DC council propose raised crosswalks, other safety measures after pedestrian accidents
WASHINGTON (7News) — DC city council members are looking for ways to make city streets safer after several pedestrians, including children, were recently struck.
Councilmember Brianne Nadeau (Ward 1) announced she is proposing a bill to put raised crosswalks throughout the city. The 'Walk Without Worry Amendment Act,' she said "will significantly expand the installation of raised crosswalks/intersections and continuous sidewalks to meet our safety needs head-on."
"We will require the development of standard designs for raised x-walks and other treatments in DC's engineering manual, and incorporation into all paving and sidewalk contracts. We're saying clearly: this is how we build our streets. No more begging for one-off interventions," Nadeau added.
DC councilmember Janeese Lewis George (Ward 4) also introduced a 'Safe Routes To Schools Act' to require "sweeping traffic safety upgrades around our schools."
"Traffic fatalities are preventable and safe road design saves lives. Our children deserve to be safe before, during, and after school," she tweeted.
Her proposal includes improving traffic infrastructure around city schools, expanding school zones, stepping up enforcement around schools and reporting requirements and data collection.
This comes on the heels of a 9-year-old child struck by a car Friday afternoon in Southeast Washington, D.C., just outside Mary Church Terrell Elementary in the 3300 block of Wheeler Road SE.
RELATED | 9-year-old student struck by car, critically injured outside DC elementary school
The city's District Department of Transportation (DDOT) installed automated traffic enforcement cameras to new locations around the city Monday. The cameras are located in areas deemed to have speeding and stop sign running safety issues.
Acting DDOT Director Everett Lott said Thursday that over the last several months the city has put in speed humps, stop signs, made four-way stops, and right turns harder at over 100 intersections in the city.
"We want people to slow down," Lott said. "Slow down, observe the rules of the road, observe school signs and slow down," Lott said.
At Wheeler and Mississippi, the intersection of the accident involving the child last week, Lott said they will be narrowing the roadway to force drivers to slow down. They will also create a designated drop-off and pick-up zone that will start next month in January 2022.
LIST: DC announces new locations for automatic speed, stop sign cameras
DDOT will also install "Photo Enforced" signs within 100 to 150 feet of the location. Also for the first 30 days of operation, violators will just receive a warning. After that, violators could receive fines from $100 to $500.
This includes a location a block away from this accident.
