D.C.  Pedestrian  Advisory  Council   Meeting  Minutes   June  22,  2015,  6:30  p.m.   441  4th  Street  NW,  Room  1117     Attendees:  Reggie  Alston,  Jason  Broehm,  Sonia  Conly,  Tony  Goodman,  Eileen  McCarthy,  Robin   Murphy,  Will  Stephens,  George  Tobias,  Jessica  Tunon,  Jerry  Wall,  Ben  Welle,  Heather  Edelman   (staff),  Adam  Gutbezahl  (Office  of  Councilmember  Mary  Cheh),  Terry  Thorne  (Metropolitan   Police  Department),  Cesar  Barreto  (District  Department  of  Transportation),  Ann  Chisholm   (Metro),  Matthew  Marcou  (DDOT),  David  Person  (DC  Taxicab  Commission),  Jonathan  M.  Rogers   (DDOT),  Cedric  Watson  (Metro),  Marlene  Berlin,  Zaneta  Tyler.     Start:  Tony  Goodman  convened  the  meeting  at  6:30  p.m.     1.  Introductions:  Attendees  introduced  themselves.     2.  Public  comments:  Zaneta  Tyler,  ANC  8B06  commissioner,  reported  that  she  had  requested   crosswalks  at  intersections  where  they  are  missing,  requested  a  safety  survey,  and  was   concerned  about  speeding  in  her  neighborhood.  The  area  of  concern  is  Savannah  Street  SE   between  22nd  and  25th  Streets.  Cesar  Barreto,  who  was  in  attendance  from  DDOT,  explained  that   there  was  a  June  30th  deadline  for  project  requests  to  the  infrastructure  project  management   team.  He  also  explained  that  there  are  260  requests  waiting  action.  Terry  Thorne  gave  her  his   contact  information  so  they  could  discuss  enforcement.     3.  WMATA:  Pedestrian  safety  and  public  outreach:  Two  representatives  from  WMATA  attended   to  discuss  the  Van  Ness  Metro  station  entrance  closure  and  other  pedestrian  safety  issues.   Cedric  Watson,  project  manager  for  the  Van  Ness-­‐UDC  Metro  station  escalator  replacement   project,  said  the  project  will  be  completed  by  February  2020.  Across  the  District,  79  escalators   are  being  replaced.  WMATA  is  reconsidering  its  pre-­‐closure  procedures.  Before  the  Van  Ness   station  closure,  WMATA  did  a  site  visit  with  ANC  commissioners  and  notified  stakeholders.   WMATA  will  attend  UDC  task  force  meetings  and  work  with  the  Van  Ness  Vision  Committee.  The   Cleveland  Park  Metro  entrance  is  the  next  entrance  scheduled  to  close  for  escalator   replacement;  that  will  begin  in  about  2  ½  to  3  years.  Ann  Chisholm  of  Metro  said  they  would  like   to  start  communicating  with  users  about  upcoming  projects  two  to  three  months  in  advance.   Jason  Broehm  commented  that  there  is  often  a  lack  of  signage  when  a  Metro  elevator  is  closed.   Marlene  Berlin  said  she  is  concerned  about  lack  of  signage  that  causes  people  to  cross  the  street   mid-­‐block  because  they  do  not  have  warning  that  an  entrance  is  closed.  Chisholm  said  she   communicated  with  George  Branyan  of  DDOT  and  the  Metro  communications  department  to   improve  signage  around  the  Van  Ness  Metro  and  warn  people  ahead  of  time  to  cross  the  street   if  they  need  to  get  to  Metro.       Tony  Goodman  brought  up  the  problem  of  WMATA  vehicles  parking  on  the  sidewalk.  Chisholm   said  she  would  like  to  receive  emails  with  photos  of  vehicles  so  she  can  communicate  with  the   offending  departments.  Sonia  suggested  improving  customer  service;  Chisholm  said  they  are   working  on  it.    

