Personal Delivery Devices (PDDs) in the District
Personal delivery devices, or PDDs, are sidewalk robots that offer door-to-door delivery services in the District. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) allows these devices, when permitted, as an alternative to larger delivery vehicles and to help reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips. PDDs promise to offer greater accessibility to delivery services while reducing delivery-based street congestion and emissions.
Companies that want to operate these devices in the District must agree to the terms and conditions of a new Public Right of Way Occupancy Permit (PROWOP), which were developed based on the results of a pilot program that ended in 2018. Among other safety considerations, the Terms and Conditions require that PDDs must meet the following criteria:
- Cannot exceed a speed of 10 miles per hour
- Cannot weigh more than 90 pounds, excluding their cargo
- Operate only on sidewalks, crosswalks, and alleyways
- Follow the same traffic rules as pedestrians, except that they must always yield the right-of-way to pedestrians
- Must be visible from at least 300 feet at all times of day
- Must have a process for mechanical malfunction, including swift removal if necessary
PDD Safety
Please report any illegal or dangerous PDD operation that you observe by using the permitted PDD company’s contact information, listed below and displayed on the PDDs. Reports should include time, location, and violation type. If possible, the report should also include the serial number of the device, which should be clearly visible on the PDD.
Permitted companies are required to report any incidents involving property damage or injury to pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, animals, or other users of the public space to DDOT.
To contact DDOT about any concerns related to PDDs, please email [email protected] or call 202-671-2700.
Permitted PDD Companies
DDOT will annoucne the companies that will be granted a permit to operate PDDs in the District in the near future.
How to Apply for a Permit to Operate PDDs
Applicants interested in acquiring a PDD PROWOP should contact DDOT via email at [email protected] or by calling 202-671-2700. The template Terms and Conditions are posted below for reference only.
