What is an LPI? A Head Start for Pedestrians

Posted on December 1, 2010 by

(Posted by George Branyan, DDOT’s Pedestrian Program Coordinator)

DDOT in now using a new tool for increasing pedestrian safety. The Leading Pedestrian Interval, or LPI, is a simple signal timing change that can have a big impact on the lives of everyone who crosses the street in the District.  Very simply, a leading pedestrian interval, also known as a “pedestrian head start,” allows the ‘walk’ signal for pedestrians to appear three or more seconds before the green signal for drivers. Because pedestrians can start to cross before the cars begin moving, they are already well into the crosswalk when the signal changes to green. Turning drivers are therefore able to see pedestrians more easily than if they were standing on the curb. This brief timing change allows pedestrians to increase their visibility to drivers who are making turns, especially right turns.

DDOT has installed the LPI treatment at 40 locations so far and has a goal to implement them at 100 intersections by 2012. DDOT looks at crash data to see which intersections are most prone to turning vehicle crashes with pedestrians to prioritize locations for LPIs. You can currently find them on the 15th Street NW corridor, near the U Street/Cardozo Metro station and at many other locations in the Central Business District.

Studies have found that LPIs can dramatically reduce the conflict between turning drivers and pedestrians crossing with the signal at intersections. DC is among several large cities that have begun using the pedestrian-friendly signal timing.

Here’s a video on LPIs in New York City that clearly explains how they work.

http://www.streetfilms.org/lpi-leading-pedestrian-interval/

Being aware of your surroundings and crossing intersections without being distracted is also a good safe practice.  Safety is a priority.

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Nannie Helen Burroughs – Into the Next Century

Posted on November 19, 2010 by

Posted by Karina Ricks, DDOT Associate Director, Policy, Planning and Sustainability Administration (and former Great Streets Program Manager)

“To struggle and battle and overcome and absolutely defeat every force designed against us is the only way to achieve.” – Nannie Helen Burroughs

Ms. Burroughs was a tenacious, committed, energetic and tough as nails reformer who at every opportunity strove to raise up the quality of life for her community. Those same characteristics can be said of the neighborhoods and communities lining the street named in her honor.

Yesterday, the District Department of Transportation contributed in some small measure to her legacy and the future of these northeast DC communities with the initiation of a major streetscape along the corridor – Great Street worthy of a great lady.

The Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue Great Street project marks a new era for the District Department of Transportation in looking to enhance communities not only economically and with transportation efficiency, but also with an eye toward the environment – both social and natural. The project evolved through the vision and guidance of local neighborhood leaders who have worked for more than a decade to restore and revitalize the Watts Branch stream that runs parallel to the corridor and the new Marvin Gaye Park that surrounds it.

Transportation infrastructure – roads, sidewalks, alleys, and the like – account for roughly 1/3 of the land area in any urban neighborhood. That’s a lot of land which is usually covered in a lot of pavement which means a lot of stormwater runoff leading to soil erosion, stream contamination, and other unfortunate consequences. Not this time, or at least that is the hope and vision.

The ARRA funded NHB Great Streets project will significantly change the corridor with infrastructure, safety and environmental improvements getting underway.

Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue will be our first truly green street featuring significant low-impact design (LID) landscape features that will capture the stormwater and hold it after major rains preventing the surge of stormwater from rushing into the streambed while keeping it off the roadway and sidewalks. These features are attractive as well as functional giving the corridor a significant streetscape enhancement and potentially a competitive advantage in attracting neighborhood serving retail and community amenities. The Nannie Helen Burroughs Great Street project is a prime example of how DDOT’s recently launched Sustainability Plan will significantly change how DDOT approaches and designs infrastructure and streetscape projects throughout the city.

