Mayor Muriel Bowser at a press conference on April 24 promoted the ways in which the K Street Transitway project is projected to improve transportation in and through DowntownDC on K Street.
The plan proposes changes to K Street between 12th and 21st streets NW including the addition of two dedicated bus lanes (increasing bus speeds by 30 percent for 40,000 daily passengers), enhanced bicycle accessibility and changes to pedestrian intersections to increase safety. The mayor allocated $122 million for the project in her fiscal year 2020 budget proposal.
“By building a new K Street Transitway, we can encourage more people to use public transportation by making our buses faster, more reliable and more efficient,” the mayor said. “In doing so, we can get more cars off the road and reduce traffic congestion.”
A significant, coordinated effort to reduce daily congestion on K Street has been discussed for years as the issue of traveling along K Street has become increasingly challenging. But Bowser noted at her press conference, held at Farragut Square, that on her way to the event, she cut her drive along K Street short due to traffic and walked the remaining several blocks to save time.
“Buses currently average 3-5 miles per hour down K Street and those who take the bus know, if you can walk down the street, you may beat your bus,” Bowser said.
The K Street Transitway is one of several ways the city is pushing for safer, more efficient transportation. Bowser on Wednesday highlighted her proposals for dedicated Metrorail funding, expansion of the DC Circulator buses to Ward 7, the return of late-night Metrorail service and funding to keep the DC Circulator free.
Bowser noted that the city’s population is currently the largest it has been since the seventies and that growth has helped the District move in the right direction.
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will begin public meetings this summer to share information about the plans for the project and receive feedback from key stakeholders and the public.
Click here to watch the press conference.