DDOT is sitting on over 100 requests to fix the pedestrian safety issues on Reno Road. We want action.

Cross Street	DC 311 Request	Request Date	Video
Porter	13-00139894	6/14/2013
Porter	13-00220042	9/10/2013
Porter	13-00226056	9/17/2013
Rodman	13-00250144	10/17/2013
Porter	14-00004964	1/8/2014
Porter	14-00055435	3/9/2014
Porter	14-00080676	3/31/2014
Porter	14-00092280	4/7/2014
Rodman	14-00259769	9/10/2014
Porter	16-00398786	2/15/2016
Porter	16-00401974	2/19/2016
Porter	16-00553658	6/18/2016
Porter	16-00653227	8/20/2016
Porter	16-00744437	10/12/2016
Newark	16-00749551	10/14/2016
Porter	17-00257387	5/17/2017
Porter	17-00647173	11/16/2017
Newark	18-00261859	5/22/2018
Porter	18-00331287	6/25/2018
Porter	18-00360447	7/8/2018
Rodman	18-00512177	9/15/2018
Porter	18-00627041	11/6/2018
Rodman	18-00650636	11/17/2018
Rodman	18-00653111	11/19/2018
Rodman	18-00665146	11/27/2018
Rodman	18-00678669	12/3/2018
Porter	19-00009988	1/6/2019
Porter	19-00830997	8/12/2019
Rodman	19-00994343	11/15/2019
Porter	19-01037212	12/21/2019
Porter	20-00080935	3/5/2020
Porter	20-00319561	9/14/2020
Porter	20-00384323	11/6/2020
Porter	20-00420035	12/7/2020
Porter	20-00430889	12/16/2020
Newark	21-00165748	5/12/2021
Newark	21-00227674	6/17/2021
Porter	21-00233891	6/21/2021
Newark	21-00369445	8/26/2021
Porter	21-00505130	11/6/2021
Porter	21-00528507	11/21/2021
Ordway	22-00045465	1/27/2022
Porter	22-00172797	4/15/2022
Rodman	22-00235986	5/23/2022
Rodman	22-00236103	5/23/2022
Rodman	22-00236164	5/23/2022
Rodman	22-00236202	5/23/2022
Rodman	22-00236298	5/23/2022
Rodman	22-00236383	5/23/2022
Rodman	22-00237263	5/23/2022
Rodman	22-00237385	5/23/2022
Rodman	22-00238020	5/24/2022
Rodman	22-00240035	5/24/2022
Rodman	22-00240039	5/24/2022
Rodman	22-00240692	5/25/2022
Rodman	22-00242533	5/26/2022
Rodman	22-00244593	5/26/2022
Rodman	22-00251175	6/1/2022
Rodman	22-00251515	6/1/2022
Rodman	22-00252386	6/1/2022
Rodman	22-00266074	6/8/2022
Porter	22-00292858	6/23/2022
Porter	22-00499006	10/16/2022
Porter	22-00553347	11/17/2022
Rodman	23-00021711	1/13/2023
Porter	23-00063846	2/8/2023
Porter	23-00063849	2/8/2023
Rodman	23-00132821	3/20/2023
Rodman	23-00230786	5/9/2023
Rodman	23-00230803	5/9/2023
Rodman	23-00230819	5/9/2023
Rodman	23-00270824	5/27/2023
Rodman	23-00272271	5/29/2023
Rodman	23-00273704	5/30/2023
Rodman	23-00351899	7/7/2023
Porter	23-00380498	7/21/2023
Porter	23-00488482	9/13/2023
Newark	23-00490276	9/14/2023
Newark	23-00513260	9/28/2023
Rodman	23-00569762	10/29/2023
Porter	24-00117156	3/2/2024
Ordway	24-00125723	3/7/2024
Newark	24-00125742	3/7/2024
Rodman	24-00227944	4/26/2024
Rodman	24-00234944	4/30/2024
Ordway	24-00265169	5/14/2024
Porter	24-00267177	5/15/2024
Ordway	24-00371224	6/29/2024
Porter	24-00392054	7/9/2024
Porter	24-00528354	9/7/2024
Newark	24-00536377	9/11/2024
Newark	24-00540714	9/12/2024
Ordway	24-00549076	9/17/2024
Rodman	24-00667671	11/10/2024
Rodman	24-00667672	11/10/2024
Rodman	25-00132543	3/4/2025
Rodman	25-00139630	3/7/2025
Rodman	25-00184685	3/27/2025
Rodman	25-00190409	3/31/2025
Rodman	25-00199033	4/2/2025
Rodman	25-00218578	4/11/2025
Porter	25-00228925	4/17/2025
Rodman	25-00297501	5/15/2025
Rodman	25-00308734	5/20/2025
Rodman	25-00477550	7/30/2025
Rodman	25-00553637	9/2/2025
Rodman	25-00576661	9/11/2025
Porter	25-00604443	9/24/2025
Porter	25-00604539	9/25/2025
Porter	25-00604557	9/25/2025
Porter	25-00677867	10/30/2025
Rodman	25-00699543	11/9/2025
Porter	25-00713326	11/17/2025
Rodman	25-00717689	11/18/2025
Rodman	25-00738238	12/1/2025
Rodman	25-00742263	12/2/2025
Porter	25-00742431	12/3/2025
Rodman	25-00745353	12/4/2025	Watch
Rodman	25-00757678	12/11/2025	Watch
Rodman	25-00757558	12/11/2025
Porter	25-00757580	12/11/2025
Rodman	25-00763409	12/15/2025	Watch
Rodman	25-00771484	12/18/2025
Rodman	25-00783213	12/28/2025
Rodman	26-00013961	1/8/2026	Watch
Rodman	26-00065645	1/31/2026
Rodman	26-00069304	2/2/2026
Porter	26-00119468	2/21/2026
Porter	26-00119609	2/21/2026
Porter	26-00120678	2/22/2026
Rodman	26-00128135	2/25/2026
Porter	26-00134848	3/1/2026
Porter	26-00350002	6/11/2026
Porter	26-00356670	6/14/2026
Rodman	26-00555250	9/14/2026	Watch
Ordway	26-00555311	9/14/2026	Watch
Porter	26-00555339	9/14/2026	Watch
Rodman	26-00555359	9/14/2026	Watch

