D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10-A, § 405
405.1 While this Transportation Element is focused on the District, transportation issues do not stop at jurisdictional boundaries. As the core of the Washington metropolitan region, the District has a high level of interest in transportation issues being addressed at a regional level. Consistently ranked among the most congested areas in the nation, and one with very high levels of auto-related air pollution, the Washington metropolitan region should work cooperatively to promote more environmentally responsible transportation. Continued strong regional action on expanding transit and smart-growth land use policies are critical for both the transportation system and the environment.
405.2 In 2014, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) released its Regional Transportation Priorities Plan, examining the impacts of projected regional growth between 2010 and 2040 on the metropolitan transportation system—and exploring alternatives to reduce future congestion. The study found that daily vehicle miles traveled in the region are projected to grow by 25 percent by 2040, while freeway and arterial lane miles are projected to grow by only seven percent. As a result, many transportation facilities will be congested. The key finding of the MWCOG study is that long-term increases in congestion can be reduced by adjusting local land use plans to better match the transportation system, shifting jobs to the east side of the region and encouraging housing closer to the region's job centers.
405.3 A regional strategy of promoting infill, mixed-use, and transit-oriented development in urbanized areas is needed to encourage transportation efficiency both in the District and the region. A robust and meaningful dialogue that involves federal, state, and local leaders is absolutely essential. This dialogue should focus on improving the jobs/housing balance, investing in transit, and limiting sprawl on the region's edge. Among other things, the District should establish direct avenues of communication with the planning, zoning, transportation, and economic development agencies of immediately surrounding jurisdictions.
405.4 Existing trip patterns reflect the District's role as the region's major employment destination. When moveDC was adopted in 2016, approximately 67 percent of persons working in the District commuted from the suburbs. Of the daily trips to and from the District, 66 percent are driven, 24 percent are taken on transit, and 10 percent are pedestrians or cyclists. Daily trips to and from the District can be seen in Figure 4.2.
405.5 Approximately 35 percent of the District's residents commute to suburban destinations, with many of these trips going to large regional activity centers, such as Tysons and Rosslyn, Virginia, and Silver Spring and Bethesda, Maryland. The majority of District residents work within the District, with a significant portion
of those jobs in the downtown core. Within the District, 39 percent of daily trips are driven; 33 percent are taken on transit; and 28 percent are taken on foot, by bike, or on personal mobility devices.
405.6 Figure 4.2 2040 Daily Person Trip Flows for Regional Trips
Source: moveDC, 2014
Support more efficient use of the region’s transit infrastructure with land use strategies that encourage employment locations near underused transit stations. Work closely with the federal government and suburban jurisdictions to support transit-oriented and transit-accessible employment throughout the region. This would expand the use of major transit investments such as Metrorail. Encourage approaches that improve transit access to jobs for low-income residents.
Utilize data on the travel patterns of District workers as the basis for programs to improve transit service, particularly programs that increase reverse commuting options for District workers employed in major suburban employment centers.
Advocate for large-scale regional transportation planning initiatives that involve local, regional, state, and federal governments. Such initiatives are essential given the long lead times and high expense of increasing regional transportation capacity.
Continue the efforts to promote infill, mixed-use, housing, particularly affordable housing, and transit-oriented development at the regional level, design transportation systems that connect District residents to local jobs, and provide opportunities for non-resident workers to also live in Washington, DC.
Actively participate in efforts by MWCOG and other regional organizations that address long-term transportation infrastructure needs in greater Washington, DC. in—Participate in the preparation of the 30-year Regional Long-Range Transportation Plan, which takes a broad-based look at these needs, taking into account expected growth patterns and emerging technologies.
SOURCE: District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; 31 DCR 1049 (March 9, 1984)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Element Amendment Act of 1984, effective March 16, 1985 (D.C. Law 5-187; 32 DCR 873 (February 15, 1985)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-129; 37 DCR 55 (January 5, 1990)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989 NCPC-Recommended Amendments, and Closing of Public Alleys in Square 669, S.O. 88-452, Act of 1990, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-132; 37 DCR 2213 (April 6, 1990)); as amended by District Government Land Use Temporary Amendment Act of 1994, effective October 1, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-190; 41 DCR 5360 (August 12, 1994)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1994, effective October 6, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-193; 41 DCR 5536 (August 19, 1994)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Amendment Act of 1994, effective March 21, 1995 (D.C. Law 10-235; 42 DCR 30 (January 6, 1995)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 18, 1996 (D.C. Law 11-110; 43 DCR 530 (February 9, 1996)); as amended by Second Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-255; 44 DCR 1271 (March 7, 1997)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 1998, effective April 27, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-275; 46 DCR 1441 (February 19, 1999)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1999, effective April 12, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-91; 47 DCR 520 (January 28, 2000)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-300; 54 DCR 924 (February 2, 2007)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 2008, effective March 25, 2009 (D.C. Law 17-353; 56 DCR 1117 (February 6, 2009)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2010, effective April 8, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-361; 58 DCR 908 (February 4, 2011)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021, effective August 21, 2021 (D.C. Law 24-20; 68 DCR 006918 (July 16, 2021)).