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D.C. officials Wednesday announced a new initiative to bring down the city’s stubbornly high traffic crash and death rate.
Two specific areas are being targeted for increased traffic enforcement for the next 60 days, including a higher police presence: New York Avenue NE beginning at 4th Street and extending to Bladensburg Road, and South Capitol Street from Southern Avenue to MLK Boulevard, east of the Anacostia River.
After this initial 60-day program, D.C. officials will review the data and then target other parts of the city.
“The Safety Corridor Initiative is a targeted approach to reduce crashes and save lives on our roadways,” said Rick Birt, D.C.’s director of highway safety. “These corridors have resulted in 427 injuries and two fatalities since 2022.”
D.C. Department of Transportation Director Sharon Kershbaum said her department’s research shows that just 5% of roads are responsible for 50% of crashes — and these two corridors are at the top of the list.
“Traffic crashes are preventable and every person on D.C. roads deserves to get to their destination safely,” Kershbaum said.
Not only will D.C. police be seen in greater presence monitoring and enforcing traffic regulations, but there will also be an education component, where efforts will be made to encourage more drivers to obey the speed limit, wear seat belts and use approved child safety seats.
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Traffic crashes and deaths have remained stubbornly high during the last several years, even as Mayor Muriel Bowser emphasized her administration wanted to lower injuries and deaths.
The city has in place a roadway safety program called Vision Zero, which it started 10 years ago with the goal of reducing traffic deaths to zero by 2024. But the number of people killed by vehicle crashes hit a new 16-year high in 2023, with 52 deaths and 363 major injuries, according to the D.C. crash dashboard.
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