Reno St / 34th Street is too dangerous for pedestrians. Every day there are near-misses. Far too frequently, there are collisions between cars and pedestrians.

Here is a map of the recent crashes on this stretch of road:
https://opendata.dc.gov/datasets/DCGIS::crashes-in-dc/explore?location=38.937657%2C-77.065002%2C17

Rodman Street has an intersection with both horizontal curves (20° deflection with a 487-ft-radius curve) and vertical grades (a 6.2% grade over 300 feet) across Reno Road / 34th Street.

Ordway Street has a significant vertical crest (a 9% grade over 300 feet) across Reno Road / 34th Street.

Porter Street has an intersection with steep downgrades for Reno Road / 34th Street (a 10% grade over 300 feet), causing vehicles to accelerate downhill, reducing braking distance.

These factors create sight-distance restrictions and speed issues, making it difficult for drivers to see pedestrians and stop in time.

The MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices) Standards require adequate pedestrian safety infrastructure to be installed where crosswalks cross roads with horizontal grades and/or or vertical curves. The HAWK signal on Rodman does not meet MUTCD guidelines – where visibility is obscured, HAWK signals should show RED lights, not yellow (§4J.02 ¶5, page 729). Yellow flashing HAWK beacons are inadequate if it is documented that drivers don’t stop at them – yellow lights serve as a suggestion to stop, not a requirement to stop (§4J.02 ¶5, page 94).

The Federal Highway Transportation Administration (FHWA) and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) guidelines say that where sight-distance deficiencies are caused by a fixed crest and/or curve, traffic control measures like stop lights and stop signs are the standard engineering response (Page 39).

The ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) and The Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) state that intersections with factors that block sightlines should include stop signs or stop lights to allow safe pedestrian crossing for individuals with mobility impairments like children and the elderly, and that such crossings are only ADA compliant if they include raised crossings (§R302.5.2.2, §R302.5.2.3, §R302.5.2.1).

As documented on this site, near-misses between pedestrians and cars are an everyday occurrence on this stretch of Reno Road / 34th Street, and actual collisions occur far too frequently.

What we are asking for:

We are families whose children cross this road every day. We ask DDOT to:

• Conduct a Traffic Safety Assessment of Reno Road and the intersections with Rodman Street, Ordway Street, and Newark Street under MUTCD §2B.14 and §2B.17, page 79, including a field sight-distance survey.
• Install raised crosswalks at Rodman Street, Rowland Place, Ordway Street, and Newark Street — a FHWA Proven Safety Countermeasure associated with a 45% reduction in pedestrian crashes.
• Install all-way stops at Reno Road where it crosses Rodman Street, Ordway Street, and Newark Street, and remove the inadequate HAWK beacon on Rodman.

