Transportation & Infrastructure

Washington DC remains one of the hottest commercial real estate markets in the world, but it is also among the most congested urban areas in the country. Over the past decade, significant investment and development downtown have resulted in increased employment, which in turn has added new drivers, bus commuters, and Metro passengers to the transportation network feeding the downtown core.

The result has been further development occurring on the western and eastern ends of downtown and a push for development in areas not previously considered part of downtown – e.g., NoMA (north of Massachusetts Avenue) area near Union Station and the Southwest waterfront. As the economy improves and new offices open in these areas, the pressure on the downtown transportation network will increase, creating problems in gaining access to the District (especially in east-west traffic flow), and exacerbating congestion that has been made worse over the past decade by the closures of streets near the White House. There is a need to coordinate, plan, and execute improvements to the transportation network in order to respond to the short-term and long-term needs of the area.

The FCC’s focus on improving access and reducing local congestion would address issues such as:

Downtown East-West Congestion

We would work to resolve the detrimental impact caused by the federal government’s closure of E Street near the White House. This would encompass possibly re-opening E street or mitigating its impact by making improvements to the transportation network that would improve traffic flow from surrounding jurisdictions into the District and facilitate traffic flow through downtown as well as creating other avenues to move commuters in and out of the District. In addition to moving automobiles, the FCC would evaluate and recommend ways to integrate alternate modes of transportation (Metrorail, Metrobus, streetcar, bikes) so that they work to relieve congestion rather than make the situation more congested and complicated.

Proposed Outcomes:

Improved traffic flow through downtown core, particularly in built-out area between H and K Streets, eliminating the obstacles affecting thousands of workers and District residents each day
Expanded transportation options through the downtown corridor, which will improve traffic flow from the surrounding jurisdictions to the District and link built-market to emerging markets at the fringes of the central business district
Creation of opportunities to add density (one idea that has been mentioned is removal of height limit) or to expand retail/entertainment, leading to increased revenue for the District
Creation of a welcoming urban core to support existing business, attract new business, entertain visitors, and serve current and potential new residents --- building a world-class city.

Metro stability and growth

The current Metro board and CEO/General Manager remain focused on the near-term issues related to system safety and board governance. However, the current economic environment combined with changes in Congress raise questions about the system’s finances, whether it’s the already-negotiated dedicated funding agreement between the jurisdictions and federal government that must be maintained or the unfunded portion that is needed to ensure that there is capacity to deal with anticipated growth over the coming decades. The Federal City Council should continue to work with regional business groups such as the Board of Trade and the Council of Governments to address the deferred maintenance and related short-term and long-term funding issues that exist.

Proposed Outcomes:

Development of an objective long-term plan that lays out strategy for addressing the maintenance and expansion of Metro, given the projected rise in population, workforce, and ridership over the next two to three decades
Creation of business-driven advocacy around the severe funding gap to maintain the existing system, as well as to enable projected growth
Renewed focus on the fact that Metro will reach full capacity by 2050 and initiation of planning for post-2050 transportation options and strategies for the city and region
Metro then becomes a stronger anchor to the Federal Interest since it would more effectively transport federal workers to their jobs.

Long-term infrastructure planning including transportation

In the mid- 1980s, the Federal City Council completed a study looking at funding for infrastructure in the District of Columbia and used the study to press for adequate funding to ensure that the city was prepared for growth. It is time to update portions of that study to ensure that the transportation network is in position to deal with anticipated growth and development over the next two to three decades. The funding needed to maintain, upgrade, and strengthen the transportation network should be assessed.

Proposed Outcomes:

Development of broad city-wide transportation infrastructure assessment that looks at maintenance of roads and bridges, benchmarked on other world capitals and cities; identification of major maintenance backlogs or funding gaps
Development of funding and coordination plan to create transportation network of the future for the city
Creation of separate business-led advocacy organization, similar to those in Chicago, New York City, and other areas, to focus on long-term solutions to transportation infrastructure growth and maintenance.