Press Release: Capitol Riverfront BID to Pursue Further Mobility Enhancements Through $100,000 Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Grant

By Press Release On Oct 3, 2019 Last updated Oct 3, 2019

News Release — Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District

Contact:

Kerry Lynn Bohen

Bonnie Trein

(Washington, D.C. – October 3, 2019) The Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District (BID) announced that they have been awarded a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, in collaboration with the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). The grant is administered by the Washington Council of Governments and is officially awarded to DDOT with Capitol Riverfront BID as the Project Advocate. The BID is providing a 25% in-kind match in the form of public outreach and mobility programs to assist the planning process.

The grant award will support the planning of a protected mobility lane reserved for bicycle, scooter, and other micromobility modes on M Street SE in Capitol Riverfront, DC’s fastest growing neighborhood with more than 5,000 units of housing, nearly 400,000 square feet of retail, and three office buildings currently under construction. The study will examine the area between Half Street SE and 11th Street SE.

The mobility lane grant is one element the BID’s broader effort to proactively shape the future of mobility in a neighborhood that will have more than 30,000 residents, 40,000 daytime employees, 1M SF of retail, and two professional sports stadiums at build out.

“Capitol Riverfront’s ongoing growth is apparent to anyone who visits our urban waterfront community, whatever the occasion,” said Michael Stevens, Capitol Riverfront BID president. “Anticipating transportation needs – ease of mobility for visitors, employees, and residents – has been at the forefront of planning discussions. It is a key component to the ongoing accessibility of the District’s fastest growing neighborhood.”

The Capitol Riverfront BID will utilize the grant announcement as the catalyst to begin implementing a wide range of mobility studies and pilot programs throughout the neighborhood, some of which include:

Dockless vehicle corrals and solar-powered charging hubs
Creative wayfinding to make using existing bus lines more intuitive and attractive
Exploring microtransit as a way to connect the Buzzard Point development with Metrorail stations.
Bus Rapid Transit Studies
Parking studies
Pedestrian count program

Additionally, the BID will engage the public through a variety of meetings, events, surveys and more, in order to garner feedback on various initiatives, and to solicit additional ideas on how to make the Capitol Riverfront the most mobility-friendly neighborhood in the region, easy to reach and also easy to move about.

The Transportation Alternatives (TA) Program is a reimbursable federal aid program for community-based transportation projects funded through the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). The program aims to expand travel choice, strengthen the local economy, improve quality of life, and protect the environment by supporting non-traditional projects linked to the transportation system.

About Capitol Riverfront

Capitol Riverfront is a 500-acre neighborhood situated between I-395 and the Anacostia River smartly designed to give businesses, residents, and guests an exciting environment to explore, connect, and thrive. New restaurants, retail, hotels, residences, and office spaces are opening every month in the Capitol Riverfront, DC’s fastest growing neighborhood. There is always something new to discover in DC’s largest and most dynamic waterfront neighborhood. For more information, visit capitolriverfront.org.