Guest post by David Kosub

In no particular order, these letters of support come voluntarily from members of the Riggs Park community. Their goal is encouraging Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 5A to endorse a resolution requesting the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to strengthen pedestrian safety crossing South Dakota Avenue NE.

As some requested anonymity, I decided to respect everybody’s privacy and remove all names and other identifying information from this public post. That said, their words still demonstrate passion. Concerns are vividly expressed. Personal experiences are relived. Actions taken are retold. And, most importantly, you will see how much they care for their community.

A resolution and our concerns will be presented at the January 30, 2019, ANC 5A meeting at 6:45 p.m. at UDC-CC Backus, so please attend if your schedule permits. If you would like your voice included as part of this initiative, please add your thoughts in the Comments section below.

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Letter #1

I  am writing to voice support for the resolution brought forth by David Kosub. My husband and I moved to the neighborhood two years ago and began voicing concerns related to pedestrian safety and well-being crossing South Dakota Avenue NE at Ingraham Street NE and Jefferson Street NE (right by our public library) since that time.

We have collectively submitted dozens of 311 requests asking for improvements to safety in that area – ranging from white striping to signage to HAWK lights and even a traffic light. Each request is dutifully closed without any action taken. MPD officers themselves speed down South Dakota Avenue and do not stop at crosswalks. I’ve witnessed it many times. Every single time you cross, you literally take your life into your hands.

These two crosswalks are our main method of walking to and from the Metro Transit station each day. And it’s not just ours – it’s the pathway taken by nearly anyone in the neighborhood who travels via Metro – including young children, senior residents, families and even individuals who have disabilities or impairments. We’ve witnessed accidents (including a young pedestrian getting hit) which we’ve reported and near accidents personally. Better signage is seen throughout the South Dakota Avenue corridor and it’s incomprehensible at how much push back and delays we have faced to get the same signage installed at those two crossings.

As mentioned in the draft resolution, such concerns are likely to amplify as more residents move into nearby apartment buildings, development continues, commercial retail opens, Main Street aesthetic improvements are made, our local branch library reconstruction ramps up, and more citizens are encouraged to walk throughout the neighborhood (and/or come to visit the neighborhood).

The lack of safety precautions and appropriate lighting make this intersection deadly and it should not take a death for DC departments including the Mayors office, DDOT and MPD to work together to fix this problem. But from this lack of action and collaboration it feels as if that’s what these departments are waiting for. This lack of action is terrible customer service and very inconsistent with DC’s Vision Zero goals. I know that District officials can do better and offer a better response than what has been provided thus far. We’ve been waiting nearly two years and that’s long enough – I urge you to take action now.

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Letter #2

I am very familiar with the situation at South Dakota and Ingraham. I walk to Metro every weekday from my house on Kennedy St., crossing South Dakota Avenue at the area under discussion. I walk back each weekday evening. As I have watched the Modern arise over the past few years, I have often wondered why the traffic signal remained at Hamilton and was not relocated to Ingraham.

From my personal experience, I do not have a problem crossing South Dakota in the morning. It is light out and there is often a substantial break in traffic to cross safely. Cars often slow down or stop for me. However, coming home in the evening is different. Northbound traffic seems to move much faster than the 25-mph limit. (I suppose people want to get home.) I also feel that I am not well seen in the evening.

I urge DDOT to reopen their exploration of this series of intersections and attempt to make it safer before something bad happens to a pedestrian.

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Letter #3

We’re new homeowners in Lamond-Riggs, and proximity to metro and walkability were priorities when considering where to live. While we love being within walking distance of the Fort Totten metro, we’ve been dismayed at how dangerous it is to cross South Dakota Avenue to get to and from work each day.

Cars treat the stretch of South Dakota between Gallatin Street and Riggs Road like a raceway, and we sometimes have to step into traffic and wildly wave our arms at oncoming traffic in order to get them to stop. We’ve seen older residents stuck on the corner waiting for a break in traffic; cars that speed up because they’re coming off the light, even as people are already in the crosswalk; and drivers mockingly waving at people in the crosswalk as they speed through. It’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt.

