On February 27, 2023, DC-FSS members testified at the DDOT Performance Oversight Hearing held by the DC Council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment. More than 100 public witnesses signed up to share their observations and concerns about DDOT from the past year, and make requests for the agency moving forward.

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Three DC-FSS members testified during the 11+ hour hearing:

Jessica Hart testified on behalf of DC-FSS. She reflected on the burden DDOT puts on residents to identify the changes needed, the ongoing danger pedestrians and cyclists face when DDOT does not enforce safe accommodations at construction sites, and DC-FSS’s concern that DDOT failed to secure federal funds from the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program. Read testimony.

Ashton Rohmer spoke about the need for safer streets for kids, saying they can’t safely walk or bike to school. DDOT needs to significantly invest in its Safe Routes to School program so it can more effectively and proactively ensure children have safe active transportation options. Read testimony.

Karthik Balasubramanian testified on behalf of the Multimodal Accessibility Advisory Council, which shares DC-FSS’s goals of safe streets for all users. DC’s transportation network is actively hostile and unsafe to people with disabilities. Significant changes in the way we need to engineer roads and enforce our traffic laws must be made immediately to save lives. Read testimony.