Budget – bikeSpecific

You Want a Better #BikeDC? – Testify at an Oversight Hearing

A Plethora of BikeShare Bikes
Image: Author

You want the District Government to complete the Metropolitan Branch Trail or add protected bike lanes near you?

Ask them.

The Council of the District of Columbia has posted its Performance Oversight hearings schedule for the Fiscal Year 2018 Approved Budget for the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), D.C. Bicycle Advisory Council (DCBAC), and Pedestrian Advisory Council.

Hearings for these agencies are scheduled for Tuesday, February 27, 2018 at 2:30pm in room 123 within the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

The agencies will make presentations before the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, chaired by Council member Mary Cheh (Ward 3). Specifically, oversight hearings provide a forum for Council tobask questions regarding the current operations of District Government agencies like DDOT, committees, and other government organizations during the current fiscal year, which began October 1, 2017 and provide information about successes (and failures) during the prior year.

The hearings also provides an opportunity for residents like you to testify about bicycling-related issues before a live studio audience and members of the District of Columbia Council. DDOT representatives will be present and may answer questions about the District’s bicycle-related policies.

By testifying, you are effectively becoming an advocate for bicycling – put that on your resume! Once you’re done Council members, or their staff, may ask questions about your issue to DDOT – on the spot!

While bike advocates always ask people to be advocates, they rarely explain what that entails. As BikeSpecific has testified a few times before, it has some thoughts on what to expect. If you are ready to testify for the first time, great. Below are some tips:

Sign up now. Actually, if you do do this, you can’t testify. Contact Aukima Benjamin at 724-8062 or e-mail her at abenjamin@dccouncil.us. She coordinates with the the Committee on Transportation and the Environment.
What to say. The most compelling testimony typically is about something that you’ve personally experienced. To really make an impact, that experience should have a broader context where, upon hearing your story, anyone can understand it, relate to it, and feel compelled to do something about it.
Your testimony shouldn’t be solely about complaints. It’s easy to kick DDOT for its seemingly decade’s long the Eastern Downtown Protected Bike Lane study – because some day it will move past 30 percent design – but how does that really impact you? And more importantly, who else besides you can benefit from whatever it is you think needs improving? You are an advocate for the bike community, remembering that puts a lot of what you say and how you say it in perspective. If you can, chat with someone from the Washington Area Bicyclist Association to make sure that you get your facts straight – because facts help. Lastly, suggestions for improvements can work. Start with that.
The panel. Once the Committee chair begins the hearing and provides opening remarks, she will empanel witnesses by calling out names and having them sit at a table placed in front of the dais. There can be several panels depending on the total number of speakers. Sometimes, organizations go first, then public witnesses, then government witnesses. The panel table has up to 4 microphones and sometimes a pitcher of water. Have a drink.
When called, make sure you turn the microphone on and bring it within about 12 inches of your mouth. Say your name, speak normally. If they can’t hear you, make sure the microphone is on and closer to you. When you’re done speaking, turn the microphone off, no one wants to hear you breathe.

At the center of the witness table, their are 3 lights: green (keep talking), yellow (you’ve got less than 30 seconds), and red (times up and electronic buzzing will commence). They may give you a few more seconds to finish your thought but don’t press your luck.
Written testimony. Council encourages, but does not require, the submission of written testimony in advance of the hearing, typically three business days before. If you do not submit written testimony beforehand, Council requests that you bring 10 copies with you to the hearing so that they can circulate it among the members and staff. It’s not required but it’s helpful so that they can ask better questions.
You’ll be on TV. The hearing will be televised live on the District Council’s Cable channel. Tell your friends and warm up the VCR or some other recording device. Sit up straight and look at or in the direction of the council members. You’re having a conversation about something you’re interested in so try to relax. Try not to look into the camera because that’s just weird.
Watch your time. While written testimony can be longer, your oral testimony must be under 3 minutes as they can be strict with regard to time. Those representing organizations tend to have more time, up to 5 minutes. So if you represent a group, you’ll have extra time to make your case.
Generally, most witnesses read from their written testimony while more experienced speakers tend to highlight particular points so that they have time to discuss them later. Practice reading it your testimony. Do this to ensure that you don’t go over time and what you write sometimes doesn’t sound the same as when you speak it.
You are not the only person with questions. Typically after the panel has made their statements, Council members may ask follow up questions or they may not. The Committee Chair typically is the first to act. The questions are usually asked in the same order as witness statements. Once the Committee Chair has completed asking her questions, she will ask if members of the committee have questions. If it’s an issue they value, council members may ask more than one question or may ask your thoughts on what someone else at the witness table says. If the Council members don’t ask questions, don’t be offended, time may be an issue. Rarely, Council members who are not member of the Committee may participate. Lucky you.
Can’t make the hearing. Not everyone is capable of attending due to work or they are out of the area. Council accepts written testimony now and up to two days after the end of the hearing.
The DCBAC also encourages you to submit comments to it directly. As they will be testifying as an entity of the government, you can contact them about what they’ve done or let them know if you’ve experienced issues while biking.
Talking in front of large crowds isn’t your thing. Hearings are open to the public so if you have issues with public speaking, the option of just sitting in the hearing room may be for you. As these hearings tend to happen during the day, they aren’t always well attended. As the hearing will be shown live, having a full room shows the Council members and the public the importance of bicycling. Also, attendance is important for the public witnesses, as it lets them know that you have their back.
No need to freak out. This process can be intimidating. Relax. Hundreds of people of all ages are public witnesses so it’s really not that hard. Talk about what you know, don’t talk about what you don’t. For most public witnesses, the process is not adversarial so be cordial and topical. Council and government agencies really want to know what almost all of you think – but keep it about transportation. If you need to talk about boxing and wrestling, there’s a hearing for that.

