Livability refers to the quality of life as experienced by the people who live, work, and recreate in a community. In a transportation context, livability refers to improvements in public space that increase safety and access for all users of the transportation system.
DDOT’s Livability Program was an effort to develop transportation recommendations from a system-wide perspective to provide safety improvements. DDOT is no longer conducting new livability studies and is working to implement recommendations from completed studies.
Livability study areas covered several District neighborhoods and included robust public outreach. Each study concluded with a list of recommendations, such as safer pedestrian crossings, more accessible bus stops, geometric adjustments to intersections, enhanced green spaces, signage for better driver information, and speed controls in sensitive areas.
Each livability study was informed by the unique needs of the neighborhoods that made up the study area, and the approach of each study was shaped by these needs. Some past studies focused on certain types of improvements, such as green infrastructure or access to parks and public space.
DDOT is advancing a new program of Safety and Mobility Studies. Safety and Mobility Studies focus on the shorter-term implementation of recommendations, some of which are completed during the study. The first of these, the Near Northwest III Safety and Mobility Study, was completed in 2021.
DDOT’s goal is to conduct more Safety and Mobility Studies in communities that meet two criteria: 1) Areas with transportation equity needs as outlined in the moveDC 2021 update, and 2) Areas along high injury corridors as identified by Mayor Bowser’s Vision Zero program.
For more information on DDOT’s Livability Program or to inquire on the status of a recommendation from a study, please contact Ted Van Houten, Transportation Planner, (202) 671-4580, [email protected]
Livability Studies Completed
| Livability Study | Year Completed |
| Rock Creek West II | 2011 |
| Far Northeast | 2011 |
| Far Southeast II | 2011 |
| Mid City East | 2014 |
| Brookland-Edgewood | 2015 |
| Rock Creek East II | 2016 |
| Far Southeast III | 2017 |
| Rock Creek Far West | 2019 |
| Rock Creek East I | 2019 |
| Near Northwest III | 2021 |