JOHN
JOHN HENRY WENT THROUGH THE DATA 4@TO FIND THE WORSE AREAS
WALK OR BIKE. 4@
>> Reporter: CYC4@LIST TIM BABA
KNOWS HOW DANGEROUS IT CAN BE
TO SHARE THE ROADS WITH
VEHICLES IN D.C. 4@
>> I RIDE ALMOST EVERY DAY.
>> Reporter: LAST YEAR HE
EXPERIENCED A CLOSE CALL THAT
COULD HAVE COST HIM HIS LIFE. 4@
>> MY STORY IS A PERFECT
EXAMPLE OF THE FACT THAT PANTS
IS NOT PROTECTION.
>> Reporter: BABATZ WAS CYCLING
IN THE DESIGNATED BIKE LANE ON
T STREET NORTHWEST NEAR 13th
STREET WHEN A RIDESHARING
VEHICLE SUDDENLY BLOCKED HIS
PATH.
PATH.
PATH. >>
PATH. >> TO AVOID THE BLOCKAGE I HAD
TO GO INTO THE TRAVEL LANE.
>> Reporter: BUT BABATZ DIDN'T
KNOW A CAR WAS SPEEDING DOWN T
STREET AT THE SAME TIME. 4@
HE WAS LEFT WITH NOWHERE TO GO.
>> SO I BASICALLY HAD TO BAIL
AND CRASH.
AND CRASH. I COUNT MYSELF LUCKY THAT A 4@
COUPLE BROKEN RIBS IS
RELATIVELY MILD COMPARED TO
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER
FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS IN THE
CITY.
CITY.
CITY. >>
CITY. >> Reporter: ACCIDENTS LIKE
BABATZ'S ARE NOT UNCOMMON,
COLLISIONS BETWEEN VEHICLES,
CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS A CUR @
ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
SOME ROADWAYS ARE MORE
DANGEROUS THAN OTHERS. 4@
WUSA 9 DIGITAL INVESTIGATIVE
REPORTER JORDAN FISH4@ER DUG 4@
THROUGH D.C. POLICE AND TRAFFIC
RECORDS FROM 2016 TO 2019 TO
SEE WHICH 4@DISTRICT STREETS HA
THE MOST COLLISIONS BETWEEN
CYCLISTS, PEDESTRIANS AND
VEHICLES. 4@
VEHICLES. 4@ AFTER THAT, WE DECIDED TO HOP
ON A BIKE.
>> WELCOME TO 14th STREET.
>> 14th STREET.
>> Reporter: RACHEL OF D.C.
FAMILIES FOR SAFE STREETS COULD
SHOW US THE DANG4@ERS THOSE
STREET4@ POSTS TO CYCLISTS. 4@4@
>> I THINK YOU CAN'T REALLY
UNDERSTAND THE STORY WITHOUT,
YO4@U KNOW, SEEING IT. 4@
>> Reporter: FIRST, WE BIKED
4@ ALONG 14th STREET IN COLUMBIA
HEIGHTS NEAR TARGET.
WE FOUND THIS STRETCH TO BE THE
SECOND MOST DANGEROUS ROADWAY
IN THE DISTRICT. 4@
OVER THE THREE YEARS DRIVERS
HIT 52 CYCLISTS. 4@
>> THIS IS VETERAN'S DAY, NOT
AS BUSY AS NORMAL AND WE'VE GOT
TWO 4@CARS IN THE FIRST TWO
MINUTES IN A BIKE LANE. 4@
>> Reporter: ONE OF THE BIGGEST
PROBLEMS IS CARS BLOCK BIKE
LANES GLCHL THE BIKE LANE IS
PERPETUALLY BLOCKED.
PERPETUALLY BLOCKED. I DON'T EVEN RIDE IN THE BIKE
LANE HERE.
LANE HERE. >> Reporter: IN D.C., THE LAW
SAYS IT IS ILLEGAL FOR CARS TO
STOP, STAND OR PARK IN ANY
PORTION OF A BIKE LANE. 4@
AND WHEN DRIVERS SUDDENLY PULL
INTO THOSE PATHS, SOMETIMES 4@
CYCLISTS ARE LEFT WITH NO
OPTION BUT TO SWERVE INTO
TRAFFIC.