Two cars passed blew through the crosswalk while a pedestrian was in the crosswalk with the HAWK signal active. Reno Road / 34th St is too dangerous to pedestrians. Cars do not stop for the flashing pedestrian signal even when pedestrians in the middle crosswalk with the HAWK signal flashing. We need four-way stop signs or a proper stoplight.

This has been submitted to DC 311 as ticket # 26-00555359

Car makes a left turn across porter when a pedestrian is in the crosswalk, nearly hitting the pedestrian. Reno Road / 34th St is too dangerous to pedestrians. Cars do not stop for the pedestrian even when pedestrians in the middle crosswalk. We need four-way stop signs or a proper stoplight.
This has been submitted to DC 311 as ticket # 26-00555339

Reno Road / 34th St is too dangerous to pedestrians. Cars do not stop for the pedestrian even when pedestrians in the middle crosswalk. We need four-way stop signs or a proper stoplight.

This has been submitted to DC 311 as ticket # 26-00555311

Reno Road / 34th St is too dangerous to pedestrians. Cars do not stop for the flashing pedestrian signal even when pedestrians in the middle crosswalk with the HAWK signal flashing. We need four-way stop signs or a proper stoplight.

This has been submitted to DC 311 as ticket # 26-00555250

Reno Rd NE and Rodman St NW on 01/07/2026 at 05:48 PM. Three drivers ignored the pedestrian signal while children were in the middle of the crosswalk.

First driver who blew through the crosswalk while children were standing in it with the pedestrian lights flashing: Maryland plate 5EJ5925 (VIN # 1GTW7FCA9C1199819) 2012 GMC Savana.

Second driver who blew through the crosswalk while children were standing in it with the pedestrian lights flashing: DC plate GR6309(VIN # 5TDHBRCH4NS537462) 2022 Toyota Highlander.

Third driver who stopped in the crosswalk while children were standing in it with the pedestrian lights flashing: Maryland plate 5FJ9031 (VIN # 1FTEX1EM4CFB05306) 2012 Ford F-150.

This has been submitted to DC 311 as ticket # 26-00013961

Reno Road / 34th st is too dangerous to pedestrians. Cars do not stop for the flashing pedestrian signal even when there are children in the middle of the crosswalk. We need four-way stop signs or proper stoplights rather than amber pedestrian warning lights.

The problems with pedestrian safety at the intersection of Reno St NW and Rodman St NW are well documented, with over twenty 311 service requests in the last three years:

DC 311 Request	Request Date
23-00021711	2023-01-13
23-00132821	2023-03-20
23-00230819	2023-05-09
23-00230786	2023-05-09
23-00230803	2023-05-09
23-00270824	2023-05-27
23-00272271	2023-05-29
23-00273704	2023-05-30
23-00351899	2023-07-07
23-00569762	2023-10-29
24-00227944	2024-04-26
24-00667672	2024-11-10
24-00667671	2024-11-10
25-00553637	2025-09-02
25-00576661	2025-09-11
25-00699543	2025-11-09
25-00717689	2025-11-18
25-00738238	2025-12-01
25-00742263	2025-12-02
25-00745353	2025-12-04
25-00757558	2025-12-11
25-00757678	2025-12-11
25-00763409	2025-12-15

Reno Road / 34th st is too dangerous to pedestrians. We need four-way stop signs or proper stoplights rather than amber pedestrian warning lights.

Reno Rd NE and Rodman St NW on 12/15/2025 at 08:46 AM. Driver ignoring pedestrian signal Virginia plate TTA-5885 (VIN # 5NMS2DAJ8NH431789) 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe.

This has been submitted to DC 311 as ticket # 25-00763409

Reno Road / 34th st is too dangerous to pedestrians. We need four-way stop signs or proper stoplights rather than amber pedestrian warning lights.

According to this letter, there was an effort in 2022 to install a HAWK light at the interesection of Reno and Rodman.

Rather than installing a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (AKA a high-intensity activated crosswalk beacon / HAWK), DDOT chose to install a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon(RRFB).

