The significant aspect of moveDC from the perspective of the D.C. Pedestrian Advisory Council (PAC) is that pedestrians are listed as the first priority in any decision-making around transportation. Filling gaps in the sidewalk network, prioritizing traffic calming and engineering safer crosswalks are all recommendations made in moveDC.
“Overall, moveDC presents an important step forward, and if fully implemented, the recommendations promise to improve conditions for walking across the city,” PAC chair Jason Broehm testified at the roundtable. Follow this link to Broehm’s full testimony. The PAC will submit feedback after its July 28 meeting.
Pedestrian, bicycle and transit advocates attending the June 27 roundtable were generally supportive of moveDC, but it got negative feedback from some residents and visitors who rely primarily on cars to get around the city. A AAA representative called cars “an endangered species” if the plan moves forward. Adding to the dissent were several speakers who brought up concerns with specific aspects of the plan, such as bus lanes planned for their residential roads and bike lanes that would remove parking, as well as overarching worries such as DDOT’s lengthy environmental review process and lack of data to prioritize projects. Councilmembers Mary Cheh, David Grosso and Muriel Bowser offered general support, and all noted the importance of planning for a future that includes hundreds of thousands of new residents.
The deadline to submit public comments on the plan is July 31. After the document is complete, DDOT will release an action plan. MoveDC should be updated every five years, DDOT Director Matt Brown said.