DC Needs More Time to Hire Traffic Control Officers, Mayor Says

D.C.'s mayor says it will take a little time to add more traffic control officers to rush-hour intersections clogged by extra traffic due to Metro's SafeTrack maintenance plan.

"This is not a plan that we had a year to prepare for or even a couple of months, but several weeks," Mayor Muriel Bowser said Tuesday. 

Last week, Bowser had said at a press conference that the District would "put more traffic control officers on the street, at bus bridges and critical intersections."

But Tuesday she said that the additional officers have not yet been hired. She said the District planned to hire 20 traffic control officers by the end of this month, and had funding for an additional 20 in the fall.

Right now, only 10 intersections have traffic control officers, mostly downtown. (See below for the list of the intersections with traffic control officers.)

Saturday kicked off the 10-month Metro maintenance plan known as SafeTrack, which will cause major disruptions on all six rail lines with periods of single tracking and station shutdowns. WMATA expects these “safety surges” to be particularly frustrating for rush hour commuters, who could face long delays, crowded platforms and packed trains.

WMATA has also urged Metrorail users to consider finding other means of transportation in the midst of construction, and the city is working to help ease the commuting burden with extended rush hour parking restrictions on 18 streets.

According to the D.C. Department of Transportation, the morning rush hour will be extended until 10 a.m. and the evening rush hour extended to 7 p.m., giving commuters more time to drive in all lanes. 

The affected areas are listed below:

18 Streets Posted for Extended Rush Hours

1900 – 2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Unit block – 2300 Washington Cr. NW

2900 – 3400 M St. NW

1100 – 1800 H St. NW

1100 – 2000 H St. NW

1000 K St. NW

800 11th St. NW

800 – 900 13th St. NW

800 – 900 14th St.

800 – 900 15th St. NW

800 Vermont Ave. NW

800 – 900 16th St. NW

800 Connecticut Ave. NW

800 – 900 17th St. NW

800 – 900 18th St. NW

800 – 900 19th St. NW

800 – 900 20th St. NW

900 21st St. NW

10 Intersections with Traffic Control Officer Deployment

17th & K St. NW

14th & K St. NW

15th & K St. NW

Connecticut Ave. & K St. NW

14th & Pennsylvania Ave. NW

17th & Connecticut Ave. & K St. NW

Independence Ave. & Kutz Bridge

17th & Eye St. NW

15th & Eye St. NW

14th & Eye St. NW