Pedestrian walk signal pointing in the wrong direction, at Jackson Place and H St. NW

[PotomacCyclist]

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You can see both pedestrian signals facing in the same direction. At least during part of the light cycle, pedestrians will see both a WALK signal and a DON’T WALK signal at the same time, facing in the same direction.

[baiskeli]

Thanks for reporting this.

I have to give a cynical reply and say most pedestrians probably ignore the lights anyway. I saw some idiot try to cross against the light on Independence Avenue the other day, when opposing traffic was lined up and waiting for the green. When they go the green and started, she wised up.

[PotomacCyclist]

I did see an entire family cross 15th St. from the Washington Monument side toward Jefferson Drive. Red light and DON’T WALK signal, but the mother just stepped into the road as a car was heading her way. The driver stopped and began honking on the horn. The woman looked up and kept going. Then the rest of the family got into the road and ambled across, not caring that they had a red light.

So yeah, I’ve seen this happen a lot. Kind of surprised to see what I presumed were tourists who were going to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival (which is a neat event, by the way) ignoring traffic signals. Or maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. I had thought that D.C. regulars (and those in NoVa and MD) were more aggressive and passive-aggressive on roads, trails and crosswalks than most. Maybe not.

Anyway, the problem with the Jackson Place intersection is for those who do pay attention to traffic signals. I reported it because I’m wondering that if I hadn’t noticed the side of the green light, if I wouldn’t have gotten splattered on the road by relying on that WALK signal.

The signal is still messed up:

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You can’t see the green light that the H St. drivers have, but you can clearly see that Conn. Ave. pedestrians see a WALK and DON’T WALK signal at the same time. From certain angles, it’s hard to see the DON’T WALK signal, which is the correct one.

[As for the Folklife Festival, I met Henry Wanyoike, a blind runner from Kenya, and his guide and childhood friend, Joseph Kibunja, there. OK, not too big a deal. There are other blind runners and guides, even ones who run 10Ks and marathons. Well, not every blind runner can run a marathon in… 2:31:31. What? Most sighted people can’t run a marathon that fast. I certainly can’t. Inspiring story. He was an up-and-coming runner in Kenya as a student. In Kenya, that means a lot, since they tend to dominate middle and long distance races internationally. Then he had a stroke and lost 95 percent of his vision in one night. Then the rest of his sight faded away shortly afterward. He despaired at first about his future. He was taught to knit pullovers. But eventually he got back into running. He became so fast that his guides couldn’t keep up. He had to drag some of them across the finish line in races because the guides were so fatigued. Then he asked his childhood friend to serve as a guide, even though Kibunja was not a runner, though he did play soccer (football). Kibunja didn’t start running until he was 26. The two of them have formed a very successful team, winning gold medals at the Paralympics and in the handicapped division at major world marathons like Boston, London and New York. At NY, he beat 99 percent of the field, including the sighted runners. They continue to race, but they also work for charities that help with education of orphans in Kenya, and he promotes sports and healthy living and nutrition among all children.]

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