At a recent meeting with a DDOT representative, we were upset to hear that they did not know how long it would take to get signage at the intersection of South Dakota and Ingraham Street — the main access point to metro — and that there was no plan by DDOT to deploy the kind of infrastructure we’ve seen in other neighborhoods (traffic calming measures, flashing lights, or a traffic light, for instance).

If the city is serious about redeveloping Fort Totten, it must prioritize pedestrian access and safety, especially along such a primary access point to metro across a busy road.

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Letter #4

I am writing this letter to express my strong support of efforts to increase pedestrian safety at the intersections of South Dakota Avenue and Jefferson Street NE and of South Dakota Avenue and Ingraham Street NE. I moved to Jefferson Street NE in September 2018 with my husband, and I use the crosswalk at South Dakota and Jefferson every weekday morning and evening to get to and from Ft. Totten Metro Station.

My experience with the crosswalk at Jefferson has been frustrating and frightening, because the vast, vast majority of drivers ignore pedestrian right of way at these intersections-even when I’m in the middle of a crosswalk. On average, I estimate that a vehicle only stops to let me start to cross the road once every 2 weeks. Every other time I’m at the intersection I have to wait for a break in traffic to be able to cross the street. I used to enter the crosswalk when the road was clear for the first section, so that I didn’t have to wait as long, but about once every week a driver would still drive through the crosswalk right in front of me without stopping. Earlier this month a driver doing this was also speeding, and I narrowly avoided him killing me.

Safe pedestrian access to the Metro station is too important to ignore. Please help.

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Letter #5

I have lived on Ingraham Street NE for eight years and have observed one measure taken to address pedestrian safety since I have moved into the neighborhood – the addition of crosswalk painted lines to cross South Dakota Avenue. I walk and drive on South Dakota Avenue NE multiple times a day and worry about the safety of those crossing the street, particularly during rush hour and night times. That intersection is also not particularly well lit, making it difficult for drivers to see pedestrians waiting to cross.

As a frequent driver, I have noticed this firsthand – I will stop at the crosswalk to let a pedestrian cross only to have 10 cars drive past me instead of stopping.

Please help us keep my neighbors safe by installing additional pedestrian safety measures such as hawk lights and advanced pedestrian warning signs at this intersection.

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Letter #6

I am writing to express my disappointment that the City has failed to properly ensure a safe street crossing at the intersection of South Dakota Ave. and Ingraham St. NE.

Our community is a diverse populous which includes many senior citizens, children, disabled citizens, and pets. All of us, but most particularly these residents, rely on quick and safe passage to the Fort Totten metro station. Many of these people can’t and shouldn’t have to divert their walking path due to the City’s failure to resolve a very dangerous crosswalk.

At this crosswalk, one of our neighborhood’s primary paths to Fort Totten metro station, cars often do not slow/stop for or even notice the pedestrians attempting to cross. I have experienced firsthand the dangers of crossing at this crosswalk. Luckily, I am able to divert my route to avoid this dangerous crossing because I do not have mobility issues.  Many of our neighbors do not have this luxury. If a solution is not rectified soon, I am afraid of a fatal accident involving one of our neighbors.

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Letter #7

I am a resident of Riggs Park. I live on Ingraham St NE and I cross the crosswalk on Ingraham and South Dakota on my route to the metro every day for work.

I constantly struggle with crossing South Dakota because there is no enforcement for cars to stop for pedestrians. It is especially difficult during rush hour as there are more cars speeding down the road which usually takes me minutes to wait for cars and/or traffic to come to a halt. It is most concerning when I see kids and teens crossing the street going and coming from school.

Please help us find a solution to keep the residents of our neighborhood safe.

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Letter #8

We are writing in support of increased pedestrian safety at Ingraham St. and South Dakota Ave. NE. We can attest, as Riggs Park residents, to the need for slower traffic patterns on South Dakota Avenue. Cars traveling on South Dakota frequently ignore pedestrians looking to cross the avenue on the way to the Fort Totten metro station. Additional traffic lights, cross walks, and other measures are necessary.

