Press Release: DDOT Improves Safety, Multimodal Traffic Operations with New Traffic Signal Timing

News Release — District Department of Transportation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 6, 2020

Media Contacts:

Lauren Stephens

Mariam Nabizad

(Washington, DC) — The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) today announced the latest phase of its multimodal traffic signal operations enhancement program by implementing new traffic signal timing plans at 436 signalized intersections. The retimed signals improve pedestrian and bicycle safety, smooth traffic flow, reduce transit running times, and lower emissions and fuel consumption.

Beginning Friday, November 6, DDOT will retime signalized intersections in Northwest and North Downtown, bounded by the Potomac River to the west, the DC-Maryland border to the north, Clifton Street NW to the south, and the Georgia Avenue and North Capitol Street corridors to the east. The network includes neighborhoods across Wards 1, 2 and 4 including Georgetown, Columbia Heights, and northern Adams Morgan. The work will continue through mid-November.

As part of this effort, DDOT will implement the following safety improvements:

• Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPIs) at 207 additional intersections
• Pedestrian signal recall (“Pretimed Operation”) at 58 intersections
• Increased length of pedestrian crossing times at 97 intersections in support of Age-Friendly DC goals
• Revised traffic signal phasing to enhance multimodal safety and operations at 10 intersections

Once this signal upgrade is complete, the District will feature 864 LPIs and pretimed signals at 89% of all traffic signals in the District, eliminating the need for pedestrians to push a button to activate a “walk” signal.

In addition, special timing plans will be implemented to encourage safer driving behavior during late night hours. Signal timing plans have also been revised to account for the District’s new default speed limit on local roads and the completion of new projects such as the Crosstown Protected Bike Lane.

DDOT engineers are reprogramming the traffic signals using updated pedestrian, cyclist, transit and vehicular traffic data along with new traffic models reflecting changes in lane configuration and signal timings that have taken place since the last retiming of this network in 2016. The new timing plans are designed to accommodate the District’s varying multimodal travel demands by time-of-day (under normal circumstances) and incorporate new intersection construction and/or developments that have occurred since the last implementation in this network.  

DDOT will monitor, and adjust the traffic signal timing operations, through mid-November. All users of the roadway are encouraged to use caution in these areas as they become acquainted with the new signal timing patterns.

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