Malfunctioning pedestrian WALK signals at Constitution and 15th St. NW

The other day, I was riding down 15th St. NW in the evening. I think it was Thursday. I stopped for the red light before Constitution Ave, so I was waiting on the NW corner of the intersection. I saw the pedestrian WALK signal and the countdown timer, the one for pedestrians crossing 15th St., from the NW corner to the NE corner of the intersection. Then the countdown timer just got stuck. It reached the number 13, then just stayed there for maybe 20 seconds. Strangest thing.

Another cyclist rode up and commented about the countdown timer. I think pedestrians on the corner also saw the timer get stuck. Weird.

Finally, after the WALK signal apparently found its second wind, it resumed the countdown. But until then, I think traffic in all directions had a red light. No one was moving at all through the intersection. Then when the timer reached zero, the signals changed normally and I could cross Constitution Ave. and head south.

I reported it on the DC 311 site. (This time I used the map to indicate the location, instead of trying to estimate the correct street address.) Has anyone else noticed strange things going on with the timers or traffic signals at that intersection? I’m wondering if the construction of the Smithsonian African American History and Culture museum nearby might have caused the problem. That site is on the SE side of the intersection. Maybe the workers hit an underground line?