if the road looks like a freeway... people will drive like they are on the freeway

if the road looks like a freeway...
people will drive like they are on the freeway


this is Porter Street in Northwest Washington DC
or is it Klingle Road at this point

it is Porter Street on the west side of the creek
it is Klingle Road on the east side of the street

this road connects the neighborhoods of Cleveland Park and Mount Pleasant
the road is a major cross town cut through
this road also passes through Rock Creek Park

this road was over designed and then heavily over built
I am not sure who made the assessment for this sort of structure and this sort of build
but it is clear that this road is over built
it is hard to believe that the National Park Service would accept this

this road is build for high speeds
the Speed Limit has slowly creep-ed down to a rational neighborhood level
while the road remains built for speed
this road is not at all flattering to the landscape around it


this road needs to be changed so that it flatters the landscape
this road needs to be changed so that it alters the behavior of drivers through these neighborhoods
yes it will cost money
change costs money

this road needs to be redesigned
this road needs to be designed so that it is comfortable to drive a rational speed
design the road so that it feels comfortable to drive 30 MPH

rather than all set up so that 60MPH feels just fine

what should happen here?
I do not know

what could happen here?

a wider median strip... a continuation of the wide median strip
but designed more like a neighborhood street
but designed more like a road in a scenic national park

designed less like a stretch of highway on the interstate

trees... more trees
I would love to see this happens
it is my contention that the ripple effect would be positive
slower speeds are not only safer
slower speeds are better for communities
slower speeds are better for the psychology of the driver

rational speeds would remove the opportunity for people to enter race mode

change the behavior
guide the behavior