Today, the D.C. Highway Safety Office (HSO), District Department of Transportation (DDOT), and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officially announced the District’s first Safety Corridors, a targeted traffic safety initiative aimed at reducing crashes and saving lives on high-risk roadways. The announcement took place during a press conference at F1 Arcade, which is located at the base of one of the corridors.
The Safety Corridors initiative focuses on two high-risk District roads—New York Avenue NE (Bladensburg Rd to 4th St) and South Capitol Street SW (Southern Ave to Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave)—which have collectively experienced 1,087 crashes, resulting in 427 injuries and 2 fatalities since 2022.
“Everyone deserves to reach their destination safely,” said Director Rick Birt of the HSO. “The purpose of the Safety Corridors is to implement proven countermeasures with the ultimate goal of preventing crashes and saving lives.”
In an effort to change behavior on these road segments, geo-targeted public education campaigns will be deployed to encourage safe driving habits. Additionally, residents and visitors traveling through these corridors can expect to see an increased MPD presence conducting regular enforcement.
"Enforcement is a key tool in reducing dangerous driving behaviors," said Assistant Chief Carlos Heraud of MPD. "Drivers should be aware that we will be actively patrolling these corridors, targeting excessive speed, distracted driving, seatbelt violations, and other offenses to help prevent crashes before they happen."
Signs will be posted along each identified segment to notify drivers that they are traveling in a designated Safety Corridor and should be mindful of increased enforcement.
In 2022, DDOT conducted an analysis of all corridors in the District based on reported injury and fatality crash data from June of 2016 to July of 2021. The resulting corridors, which represent only 5% of District roadways and account for almost 50% of major injuries and fatalities, are known as the High Injury Network (HIN). New York Avenue and South Capitol Street are both located on the HIN but do not currently have a road safety intervention planned within the next five years. This, along with other data-driven factors, led to their selection as the first Safety Corridors.
“DDOT works diligently to keep road users safe through infrastructure improvements,” said DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum. “Those changes take time, so until we can address these locations, the Safety Corridor initiative is a great way to ensure they are still getting the attention and treatment they need.”
The initiative includes collaboration with local businesses and community partners along the corridors to reinforce safe driving habits. F1 Arcade, the host venue for today’s event, is among the first businesses to join this effort.
"We want people to enjoy speed in the right setting—on our simulators, not on DC roadways," said Yani Tupou, General Manager of F1 Arcade. "We’re proud to support this initiative and encourage safer driving behaviors in our community."
With an aim to achieve Vision Zero, the HSO, DDOT, and MPD collaborate on many Bowser Administration initiatives to reduce roadway crashes, injuries, and fatalities.
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