But sustainability doesn’t just mean a healthy stream, it means a healthy and economically viable community as well. It means jobs. So called “green jobs” are an emerging industry and one that the Washington Region is just beginning to tap into. While low maintenance, these LID features are by no means “no maintenance.” Maintenance will be necessary and will require some level of specialization, which means now is the time to start developing these skills among the local workforce. Thanks to new and stricter stormwater regulations, DDOT, the private developers and other builders will need to install and utilize more and more of these features which means demand for “green infrastructure” maintenance jobs will grow over time. DDOT is pleased to participate in a number of partnerships with EPA, the District Department of Environment, and multiple non-profits aimed at training and building this future workforce.

Nannie Helen Burroughs championed education leading to employment. It is fitting that the streetscape now beginning also provides an opportunity to learn skills for an emerging future employment sector.

DDOT Chief Engineer Ronaldo "Nick" Nicholson along with DDOT Director Gabe Klein, Ward 7 Councilwoman Yvette Alexander and reps from USDOT and USEPA at NHB groundbreaking ceremony

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Ride it, Drive it, Walk it, Share it!

Posted on November 10, 2010 by

Posted by Karyn Le Blanc, DDOT Director of Communications

Something we learn from a very young age is how to share, to be fair and to try to make sure everyone has access to an equitable portion. We are taught to share toys, clothes, food, games, etc. with siblings, friends and other family members. It is a respectful means of communication we take with us through our lifetimes. As adults we try our best to continue offering that same sense of fairness to each other as a way to show our respect to one another.

In the District one thing that we all share is the public space and roadways. As we all realize, the city, as is any defined jurisdiction, has limited public space and limited roadways, and it is incumbent upon us to make sure what we do have is available for everyone to share in a safe and efficient manner. Safety is a number one priority for all of us. Even though numbers are showing a general decrease, any injury or fatality should be unacceptable and so many could be avoided if people just took their time and paid closer attention.

Our transportation systems are growing and as such there is more competition for the roadway and public space. Motorists, perhaps seen as the older sibling, historically have had the majority of access to the roadways, commuting, dropping off school kids, fitting in an errand before cruising to the office and then repeating on the way home. Buses are sometimes misunderstood as the big bully, plowing and plodding along the roadways, edging out and constantly vying with motorists who speed up so they don’t get stuck behind the big behemoth that may pull out and block their view or even worse, slow down precious travel time. There are pedestrians darting in and out of cars, not using crosswalks or not waiting for the walk signal and now a revitalized bike community, sometimes bobbing and weaving and asserting their place in the maze of District travelers.

The District sports some fantastic transportation options. The bus services receive high marks, both Metro and the DC Circulator, and the Metro rail system, while perhaps dealing with some specific challenges, is still considered one of the top rail systems in the country.  There is also the recently launched and already very popular Capital Bikeshare system and soon, in 2012, the DC Streetcar system. Each of these systems is designed to complement the other and should not be viewed in conflict. Pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders and drivers all need to get to their destinations and move around the city. Everyone has the right to traverse in a safe and efficient manner.

Last month U.S. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood along with his top administrators, DDOT Director Gabe Klein and MPD Assistant Police Chief Pat Burke held a press briefing to encourage people to be diligent in their safe travel practices, to not drive distracted and to share the roadways. Short of just not listening, you must have heard by now the Secretary’s unrelenting plea to the country to not drive while distracted. At the briefing DDOT’s Pedestrian Coordinator, George Branyan, narrated a live scenario where a “dummy” 10-year old boy was placed in the intersection while a car tried to break, first at 25 mph and then at 35 mph. At 35 mph the “dummy” was broken apart and laying in the roadway. Had that been a real accident the boy’s life would have most likely ended and the driver’s life and those of both families would never be the same. Automobile, pedestrian, transit and bicycle accidents and deaths have decreased but will only continue on a downward trend if we stay vigilant in our respect for each other and our transportation choices.

Photo by DDOT photographer Christopher Quay, and staring DDOT staff.

