“About that accident at 11th and Girard”

11th and Girard St, NW

“Dear PoPville,

I was happy to read about the positive response from emergency workers and bystanders after the four-car accident at 11th and Girard yesterday. As someone who lives nearby I find myself wondering why the obvious underlying cause of most accidents at this problematic intersection hasn’t been addressed: the lack of a four-way stop.

This is the only intersection on this stretch of 11th where there’s not a four-way stop or traffic light, which causes confusion for drivers going in all directions. Drivers on 11th will sometimes anticipate a stop sign that isn’t there and get rear-ended, and drivers crossing on Girard think there’s a four-way stop and often just drive out into oncoming traffic. There are frequent fender benders, near misses involving cars/cyclists/pedestrians, and every several months a major accident like the one yesterday. A car flipped at this intersection just this past November.

It’s not as if adding a four-way stop would have some major effect on traffic flow since there are lights or stop signs on every other block, and installing one seems like it must be cheaper than repeatedly sending emergency response teams.

I’ve put in a request for a new stop sign using DC’s service request site under Sign New Investigation. Has anyone used that service with any success? Any other advice on getting DDOT to install stop signs at dangerous and accident-prone intersections?”