Traffic, Part 2

This is a follow up to an earlier post. Read part 1 here.

The Mount Vernon Triangle doesn’t have just one traffic problem, it has several.

Many non-local drivers use these streets as cut-throughs during rush hour. Others (on Verizon Center nights) drive in circles, faster and faster, looking for on-street parking. Late-night drivers seem to accelerate as fast as possible between intersections. And still other drivers, confused by all the turning options at 5th, I, and Massachusetts, forget to look for cars and people at all.

All of this makes for an unsafe environment for pedestrians. The public realm should be more than a space for moving the maximum number of cars at the maximum speed.

A combination of improvements – all working together - could transform 5th and I Streets:

• Traffic Light with Pedestrian “Countdown Timer”
• “Bulb-outs” or Curb Extensions
• Changing Parking Restrictions
• Raised Crosswalks
• Lighting Improvements
• Quality Street Trees
• Strong Retail Options

Bulb-outs or curb extensions, like the intersection above, decrease pedestrian crossing distances.

Stoplights are important, but creating a quality streetscape is just as important. Drivers naturally hurry through areas with abandoned storefronts and vacant lots. By contrast, interesting retail and visual interest encourages drivers to slow down.

Some of these might seem like minor improvements, or things that aren’t related to traffic safety at all. We think they are all important, because they change the behavior of drivers. Street trees, bulb-outs and appropriate lighting help define the street and visually narrow it, which drivers process as natural reasons to go slower. And when 5th & I Streets have good, interesting neighborhood retail, we’ll have more pedestrians, and that will help create a friendlier, safer neighborhood. We’ve thought about these issues with regard to 5th & I extensively, and we want to be a part of the solution.