Washington, D.C
DC-area leaders launch campaign to boost pedestrian safety during winter months – WTOP News
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments is urging drivers to slow down and look out for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments is urging drivers to slow down and look out for pedestrians and bicyclists.
As part of National Pedestrian Safety Month, the council is launching a new Street Smart safety campaign with the slogan, “Slow Down, Life Ahead.”
The campaign aims to cut down on distracted and impaired driving this fall and winter, when there’s fewer daylight hours and decreased visibility on the road.
“In 2023, we know that there were 110 pedestrian and seven bicyclist deaths in the national capital region,” said Chrissy Nizer, head of Maryland’s Motor Vehicle Administration. “All of those 117 deaths were preventable.”
As part of the campaign, local police departments will step up enforcement of traffic safety laws that are meant to keep pedestrians and bicyclists safe.
“Maintaining pedestrian and bicycle safety is paramount and it should be the top priority of everyone using our roads,” said Carlos Heraud, assistant chief of D.C.’s police department. “Toward that goal, MPD increased patrols in high pedestrian areas, particularly near schools, to foster compliance and safety.”
Street Smart teams will also act as walking billboards in areas where pedestrian-involved crashes tend to happen most. They’ll wear large signs with images of people during important life events and feature the campaign’s message.
“It talks about all of those important life events that we all want to share with our families and friends,” Nizer said. “Whether that’s graduation, a wedding, or moving into a new home, just thinking about that when you’re out on the road tells you that there are consequences for driving distracted.”
Mike Doyle from Virginia is a crash survivor and founder of the Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets advocacy group.
He said education is an important part of keeping the region’s roadways safe.
“This Street Smart program helps us to amplify the message of ‘slow down, be aware and just be considerate to save a life,’” Doyle said.
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Numerous roads in D.C. will be closed to traffic Monday evening for a fireworks show celebrating America’s 25th birthday.
Projectors have lit up all four sides of the Washington Monument nightly since 7 p.m. Wednesday for the “Illumination of America: Washington Monument Lighting.” The fireworks that lit up the National Mall on New Year’s Eve are making a return Monday night, which is the last night of the display.
The grand finale of the display comes with some parking restrictions and street closures.
Street and parking restrictions for Freedom 250 fireworks
D.C. police said Constitution Avenue from 14th Street to 17th Street NW will be an Emergency No Parking zone from roughly 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The following streets will be closed to traffic from approximately 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.:
- Westbound 395 – no traffic toward Maine Avenue/Independence Avenue, SW
- Independence Avenue from 15th Street to 23rd Street, SW
- Constitution Avenue from 7th Street to 12th Street, NW (westbound traffic will be restricted)
- Constitution Avenue from 12th Street to 23rd Street, NW
- Virginia Avenue from 20th Street to 18th Street, NW
- 19th Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
- 17th Street from Independence Avenue, SW to New York Avenue, NW
- 15th Street from Independence Avenue, SW to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
- 14th Street from Independence Avenue, SW to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
- Madison Drive from 7th Street to 14th Street, NW
Police said all street closures and listed times are subject to change.
“Freedom 250 is lighting up the Washington Monument as the world’s tallest birthday candle to kick off the nation’s 250th birthday year,” Keith Krach, CEO of Freedom 250, said ahead of the New Year’s Eve event.
Freedom 250 is the presidentially appointed committee planning the year-long celebration of the United States’ 250th birthday. It was created by the second Trump administration as part of the Department of the Interior, and is a separate organization from America250, which was created by Congress.
The event will “be looking at America’s past, present and what’s to come over the next 250 years,” Krach said.
“Primarily it will focus on the four pillars of Freedom 250, which is innovation; it’s also community and faith; it’s also on the beauty of our country as well,” Krach said. “And, you know, the other thing that’s great about that is that it’ll be something that will kind of be an animation and I think everybody’s going to enjoy it. So from adults to kids and everything.”
The event is free to the public, can be viewed from anywhere on the National Mall, and does not require tickets.
WASHINGTON (7News) — On Saturday evening, Metropolitan Police Department’s Seventh District officers responded to a fatal crash on I-295 northbound near Exit 1 for Laboratory Road, Southwest.
The incident occurred around 7:50 p.m. when a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle, police said.
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Prince George’s County police officers were already on the scene when the MPD officers arrived.
The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities have not yet released the victim’s age or gender.
ALSO SEE | Woman killed after pedestrian-vehicle crash in Fairfax County
The driver of the vehicle involved in the collision remained at the scene.
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Police urge anyone with information about the incident to call 202-727-9099 or text 50411.
The United States military carried out a “large scale” strike inside the nation of Venezuela early Saturday morning, in addition to capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, who were flown out of the country.
https://www.wavy.com/news/national/virginia-leaders-speak-out-after-u-s-military-strike-on-venezuela/
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