(Washington, DC) The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will carry out a limited test of the District's emergency traffic timing on July 4th to speed travel from the National Mall on selected emergency/evacuation routes. Called Operation Fast Forward, the test will examine the impact on pedestrians and vehicles of lengthening the overall traffic light cycle to 240 seconds from 100 seconds at the end of the July 4th fireworks.
The Operation Fast Forward test routes are:
- 14th Street, from Pennsylvania Avenue to C Street, SW (onto 14th Street Bridge)
- Constitution Avenue, from 15th Street, NW to 23rd Street, NW (onto either Roosevelt or Memorial Bridge, via Henry Bacon Drive)
- 3rd Street, from Constitution Avenue to Independence Avenue
- Independence Avenue, from 3rd Street, SW to Washington Avenue, SW
- Washington Avenue, SW, from Independence Avenue to South Capitol Street
- South Capitol Street, from Washington Avenue to M Street (onto Fredrick Douglas Bridge)
- 9th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue, NW to 395 Northbound and Southbound
DDOT reminds pedestrians and motorists to follow the directions of Metropolitan Police Department and other law enforcement personnel stationed at key intersections and to follow all traffic laws, including crossing at designated crosswalks.