Eileen  McCarthy  asked  whether  bus  drivers  receive  training  on  pedestrian  right-­‐of-­‐way  rules.   She  expressed  concern  about  buses  blocking  crosswalks.  Chisholm  requested  that  people  alert   her  to  dangerous  driving  by  Metro  bus  drivers.  She  described  DriveCam,  a  recording  system  that   is  installed  on  buses  and  activates  when  a  driver  makes  a  dangerous  move  such  as  braking   suddenly.  Metro  has  noticed  improvement  in  driver  behavior  since  the  introduction  of  the   system.  Trainers  also  ride  buses  regularly.  Strobe  lights  on  buses  are  intended  to  alert   pedestrians  to  the  presence  of  a  bus.     4.  DC  Taxicab  Commission:  David  Person  of  the  DC  Taxicab  Commission  (DCTC)  described  a  new   program  called  Transport  DC.  DCTC  is  partnering  with  Metro  to  provide  rides  for  MetroAccess   customers.  Wheelchair  accessible  vehicles  are  available.  The  cost  for  customers  is  a  flat  fee  of  $5   per  trip.  The  program  started  by  assisting  dialysis  patients.  The  program  has  been  very   successful,  Person  said.  Cabs  are  available  24/7  and  require  one-­‐hour  notice.     Person  reported  that  a  new  interim  DCTC  chairman  has  been  named  and  is  expediting   investigations  of  complaints.  Broehm  asked  whether  it  is  possible  to  file  a  complaint  if  you  are   not  a  passenger  in  the  taxi.  Person  said  that  anyone  can  make  a  complaint  by  calling  the  1-­‐800   number.  Ben  Welle  expressed  concern  about  taxicabs  not  using  turn  signals,  which  causes   confusion  for  pedestrians  and  bicyclists.  Welle  also  asked  whether  speed  regulators  will  be   installed  in  taxis  as  they  have  been  in  New  York  City.  Person  said  DC  just  added  GPS  tracking  of   all  taxis  so  they  can  now  dispatch  inspectors  more  easily.  Person  said  speed  regulators  can  be   considered.     Terry  Thorne  asked  whether  the  commission  emails  safety  issues  to  all  taxis.  Person  said  they   regularly  communicate  with  taxi  companies.  Thorne  said  he  is  looking  for  ways  to  educate  taxi   drivers  about  not  stopping  on  crosswalks  and  in  bike  lanes.  Person  said  they  are  hiring  more   enforcement  officers.  Robin  asked  whether  training  and  testing  of  drivers  includes  these  issues.   Person  said  it  does.  He  reiterated  that  DCTC  is  constantly  communicating  with  taxi  company   owners.  He  acknowledged  the  need  to  remind  drivers  about  safe  behavior.  Jonathan  Rogers  of   DDOT  said  DCTC  has  been  very  involved  with  Vision  Zero.  They  are  developing  educational   videos  that  will  be  played  in  DCTC  waiting  rooms  so  drivers  can  watch  them  while  they  wait.     McCarthy  said  she  will  compile  a  list  of  suggestions  the  PAC  would  like  to  share  with  the  taxicab   commission.     5.  DDOT:  Vision  Zero:  Rogers  explained  that  Vision  Zero  is  an  approach  that  says  that  no  loss  of   life  is  acceptable.  The  way  we  have  designed  systems  in  the  past  is  that  the  cost  of  mobility  is   that  we  will  have  some  fatalities.  Vision  Zero  rejects  that  premise.  People  make  mistakes,  but   they  should  not  result  in  fatalities  and  serious  injuries.  Sweden  has  had  a  steady  drop  in   fatalities  since  the  1950s  when  its  campaign  started,  despite  an  increase  in  the  number  of   people  walking.  New  York  City,  Chicago,  Portland  and  other  cities  have  also  started  Vision  Zero   campaigns.  The  goal  for  DC  is  to  have  0  deaths  by  2024  and  stay  at  that  number.     Berlin  asked  about  collection  of  data  from  multiple  agencies  on  fatal  injuries.  Rogers  said  DDOT   wants  to  improve  data  collection.  Berlin  mentioned  that  EMS  has  data  that  MPD  may  not  get.   DDOT  gets  its  data  from  MPD.  Rogers  said  there  are  other  agencies  such  as  EMS,  unified   communications,  and  hospitals  that  may  have  other  information.  The  Vision  Zero  data  work   group  is  working  to  clarify  this  problem.  Thorne  said  MPD  has  been  trying  over  the  past  five  

