Reliable Transportation For All
People-first transportation means fast, reliable, and safe transportation for all residents regardless of how they get around. It means a system where buses, metro lines, pedestrian walkways, and bike lanes work together to connect neighborhoods, get people to work, improve access to essential services, and serve residents in all eight wards.
Janeese’s plan will:
Create free transit for those who need it. Janeese will make sure inability to pay isn’t a barrier to getting around the city. Buses will be free for DC residents enrolled in the SNAP food assistance program and she’ll explore other ways to expand financial support for transit.
Build a world-class bus system. Janeese will make the buses on DC’s busiest routes faster and more reliable by adding dedicated bus lanes and optimizing bus stops. She will assess and address gaps in the bus network, including transit deserts, and require major development projects to incorporate bus station amenities that are senior friendly and consistent with high-frequency transit service.
Designate car-free zones. Janeese will improve safety, spur economic activity, and animate public spaces by establishing car-free areas. She will engage residents and businesses in creating pedestrian-only streets, using the Penn Quarter Holiday Market as a model, as well as multi-use streets, like Adams Morgan’s 18th Street NW and 7th Street SE at Eastern Market, that close periodically for activities.
Prioritize safety. Janeese will use proven measures to keep people safe on our roads. She will fully invest in the STEER Act to remove dangerous drivers from our streets; create clear, protected space for deliveries, short-term stops, and other essential roadside activities; and redesign dangerous intersections where high speeds and poor visibility put pedestrians at risk.
Expand commuter bike lanes. Janeese will make it easier and safer for cyclists to navigate the city. She will implement the community-supported protected bike lanes, prioritize completion of the Shepherd Branch Trail in Ward 7, and create a northeast-northwest protected bike lane connecting the north-south commuter bikeways.
Reduce gridlock. Janeese will tackle gridlock from Day One. She will release the DDOT Congestion Pricing study – which was completed but never released – within 48 hours of being sworn in and collaborate with surrounding jurisdictions to implement it.
Provide dedicated funding for Metro. Janeese will create certainty for residents and businesses by working with surrounding jurisdictions to maintain sufficient, dedicated, long-term funding for a robust metro system.