Ward Circle received the most comments in a recent D.C. Department of Transportation public survey of 176 intersections in Ward 3.
Chevy Chase Circle had the second-highest number of comments.
This correlates with the number of accidents occurring in Ward Circle, said Anna Chamberlin, a DDOT transportation planner.
The study is one part of a District-wide effort to find problem traffic areas in the city.
The high number of comments may be attributed to “the underlying tension between a university and its neighbors,” that happens everywhere, Chamberlin said.
The final draft recommendations for Ward 3 intersections were presented in December, she said, and DDOT hopes to implement some of the short-term recommendations over the spring and summer.
The long-term recommendations will have to wait for more funding, she said.
The biggest concerns for Ward Circle were its awkward configuration and pedestrians crossing illegally at mid-block locations, according to the survey.
“It is awkward having the two lanes go right through the middle while Massachusetts Avenue goes around,” Chamberlin said.
She added that Massachusetts Avenue and Nebraska Avenue see high volumes of traffic, because people usually try to stay on these streets, rather than turn off on the circle’s other exits.
Because with a circle, it’s meant to have people turn off on various streets, she said.
DDOT plans to bring in traffic circle experts, but funding is needed first. The agency’s traffic signal modeling experts do not deal with circle flow.
“They kind of seem to be their own creatures,” Chamberlin said of circles.
The experts will also need to look at upcoming developments to the area, including AU’s Campus Plan, a 10-year facilities plan that includes turning the Nebraska Parking Lot into an East Campus.
“That plan has to ensure there aren’t any negative impacts” to the traffic, Chamberlin said.
She said the area might not have high traffic simply because it is near a university, but that there are other factors to consider.
In November and December, DDOT added new signs to the circle and made pavement improvements as part of previous recommendations, she said.
The final report is expected to come out in February.
sdazio@theeagleonline.com
