The recent death of Mr. Armando Martinez-Ramos at Michigan Avenue and 10th St NE is a tragic reminder of the gap between the District’s current streets and our Vision Zero goals.
The specifics of the crash are still being investigated, and when it concludes, the District Department of Transportation should move quickly to implement any and all street design improvements that would have helped prevent this tragedy.
But fixing one intersection on this dangerous street is not enough. If we are going to truly prevent the next death, we need a solution that addresses the entirety of Michigan Avenue, which is plagued by dangerous speeding, difficult crossings, and little infrastructure for vulnerable users.
DDOT themselves identified these very problems – and recommended improvements – in two separate studies in 2016, but frustratingly those plans have largely not been implemented.
We can’t keep watching neighbors killed and seriously injured while plans that could protect them sit collecting dust. We’re asking DDOT to respond to this tragedy by implementing real fixes to the whole of Michigan Avenue.