D.C. Transportation officials are making dedicated pick-up and drop-off zones for commercial vehicles in five popular areas of the city in order to streamline traffic and increase road safety.
“Our goal with the expansion of this pilot is to reduce conflicts between vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. By rethinking how we move people and goods between the street and the sidewalk, we can better adapt to a changing transportation landscape and find new ways to work together to meet our Vision Zero goals,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement.
The round the clock pick-up and drop-off zones will be at available at 14th and U Streets, NW: West curbside of the 1900 block 14th Street, NW; East curbside of the 2000 block 14th Street, NW; Smithsonian National Zoo: East curbside of the 2900 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW; Maine Avenue, SW (The Wharf): South curbside of the 800 block of Maine, SW; Georgetown: East curbside of the 1200 block of Wisconsin Avenue, NW, and NoMa/Union Market: West curbside of the 1200 Sixth St., NE
According to the D.C. Department of Transportation, making dedicated loading zones for delivery fleets and ride-hailing services will help streamline pick-ups and drop-offs for better traffic management and also ensure the safety of pedestrians.
The new move is part of D.C.’s Vision Zero initiative which is designed to bring down traffic accidents and serious injuries by 2024. Earlier this week, Bowser’s administration had brought out a recalibration of Vision Zero, facing criticism after deaths in traffic accidents spiked in the district this year. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has since last year tested pick-up and drop-off zones in Dupont Circle along Connecticut Avenue NW and 18th Street NW.
There is a 30-day public comment period before the pilot program is made operational.