jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I'd really like to urge the city to put overhead signs at least on this portion of Connecticut Ave. Where do I start?

Send an email to Mary Cheh. She is both your Council Member and the Chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment. That would at least be a start.

I didn't know she was the chair of the transportation committee. I will draft a letter today. Thanks, Jeff.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fail to understand how people can drive on connecticut during rush hour and not figure this out without an overhead sign.

I'm the OP and I agree. But it's a struggle for so many. So instead of wondering how people can't figure this out why not put better signs up? I'm really not expatriating when I say that an accident happens for the same reason at that intersection every week. It's in front of my window so I see them all.

Expatriating??

Probably a typo for exaggerating?

Yes it is. I was on my phone and didn't proof.

Anonymous wrote:I don't think there are actually very many accidents. It's more just annoying traffic situations when someone doesn't realize what happens.

I would hate for them to shut down the lane switches-- it would make traffic SO MUCH WORSE.

OP here. I like the lane switches. I am not saying they should be shut down. I'm simply saying they should put overhead signs on the road so there is no mistake what lane is the turning lane at 5 pm. I actually don't understand why left turns are even permitted during rush hour.

YES OP!! I have been driving this route for 14 years. I can't tell you how many accidents I've seen - nearly all during afternoon rush hour, much more rarely in the morning. Many of those appeared to be very serious accidents. I've experienced a ton of near misses as well - probably once a week on average.

There are very small, old-school signs that light up to indicate the lane pattern on the right-hand side at each intersection, but they would be easy to miss if you didn't know or weren't paying attention. It would be interesting to gather the statistics on the number of accidents that have required emergency services - it must be sufficient to demonstrate that this is a huge problem in terms of resources and public safety.

I used to drive southbound on Conn during evening rush hour and it was frightening every day. Every day someone not used to the traffic pattern would end up in the wrong lane... with oncoming traffic. That is not an exaggeration. I eventually had to change my route because it was affecting my nerves. The signage is so third world!!

I don't think there are actually very many accidents. It's more just annoying traffic situations when someone doesn't realize what happens.

I would hate for them to shut down the lane switches-- it would make traffic SO MUCH WORSE.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fail to understand how people can drive on connecticut during rush hour and not figure this out without an overhead sign.

I'm the OP and I agree. But it's a struggle for so many. So instead of wondering how people can't figure this out why not put better signs up? I'm really not expatriating when I say that an accident happens for the same reason at that intersection every week. It's in front of my window so I see them all.

Expatriating??

Probably a typo for exaggerating?

There is a strong push to eliminate the reversible lanes on Connecticut Ave for safety reasons.

Anonymous wrote:I fail to understand how people can drive on connecticut during rush hour and not figure this out without an overhead sign.

I've made that mistake. I had never driven on that stretch of Connecticut before at that time, and nearly had an accident before I realized the lanes had switched and found a spot into the right lane.

I'm a foreigner from a capital city with significant traffic issues and never dreamed there could be something so dangerous as lane switching put in place. That would never fly in my hone country, there would be deaths every day!

Given that this is the US capital city, people should assume that at any given time, there will be drivers unfamiliar with such delicate lane logistics, as well as drivers who as distracted and forgetful.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fail to understand how people can drive on connecticut during rush hour and not figure this out without an overhead sign.

I'm the OP and I agree. But it's a struggle for so many. So instead of wondering how people can't figure this out why not put better signs up? I'm really not expatriating when I say that an accident happens for the same reason at that intersection every week. It's in front of my window so I see them all.

Expatriating??

Anonymous wrote:
I'd really like to urge the city to put overhead signs at least on this portion of Connecticut Ave. Where do I start?

Send an email to Mary Cheh. She is both your Council Member and the Chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment. That would at least be a start.

Anonymous wrote:I fail to understand how people can drive on connecticut during rush hour and not figure this out without an overhead sign.

I'm the OP and I agree. But it's a struggle for so many. So instead of wondering how people can't figure this out why not put better signs up? I'm really not expatriating when I say that an accident happens for the same reason at that intersection every week. It's in front of my window so I see them all.

I fail to understand how people can drive on connecticut during rush hour and not figure this out without an overhead sign.

I wanted to add I'm talking about the Brandywine and Connecticut intersection in particular.

I'm only putting this in the polictical forum because I think it will take some political activism to make this happen. I live in the area and every week (I suspect even more but weekly for sure) there is an accident caused by a person trying to turn left on Connecticut Ave from the wrong lane. I was walking home from the metro today and the accident happened right next to me. The cars slid and stopped feet away from me. It was really scary. The only reason that people don't die every week is a combination of luck and the fact that heavy traffic prevents people from going too fast but they are still driving about 40-50.

I'd really like to urge the city to put overhead signs at least on this portion of Connecticut Ave. Where do I start?