Walk anywhere in DC, especially downtown,and soon enough you'll face the dreaded "go-away "command (right)
However, walk downtown New York City and you get something quite different (bottom right)
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As anyone knows who has spent a bit of time on foot in DC,
especially downtown, navigating construction sites is often an unpleasant
and and sometimes hazardous experience. It’s
unpleasant because of the ugliness of all those “go-away” signs, Jersey
barriers, and the like. It’s hazardous
because invariably many of us, rather than crossing to the other side, choose to
navigate along the street, especially so when there is a wide avenue to cross;.e.g Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.
Why is there such a vast difference in the experiences of DC and NYC walkers? The answer is in the vast difference in the regulations for protecting pedestrians at construction sites -- one very permissive and the other very, very specific.
The DC Department of Transportation (DDOT), I'm reassured, is working on new regulations. However, I've been unable to obtain the timing, nature, and enforcement of those "new regulations." More later.