Already you may have noticed our “share” campaign posters currently being rolled out on bus shelters, Circulators, billboards and on Metro buses. We hope these serve as a reminder to move safely and to be respectful, conscientious and courteous to other travelers. Obey the traffic regulations, do not drive distracted and please be safe.

“Ride it, Drive it, Walk it, Share it!

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Building a Firm Foundation at DDOT

Posted on November 1, 2010 by

When we launched the DDOT Action Agenda in February this year we talked about 5 basic core values.  Top of the list is the “Firm Foundation” value.  For DDOT this means putting the right people in the right seats on the bus, and then investing in them for the long haul, as well as focusing on continuous process improvement every day.  For District taxpaying residents it means efficient, good use of your tax dollars, and top flight service. 

When I accepted the DDOT Director position from Mayor Fenty in December 2008, I said a few things at the press event.  One, I wanted to provide world class training at DDOT, and invest in our workforce.  Two, I saw a need to upgrade and consolidate facilities to bridge the gap between administrations, and provide world-class facilities for our world-class employees (if we want a world-class city).

In just under two years we have accomplished quite a bit that most people probably do not realize.  I want to talk about those accomplishments in this blog and their importance to the DDOT staff and to the citizens of DC. 

New Facility for Front Line Workers

Director Klein greeting DDOT workers as they enter new building

This year we built a new facility for our front line workers at Farragut Place NE near the Fort Totten Metro, This was a project that had been languishing for almost a decade.  I made it a priority for us, and for our hardworking union members.  It opened last Spring and pulled many of our staff from inadequate run down trailers to a state-of-the-art facility. 

We are also in the process of recycling the Eastern Market temporary structure to give our team another 12000 square feet, so we can move another few hundred more of our key operations team members to Farragut. 

Move to 55 M Street, SE

Our planners, engineers, management and executive staff are all consolidating to a new Leed certified building at 55 M St SE [click on address to see location] at the Navy Yard Metro in the spring of 2011.  This location puts us on top of $2 billion worth of Anacostia Waterfront Initiative projects, current and future, as well as St. E’s, Streetcar and much more.  Most importantly, collaboration will happen like it never has before.

Having all of our staff in class A facilities collaborating is key; having them walk the walk, and have great transportation options is also important.  We have launched a program that gives all DDOT staff free Circulator bus access, and free Capital Bikeshare memberships.  Our new building will have electric charging stations, and we will be moving to a partial electric vehicle fleet in 2011.

Education and the d. University

I always try to hire people that have deeper functional or industry expertise than I do in their area of excellence (or are just plain smarter than me).  I also hire for the trait first, the skill second.  Translation: hire nice, positive people.  I am a big believer in showing people that you believe in them, by investing in them.  We are proud to be launching the DDOT University as outlined in the Action Agenda this year. 

Employees will have set curricula for their role, and can elect to take other courses of interest, internally, or through our partners.  They can also pusue degrees, ranging from GED, to a Doctorate.  We have a $1m federal training budget, and this is the first year since DDOT has been an agency that we spent it completely.

Training

Most of our senior leadership team just received their Six Sigma Black belt certifications as we strive to continuously improve processes within the agency, and wean out extra steps that waste time and money.  We also want to make peoples roles more manageable, and therefore enjoyable.  Happy employees are more productive employees, so we will be rolling out “Lean” training to employees throughout the agency in 2011, and undertaking a number of Lean Six Sigma projects within the agency to transform the way we function and do business.

Safety

Working hard at filling potholes

Our employees undertake dangerous tasks every day, and safety is a top priority.  DDOT has established a labor/management safety steering committee that will be making recommendations to the executive team re: how to protect the safety and health of employees within the Department.  The strength of the firm foundation within the department is recognized to be our employees who must carry out the mission. Thus, protecting them from occupational hazards leading to injury and illness must be a daily priority.