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Letter #9

We are writing to express our concerns with the current state of the pedestrian crossings on South Dakota Avenue NE between Hamilton Street NE and Jefferson Street NE.  We purchased our home in June of 2016, while the Modern at Art Place was still under construction. We were hopeful that the pedestrian conditions on South Dakota Avenue would improve with the completion of the development, but it seems as though the opposite has happened.

The signalized intersection at Hamilton Street NE seems to give priority to the currently nearly non-existent traffic exiting from the parking garage over pedestrians, and the crosswalks at the intersections of Ingraham Street NE and Jefferson Street NE are poorly marked, poorly lit, and poorly signed. We have given up trying to cross at either Ingraham or Jefferson and walk out of our way to Hamilton or Gallatin on our way to Metro. Motorists often drive through the intersections at a high rate of speed, and even when they are driving the speed limit, they rarely stop for pedestrians at Ingraham and Jefferson as required by DC Law. This is obviously a dangerous situation for pedestrians in the Lamond-Riggs neighborhood who need to access Metro.

We encourage the ANC to work with DDOT to improve pedestrian safety on this stretch of South Dakota Avenue so that residents of the Lamond-Riggs neighborhood have a safe way to access the new retail at the Modern as well as the Metro.

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Letter #10

I cross Riggs Rd. and South Dakota Ave. every day during my commute to and from work. I frequently cross at the intersection of Riggs and South Dakota.

This major intersection is dangerous. It is heavily trafficked during rush hour, and the turning patterns are not safe for pedestrians. I can only speak anecdotally, but as a 31-year-old man I have to think that if I don’t feel safe crossing, it must be much worse for slower walkers or those with a disability.

In the morning, people trying to turn from South Dakota onto Riggs frequently block the box and attempt to beat the light. The result is that, despite having a walk signal, pedestrians have to weave through cars, heavy trucks, and buses to try and cross in the short period of time allotted. Any delay, such as having to walk around a large vehicle, puts a pedestrian in danger of still being in the crosswalk when the light changes. Additionally, because cars are trying to beat the light, cars are regularly still turning through the crosswalk when the walk signal is illuminated.

In the evening, drivers barrel down the hill from Riggs and turn onto South Dakota. Vehicles often make this turn at speed, regardless of whether they have a green light. I have been almost hit several times by drivers making this turn despite having a walk signal.

I feel like the entire South Dakota corridor needs to be slowed and better tailored towards pedestrian safety. A red-light camera at Riggs and South Dakota would go a long way to slowing traffic down and prevent blocking the box, as would a prohibition of turning right on red.

When I speak to neighbors, I hear frequently of issues trying to cross South Dakota at various pints to get to the Fort Totten Metro Station.  As the area continues to develop and seek to attract more pedestrians as part of the Main Street program, I hope that attention is given, and planning made for this planned influx of people and their safety is prioritized.

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Letter #11

I write this letter in support of a resolution by the ANC to request that DDOT take action to improve pedestrian safety along the South Dakota Avenue/Riggs Road NE corridor.

Specifically, I write in support of a request that DDOT:

• Install a traffic signal at South Dakota and Ingraham Street NE. Ingraham Street serves as the through street for pedestrians to walk to Fort Totten metro
• Install pedestrian crossing warning signs along the corridor, starting with but not limited to the intersections at South Dakota Avenue & Ingraham Street NE as well as South Dakota Avenue & Jefferson Street NE
• Install permanent driver feedback signs in both directions on South Dakota Avenue approaching the South Dakota & Ingraham intersection

As a community leader, I have been working to address pedestrian safety issues along this corridor. I receive emails on this issue on a nearly weekly basis. Given the importance of pedestrian safety, I encourage the commission to request that DDOT act without delay. Mayor Bowser recently appointed a Vision Zero director within DDOT. It is past time for District officials to make real investments to achieve its Vision Zero goals instead of just offering platitudes.

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Letter #12

I am writing in support that ANC 5A take up the resolution as presented by David Kosub to increase pedestrian safety along the South Dakota Ave/Riggs Road NE Corridor. I am most concerned about the intersection of South Dakota NE and Ingraham NE, which is the throughway to the metro train and numerous metro busses that serve the Lamond-Riggs and adjacent communities.

