One Solution to Driveway/Sidewalk Conflict

by Barbara Cline

All day, every day, I am dodging cars. And I am not talking about crossing busy streets.

I am talking about walking on our sidewalks.

Our sidewalks are intersected with numerous driveways to accommodate alleyways, business parking lots and high-rise circular driveways and their garage entrances.

So I was thrilled recently to see an innovative, proactive approach to alert both drivers and pedestrians to these tricky sidewalk/driveway intersections.

The Connecticut Park Apartments (Community Realty Co., 2828 Connecticut Avenue, 202-234-7555) has painted diagonal pedestrian crossing lines where their driveway intersects with the Connecticut Avenue sidewalk.

Each side of the sidewalk/driveway intersection is clearly lettered in bright yellow paint — “Caution Driveway.” The curb is painted in the same bright yellow.

Kimberly Redmond, the concierge at the Connecticut Park Apartments, believes this sidewalk/driveway has been painted for about a year.

Have you or someone you know had a close call or accident at a sidewalk/driveway intersection? What do you think of this idea for our neighborhood?