This seems like a lot, but it’s not as much as you’d think. The important thing is that you’ve done a really important thing and spoke on behalf of thousands of people and directly helped make bicycling better in the District.

Congratulations!

A version of this article was published January 25, 2017.

14th Street NW Corridor Gets Another Look

Typical 14th activity
Image: Google

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will hold a meeting to discuss how to make “lower, middle 14th Street NW” more attractive and accommodating to all users.

The meeting will be held Thursday, February 22, 2018 between 6:30pm to 8:30pm in the Community Room of the National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW.

According to DDOT, the project supports moveDC plan and the Mayor’s Vision Zero Initiative to help create a safer, more livable, sustainable and attractive corridor. The objective of the project is to increase multimodal safety and accessibility, improve mobility and pedestrian safety with ADA compliance, and improve the corridor with the new streetscape.

As 14th Street is a major travel corridor, the mile long 14th Street NW Streetscape Project hopefully addresses concerns that bicyclists have noted for years. On social media, bicyclists complain that they are at risk as vehicles force them from the bike lane to the roadway or they are doored by unsuspecting vehicle occupants. Vehicles routinely double park in the roadway or bike lane and use the bike lane as a location to discharge passengers. There are also conflict with buses as they transition from the roadway to bus stops, making moving past them on bikes risky.

Typical improvements in the 2010 version of 14th Street project
Image: DDOT

The current iteration of this project was listed in the draft D.C. Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) in 2015 but a plan for this area was underway by DDOT as early as 2007. The 2010 14th Street Transportation and Streetscape Improvements plan, created before Vision Zero and other planning initiatives, focused on adding multimodal features to the corridor to include street resurfacing, bulb outs to add sidewalk space, additional bike parking at transit stops, decorative pavement, and other amenities to help improve pedestrian safety.

Since then, DDOT implemented certain elements of that project at key intersections and presumably, the current project will reexamine certain traffic elements, including making improvements to the bicycle infrastructure. As of the 2015 STIP, the total amount obligated to this project totals $10.6 million.

Specifically, the project scope of work will include, but will not be limited to the following:

Preparation of plans, estimates, and specifications for roadway resurfacing;
Resetting or reconstructing curbs;
Reconstructing wheelchair ramps and sidewalks;
Upgrading streetlights; traffic signal and drainage system;
Removal of dead trees and planting of new trees;
Improving pavement marking and signage;
and other work deemed appropriate.

This section of 14th Street also contains one of the District’s high crash intersections at 14th and U Street NW. DDOT issued a report in 2017 that suggested providing additional enforcement to reduce double parking, green paint through the intersection, and a redesign of the bus bulbouts as they create bus/bike conflicts – all of which may be included in this project.

DDOT Accepting Applications for 2018 Transportation Alternatives Projects

Getting Money from the TAP
Image: Author

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) began accepting applications for the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), which is a federal program under the 2015 FAST Act through the Federal Highway Administration that provides funding to projects considered “alternative” to traditional highway construction.

Approximately $1.1 million in funding will be available through a District-wide competitive process.

Transportation Alternative projects categories are geared towards bicycle and pedestrian activities, community improvements, environmental mitigation, and recreational trails. The projects must be consistent with the District initiatives like MOVE DC, Sustainable DC, and other plans.

The District’s Delegate to Congress, Elenor Holmes Norton, held a public meeting last October to discuss how TAP funds could be used in the District.

TAP program participants can include local governments, regional transportation authorities, transit agencies, natural resource or public land agencies, school districts, Tribal governments and other appropriate local or regional governmental entities. While non-profits are not eligible to be direct grant recipients of TAP funds they may partner with eligible participants such as a government agency as a co-sponsor.

According to the DDOT website, projects will be reviewed through a competitive process and selected based upon a number of criteria including the project’s expected benefits to the community, feasibility and project readiness, consistency with agency plans and missions, and the sponsor’s demonstrated ability to manage a federal-aid project.