I have experienced numerous near-accidents from cars zooming down South Dakota, completely ignoring the marked pedestrian crossings at Ingraham St NE and Jefferson St. NE. Sometimes, motorists even angrily gesture at me for crossing the street at the legally marked crosswalks, and most do not stop or even slow down. When an attentive motorist does stop, those behind it tend to still ignore the pedestrian crossing and instead, go around the stopping car to pass through the crosswalk. It is scary, especially as a pregnant woman, that despite numerous alerts and requests from citizens about these dangers, that the City and DDOT do not follow through with securing these intersections. I worry about myself, my growing family, my elderly neighbors, children of all ages, and community members with disabilities (e.g. wheelchairs, walkers, and who are visually impaired).

A solution is possible – ideally a traffic signal or a HAWK signal with adequate lighting and signage – to contribute to keep our neighborhood safe for pedestrian’s and motorists alike, particularly as construction of the second phase of the Modern begins.

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Letter #13 (Added 1/30/2019)

Currently the only intersection that has a pedestrian friendly walk signal to get to the Ft. Totten Metro station is at Hamilton Street NE. Before “THE MODERN” was completed, Hamilton Street NE was the through street to the Ft. Totten Station. Now, Hamilton Street ends at South Dakota Ave. and it is Ingraham Street at South Dakota Ave. that serves as a direct link to the station.

There is a need to have a pedestrian friendly signal to cross South Dakota Ave. at Ingraham Street N.E or at South Dakota Ave. and Jefferson St. NE.

We are personally affected or know someone who uses this route daily and would like to see the installation of some type of traffic signal or pedestrian friendly walk signal that would ensure the safety for all.

Signed by 26 community members of Jefferson St NE

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Letter #14 (Added 1/30/2019)

I write to ask for your support for a traffic signal at the intersection of South Dakota Avenue and Ingraham Street Northeast and other pedestrian safety improvements on South Dakota in this area.

I walk through this area daily to and from the Fort Totten Metro station and I have felt concerned about my safety on several occasions. Guests visiting my house have also expressed difficulty crossing South Dakota here. Walking in our neighborhood should be safe for everyone, including our seniors, children, and people with disabilities. Installing a traffic signal at Ingraham Street is the best solution to provide safe crossing for our residents coming from Ingraham, Jefferson, and cross streets, including the Lamond-Riggs Library. Sadly, DDOT has not acted decisively when our neighborhood has raised these concerns in the past.

Our neighborhood deserves better. I urge the Commission to pass a resolution putting its weight behind our efforts to push DDOT to address this situation and keep our neighborhood safe.

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Letter #15 (Added 2/4/2019)

As the Ward 5 representative on the D.C. Pedestrian Advisory Council, I write to express my concern about the conditions faced by pedestrians crossing South Dakota Avenue Northeast at Ingraham Street and Jefferson Street, and to request an urgent response to determine what infrastructure can be put in place to protect these residents as soon as possible.

Neighbors have recently reported several near-miss incidents where pedestrians were almost struck by drivers while crossing South Dakota Avenue at these intersections. This is unacceptable anywhere in the District of Columbia, but it is especially concerning for a primary pedestrian access route to the Fort Totten Metro station. No resident of the District should be forced to take their life into their hands in order to access public transportation.

I join with neighbors and ANC 5A in asking DDOT to promptly implement safety improvements that will reduce the risk to pedestrians from vehicular traffic at these crossings. I urge DDOT to perform a traffic count to determine whether a traffic signal or rapid flashing beacon can be installed at the intersection of South Dakota Avenue NE and Ingraham Street. Enhanced lighting and signage are needed to help improve the pedestrian experience at this location, and improvements to the roadway design are also needed to deter speeding and red light running in the vicinity. I urge DDOT not to remove the zebra stripes at the Jefferson Street crossing, which would add to the difficulty of crossing South Dakota Avenue, but to instead add sufficient measures such as curb extensions or a median island that would make crossing here safer.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.