The District considers applying for an experimental program giving pedestrians the ability to stop traffic, WTOP, a D.C. radio station, reported.
The experimental program is part of the Pedestrian Master Plan, which was launched in January.
The plan is a citywide study to improve pedestrian safety and access in all its wards with the goal of making the city more walkable for everyone.
The plan is ongoing, said Erik Linden, spokesman for the District Department of Transportation, or DDOT.
"The origin of the plan is to take a hard and serious look at our entire pedestrian environment in order to make D.C. more walkable and flexible," he said.
Light Emitting Diodes, or LED, signals are currently being installed in all traffic signals in D.C., and the job will be completed by the end of 2009, said Jim Sebastian, DDOT's supervisory transportation planner.
The LED signals will allow countdown signals in every crossing signal in the city, he said. The previous lightbulbs used did not have the capability to flash or display other crossing signs, according to Sebastian.
The reason for the switch from ordinary lightbulbs is an environmental decision, according to Sebastian.
"They [LED signals] are more energy efficient and can display more things like the countdown clock," he said.
The entire city, which is divided into eight wards, will undergo updates, Sebastian said. A recent crash in Ward 3, where AU is located, caused the police to step up its enforcement of traffic regulations, and students should be aware and follow all traffic rules, he said.
Some AU students approved of the new program.
Matt McCoy, a junior in the School of International Service who lives on Brandywine Street, said he commutes to AU on his bike and on foot.
"Traffic affects me negatively because there's no shoulder or bike path on Massachusetts Avenue," he said. "It's a horrible spot for biking, and a project that will make the city more pedestrian- and biker-friendly is a positive thing."
There are no concrete plans to add additional bike lanes, according to the project's Web site.
The Pedestrian Safety Plan would give people the incentive to walk or ride their bikes more, McCoy said.
Sara Melo, a senior in the School of International Service, said she commutes an hour and a half every day from her home in Annandale, Va., to school in the District. "There are a lot of bad drivers who run lights, but pedestrians don't always follow traffic rules, either," she said. "I've seen pedestrians cross the street when they are not supposed to. It's a two-way street."
Ward 3, which includes the AU campus, is one of "the most frequently cited corridors needing improvements for pedestrians" because of its lack of pedestrian access, according to the preliminary study on DDOT's Web site.
There were 17 pedestrian fatalities in 2006 and 20 so far in the city, according to Sebastian.
"Crashes and fatalities will go down with the new technology and the 3 E's - enforcement, education and engineering," he said.
The study should be finished by the end of the year and is set to be published in December, Linden said.
After the study is published, the city council will consider the recommendations suggested by the study, according to DDOT's Web site.