TRAFFIC.
TRAFFIC. >> YOU CAN SEE THIS CAR GOT
IM4@PATIENT WITH THE DRIVE4@R I
FRONT OF THEM BEING TOO SLOW
AND JUST POWERED AROUND THE
DRIVER.
DRIVER.
DRIVER. >> Reporter: AND IT IS THAT
ABRUPT MIX OF CARS WITH BIKES
IN THE SAME TRAFFIC LANE THAT
CAN ULTIMATELY CAUSE PROBLEMS.
AS FOR THE MOST DANGEROUS
STRETCH OF ROADS IN D.C., TIM 4@
BABATZ CAN TELL YOU IT'S THE
AREA WHERE HE HAD HIS ACCIDENT.
IT'S THESE 12 BLOCKS THAT
SURROUND THE U STREET CORRIDOR
TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH.
IN THREE YEARS, DRIVERS STRUCK
68 CYCLISTS AND ANOTHER 65
PEDESTRIANS HERE.
PEDESTRIANS HERE. THE MIX OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION 4@
AND NIGHTLIFE ACTIVITY IN THE
AREA MAKES IT PARTICULARLY
DANGEROUS.
DANGEROUS. >> BUT YOU ALSO HAVE LOTS OF 4@
RIDE HAIL VEHICLES AND YOU HAVE
4@DRUNK PEOPLE WHO ARE TRAVELIN
IN CARS OR DRIVING CARS.
ALL OF THAT STUFF COMPOUNDS ON
U STREET.
U STREET.
U STREET. >> Reporter: I MUST POINT OUT
THAT SOMETIMES CYCLISTS AND
PEDESTRIANS CAN BE AT FAULT FOR
ACCIDENTS.
ACCIDENTS. OUR CAMERAS CAUGHT PEOPLE
JAYWALKING AND PAYING MORE
ATTENTION TO THEIR CELLPHONES
THAN THE STREET.
CYCLISTS EVEN BLOWING STOP
SIGNS AND RED LIGHTS.
MPD EVEN HANDED A CYCLIST A
CITATION LAST YEAR FOR FAILING
TO YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY.
WE STILL WANTED TO KNOW, WHAT
IS D.C. DOING TO MAKE THESE
STREETS SAFE FOR EVERYONE?
DISTRICT DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR JEFF
SAID D.C. ALREADY HAS SOME
SOLUTIONS IN MIND TO ADDRESS
BLOCKED BICYCLE LANES ALONG
14th STREET. 4@
4@>> SO FOR THE DCUSA ON 14th
STREET IN PARTICULAR WE ARE
CREATING A PICKUP AND DROP-OFF
ZONE WHERE THERE'S METERED
PARKING TO ALLOW FOR THAT
ACTIVITY TO HAPPEN.
WE EXPECT THAT WILL HAPPEN IN
THE COMING MONTHS.
>> Reporter: THE DISTRICT
RECENTLY BUILT FLOATING BUS
ISLANDS NEAR 14th AND U TO
SEPARATE CYCLISTS FROM BUSES AS
WELL.
WELL.
WELL. BUT
WELL. BUT SOME CYCLISTS SAY WHAT D.C.
REALLY NEEDS IS MORE PROTECTED
BIKE LANES OR PROTECTED
FACILITIES AS THE DISTRICT
SOMETIMES CALLS THEM.
THERE ARE PHYSICAL BARRIERS
BETWEEN A CYCLIST AND DRIVERS.
WHILE D.C. PLANS TO ADD FOR
THAN 20 MILES OF PROTECTED
LANES TO THE 11 MILE THAT IS
ALREADY EXIST, BABATZ SAYS D.C.
ISN'T BUILDING THEM AS QUICKLY
AS OTHER CITIES LIKE NEW YORK.
DDOT'S RESPONSE?
DDOT'S RESPONSE? >> WE ARE PRIORITIZING SAFETY
MEASURES SUCH AS PROTECTIVE
BIKE FACILITIES.
BIKE FACILITIES. >> Reporter: IN THE END, BABATZ
HOPES WIDESPRE4@AD CHANGES COME
QUICK TO D.C. ROADS.
>> ALL OF US NEED