DDOT: Press Release - November 30, 2004

(Washington, DC) On Monday, November 22, Mayor Anthony A. Williams received the report* and recommendations of the Mayor's Downtown Congestion Task Force, reviewing possible policies to relieve traffic congestion downtown, including cutting the number of cars coming downtown, reducing low-cost parking for DC employees and variable pricing of parking and loading zones. Mayor Williams was joined by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Councilmember Carol Schwartz (at-large), Dan Tangherlini, Director of Transportation, and business leaders.

Convened in May by Mayor Williams and Councilmember Schwartz along with Councilmembers Jack Evans (Ward 2), Jim Graham (Ward 1) Sharon Ambrose (Ward 6) and Harold Brazil (at-large), the Task Force is comprised of 50 business, government, and community leaders who were charged with analyzing downtown congestion problems and proposing potential solutions. The Task Force's proposals are grouped into three principal categories: quick fixes, long-term investments and system changes. The recommendations concern public transit, traffic operations, parking, demand management and motor carriers.

The report also welcomes the forthcoming arrival of the downtown circulator bus and the recent deployment of traffic control officers at major downtown intersections and 100 pedestrian countdown signals near-term actions to reduce congestion.