DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced Thursday that nearly 17 more miles of “slow streets” will be added around the city by September 1 so that residents will have more space to practice social distancing while walking, biking, and rolling.
“We have already heard great feedback about the initial five miles of Slow Streets that were installed earlier this summer,” DDOT Director Jeff Marootian said about the move. “The approximately 17 miles that we will add over the next several weeks are critical to Mayor Bowser’s vision to reimagine public space during the COVID-19 public health emergency.”
Slow streets are restricted to local traffic and have a limit of 15 miles per hour. They are installed on local streets with no centerline marked and without any bus routes. These streets are generally linked to parks or other places to bike and walk.
The goal of the concept is “to support neighborhood-based safe social distancing while walking, running, rolling, or cycling,” according to DDOT.
Drivers are advised to only use a slow street if their destination is within two blocks of that street.
Installation of the additional slow streets will kick off the week of August 10, and is planned to be completed by September 1 in these locations:
Ward 1
- 6th Street NW between Lamont Street NW and Keefer Place NW
- Girard Street NW between 14th Street NW and Georgia Avenue NW
- Keefer Place NW between Georgia Avenue and 6th Street NW
- Lamont Street NW between 13th Street NW and Park Place NW
Ward 2
- S Street NW between Massachusetts Avenue and New Jersey Avenue NW (also crosses Wards 1 and 6)
Ward 3
- 39th Street NW between Massachusetts Avenue and Fulton Street NW
- Davenport Street NW between Nebraska Avenue and Linnean Street NW
- Yuma Street NW between Massachusetts Avenue NW and Connecticut Avenue NW
Ward 4
- 8th Street NW between Missouri Avenue and New Hampshire Avenue NW
- Van Buren Street NW between 16th Street NW and North Capitol Street
Ward 5
- 10th Street NE between Otis Street NE and Rhode Island Avenue NE
- 17th Street NE between Randolph Street and Bryant Street/Montana Avenue NE
- K Street NE between Bladensburg Road to 18th Street NE/Maryland Avenue NE
- Oates Street NE between West Virginia Avenue to Bladensburg Road NE
Ward 6
- 3rd Street NE/SE between M Street NE to E Street SE
- E Street SE between 4th Street SE to 11th Street SE/Pennsylvania Avenue SE
- G Street NE between 2nd Street NE and 15h Street NE/Gales Street NE
- Gales Street NE between 15th Street NE and 21st Street NE (crosses Wards 6 and 7)
Ward 7
- B Street SE between Benning Road and 54th Street SE (Ward 6/7)
- Fairlawn Avenue SE between K Street SE and Pennsylvania Avenue SE
- K Street SE between Fairlawn Avenue SE and Randle Circle SE
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