Fix Reno Rd 34th St in Washington DC
Reno St / 34th Street is too dangerous for pedestrians at the intersections of Rodman Street, Ordway Street, and Newark Street. We are a group of families whose children cross this road every day. We ask DDOT to 1) Conduct a traffic safety assessment, 2) Install raised crosswalks, and 3) Install all-way stops at these intersections.
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 RRFB signal flashing. We need four-way stop signs or a proper stoplight.
This has been submitted to DC 311 as ticket # 26-00597518
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 RRFB signal flashing. We need four-way stop signs or a proper stoplight.
This has been submitted to DC 311 as ticket # 26-00597510
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 RRFB signal flashing. We need four-way stop signs or a proper stoplight.
This has been submitted to DC 311 as ticket # 26-00597488
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:
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
Full letter here.
Text from the letter:
“At a regularly scheduled and properly noticed public meeting on January 21, 2026 with a quorum present, a quorum being five commissioners, Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 3C voted X-X-X to submit these written comments on concerns about the traffic safety on 34th Street/Reno Road.
On behalf of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3C, we are writing to request a formal response and update regarding long-standing safety concerns along the Reno Road/34th Street NW corridor, including adjacent intersections such as Porter Street, Ordway Street, Newark Street, and Rodman Street.
These concerns have become even more urgent following a recent incident reported by a neighborhood parent. In that case, a 13-year-old child was struck by a vehicle while legally crossing Reno Road at Porter Street with time remaining on the pedestrian signal. The driver, who was reportedly distracted and turning
right on red, did not stop to check on the child and left the scene. Only weeks earlier, another child was hit in a marked crosswalk at Ordway and Reno by a distracted driver. Both children were fortunate to avoid serious injury, but these incidents reflect a pattern of dangerous conditions rather than isolated events.
Residents have repeatedly raised alarms about speeding, distracted driving, and turning conflicts along Reno Road, a residential corridor that functions as a commuter cut-through between Maryland, Virginia, and Downtown DC. Parents and neighbors have consistently called for safety measures such as lighted crosswalks, improved signalization, and restrictions on right-turn-on-red movements. Despite these requests, residents have too often been told that Reno Road is “safer than it used to be,” even as preventable crashes involving children continue to occur.
ANC 3C formally acted on these concerns on October 23, 2023, when the Commission adopted and transmitted a letter to DDOT requesting traffic calming and safety improvements on Reno Road and 34th Street NW. That letter asked DDOT to conduct updated traffic counts, review intersection design, and consider physical safety measures including bulb-outs, speed controls, and pedestrian-visibility improvements. The Commission authorized commissioners to engage DDOT on this issue, but as of today, no formal response or implementation timeline has been provided.
In March 2024, ANC 3E adopted a resolution supporting ANC 3C’s Reno Road safety request and extending those concerns further north and south along the Reno corridor, recognizing that the safety problems are not confined to a single ANC boundary.
In September 2025, ANC 3F took direct action by approving a direct expenditure for “See Me” pedestrian safety flags at Reno and Warren Street, demonstrating that neighboring ANCs are also investing in on-the-ground safety improvements in recognition of the risks pedestrians face along this corridor.
Taken together, these actions show a clear and sustained record of community concern and formal ANC engagement across multiple years and multiple commissions. We are therefore requesting that DDOT provide a written response to ANC 3C addressing:
Reno Road is a residential street used daily by families, students, seniors, and commuters. The recent incidents involving children make clear that inaction is no longer acceptable. We urge DDOT to treat this corridor as a priority for Vision Zero and pedestrian safety.
ANC 3C authorizes the Chair and the Commissioners for 3C02 and 3C08 and/or their approved designee(s) to
represent the Commission on this matter.”
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.
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.
From the DC Fire department:
Reno Road / 34th street is a death trap for pedestrians. The city needs to act.
From Popville:
“When I use these crossing the street, I highly recommend muttering the mantra: ‘Please don’t kill me, Please don’t kill me…’ over and over again until you get to the other side. Then exhale deeply.”
Our city council needs to take action NOW and install stop signs or stop lights at these intersections. Drivers don’t stop for pedestrians in the crosswalks even when they’re waiving a flag.
