Barriers like this one have an expiration date.
The end of May is also the end of the District’s Slow Streets program as we know it.
The slow streets were intended to give people on foot and on bikes more elbow room. But drivers routinely ignore the 15 mile-per-hour speed limit. As DCist reports, signs have been removed, and the barriers moved or run over. And there has been little to no enforcement.
At a hearing of Ward 3 Council member Mary Cheh’s Transportation Committee on Tuesday, DDOT Interim Director Everett Lott said the agency is reviewing the lessons learned and is seeking “a permanent and more effective strategy to safely create spaces for people.”
.@DDOTDC's Slow Streets program as it currently exists will end in May.
We are reviewing the lessons learned from this experiment as we seek a permanent & more effective strategy to safely create spaces for people.
Give us your feedback & ideas here: https://t.co/RUkRjJClEE pic.twitter.com/4h3P6FrdBb
— Interim Director Everett Lott (@DDOTDCDirector) March 23, 2021
DDOT is collecting feedback on the slow streets as part of that review. You can fill out its survey and offer comments here.
We have until March 31st to help update DDOT’s long-range transportation plan, MoveDC. When DDOT revealed the MoveDC priorities in 2013, it placed pedestrians at the top of the list.
The Phase 2 survey is our chance to tell DDOT about our transportation and safety priorities today.
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Bert Foer says
As a pedestrian who frequently walks in the neighborhood, I have not noticed any improvement; but as a driver who passes through the neighborhood, I consider the road closures to be quite problematic. On balance, I think it is a failed experiment.
Annette Aburdene says
The section of Davenport St NW between Linnean Ave NW and 30th St NW should not be designated a ‚slow‘ street. Drivers on Davenport St from Broad Branch Road NW (i.e. Rock Creek Park) heading towards Connecticut Ave NW and vise versa simply divert to the neighboring streets: Linnean Ave NW, Brandywine St NW and Ellicott St NW. Designating the block of Davenport St NW a ‚slow street‘ turns the surrounding streets into ‚fast streets‘, sections of which have no sidewalks.