On Saturday, a driver hit and killed a pedestrian. Residents and city officials quickly spoke up about the need for improvement in this dangerous spot.

ANC1B chair Brianne Nadeau, whose district includes this intersection, wrote in an email, “The dangerous intersection of 15th/W/Florida/NH has been of serious concern to me since I came to this position in 2006 and mitigating its dangers have been postponed by DDOT since that time, though I have repeatedly asked for better crosswalks and a safer traffic plan.”

DDOT Director Gabe Klein responded as well. “Plans were submitted two weeks ago at DDOT for the temporary plan to adjust the intersection. I visited the site this morning to go over the plans, and am asking our TOA [Transportation Operations Administration] division to speed the delivery. Longer term, this intersection needs a full redesign, and I am asking my team for a timeline to study the effects of the temporary adjustments, plan the intersection, and design it.”

I have asked Director Klein for more information about the temporary adjustments DDOT plans for this intersection.

Added by David: Cheryl Cort, of the Coalition for Smarter Growth and a nearby resident, suggested that DDOT remove the slip lane from 15th onto W. That lane encourages cars to drive quickly, and to take the corner at the same time pedestrians have the walk signal. Meanwhile, pedestrians are not very visible.

Cort said, “Filling in the pork chop island and forcing vehicles to make the turn from a right angle will increase reaction time for drivers and increase visibility for pedestrians in the crosswalk.” Cort added that cars used to park in the striped area on Sundays, but for the past year DC has prohibited the practice.

Below is a diagram showing a potential reconfiguration to remove the slip lane. DDOT could make this change with nothing more a few temporary barricades and a signal reprogramming.

Longer term, a roundabout could be a great solution.

Update by David: Klein forwarded the current draft proposal for temporary improvements at 15th and W. I’d like to see it go further, but this is a definite step in the right direction.

Image from DDOT. Click for full diagram.