District of Columbia Administrative Code

409 T-2.2 MAKING MULTIMODAL CONNECTIONS 409.1 Multimodal connections refer to the links between different modes of travel, such as Metrorail, buses, bicycles, and private cars. These connections can be improved by expanding Metrorail stations to allow for more effective bus and s…

410 T-2.3 BICYCLE ACCESS, FACILITIES, AND SAFETY 410.1 Bicycling has long been a part of the transportation mix in the District. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bicyclists, pedestrians, buggies, and streetcars all shared District streets. The District’s interest in bic…

411 T-2.4 PEDESTRIAN ACCESS, FACILITIES, AND SAFETY 411.1 The District’s population density, interconnected grid of streets, wide sidewalks, and renowned park system have long contributed to a favorable environment for walking. In 2017 approximately 47,624 District residents (12.…

412 T-2.5 ROADWAY SYSTEM AND AUTO MOVEMENT 412.1 The District’s roadway system consists of 1,171 miles of roadway, 241 vehicular and pedestrian bridges, and approximately 7,774 intersections. Approximately 22 percent of these intersections are signalized. 412.2 The roadways in th…

413 T-2.6 ADDRESSING ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL RESIDENTS 413.1 Multimodal transportation options are critical for populations who cannot drive or do not have access to a car. Access to transportation is essential for residents across the income spectrum, older adults who may need tra…

414 T-3 TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM EFFICIENCY AND MANAGEMENT 414.1 With the costs of providing new transportation facilities on the rise, the District must constantly look for ways to reduce travel demand and more effectively use its existing and future transportation systems. This se…

415 T-3.1 TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT 415.1 TDM refers to a series of transportation strategies that are designed to maximize the people-moving capability of the transportation system by increasing the number of persons in a vehicle, increasing transit ridership, or influenc…

416 T-3.2 CURBSIDE MANAGEMENT AND PARKING 416.1 The public curbside, the space along the street between travel lanes and sidewalk, is limited real estate. Within this space, many essential activities of urban life occur: buses pull in and out, delivering thousands of passengers a…

417 T-3.3 GOODS MOVEMENT 417.1 The District is a dense urban environment with a diverse mixture of land uses that place significant demand on the District’s transportation infrastructure. Washington, DC’s role as an employment center for the region creates a high volume of commut…

418 T-3.4 TRAVELER INFORMATION 418.1 Traveler information plays a key role in transportation system efficiency, and new technologies provide an increasing number of options for providing timely information to travelers across all modes. A state-of-the-art traveler information sys…

419 T-3.5 MOTOR COACH OPERATIONS 419.1 The District receives approximately 21-25 million visitors to the National Mall each year. These visitors arrive by different transportation means, including personal occupancy vehicles, airplanes, rail, and motor coaches. Motor coaches are …

420 T-3.6 SHUTTLE BUS AND SIGHTSEEING OPERATIONS 420.1 Shuttle bus operators transport employees and organizational members across multiple sites or destinations. Examples include universities that provide shuttle service for students between buildings or different campuses and h…

421 T-3.7 COMMUTER BUS OPERATIONS 421.1 Commuter buses provide bus service for workers traveling from Virginia and Maryland into the District. The providers of commuter bus operations include MTA, PRTC, Loudoun County, and Martz. 421.2 Commuter bus service is focused on the morni…

422 T-3.8 INTERCITY BUS OPERATIONS 422.1 Intercity bus operators provide service for the District to and from New York City, Philadelphia, Richmond, and other locations. Intercity buses operate from the early morning to the late evening, with staging times in between. Many interc…

423 T-4 SAFETY, SECURITY, AND RESILIENCY 423.1 Transportation has always played an important role in Washington, DC’s security by providing a means of evacuation, as well as routes for emergency and relief service; and by connecting residents to critical services and essential wo…

424 T-4.1 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, TRANSPORTATION, AND SECURITY 424.1 In light of terrorist attacks, public health emergencies, and major weather events, every major American city has embarked on emergency preparedness and traveler information systems designed to inform citizens h…

425 T-4.2 SAFETY FOR ALL TRAVELERS 425.1 The District is committed to a Vision Zero philosophy, with the goal of eliminating fatalities and serious injuries from the transportation network. Under Vision Zero, the network will be designed and operated to support the safe and effic…

