WASHINGTON — The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced Friday it is lowering speed limits from 30 mph to 25 in key areas across the District.
The speed limit change is a part of the District's initiative to advance DC Mayor Muriel Bowser's Vision Zero goals and better align with national standards in roadway safety.
“DDOT joins peer cities including New York City and Seattle by reducing the speed limit in key corridors because we know reducing speed by even five miles per hour makes a big difference in avoiding crashes and serious injury,” DDOT Director Everett Lott said.
The speed limit changed on Connecticut Avenue NW and New York Avenue NE. In the future, speed limits will be reduced on North Capitol Street/Blair Road NW from Harewood Road NE/NW to Van Buren Street NW, and Wheeler Road SE from Wahler Place SE to Southern Avenue SE.
According to DDOT, the reduction of the speed limit will help decrease the amount and severity of crashes. A study from AAA Foundation states that once cars reach a certain speed, just about 20 mph, they rapidly become more deadly.
As of Sept. 16, there has been 24 traffic fatalities across the District this year, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. This is a decrease of 17 percent from the previous year of 2021.
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