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ANC members for Logan Circle and Dupont Circle want to fix the parts of 15th Street NW they say pose 鈥済reat danger,鈥� but some residents in the area say that the proposed changes would make matters worse.

The resolution, which the Logan Circle ANC released on Sept. 20, addresses 15th Street NW between Massachusetts Avenue NW and U Street NW. It calls for the one-way, three-lane street to be reduced to two lanes. It also calls for traffic cameras, a reduced speed limit, increased signage, more stop signs, raised pedestrian crosswalks, and fixes to any unpaved bike lanes.

ANC 2F, which represents Logan Circle, and ANC 2B, which represents DuPont Circle, say that the street as currently constructed encourages drivers to speed recklessly in a pedestrian-heavy area where people bike frequently.听

But residents felt that lane reduction would create more potential for accidents. They also felt that riders of scooters and bikes were just as much to blame as drivers for dangerous conditions.

鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty unusual,鈥� said ANC 2F Commissioner David Rubinstein when speaking about the layout of the street. Rubenstein is ANC 2F鈥檚 Public Space and Transportation Committee chair.

鈥淚t allows traffic to go faster than the speed limit,鈥� said Rubenstein. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a potential for a lot of conflict.鈥�

The issue is not new and has persisted for some time, according to Rubenstein. He said his ANC has made prior resolutions to no avail.

Rubenstein said that this time ANC 2F has banded together with ANC 2B, which released a听 on Sept. 27, and that as a result, the resolution had gained traction.

He said that DDOT has acknowledged the resolution.

Jeremiah Lowery, advocacy director for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, commended the resolution as a net positive for safety in the area.

鈥淭hose measures that they鈥檙e proposing are proven to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries,鈥� said Lowery.

However, he said that WEBA is not satisfied with the pace of change.

鈥淭he ANC shouldn鈥檛 have to pass this resolution. The changes they鈥檙e proposing should be on every intersection,鈥� said Lowery. 鈥淒DOT occasionally needs some pushing.鈥�

He said that getting drivers to slow down and respect all road users directly benefits bikers.

Enforcement tools and street design are key ways to make a street safer, according to Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, who chairs of the D.C. Council鈥檚 Committee on Transportation and the Environment.

鈥淩esearch shows that speed cameras do slow down drivers, but people have to believe that cameras are there for safety – not revenue,鈥� Allen said in an emailed statement.

Resident Juliette Wilder disagreed with the resolution鈥檚 proposed implementation of speed cameras. She said the cameras are 鈥渟uper predatory,鈥� but that signage wouldn鈥檛 hurt.

Reducing the number of lanes from three to two was also a nonstarter for Wilder. She said she didn鈥檛 understand how it would lead to a reduction in reckless driving, adding that it could lead to a back-up of traffic that could cause accidents.

She also said that riders of bikes and scooters were not blameless, noting times she鈥檇 been driving where she almost got into accidents with people drunk scootering.

Frank Albinder, another resident, also called out bike riders.

鈥淚鈥檝e seen bicyclists get hit when they were not in the right, like someone had a green arrow and the bicyclists ignored,鈥� said Albinder. 鈥淪o nowadays scooters and bicycles and motorcycles, they pretty much ignore all the lights.鈥�

He similarly didn鈥檛 see how a reduction in lanes would help safety.

鈥淚t鈥欌�檒l just make congestion much worse,鈥� said Albinder.

He acknowledged that drivers sometimes go well above the 30 miles per hour speed limit and that, at night, pedestrians are in danger of getting hit.

According to a written statement from DDOT provided by its Public Information Officer German Vigil though, the area is not as high-risk as others.

鈥淚t is worth noting that this corridor is not featured in our听听as one of the most dangerous corridors in the District, nor is it on the听,听, or听. While there will always be additional work to meet the needs of District residents and visitors, we always have to make the difficult decision to prioritize areas that historically do not have the same level of investment,鈥� read the statement.

Rubenstein said the ANCs are waiting to hear back from DDOT.

鈥淲e will give DDOT time to digest it and then get back to us with their thoughts before we decide on any next steps,鈥� said Rubenstein.