426 T-4.3 RAIL SAFETY 426.1 The D.C. Council enacted the Rail Safety and Security Amendment Act of 2016, establishing an Emergency Response and Rail Safety Division. In addition to carrying out emergency response activities, this division would coordinate with the FRA and other f…

427 T-4.4 CLIMATE RESILIENCY 427.1 Climate change will have serious impacts on transportation infrastructure as temperatures rise, precipitation rates increase, and sea levels rise. These changes will cause transportation infrastructure to flood more frequently, roads to buckle, …

428 T-5 TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION 428.1 New transportation technologies have the potential to dramatically change the way people move in cities. As new technologies develop, they will impact people’s transportation decisions, possibly increasing the accessibility of different are…

429 T-5.1 AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES 429.1 AVs have the potential to significantly impact transportation and land use patterns over the next 10 to 30 years. These impacts need to be understood to ensure they are well managed, to avoid unintended disruptions, and to provide benefits for …

430 T-5.2 ELECTRIC VEHICLES 430.1 EVs have the potential to minimize the negative environmental impacts associated with current internal combustion engine vehicles. EVs create fewer emissions, including fewer greenhouse gas emissions, which make them an important part of achievin…

500 OVERVIEW 500.1 The Housing Element of the Comprehensive Plan describes the importance of housing to neighborhood quality in Washington, DC and the importance of providing housing opportunities for all segments of the population throughout Washington, DC. 500.2 The critical ho…

501 HOUSING GOAL 501.1 The overarching goal for housing is to provide a safe, decent, healthy, and affordable housing supply for current and future residents in all of Washington, DC's neighborhoods by maintaining and developing housing for all incomes and household types. The ov…

502 H-1 HOMES FOR AN INCLUSIVE CITY 502.1 This section of the Housing Element addresses housing production, both for market rate and affordable units. 502.2 Washington, DC must sustain a high rate of housing production to meet current and projected needs through 2025 and remain e…

503 H-1.1 EXPANDING HOUSING SUPPLY 503.1 Expanding the housing supply is a key part of the District’s vision to create vibrant neighborhoods. Along with improved transportation and shopping, better neighborhood schools and parks, preservation of historic resources, and improved d…

504 H-1.2 ENSURING HOUSING AFFORDABILITY 504.1 Washington, DC faces numerous affordable housing challenges. It has both a greater share of the region’s low-income residents and the region’s most rapid decline in the availability of housing to serve these residents. In 2005, the m…

505 H-1.3 DIVERSITY OF HOUSING TYPES 505.1 The housing stock in the District has varied in size and type over time. As Figure 5.9 shows, in 2000, about 44 percent of Washington, DC’s housing units consisted of studios and one-bedroom units. The percentage of small units declined …

506 H-1.4 HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION 506.1 Housing programs alone cannot create a livable, inclusive District. Linking housing programs to efforts to reduce poverty, improve schools, provide quality retail, and upgrade services, such as childcare and job training is …

507 H-1.5 REDUCING BARRIERS TO PRODUCTION 507.1 The development of housing may be hampered by both governmental and non-governmental constraints. Governmental constraints include lengthy delays in permit processing and plan approval; insufficient coordination among agencies and u…

508 H-1.6 SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE 508.1 Policies to promote resilient housing specifically address housing that can withstand potential physical and resulting economic shocks from major hazards and stresses. Such shocks can destabilize the housing market and threaten afford…

509 H-2 HOUSING PRESERVATION: RETAINING HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES 509.1 Along with increasing housing and affordable housing supply, preservation of housing in the District is critical. This section focuses on two aspects of housing preservation: retaining affordable housing units sp…

510 H-2.1 PRESERVATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING 510.1 The Homes for an Inclusive City task force report stated that roughly 30,000 affordable and inexpensive market rate housing units throughout the District were at risk of being lost. This is more than 10 percent of the Washington,…

511 H-2.2 HOUSING CONSERVATION AND MAINTENANCE 511.1 Despite the advancing age of Washington, DC’s building stock, most of the District’s housing is in good condition. The number of vacant and abandoned units has continued to decline since 2006, and reinvestment in housing stock …

