Pedestrian Struck and Killed at 15th and W Streets

A sad bit of information to pass along from an otherwise (rather) quiet weekend: the Washington Post is reporting that a woman who was attempting to cross W Street at 15th Street (near Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park) was struck and killed by a car that was turning right onto 15th from W W from 15th.

Although 15th and W streets was not an intersection named as one of the city's most dangerous (the runner-up to that title goes to our very own 14th and U Street), this intersection is a difficult one for pedestrians to traverse, what with Florida Avenue cutting through at an angle and 15th Street branching off into two directions. Couple that with confusing walk signals and times, and you can understand how such an accident could take place. (Conversely, the driver may simply not have been paying attention.)

The woman was one of two pedestrians killed yesterday (the other was a signaller who was struck on the Southeast/Southwest Expressway).

This Blog May Be Hazardous to the Health of Pedestrians

OK, perhaps our blog is rather benign when it comes to pedestrian safety, but our namesake intersection most certainly is not.

Last year, the intersection of 14th and U Streets was named as the second most dangerous intersection in the city. As frequenters of that pedestri-auto free-for-all, such a revelation doesn't surprise us in the least. Between the checked-out drivers scrambling to get through the intersection, pedestrians who ignore the crosswalk signals and a density that rivals that of any in the District, it's a miracle there aren't more injuries and fatalities there.

Well yesterday, DC mayor Adrian Fenty unveiled his plan for increased pedestrian safety, targeting the ten most dangerous intersections in the District. Dr. Gridlock has a pretty good summation of the master plan, which includes the following points:

• Ensure all transportation and real estate development projects include safe and convenient pedestrian facilities.
• Construct new sidewalks where missing on streets in the District.
• Improve pedestrian access and safety at uncontrolled crossings and intersections.
• Improve pedestrian access and safety at bus stops.
• Revise the DDOT Design and Engineering Manual to better address pedestrian safety and accessibility.
• Train roadway planners and designers to make sure they understand these new safety policies and practices.
• Increase penalties for motorists for infractions that impact pedestrian safety.
• Expand the speed camera enforcement program.
• Teach people the rules of the road and the benefits of walking.

Many of those points aren't really that debatable, and some make you wonder why the District hasn't been doing it already (it seems that teaching drivers the "rules of the road" would be pretty standard stuff, no?) But there are a couple of issues worth pointing out.

One, all of the plans and ideas in the world won't matter if it's not supported by enforcement. I can't even begin to recount the number of times I have been practically mowed down by a driver on 14th Street as I try to cross at Corcoran--one of those "uncontrolled crossings and intersections" mentioned above. Several times, this has happened while a police car was also in the vicinity. So long as drivers can routinely behave this way without repercussion, it will continue to happen.

Secondly, jaywalking is a tremendous problem in this city. And I don't just mean people diving out into the intersection with 2 seconds left on the countdown clock either. I'm talking about people who just step off the curb in the middle of the street and begin a slow amble across to the other side, all the while cars are forced to come to screeching stops to avoid hitting the person. U Street and 14th Street are infamous for this kind of behavior, but in truth I've seen it everywhere. I've heard it argued that the police should have better things to do with their time than enforce jaywalking laws, and I'm sympathetic to that. Yet, along busy commercial corridors at peak traffic times, persistent jaywalking becomes both a nuisance and a safety issue--and it should be enforced.

As both a pedestrian and a driver in this city, I'm sympathetic to the arguments from both sides, but what's apparent to me is that lax enforcement, coupled with outright idiotic traffic planning measures on the part of DDOT, have contributed mightily towards this problem of pedestrian safety that we're now witnessing. With regards to the utility of the mayor's plan, to quote one of the commenters responding to the Dr. Gridlock piece: I'll believe it when I see it.

So What's Up With All the Stolen Cars?

We all know that there are certain crime statistics that seem to attract more attentions than others. Homicides, for instance. Or armed muggings, rapes and arsons. In other words, violent crime or significantly destructive property crimes. The other types of crimes--thefts, burglaries, car break-ins and so on tend to get lumped into the general category called "property crimes" and tend to be viewed only in terms of the sum of all the parts, rather than individually. Thus, some interesting trends or spikes in particular property crimes may go unnoticed.

Such is the case with what I can only call a serious uptick in the number of cars reported stolen in the neighborhood. I discovered this little tidbit entirely incidentally, as I was looking up some general crime statistics for various periods of time, and comparing them with other neighborhoods in the District. Because, you know, that's just how I like to spend my time.

Using the very helpful DC Crime Map statistics supplied by the the MPD, I learned that for the period June 25 - August 24, there were 24 autos reported stolen within 1500 feet of a Logan intersection I arbitrarily selected, 13th and R St. (Moving a couple of blocks south, to the Circle itself, the number "drops" to 22.) For the same time period during 2007, the total number of reported stolen autos was three. For the previous two months of 2008, the number reported was 12.

Now, I'm no criminologist, or statistical analyst (for that matter), so I'm not arguing anything other than the fact that 24 autos were reported stolen in Logan during the last two months. Still, it does beg the question: what's going on here?

All other property-related crime seems to be holding right around where it's been, perhaps a bit high. Stolen autos are the only category that has shown an appreciable increase. Is this simply a fluke, and the car thieves just happen to be hitting Logan more than they have in the past? Are there a handful of ne'er-do-wells wrecking havoc and going joyriding in our neighborhood? Did Logan residents suddenly start leaving their doors unlocked and their keys in the ignition?

Regardless, it's always a good idea to follow the MPDs tips on preventing auto theft, and taking common sense actions like leaving nothing in sight in your car or otherwise increasing your car's likelihood of being targeted by thieves. Or, you could simply take my approach: drive a cheap, PoS American sedan that no one in their right mind would care to take the trouble to steal. Remember: suckiness is always a good theft-deterrent.