On a recent Monday during rush hour, a silver Chrysler minivan stopped on 16 th St. SE at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue. Inching over the white stop line until all four tires were in the intersection, the driver looked to his left and then right, struggling to get a glimpse of the oncoming traffic. Craning his neck to see past a tall tree and a black SUV parked on the corner, the driver made his move and hurriedly pulled through.

The scene is typical at this corner, where Massachusetts crosses 16 th in a near X-formation. Cars traveling on 16 th St. are signaled by a stop sign and a white notice that reads “CROSS TRAFFIC DOES NOT STOP.” Cars on Massachusetts do not have a traffic signal.

“I can probably count five or six times that I’ve heard the screeching of tires where cars have had near misses,” said Misti Dragano, a resident of the 1500 block of Massachusetts. She said that the stop sign on 16 th St. does little to prevent close calls. “You can sit there for 10 minutes, and it doesn’t matter. You just can’t see the cars [traveling on Massachusetts]. It’s almost like its no one’s fault.”

Dragano, who described the area as “very residential,” is one of several residents concerned about the corner’s potential for accidents.

Accidents

On a Friday evening Orange Hat tour, Hill resident Beth Purcell said she and about four other residents witnessed a crash between a motorcyclist and a car at 16 th and Massachusetts. According to Purcell, a car traveling north on 16 th St. did not see the motorcyclist on Massachusetts. The motorcyclist skidded and went down, but appeared not to be badly hurt and police arrived quickly on the scene. Purcell noted that a police cruiser that was parked on the corner of Massachusetts in front of a no parking sign might have contributed to the accident. “The visibility is very difficult there. You really have to inch your way out,” she said.

That this is true is confirmed by another accident at the intersection. In February 2004, a police cruiser struck and killed a 27-year old man traveling on 16 th St. The family of that man has filed charges against the Metro Police Department, and the case is currently in mediation.

Taking Action

In the weeks following the 2004 crash, ANC 6B held a meeting to discuss various worrisome intersections. According to ANC 6B Commissioner Neil Glick, the group voted unanimously on a list of intersections that needed stop signs—including 16 th and Massachusetts. The list was sent to the City Council for consideration. More than a year after submitting that list, no stop sign has been installed, and Glick was unaware of any action taken on the issue.

Ward 6 Transportation Planning Program Manager Ann Simpson-Mason acknowledged attending a meeting with Glick “some time late last year or early this year,” in which complaints about the area were voiced. She said that Ward 6 did not have a transportation planner on staff at the time, but a traffic technician investigated the situation, and a black and white notice was installed on 16 th St. to warn drivers and pedestrians of the cross traffic.

“I know someone was killed. I know it was preventable,” said Glick. “I want to say to [DDOT Director] Dan Tangherlini: Come back and tell me why you can’t put a stop sign on Massachusetts Avenue.”

Complicating Factors

Not everyone agrees that a stop sign is the solution. Beth Colton, who has lived on 16 th St. for about five years, agrees that there should be “some type of signage,” but she noted that Massachusetts is quite wide, and trees or large cars could prevent a person from even seeing it. However, Colton doesn’t deny that “something has to be done.” She said, “What would another light hurt?” But, as for action by the DC government, Colton has few expectations. “I know how they operate. They do what they want to when they want to do it.”

“I can’t see that a stop sign could have solved the problem of that one terrible wreck,” Julianne Duncan, who lives on Massachusetts, said, referring to the February 2004 crash. Duncan was home at the time of the accident, and says that the police car traveling along Massachusetts had its lights and siren on. “That warning was there,” Duncan said. In the absence of any evidence of further accidents, a stop sign is not necessary, according to Duncan. “Washington has a lot of laws and we can’t enforce them. Why add one more thing?”

DDOT Response

DDOT’s Tangherlini, a Capitol Hill resident, said that he uses the intersection very early every morning on his way to walk his dogs at Congressional Cemetery. While he said he personally has never observed a problem, he referred the question to DDOT Chief Traffic Engineer Douglas Noble.

On average, DDOT receives about 100 requests per month pertaining to Capitol Hill alone, calling for everything from routine maintenance to the addition of new signals. If the area in the request has not been studied in the previous 3 months, the department will commission a study. “Many people assume that installing a stop sign is a very simple process. It isn’t that simple,” said Noble.

In response to a stop sign or stoplight request, department officials first gather data on the volume of traffic and the number of pedestrians in the area. The department also collects photographs detailing the layout of an intersection. Using an accident monitoring system independent of the Metro police’s system, DDOT is able to track not only the number of accidents in an area, but also the type of accidents that occur. That is important, according to Noble, because certain types of crashes—such as sideswipes or rear-end collisions—might not warrant, or might even be exacerbated by installing a stop sign.

“Many people want a stop sign to slow traffic. But its purpose is to control the right of way at an intersection. It is not a device to control speed,” said Noble. In fact, studies have shown that the speed between some stop signs is actually higher than that on similar roads without stop signs, in part because many people who disobey a speed law are likely to disobey another, such as stopping at a stop sign. “It’s not necessarily safer if they are going to roll through it,” Noble said.

A justification report can take up to six weeks to complete. Any changes to an intersection are indicated in a notice of intent to ANCs and a 30-day comment period ensues. According to Noble, the design alone for a stoplight can cost about $15,000. Construction can take up to 11 weeks and cost as much as $200,000, most of which is federally funded. Labor and materials for stop signs are arranged through DDOT, and can cost up to $3,000.

Not Enough Accidents

A DDOT study performed after the February 2004 crash determined that the volume of traffic at the intersection of 16 th and Massachusetts was “well below threshold,” according to Noble. Additional factors, including the number of crashes that occurred, indicated that a signal was not warranted.

Still, many residents were not appeased. Glick called his request “almost ignored.” He added, “It seems the only way we can get a decision made is when the director does it himself. The staff needs to be empowered to get things done. Their hands are tied.”

A Solution?

DDOT recently revisited the issue in response to an inquiry by the Hill Rag. According to Noble, there have been two traffic accidents reported this year—three short of the number required to necessitate a stop sign. Moreover, Noble said that the crashes that occurred would not have been corrected by a stop sign.

However, the department has issued a work order to move the stop line forward on 16 th St. in an effort to improve driver’s sightlines. Also, the department plans to move the no parking sign at the corner of Massachusetts further back. While he did not have specific information about the number of parking spaces on Massachusetts that might be affected by the change, Noble said, “We recognize that parking is constrained on Capitol Hill and we don’t do things lightly.”