Speeding traffic along Grant Circle and New Hampshire Avenue makes it dangerous for people to walk to the neighborhood park in Grant Circle, or to cross New Hampshire to access bus stops, schools, and other destinations. DC's 2009 Pedestrian Master Plan identified New Hampshire Avenue (including Grant Circle) as the priority corridor for improvements in Ward 4, both due to high volume of people walking and high numbers of pedestrian crashes, and recommended several safety upgrades which have not yet been implemented.

DDOT is now proposing to implement the first set of upgrades which will help slow traffic entering Grant Circle. We applaud DDOT for taking this first step and look forward to seeing these upgrades begin on Friday, October 2nd.

However, without further traffic calming measures, we believe speeding and dangerous driving will continue. The 2009 Pedestrian Master Plan recommendations included a bricked inner lane of Grant Circle to discourage high speed passing, bump-outs along New Hampshire Avenue to make crossing distances shorter and safer, and more crosswalks to ease access to Grant Circle. Why hasn't DDOT agreed to implement these important upgrades? We are calling on DDOT to re-open its traffic study of Grant Circle and propose a new plan that takes into account how traffic patterns have changed in the last six years.

Getting to our neighborhood park, schools, and bus stops shouldn't be dangerous. Let's work together to make it safer to walk for everyone in our neighborhood.

What DDOT is proposing to do immediately:

What DDOT proposed for Grant Circle in 2009, and we want to see implemented:

A bricked inner lane will calm traffic, and discourage high speed passing that makes accessing the park difficult. Here is an example of a similar idea from another city:

For more about DC's 2009 Pedestrian Master Plan and its plans for New Hampshire Avenue and Grant Circle, click here and here.