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WASHINGTON — Rush hour traffic can be a mess in the District. But some neighbors in Northeast tell WUSA9 that traffic is even worse in Brookland now that their alleys have become a popular commuter shortcut. They fear it's a crash waiting to happen.
Neighbors claim to avoid traffic on 12th Street, NE drivers are taking a detour at Varnum or Upshur Streets and cutting through their alley.
"Right behind each other,” said resident Russell Smith. “It's like a continuous rotation of cars.”
Holly Koogle says neighbors see it all from morning commuters to Amazon delivery trucks.
“We see all kinds of vehicles, construction crews come through here," Koogle said.
A DC school bus was even captured on a resident’s Ring camera cutting through the alley Tuesday morning.
Joyce Faison said it’s not about banning all traffic in the alley.
“Not at all,” she said. “That’s not realistic. We just want it to be safe like anything else; we want people to be safe, even the drivers.”
There is no law against driving in an alley, but residents who spoke with WUSA9 said drivers are treating it like a main road, even though the posted speed limit in the alley is 15 miles per hour.
“If you're lucky you'll get 15,” Smith laughed. “They drive here like they're driving on a regular street. So, like I said, it's an accident waiting to happen. It’s kind of ruining my neighborhood."
According to DC Law when a driver is traveling down an alley they must stop at the edge of the alley just before the sidewalk, that way the driver can see if someone is crossing the sidewalk. Neighbors claim that is simply not happening most of the time.
"They stop at the street so they can see if a car is coming, but a lot of kids walk through here,” said Koogle who is a mom of three. “There's a school and there are a lot of kids in the neighborhood. So, if a car stops out here (pointing to the street) and a kid happens to be running by - it could be quite tragic. So, it's a constant worry of mine.”
“They took the signs down when you could not come through the alley from 7 to 9:30 in the morning and 4 to 6:30 in the afternoons,” recalled Faison. “But they had the big storm a few years ago all the trees and signs came down. When they put the signs back up it only said you can't come through from 4 to 630 p.m.”
Many neighbors said the alley traffic picked up when the Vision Zero plan with its ubiquitous white flex poles turned a 4-lane road during the rush down to two lanes.
“Great idea at the beginning, dumb idea now,” explained Smith. “I don't know whose idea this was to do this to our street because 12th street is a major thoroughfare. I wish I was a policeman I would ticket [the speeders in the alley]."
So, neighbors want more caution and consideration from drivers, speedbumps, or perhaps the old “do not enter” signs reinstalled to keep traffic out of the alley during the morning and evening commutes.
WUSA9 asked DDOT about all those options. We are still waiting for them to respond with answers.
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