years  to  improve  the  information  it  collects.  A  new  reporting  system  called  MARK43  is  almost  in   place  and  will  improve  data  collection.  Thorne  said  DC  hospitals  are  not  city  hospitals,  so  there  is   less  sharing  than  if  they  were  public  hospitals.     Rogers  explained  that  Vision  Zero  has  four  work  groups:  education  and  outreach;  enforcement;   engineering  and  infrastructure;  and  data.  A  two-­‐year  action  plan  will  come  out  of  these  work   groups.  Rogers  said  they  want  to  have  data  that  is  easier  to  use  so  that  people  can  do  GIS   mapping  and  create  their  own  spreadsheets.     Rogers  explained  that  DDOT  wants  to  move  to  a  risk  analysis  that  is  more  forward  looking,   taking  into  consideration  factors  such  as  uncontrolled  crosswalks,  wider  roads,  speed  limits,  and   population  data  to  assess  how  much  risk  is  in  an  area.  DDOT  is  talking  about  how  to  estimate   the  perception  of  danger,  as  well,  and  how  that  affects  road  users.  The  new  crowdsourcing  map   will  help  identify  places  that  are  perceived  to  be  dangerous.  Rogers  described  Chicago’s   Complete  Streets  law  that  acknowledges  level  of  vulnerability.  Any  construction  project  has  to   go  through  a  review  to  prove  how  it  will  safely  accommodate  all  modes.     To  improve  safety,  Rogers  said  DDOT  may  work  with  large  employers  in  the  private  sector  that   have  fleets  of  vehicles  in  the  region.  DPW  has  started  adding  side  guards  that  help  prevent   someone  from  slipping  under  a  truck.  DC  government  has  many  vehicles  and  can  do  a  lot  to   improve  safety.  Welle  said  he  would  like  to  see  more  emphasis  on  infrastructure.       More  formal  avenues  for  offering  reactions  and  input  to  the  Vision  Zero  plan  will  come  in  the   near  future,  Rogers  said.  Public  meetings  will  be  held  in  Metro  stations  and  in  every  ward  during   the  summer.  The  crowdsourcing  tool  will  be  on  the  website  within  the  next  couple  weeks,  he   said.     6.  MPD  Update:  Thorne  updated  the  group  on  recent  pedestrian  fatalities.  All  are  still  under   investigation,  so  limited  information  is  available.  Two  were  along  the  Wisconsin  Avenue   corridor.  At  Calvert  Street  NW  an  individual  stepped  off  the  grassy  area  at  the  curb  onto  the   crosswalk  and  may  have  been  standing  behind  a  pole  before  stepping  out.  The  delivery  truck   driver  may  have  had  no  view  of  the  small,  elderly  person.  At  Veazey  Street  NW,  a  car  stopped   for  a  pedestrian  in  an  unsignalized  crosswalk  but  the  driver  of  the  second  car  in  the  next  lane   may  not  have  realized  why  the  first  car  was  stopped,  and  struck  the  person  walking.  A  third   fatality  occurred  on  Clay  Place  NE  in  a  construction  zone  where  the  sidewalk  was  closed  and   signs  were  posted.  It  appears  that  a  street  sweeper  was  out  and  struck  the  pedestrian  crossing   through  the  closed  area.  The  individual  was  conscious  when  he  went  to  the  hospital  but  died   after  complications.     Thorne  also  reported  that  MPD  is  considering  additional  types  of  citations  such  as  one  for   bicycles  hitting  pedestrians.     7.  Working  groups:  Will  Stephens  had  to  leave  the  meeting  early  but  sent  an  email  with  updates   from  the  outreach  committee  (attached).  There  was  no  update  about  PAC/BAC  shared   principles.     8.  Cheh  committee:  McCarthy  reported  that  the  Bicycle  &  Pedestrian  Working  Group  has  met   five  times  and  has  one  more  meeting  before  a  report  is  written.  One  change  that  may  result  

from  the  committee’s  meetings  is  that  the  11-­‐mile-­‐per-­‐hour  grace  given  drivers  by  speed   cameras  may  be  reduced  in  bike  and  pedestrian  priority  areas  that  are  dense  with  people  biking   and  walking.  Priority  areas  also  could  get  improvements  more  quickly.  Formation  of  an  advisory   review  body  that  would  walk  through  what  happened  at  crash  sites  was  also  popular.  Formally   lowering  the  Level  of  Service  for  drivers  is  an  idea  that  might  be  accepted.  Dedicating  traffic   camera  funds  to  Vision  Zero  activities  was  an  idea  approved  by  the  group.  Aggressive  and   dangerous  driving  received  lots  of  discussion  but  resulted  in  no  real  agreement.     9.  Approval  of  May  minutes:  Goodman  made  a  motion  to  approve  the  May  minutes.  McCarthy   seconded  the  motion.  The  minutes  were  approved.  Broehm  abstained  because  he  did  not   attend  the  meeting.     10.  Next  meeting  date  and  topics:  Possible  agenda  items  for  the  July  27  meeting  include  reports   from  the  working  groups  and  the  Cheh  committee,  a  follow-­‐up  report  on  Vision  Zero  from   Jonathan  Rogers,  and  information  about  the  ADA  sidewalk  survey.  Barreto  said  there  is  a   backlog  of  requests  for  making  ADA-­‐related  improvements  and  that  he  is  the  only  person  at   DDOT  focused  on  ADA  issues.  A  topic  that  should  be  discussed  soon  at  a  PAC  meeting  is  the   sidewalk  shoveling  law;  perhaps  DPW  should  be  invited  to  attend.  McCarthy  suggested  inviting   someone  from  the  office  of  the  Attorney  General  or  U.S.  Attorney  to  learn  about  their  priorities   for  prosecuting  drivers  who  hit  pedestrians.     Close:  The  meeting  ended  at  8:41  p.m.