Fellow Cleveland Park neighbors will be familiar with the HAWK beacon if they’ve ever crossed Connecticut avenue at the crosswalk between Byblos Deli and the Cleveland Park Bar and Grill / Fat Pete’s. The pedestrian pushes a “beg button” and a few seconds later the lights above the intersection flash yellow and then show a solid red light. But then a few seconds after showing a solid red light they start blinking red alternating left/right.

This alternating blinking red is confusing for drivers. It is the same flashing left/right red patter used by railroad crosswalks and school buses to mean “stop until these lights stop blinking”, but for the HAWK apparently means “go if you don’t see a pedestrian” – some drivers come to a complete stop and stay there until the lights are off, some come to a stop and then go as if it were a stop sign, and some just blow right through it.

As anyone who has tried to cross with the HAWK light on Connecticut knows, far too many drivers ignore it completely.

The likely reason that DDOT chose a HAWK light instead of a full red/yellow/green stoplight is that the HAWK light is only on for a few seconds and then starts flashing red – allowing cars to go sooner than a full stoplight.

DDOT probably looked at the FHWA study that says that HAWK lights result in an 86% reduction in crashes (https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/10045/), but newer research by UMass shows that nearly 1/3rd of drivers run a solid red light at HAWK crossings on straight, flat roads. At intersections with large elevation changes like Newark, Ordway, and Rodman we’d expect there to be far more than 1/3rd of drivers blowing through the pedestrian signal.

The only reason HAWK lights are “safe” is because they are confusing for drivers, causing them to slow down. You’d have the same effect from placing a dancing clown in the middle of the intersection – drivers would be confused and slow down.

The confusion caused by HAWK lights is well documented, here are just a half dozen TV news segments showing drivers confused by HAWK lights:

So instead of putting in a HAWK light at Reno and Rodman, DDOT put in a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon(RRFB). The RRFB works by the pedestrian hitting a beg button and then yellow lights flash on either side of the crosswalk. As documented in this blog, drivers regularly blow through the crosswalk when the yellow flashing light are lit even when pedestrians are in the crosswalk.

This post goes into more detail why RRFB beacons don’t work.

DDOT needs to fix the intersections at Ordway, Newark, and Rodman by adding four-way stop signs or standard red/green/yellow stoplights. HAWK lights and RRFBs don’t work.

There is a speed camera at 34th St NW and Porter St NW with the camera facing southbound. This speed camera is less than 1000 feet away from the intersection of Rodman St NW and Reno Rd NW as well as the intersections of Ordway and 34th and Newark and 34th, so it provides useful data for how quickly cars are traveling through the these intersections.

The camera name is “3600 BLK 34TH ST NW S/B” and the “enforcement space code” is “ATE 0522” according to this table: https://asc.ddot.dc.gov/datasets/automated-safety-cameras-table/explore

The ATE 0522 camera tickets issued are in this table: https://opendata.dc.gov/datasets/DCGIS::automated-safety-cameras-violation-count-by-month/explore

In the 12 months from May 2024 to April 2025 the camera caught 552 drivers exceeding the camera’s limit, an average of 46 tickets per month.

The speed limit on Reno is 20 MPH in some sections and 25 MPH in other sections. Assuming the cameras are calibrated to issue tickets at 36 MPH or more, this means that more than one car per day is going more than 180% of the posted 20 MPH speed limit.

Since the speed camera is well known, and shows up on google maps and waze, it’s likely that drivers slow down for this camera and speed up on the rest of Reno/34th.

Reno Road / 34th st is too dangerous to pedestrians. We need four-way stop signs or proper stoplights rather than amber pedestrian warning lights.

Reno Rd NW and Rodman St NW on 12/11/2025 at 08:47 AM

Driver ignores pedestrian in crosswalk while pedestrian signal is lit – driver in a 2003 white Mini Cooper with Maryland plate 89999CL (VIN Number WMWRC33433TJ50697)

This has been submitted to DC 311 as ticket # 25-00757678

Reno Rd NW and Rodman St NW on 12/04/2025 at 08:45 AM

Pedestrian Safety Issues:

1) Car stopped in middle of crosswalk

2) Car drives through crosswalk while pedestrian still in crosswalk

Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) don’t work – drivers ignore them. We need a full four-way stop or a proper green/yellow/red stoplight.

This has been submitted to DC 311 as ticket # 25-00745353

Reno Rd NW / 34th St NW in Washington DC is dangerous to pedestrians. DDOT needs to fix the intersections at Ordway, Newark, and Rodman by adding four-way stop signs or standard red/green/yellow stoplights.