 

Health and Wellness

Over the past 6 months, DDOT has been coordinating and developing a Wellness Program designed to enhance the physical, mental and emotional status of its employees. This initiative has included establishing a Nutritionist-in-Residence, monthly wellness sessions, a monthly health column in DDOT’s newsletter and hosting vaccination clinics in partnership with the DC Department of Health. Our goal here at DDOT is to build a wellness culture that will result in healthier employees/individuals in and out of the workplace.

The future of DDOT

To make sure that we continue in this direction, and bring in the best and the brightest as our career employees are retiring in larger numbers each year, we are starting a recruiting program for internships and permanent positions.   We will go and find the best and the brightest from our local technical schools and universities, but also nationally, and will be marketing DDOT as a cutting edge agency to come and make big things happen and learn from the best.   We will also continue our partnerships with Cardozo High, Howard University, and UDC, and keep putting resources into our Ward 8 job center on MLK Avenue in SE.

Internally, we have surveyed our employees, and 86% of them are happy in their jobs.  Considering the state of the economy, and the reductions in force we have been through, I was pleased at how high the scoring was in many areas, and still want to make it higher, and it will as we continue with the changes outlined above.   We have a 96% customer service score, one of the highest in the city.    I want our internal score to equal that.

Thanks to our customers both internally and externally.  We appreciate your support as we continue to work together to create a world-class transportation department and a world-class city.

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Cycling Up the Economy

Posted on October 21, 2010 by

Posting by Karina Ricks, Associate Director for DDOT’s Policy, Planning & Sustainability Administration

There was discussion following the election and since that has pitted the building of bike lanes against building jobs or expansion of employment opportunities.  This is absolutely a false dichotomy.  Not only is the cycling industry an employer in and of itself, but cycling facilities fill a critical void in safe, reliable, affordable means to access jobs and commercial destinations.

A month ago we launched Capital Bikeshare (or “CaBi” as it has already affectionately become known).  Some unflattering portraits have painted it as a (white) yuppy plot to infiltrate the city with a bunch of smelly hipster cyclists.  In the mere 30 days of operation this has proven it couldn’t be farther from the truth.  It is being used as designed – as a very meaningful, effective, efficient, and affordable new transit system. 

Transportation is expensive.  The American Automobile Association (AAA) estimates that car owners in the mid-Atlantic region spend $10,000 a year to own, operate and maintain their vehicle in the form of car payments, gasoline purchases, auto repairs, and parking fees and tickets.  That adds up to about $27 PER DAY!  For many of our District residents, that expense is impossible for them.  So they rely on public transit – buses, metro, and maybe the occasional taxi.  At about $4 round-trip, MetroRail is more affordable than private auto, but directly services only 40 locations in the city.  Moreover it doesn’t run late night or early morning (challenging if you happen to work in the hospitality or housekeeping sectors).  While MetroBus certainly covers more destinations and is slightly more affordable, reliability is widely variable and trips requiring one or more transfers can require a significant investment of time (an unfortunately common situation for workers living in Burrville, Bellevue or Berkley).   The widely varying travel times on bus means a trip may take 30 minutes one day and 50 minutes the next.  For many entry-level workers with families this means they have the Devil’s choice of either leaving the kids alone 20 minutes more or risk being 20 minutes late to work and losing their job.  That handicaps them, and the next generation, in climbing the ladder up to the next economic level.

Bikesharing is not a panacea, but it is a bargain.  At just $80/year for unlimited trips (of 30 minutes duration or less) the value is unmatched and the travel time reliable nearly to the minute.  Commuting roundtrip via bikeshare just once a month already breaks even with a bus commute on the same days making those extra trips – out to meet a friend for lunch, down to the doctor’s appointment, or home from the Metro stop – practically free. 

Whether it is used to make that “last mile” link from MetroRail or to make the whole trip, cycling not only provides a more reliable travel time and dramatically reduced wait periods, but it also provides some accidental exercise which improves overall health and reduces stress.  What’s more, it provides flexibility.  So you biked to work this morning but now it’s raining – no worries, take Metro home.  No need to return the bike to its starting place, just to the closest station.

