MoveDC: Mark The Date To Participate

by Marlene Berlin

In the coming month, we’re getting more opportunities to help shape DC’s 25-year transportation plan, which will play a major role in shaping our city for years to come.

The plan is a requirement for federal transportation funding, and in the past DDOT has done this internally, but this year it decided to include a public process.

This plan includes all modes of transportation, including walking, biking, driving and mass transit. DDOT has developed three different maps focusing on three different priorities that emerged from community meetings that kicked off in January:

1. Stay the Course: Incremental improvements for all modes of transportation.
2. Get to the Center: Focuses on reducing congestion.
3. Connect with Neighborhoods: Focuses on improving connections within the city between neighborhoods.

Pay particular attention to proposed plans afoot for #3 in the northern part of the city. In order to attract more patrons to Van Ness we need better connections between the eastern and western sides of the park. Also, the Walmart coming to 13th Street and Missouri Avenue and the development of Walter Reed will create increased demand for such connections. Another part of the equation is residential growth – planned and projected – within the city (PDF).

We are heading into the last phase of public engagement. This is your chance to provide input, in an online survey and at these upcoming public meetings:

Monday, September 30th, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. moveDC Transportation Plan Advisory Committee Meeting (TPAC)
TPAC is a committee of District residents that is charged with acting in an advisory role to the moveDC planning team. The public is invited to attend TPAC meetings. The agenda includes an overview of the performance of each of the three approaches to moveDC. The meeting is at the Reeves Center (2000 14th Street NW), in the second floor meeting room.

(I went to the last meeting of moveDC’s advisory group, on August 22nd. Not only is Forest Hills’ own George Clark appointed to this group; Forest Hills had the highest number of residents represented in an audience of about 15.)

Something Big is Happening Starting October 1 and You’re Invited!
Throughout October, you’ll have an opportunity to critique three approaches that have the potential to transform the way we travel in the District. We know you’re busy, so we’ve made participation easy. We’ll send you an email – all you have to do is select the link and be on your way! It’s not your average survey: it’s fun, informative, and most importantly, it focuses on you. Look for more information and a link to the survey by October 1, 2013. But you need to sign up www.wemovedc.org/participate.html.

Public Workshops Scheduled – October 21 – October 30, 2013
Don’t miss the final public workshops, “Ideas to moveDC,” being held in October 2013. The workshops will be hosted at four different locations between October 21 and October 30, 2013. A webinar also will be held for those who cannot make a workshop. You’ll find details on tentative dates and locations here. In the meantime, read about what we learned during the June 2013 Ideas on Choices workshops: Public Workshop #2 Results.