Residents in a Northwest D.C. neighborhood say they're frustrated over plans to make changes to a street plagued with traffic problems.
The 2800 block of Davenport Street NW is a windy road with many blind curves in the Forest Hills neighborhood near Rock Creek Park.
"People just go down the street with no restraint,” neighbor Henrik Iyvanzan said.
The street and its traffic have been a concern for residents like Hermine Dreyfuss for years. She believes too many drivers use it as a shortcut.
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"It's difficult to get in and out of the driveways,” Dreyfuss said. “Parking is very limited."
'What we wanted was to divert traffic so that we didn't get all the cut-throughs,' a resident said. 'GPS tells people to cut through'
After hearing years of complaints, the D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT) suggested a solution in November, but the plan didn't sit well with neighbors. The agency proposed making the street one way only and adding a walkway for pedestrians, as well as new signs and speed humps.
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"We feel making this one way and narrowing the street is going to make things more dangerous,” Iyvanzan said.
After getting feedback, DDOT representatives unveiled a revised plan at a virtual Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) meeting Tuesday night. The second proposal eliminates the one-way rule and walking space, leaving the signs and speed humps — but neighbors still don't believe that addresses the real issue.
"We think this is a step in the right direction; it's just not a very big step,” a resident said during the meeting.
Neighbors told News4 they would rather see signs installed at each end of the street, asking drivers not to drive through at certain times during the day to help alleviate traffic.
"What we wanted was to divert traffic so that we didn't get all the cut throughs,” Dreyfuss said. “GPS tells people to cut through."
During the ANC meeting, DDOT officials said diverting traffic wouldn't be possible, because drivers could get confused.
Discussion on the topic ended without a clear next step.
While residents wait to see what happens next, Dreyfuss says they will continue to monitor the plan, hoping a better solution comes along.
“Pay attention to what we're asking for,” she said. “We're only asking for a bunch in signs."