveDC. At the very top – the “A” priority – is pedestrians.
DDOT says it’s following Portland, Oregon’s example here. Portland also adopted policies making pedestrians their highest transportation priority. That city has done something unique in defining the “function of their streets in terms of how they are to serve each mode.” DDOT could certainly do the same.
Denver gets an honorable mention for the city council’s declaration of pedestrian safety their #1 budget priority, along with bicycle safety. This was a response to a series of serious pedestrian crashes that resulted in fatalities, and a recognition that safe and convenient pedestrian access is crucial to their investment in mass transit.
DDOT has a lot of work to do to demonstrate that pedestrians are indeed the District’s highest transportation priority. Beyond this statement, they have not fleshed this out like they have with some of the lower priorities. They need some help. This is what I would like to see from DDOT:
What are your ideas?
Tom Lalley says
I would suggest attention paid to uncontrolled crosswalks – those without signals. Almost every day I cross Reno Rd. at Yuma St., often with my infant daughter in my arms, and cars very rarely stop for us.