[Lincolnparkdc] Plea for Consideration of Sensible Solution to DDOT Bike Infrastructure Improvement - Independence Ave., Kentucky Ave., 13th St. Crosswalk

[Edward Wendel]

Hello Will -

One additional comment on the interplay between any new cross-walk and the streets making up the intersection of Kentucky Avenue, S.E., Independence Avenue, S.E., and 13th Street, S.E.  Sometime within the last year (perhaps even the last six months) the traffic light at this intersection has been reprogrammed to increase significantly the waiting time for a red light as you proceed north on Kentucky Avenue, then proceed across Independence Avenue and continue  onto either Kentucky Avenue or 13th Street.  I presume the reason for the change has to do with keeping traffic moving along Independence Avenue, a major commuter travel corridor.  I am not raising the issue of the timing itself, only its affect on traffic speed and therefore on this project.

As a result of the increase in waiting time at this traffic light for northbound traffic the commuters who use this route, or just neighborhood folks proceeding around the Hill, now speed up to make it through this light so the don’t face an additional wait.  I observe this daily as I myself drive through that light many times a day.  Again, not something I think is either legal or to be encouraged, but it is what people do.  As noted previously the overwhelming majority of these vehicles proceed to the north along the 100 block 13th Street.   This will be the exact path where the new cross-walk is proposed.  The far fewer number of vehicles which proceed along the 100 block of Kentucky Avenue either live on that block of Kentucky (my earlier email had mistakenly said 13th Street at this point), or do not realize they will dead- end at Lincoln Park at the end of the block and then have to make a right turn to go half-a-block  and then make a left turn to proceed north around the park.

So in essence the proposed crosswalk is being placed on 13th Street, directly in the path of the overwhelming majority of vehicles proceeding north on that street, and now driving frequently at excessive speeds.  The only possible way someone would understand this is to live in the neighborhood and observe the street patterns of automobile drivers, as well as their behavior. Many, if not most of the people crossing this new cross-walk will be parents or care-givers pushing carriages, frequently while talking on cell-phones, as well as children of various ages, who have been permitted by their parents to cross streets in the neighborhood  They are now going to be subject to vehicles heading in their direction who they will frequently not see and who will not seem them in time to stop to avoid hitting them.  I am not engaging in histrionics to say it is an accident waiting to happen, hopefully not a fatal one.  

The alternative,  a crosswalk proceeding west, from the end of the sidewalk on the south end of Kentucky Avenue, to the island in the middle, and connecting with the existing sidewalk on that island along Independence Avenue will have far, far fewer vehicles attempting to cross it.  With proper marking it will also be far more visible to cars heading north than a 13th Street crosswalk, which is not as fully visible as you drive on Kentucky Avenue across Independence Avenue. 

As I said earlier, I appreciatie that there is an additional cost to such a cross-walk, but believe it is well-worth the expenditure of funds to meet the myriad of objections to the plan as proposed and for the safety of everyone involved - residents, bike riders and pedestrians seeking to navigate the streets.  I hope you will seriously consider these comments.

Ed Wendel
148 13th St., S.E.

wendel.epw at gmail.com   

   

> On Nov 10, 2020, at 8:44 AM, Edward Wendel <wendel.epw at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Good morning Will and other participants -
> 
> In the light of day I would like to ask that serious consideration be given to an alternative that surfaced last night (at least to me) for the proposed crosswalk at this intersection.  I believe it suggests a solution that removes much that is objectionable to the community with regard to the proposal AND actually enhances pedestrian safety.
> 
> It was discussed on the zoom call that there were three possible alternatives for the proposed crosswalk.  First, the plan as set forth, having the crosswalk go from the end of the sidewalk on the south end of Kentucky Avenue, angled (with a substantial width) to the corner of the east side of 13th Street.  Second, going directly across 13th Street from Kentucky Avenue to the east side of 13th Street.  And third, having the cross-walk go WEST from the end of the sidewalk on Kentucky Avenue to the island in the middle of the street, where it can be hooked up with the existing sidewalk there on Independence Avenue.
> 
> The benefits of the last alternative (west to the island, connecting there with existing Independence Avenue sidewalk, are twofold.  First, it removes a major point of contention to the overall project.  The houses on east side of the 100 block of 13th Street (mainly occupied by residents in their 70’s and 80’s) will be largely unaffected.  And second it is simply a much safer alternative.  I had not understood this until the discussion last night. I would say that 95 per cent of the vehicular traffic that crosses Independence Avenue from Kentucky Avenue proceeds ONTO 13th Street (and NOT Kentucky Avenue), which is what the street pattern suggests it should do.  Nothing in this plan changes the expected pattern of vehicular traffic, nor should it.  The only drivers who presently proceed north onto Kentucky Avenue after crossing Independence Avenue are those who live on the 100 block of 13th Street, or those few drivers who do not realize that Kentucky Avenue is going to dead-end at the end of this one block at Lincoln Park and they will then have to make a right turn, then a left, to proceed north.   The present pattern of traffic crossing Independence Avenue and proceeding north on 13th Street has always been the case, for the almost fifty-years I have lived in my house (five houses off the corner on the 100 block of 13th Street, S.E.).
> 
> Any crosswalk that is placed on 13th Street will therefore face the onslaught of traffic coming down that street, day and night.   This is hardly an improvement that enhances safety.  A cross- walk place on Kentucky Avenue, properly marked and made noticeable, will face very little in the way of vehicular traffic making it a much safer alternative.
> 
> I realize that there may be some additional cost in the alternative proposed, but for all of the above reasons I think it is well worth your consideration. 
> 
> Ed Wendel
> 148 13th St., S.E.
> 
> wendel.epw at gmail.com  
> 
> 

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