The bike share program created 25 brand new jobs in the District, all at a living wage and all but one filled by District residents from all across the District.  Though it will be hard to track, the improved reliability and travel options it affords to the transit dependent communities will help residents keep their current jobs and hopefully climb up the employment ladder while at the same time broadening their access to additional employment centers and opportunities.

Bikes and jobs are not mutually exclusive.  One provides more opportunities for the other.  Why entertain such a false choice?

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Parking – An ongoing discussion

Posted on September 24, 2010 by

There was a lot of conversation this past week about parking meter rates in the District based on a passing comment made by Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans regarding rolling back evening and Saturday parking meters.   This opened up a great debate and conversation.  We live and park in the city too and also understand that we serve as the economic center for the region.  We want to be priced appropriately, so that there is enough turnover to support business, but in line with the market.  We also want paying for parking to be easy and simple.  Effortless really.   

I was downtown on Sunday with my wife to do some shopping, and we drove around for 25 minutes, and finally left because we could not find a space for my tiny Smart car.  This is what often results from free, or under-priced parking.    I would have gladly paid $2 to get a parking space, and I think most other people would too.  The rub is carrying around quarters for some people, and the reliability of the meters, and we agree with that.  Who lost besides me? The retail stores did.

So why do the pilots?  I will be straight with you.  No one has “figured parking out” at this point, and each locale has slightly different issues.   Parking management is also an industry that is changing weekly/monthly.   IT companies are entering what has traditionally been a hardware based market.  Virtual systems are tying into hardware based systems, or displacing them altogether.  On top of that, you have people’s personal technology evolving at a rapid clip with smart phones, apps etc.  Last, we can’t leave people behind who don’t have the latest technology, or give them a lower quality experience.  Oh, and there is the very important economic and business impact of parking being too cheap or too expensive, plus we have private lots with excess capacity.

So we are looking at a number of things.  You may already know about the performance parking pilots.  We have two operating right now that are valiant efforts, but have inherent flaws such as geography, too labor intensive to change pricing and limited staff to manage these programs, particularly in these economic times.  I consider myself to be pretty experienced in the meshing of new technology with yesterdays infrastructure (carsharing and wireless technology, bikesharing, etc.).  This is the time to leap frog to a citywide system that prices parking in real time based on historical data and trend lines, and real time parking utilization information.  Basically, a yield-management  system for parking.  I would rather put our limited time and resources into the bones of a system citywide that I know can scale vs. an imperfect, labor intensive program that cannot.

So, we move to our parking pilots: The first pilot launched earlier this year and we have some exciting information to share about that.  We are happy to announce that we will be installing 1200 IPS solar/credit card meters beginning in late October.  These meters will available in the highest usage areas in business districts.  1200 meters are not enough to convert the entire system in the city, but strategically it makes sense to install the first group of these meters in areas where they are most needed.  DDOT is identifying additional funding for more meters after the second phase pilots are finished and plan to install them in the remaining locations in short order.  

The IPS meters are the single space meters that take credit cards, are solar powered and easily converted.  Some of you may have seen the video that we produced explaining these meters last winter [click here to see video: http://www.youtube.com/user/DDOTVideos?feature=mhsn#p/u/22/iz2k6CQhNoM]

 Los Angeles and San Francisco along with other major cities throughout the US are also testing these same meters now.  We found a failure rate of less than 1% and a minimum 30% increase in revenue that we attribute to reliability/uptime, ease of use and of course the credit card payment option.  So return on investment is estimated to be less than 1 year.

By the end of the year, I have committed to have a citywide pay by phone system in place based on the results of our current pilot.  This will obviate the need for quarters for any regular user with a cell phone immediately.  Our pilot is showing that DC has the fastest uptake and highest usage per capita in the country already.