512 H-3 HOMEOWNERSHIP AND ACCESS 512.1 Homeownership gives individuals a stake in the community and a chance to share in its growing prosperity. It can help foster civic pride and engagement, improve family stability, and enhance support for local schools and services. Importantl…

513 H-3.1 ENCOURAGING HOMEOWNERSHIP 513.1 Nationwide, about two-thirds of all households are homeowners. In the District, the 2000 census reported the homeownership rate was just 41 percent. After 2000, the homeownership rate slowly increased to 46 percent until 2006; then the na…

514 H-3.2 HOUSING ACCESS 514.1 The District established its commitment to fair housing under the Human Rights Act of 1977 (D.C. Law 2-38; D.C. Official Code § 2-1401 et seq.). This commitment is bolstered by federal regulations, including the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968, t…

515 H-4 HOUSING FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES 515.1 In 2017, among Washington DC’s 693,972 residents, thousands of vulnerable populations and persons with disabilities required targeted help finding, paying for, and maintaining affordable housing. These…

516 H-4.1 INTEGRATING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES 516.1 One of the basic premises of the District’s vision is that housing serving vulnerable populations and those with disabilities should be accommodated in all of Washington, DC’s neighborhoods and not h…

517 H-4.2 ENDING HOMELESSNESS 517.1 Homelessness in the Washington, DC, on any given night, is a significant problem that has become worse in the wake of the current housing boom. In January 2005, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) estimated that 11,419 pe…

518 H-4.3 MEETING THE NEEDS OF SPECIFIC GROUPS 518.1 The housing needs of the District’s most vulnerable populations vary among each group. Some require housing with specific physical attributes, such as wheelchair ramps or bathrooms with grab bars. Some require housing with on-s…

600 OVERVIEW 600.1 The Environmental Protection Element addresses the protection, conservation, and management of Washington, DC’s ’s land, air, water, energy, and biological resources. This Element provides policies and actions for addressing important issues such as climate cha…

601 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION GOAL 601.1 The overarching goal for the Environmental Protection Element is to protect, restore, and enhance the natural and human-made environment in Washington, DC, taking steps to improve environmental quality and resilience, adapt to and mitigate …

602 E-1 ADAPTING TO AND MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE 602.1 Climate change refers to long-term shifts in the climate, including global temperature, precipitation, and wind patterns. Washington, DC’s climate is changing because the earth is heating. In urban areas, GHGs from human act…

603 E-1.1 PREPARING FOR AND RESPONDING TO NATURAL HAZARDS 603.1 In the coming decades, changing climate is likely to increase tidal flooding, cause more heavy rainstorms, and increase risks to human health. Portions of Washington, DC are within the Federal Emergency Management Ag…

604 E-2 CONSERVING NATURAL AND GREEN AREAS 604.1 Washington, DC’s natural landscape is characterized by two tidal rivers; a complex network of parkland, streams, and valleys; and undulating hills and terraces. This landscape provides ecological diversity, ranging from mixed oak a…

605 E-2.1 CONSERVING AND EXPANDING WASHINGTON, DC’S URBAN FORESTS 605.1 The benefits of a healthy urban forests, are well documented. Street trees, trees in parks and natural areas, and trees on private lands add beauty, improve mental health, provide shade, reduce water pollutio…

606 E-2.2 CONSERVATION OF RIVERS, WETLANDS, AND RIPARIAN AREAS 606.1 Washington, DC is situated at the confluence of two great rivers: the Anacostia and the Potomac. Both rivers have been altered over the centuries to accommodate development, highways, railroads, airports, milita…

607 E-2.3 CONSERVING SOIL AND REDUCING EROSION 607.1 Soils in Washington, DC affect the suitability of land for buildings, roads and infrastructure, community gardening, and tree planting. Even in a built-out city like Washington, DC, soil and underlying geologic characteristics …

608 E-2.4 PRESERVING STEEP SLOPES AND STREAM VALLEYS 608.1 Wooded hillsides and stream valleys provide beauty and visual relief in Washington, DC, particularly in Upper Northwest and in neighborhoods in Wards 7 and 8. Many of Washington, DC’s stream valleys have been preserved by…