District of Columbia Plans and Studies

Photo by Mr. T in DC on Flickr

Before a transportation project in D.C. is funded and built, it usually appears in an approved plan or study developed through the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) or the District Office of Planning.

Visit the official DDOT Blog.

Comprehensive Planning

The 2006 D.C. Comprehensive Plan, which provides overall guidance for future planning and development, includes a Transportation Element. In promoting more compact residential and employment development along major transit routes, the Comp Plan called for more strategic use of public transportation investments and enhancement of non-motorized transportation options throughout the city.

City-Wide Transportation Planning

In 2014, DDOT finalized moveDC, a new 25-year Long-Range Multi-Modal Transportation Plan for the District of Columbia. This plan responds to the District’s accelerating rate of growth and seeks to ensure that all D.C. residents regardless of age, income, and ability, will have access to reliable multi-modal transportation options that connect them to economic opportunity. 

The 2-year moveDC Action Plan outlines key first steps that DDOT and other District agencies will take to realize the moveDC plan. The Action Plan identifies 36 specific actions to begin the moveDC implementation process.

Plans for Specific Locations & Transportation Modes

A number of DDOT plans focus on a specific mode of travel. For example, the DC Transit Future System Plan lays out a series of investments in Metro Express limited-stop bus service and articulates a vision for a 37-mile streetcar system. DDOT has also developed a Bicycle Master Plan and a Pedestrian Master Plan.

The D.C. Office of Planning regularly conducts small area plans and studies in all wards of the city that analyze transportation conditions and make recommendations.

Operations & Maintenance

DDOT maintains most freeways, primary roads and secondary roads within the District of Columbia. A limited number of roads are maintained by the National Park Service.

The D.C. Circulator buses are operated through a unique public/private partnership between the DDOT, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and DC Surface Transit, Inc.

Capital Bikeshare, a joint program of DDOT, Arlington and Alexandria, provides more than 1600 bikes at more than 175 bike stations in the region's core jurisdictions.

"Room & Board View Normal," by Mr. T in DC on Flickr.