Drivers passing through a roundabout in Upper Northwest along 42nd Street are familiar with hearing a sound of crunching plastic during their commute.
A prototype of a "mini" traffic circle was installed along 42nd Street NW near Warren Street to address long-standing complaints about speeding and stop sign-running.
Motorists have found the roundabout confusing, which has in turn ended in the complete car-induced destruction of the plastic markers along the road. D.C. Department of Transportation says the temporary structures were installed to gain information on traffic flow.
Sherry Cohen, who lives in the area, said the circle poses a threat to drivers and pedestrians alike.
"There's no room for them in the intersection," Cohen said. "The cars can't get around them, trucks can't get around them. People don't slow down. They don't yield properly for this. You can't see the pedestrians."
The remaining pieces of the circle are scheduled to be replaced within the next few months by more permanent concrete planter-type barricades. The project was spurred from a zoning agreement between American University and the DDOT.
Neighbors told News4 though they agree with the need to slow down traffic in the area, they feel there should be some re-thinking before the barriers become more permanent.
