Mayor Bowser Announces Multi-Million Dollar Investment in Intersection at MLK & Malcolm X as Part of Vision Zero Initiative

(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser, Director of Planning Eric Shaw, DDOT Director Leif Dormsjo and Deputy DDOT Director Greer Gillis announced a $5 million investment for the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X Avenues, SE to improve the safety of the intersection. The investment is part of the District’s Vision Zero initiative.

“We need a fresh start to the way we make our roads safer. The goal of Vision Zero is simple: reduce serious injuries and fatalities on our streets to zero by 2024. By adopting a comprehensive approach to transportation safety – from behavior to road design – we will make our city a safer place to live and visit,” said Mayor Bowser. “The improvements we’re making near the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X Avenues are an important step to realizing the goals of Vision Zero.”

Vision Zero is a part of Mayor Bowser’s response to the US Department of Transportation’s Mayor’s Challenge for Safer People and Safer Streets, which aims to improve pedestrian and bicycle transportation safety by showcasing effective local actions, empowering local leaders to take action, and promoting partnerships to advance pedestrian and bicycle safety.

In the last three years, the roads near Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X Avenues, SE have seen over 90 crashes and nearly 40 crash-related injuries; In the last three years, the District has seen 74 traffic fatalities. This spring, DDOT will install pavement markings and pedestrian countdowns on the traffic signals that will be completed this spring. Over the next two years, DDOT will also design and install intersection safety improvements, road realignment, new medians, road reconstruction, new sidewalks and crosswalks, new ADA compliant ramps, streetlight improvements, traffic signal upgrades, utility upgrades, green infrastructure, and new bike facilities.

“Vision Zero gives us an opportunity to make sure everyone, regardless of age and ability, are safe on the streets of the District,” said DDOT Director Leif Dormsjo. “We need to take each crash, each unsafe behavior and figure out what we can collectively do to prevent it. DDOT will work with other District Agencies, partner organizations and members of the community to draft and implement our Vision Zero plan. Together, we will make the District a safer place to live and travel to.”

The District recently launched a Vision Zero working groups of multiple District agencies, developing a public interactive mapping tool to crowdsource data on safety needs, and engaging residents and advocates in public workshops. Later this year, the Bowser Administration will release the District’s Vision Zero Action Plan.