Reply to Why does the DC Council (Charles Allen) not want the MPD doing any traffic enforcement?

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Reply to "Why does the DC Council (Charles Allen) not want the MPD doing any traffic enforcement?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I live in Allen's district right off one of the most dangerous roads in NE for pedestrians (Florida Ave between the Starburst and Dave Thomas Circle). I feel frustrated because I actually agree with the PP that the best way to get safer roads is to build better roads that are less conducive to speeding and also that protect pedestrians. Florida has four lanes, people regularly go as much as 20 mph over the limit, narrow and mostly unprotected sidewalks, and too few traffic lights (a number of pedestrian crossings not at lights that are disregarded by drivers about 99.9999999% of the time -- it takes a brave soul to try one of these crosswalks when there is any traffic at all).

And yet the Florida Avenue streetscape that has been talked about for a decade is nowhere to be seen. Despite multiple fatalities on the road in the last 10 years.

And ALSO Allen and others are aginst traffic enforcement.

My question, as with crime, is: okay, no what? If you won't do the liberal/progressive thing of investing in improved infrastructure that slows drivers down and protects pedestrians, but you also won't do the traditional/conservative thing of enforcing existing traffic laws as a deterrent for speeders and dangerous drivers, then are we just supposed to live with dangerous driving all the time?

It's the same with crime. You can talk all you want about "violence interruptors" and providing young people with more resources to keep them away from criminal activity, but if you won't actually do any of this and you also don't want to enforce criminal laws against violators, then what is the plan?

I get that policy is hard but that doesn't mean "no policy, zero enforcement" is an acceptable solution then. You have to do *something*. Do something.[/quote]

*Doing something* is the Mayor's job.  Want to know why the police won't enforce anything?  Ask the Mayor.[/quote]

But the council can force the mayor's hand by actually passing legislation to move things along. And council members have a large voice in the city and can use it to advocate for policies that will actually help their constituents. But very often they instead just make mealy-mouthed noncommital noises about equity while doing NOTHING to actually help citizens.

If you want to criticize the mayor, pull up a chair, I've got thoughts. But the idea that the mayor is the only person with any power in this city is false. Councilmembers are paid with tax dollars to represent constituent interests and in many ways are better positioned to respond to constituent needs because of their ward focus. Charles Allen could do a lot and he isn't.[/quote]

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