Testimony of
Fred Wise
Sierra Club, Washington DC Chapter
Committee on Transportation and the Environment Oversight Hearing
District Department of Transportation
Friday, February 18, 2022
Introduction
Thank you, Councilmember Cheh, for the opportunity to testify today about the performance of the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). My name is Fred Wise and I am a volunteer for the Sierra Club DC Chapter. The Sierra Club is the nation’s oldest, largest and most influential environmental advocacy organization. We have about 3,000 dues-paying members in DC, and we work to reduce greenhouse emissions, expand sustainable transportation, reduce waste and ensure safe and clean water.
Achievements
We applaud the accomplishments made by DDOT in 2021, most notably, the exceeding of the department’s goal for bike lane construction and the implementation of the very important post-fatal crash site visits and Summer Safety program. We believe that our infrastructure must constantly be monitored for weaknesses and danger zones in order to be improved and these programs that evaluate areas in potential need are extremely vital to the department’s mission. We also applaud the progress that was made in exceeding the sidewalk construction goal in 2021. As an organization that values sustainability and environmental conservation, it is important that cycling and pedestrian infrastructure be continually upgraded so that all residents are able to get around without relying on vehicles that cause pollution and degradation to the environment.
The bike lanes that were constructed this year and the plan to construct over 10 more miles of protected bike lanes in 2022 show that DDOT is committed to a safer and more sustainable future. We wholeheartedly support the vision of a city that is accessible to cyclists of all ages and skill levels and we believe that protected cycling infrastructure will allow people to significantly reduce their reliance on cars and thereby limit the many negative externalities associated with personal automobiles. We would like to congratulate the department on the progress made on protected bike lanes and the bold plan for the future. We look forward to seeing what DDOT can accomplish in 2022.
Shortcomings
While there have been some successes this year, there have also been some important failures. We recognize that the pandemic has caused financial and logistical difficulties, but we are extremely disappointed to see many of the basic targets of the department are far from being met. Among them: increasing the percentage of Circulator buses arriving on time and increasing the percentage of pothole service requests filled and closed out within 72 hours. But by far the most important goal was also unmet this year and that is eliminating bicyclist, vehicle, and pedestrian fatalities. This should consistently be at the forefront of the department’s priorities.
The failure to meet these targets is a failure in the fundamental goals of this department. Vision Zero is an urgent call to recognize the value of human life and the possibility to eliminate traffic deaths. While DC has accepted the importance of this goal by law, it has once again fallen short of meeting its objective in practice. In order to improve the safety, mobility, and sustainability of transportation across the city, the department needs to evaluate in detail the ways in which it has failed and how it can improve in these basic measures of our transportation system.
Priorities
Capital Bikeshare
We fully support the expansion and maintenance of the capital bikeshare program insofar as it provides access to a greater number of residents and allows riders a consistent and useful alternative to cars. We believe that the plan to significantly increase the inventory of e-bikes is an important strategy to induce non-riders to adopt cycling and allow all riders to travel further distances. This expansion in availability of bikes must go hand in hand with the expansion of protected bike lanes because we need potential users to feel safe on the streets. The connection of existing bike routes with other important thoroughfares should be a high priority in the expansion of Capital Bikeshare and the growth of cycling in DC.
Bus Shelters & Consistency
We believe that bus shelters can play an important part in promoting ridership as riders do not have to face the elements when waiting so they are much more likely to consistently take the bus. We would like for DDOT to investigate how it can best utilize the real estate at various bus stops to increase the number of people that feel safe and comfortable taking the bus. Additionally, we feel that the consistency of buses being able to serve citizens on time is incredibly important for the health of our transportation system. If riders cannot trust when a bus will arrive, they are much more likely to take an alternative form of transportation. We support the department’s plan to strategically increase the number of bus lanes across the city and we hope that this continues where it improves the efficiency of our streets.
Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
With the automobile market shifting toward electric vehicles, the Sierra Club wants the rules surrounding electric vehicle charging stations to promote the use of clean energy by creating a robust market for these stations that is affordable and easily understood by consumers. We support DDOT's commitment to creating a rules framework that promotes the disbursement of charging stations in an equitable manner throughout the District while still making them a profitable investment for companies to install. We want those people who purchase cars in the District to feel confident that they can buy an electric vehicle and affordably charge it in public spaces.
Conclusion
Thank you for the opportunity to testify. I am happy to answer any questions you may have.