Residents at the intersection of New Jersey and O streets in Northwest D.C. say they’re living in fear because of unsafe drivers.
As resident Joe Khawly attempts to describe the issues Tuesday, a car whizzes past.
“Look at that. Look at that,” Khawly says as he turns in disbelief. “How is this safe? How can you cross by when there is a car like that, driving crazy like this?”
The intersection of New Jersey and O streets is located right by Dunbar High School in Truxton Circle. Residents like Khawly have expressed a lot of frustration because of racing cars, impatient drivers and what feels at times like a recipe for disaster.
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“Every day there is an accident,” Khawly said.
Just the other day, a parked car was hit by a racing car and thrown into a neighbor’s fence and yard.
“Can you imagine that? You are in your living room. You think that it’s the safest place on earth,” Khawly said. “But no, because the other day a car crashed into a fence of our neighbors.”
Louis Rosa is a resident who has lived in the area for about eight years. He and others said they’ve asked the city for changes for a long time.
“All of the lights seem to turn green at the same time,” Rosa said. “It provides a perfect quarter-mile speedway for anyone who wants to floor it to do so.”
One of the issues with the intersection is sight lines, as a lot of cars come in from all directions. As News4’s transportation reporter Adam Tuss attempts to walk in a marked crosswalk, he notes that cars don’t appear to want to stop as they come off the Third Street tunnel.
A speed camera was put in place at the intersection last year, but residents say it really hasn’t had much of an impact.
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The District Department of Transportation said they will be accelerating a plan to slow down drivers with things like signs that show drivers’ speed, narrower lanes and a better marked intersection.
Those safety changes are expected to start as early as next week.
Neighbors say something needs to be done immediately, or else it’s just a matter of time before someone gets badly hurt.
