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

[PotomacCyclist]

This is where Connecticut Ave. crosses H St., heading into Lafayette Square.

http://goo.gl/maps/RUjUo

[I’m posting this again on the general forum since more people are likely to see it here. I also posted it on the Road and Trail Conditions forum. The displaced pedestrian signal presents a risk of inducing a collision, between a car and a pedestrian or a car and a cyclist.]

On the SW side of the intersection, the pedestrian walk signal that is supposed to be visible to pedestrians crossing Jackson Place, going west, has been turned 90 degrees, so it is now facing pedestrians heading south, across H St.

If a pedestrian is walking down the sidewalk along Connecticut Ave. and stops at the intersection with H St., he/she now sees this incorrect walk signal. Cyclists who are stopped at that intersection also see this signal. The problem is that drivers heading eastbound on H St. (which is a one-way road on that block) have a green light at the same time that pedestrians and cyclists now see a WALK signal. If someone isn’t paying attention, he might see the WALK signal and step into the road, not realizing that the drivers have a green light and may not be expecting people to step into the road. A cyclist could also take a cue from the WALK signal and proceed across H St. without looking for cross traffic. (This is not recommended, but it happens.)

I was at the intersection today when I saw the WALK signal. I moved ahead on a CaBi bike until I happened to notice that the side of the signal facing H St. drivers was green. Then I noticed that there were two pedestrian signals facing southbound pedestrians (and cyclists). One was turned 90 degrees and had a WALK signal. The other signal had the red STOP signal. I didn’t notice the stop signal at all, just the WALK signal.

I filled out another report on the DC 311 website already. I hope they take care of this as soon as possible. But in case it takes a few days, I thought I’d post it here too. This is a very busy intersection, with plenty of pedestrians, cyclists and drivers passing through that immediate area. The displaced pedestrian signal is a serious hazard.

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[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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