These systems that we put in place, hardware and virtual, have to fit into our larger technology (ITS) strategy for the city, and more immediately, a demand based system that will have the capability to price parking dynamically without any human intervention, whether U Street on a Friday night, or Metro Center on a Tuesday at noon.  We also need to make sure that the parameters for pricing reflect our larger goals for sustainability, livability, congestion and a vibrant business community.

We appreciate everyone’s patience as we move forward with our pilots and implement a world class parking system for a world class city.  It will be worth the wait.

-gabe klein 

Don’t forget to take our survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DDOTparkingsurvey in response to our current phase of pilots [for more information click here  http://ddot.dc.gov/DC/DDOT/On+Your+Street/Traffic+Management/Parking/Parking+Pilot+Programs].  No one finds parking exciting, well… maybe we do just a little, but only because the new technology is so great and because, let’s face it, we are transportation wonks.  Stay with us through this transition and soon you will be putting those quarters in your piggy banks and not in your pockets.

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Parking Meter Pilots Survey

Posted on September 10, 2010 by

Some people have made an assumption that because we have picked up the pace dramatically at DDOT on all fronts, we must not be doing enough planning before launching new programs and projects.  Actually, the opposite is true. (Click on this link now to give us your thoughts and fill in our parking survey or read more and link at the end - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DDOTparkingsurvey) We are more focused on planning than we ever have been before and put a tremendous amount of thought and effort into our designs and initiatives.  We also have a much more disciplined approach to project development and execution.  Having said that, many times the best way to make sure that your planning makes sense is to test things on the ground and to make sure they work as well in reality as they do in theory.  A great example of that is our plan to improve the District’s parking program which is leveraging the expertise, technology and resources of the private sector.   Basically, show me it’s the best, quickly, before I spend taxpayers $ to buy it.

Every day some drivers have frustrating encounters with parking meters, many of which are outdated and sometimes unreliable. We recognize there are problems and we are moving aggressively to replace those meters and to upgrade our entire system.

We’re fortunate because there is some incredible technology being developed right now that will really benefit consumers and make parking much more user friendly.   But the technology is changing so fast, and the integration of different technologies is evolving…we really want to make sure that we pick the right type of meter, or combination of parking systems, and that’s why we’re currently running several pilot programs across the city (we take spending your $ very seriously).   We’re currently testing pay-by-phone, pay-by-space and pay-by-license plate parking, and parking sensor occupancy.   We’re also testing different configurations and combinations of services to see what serves the largest number of people, and which systems integrate seamlessly.  For instance, on U Street, you can pay-by-plate on the Cale system, or by phone via Parkmobile (integrated), and there are sensors embedded in the spaces that tell us how many spaces are occupied so that in the near future, we can have a true, demand based pricing system, citywide.   All of the pilot meters take credit cards, some take coins, and some take dollar bills.

Pay-By-License Plate Meter

Pay-By-License Plate Meter

By the end of 2010, based on your feedback, we plan on having a pay by phone system deployed citywide (that will integrate with our future meter purchases), and  1200 new meters to replace the busiest, oldest meters in the city.  We will then be evaluating the next  roll-out of meters.   We are also working on an overarching “Intelligent transportation system” that will manage parking demand and pricing throughout the city…and talk to all other systems that we are designing, from Capital Bikeshare to buses, to your smart phone, and cutting edge technology in the bus shelters (keep your eyes peeled in October).

So what works best? What system or combination would best meet the unique demands of drivers in the District? We’re evaluating the pilots to answer those questions, and we could use your help. We want to know what your experience has been with the various parking payment options now available on the streets. Please take a moment to fill out the short survey below:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DDOTparkingsurvey

Your feedback will be invaluable in helping us select the right technology. Collaborating on this planning effort, we’re confident we can make parking better and easier for all of us.

For more information about the various parking pilots please visit http://ddot.dc.gov/DC/DDOT/On+Your+Street/Traffic+Management/Parking/Parking+Pilot+Programs

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