TAP projects may support the following:

Facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorized forms of transportation
This includes the planning, design, and construction of on-road or off-road facilities. Projects may include sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure, bicycle parking, pedestrian and bicycle signals, traffic calming techniques, lighting and other safety infrastructure, and upgrading facilities for compliance with ADA requirements.
Recreational Trails
Eligible projects include the provision and maintenance of recreational trails for both motorized and non-motorized use. This includes pedestrian uses (hiking, running, wheelchair use), bicycling, in-line skating, skateboarding, equestrian use, off-road motorcycling, or all-terrain vehicle riding. This includes the maintenance and restoration of existing trails, the development of trailside and trailhead facilities, the purchase of construction of maintenance equipment, the construction of new trails, the acquisition of easements, and trail condition assessments.
Safe routes for non-drivers
Eligible cost include the construction, planning, and design of infrastructure-related projects and systems that will provide safe routes for non-drivers, including children, older adults, and individuals with disabilities to access daily needs.
Conversion and use of abandoned railroad corridors for trails
This activity provides for the acquisition of abandoned railway corridors for the development of pedestrian or bicycle trails. Intent must be shown that a pedestrian and bicycle trail will be built within ten years of the acquisition of the corridor. Projects in this category must serve as a mode of transportation and cannot be solely for recreational users.
Community Improvements
This includes vegetation management, environmental mitigation or pollution prevention, streetscape improvements and historic preservation
Safe Routes to School (SRTS)
Eligible projects for SRTS sidewalk improvements, traffic calming, pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements, on-street bicycle facilities, off-street bicycle and pedestrian facilities, secure bicycle parking facilities, and traffic diversion improvements in the vicinity of schools.

Applications will be accepted starting April 17, 2017, through May 15, 2017. In June 2017, a selection panel will review submitted projects. An official announcement of selected projects will be made in August.

A version of this post originally ran on DDOT’s website.

The BikeSpecific View of the FY 2018 Proposed Budget

Safe bicycling requires more money
than what’s shown in this photo
Image: BikeSpecific

Many people would consider the Mayor of the District of Columbia’s Proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget, which was unveiled April 4, 2017, to be the epitome of boring.

It is.

However, BikeSpecifc is boring. In light of that revelation, I’ve scoured the budget and will now share some initial observations and potential changes to how bicycling is prioritized.

This Is Complicated

While just about all of the bike-related infrastructure expenditures are in the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), there are other agencies that spend funds to promote or help educate residents and visitors about bicycling. An example includes the DC Public Schools funding a bike education program for all second grade students in last year’s budget. The FY 2018 Proposed budget doesn’t tout what other agencies are doing to expand bicycling; however, I may have missed something, so feel free to check behind me.

Second, the Mayor’s budget also doesn’t provide many specifics. While the Proposed Budget highlight new initiatives, it doesn’t always provide granular information – details of when and what infrastructure will be built. The budget document is a guide of what the Mayor plans to do; the implementation details are typically left to the agencies who tell you in meetings or websites.

Lastly, this isn’t the final budget. The Council of the District of Columbia will also make changes and may add or subtract from bicycle or trail infrastructure. The may also institute new laws or funding sources that support specific current or new projects.

Because that’s all complicated and filled with how the sausage is made details, let’s focus on DDOT’s budget. If you’d like, view the budget details.

Operating Budget

The FY 2018 DDOT budget is divided into two major pieces: Capital and Operating.

The capital budget supports the multi-year, multi-million (billion) dollar medium to long-term assets like pedestrian bridges, streetcars, and snow plows. Much of the infrastructure is supported with capital dollars. I’ll talk more about capital later.

The operating budget supports the cost of day-to-day operations, people, and supplies. The operating budget contains the planning of initiatives, the analysis of data, and the assessment initiative outcomes. How well or how poorly did the Pennsylvania Avenue protected bike lanes do to deter vehicles from making u-turns or how many people use the Metropolitan Branch Trail are examples. Operating also supports certain contracts for services, grants to organizations, and payments to other jurisdictions for what they do for the District.

Saying all of that, let’s talk about DDOT’s Operating budget highlights.

Reorganization of DDOT
To comply with some of the suggestions and provisions of the “FY 2016 Transportation Reorganization Amendment Act“, the District Department of Transportation engaged in a restructuring of the agency into five administration.

For bicycling, this appears to be a good change. The previous structure generally placed design segments of bicycling in the Progressive Transportation and Planning Policy and Sustainability programs. The new proposed 2018 structure appears to consolidate most bicycle functions with the Project Delivery Administration (PDA).

The PDA, which has a proposed budget of over $20 million with 36.0 positions, focuses on multi-modal infrastructure project planning, design, and construction; policy development and implementation; transit delivery; and traffic engineering and safety. Of that amount, about $3.6 million supports salaries and about $16 million supports contracts and grants. the remaining amount covers operating costs.

What’s been one of the biggest gripes about DDOT is that the construction, planning, and design of infrastructure was siloed – bridges without bike and pedestrian access, poor or non-existent implementation of certain laws (like safe accommodation), or at time disconnect between when projects are planned and when they actually happen (Well, you know). The Planning and Sustainability Division supports much of the District’s planning regarding the integration of multimodal transportation. This will hopefully reduce some of the agency overlap, siloing, right-hand/left-hand ambiguity; and allow programs to work together to plan and implement the building of infrastructure.

Specifically, the DDOT budget chapter states that the PDA:

Establishes strategic goals for multi-modal transportation program development, including pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure, through design and plan review;
Incorporates environmental management and sustainability;
Administers safety programs; coordinates the development of the regional Transportation Improvement Program and District-wide Transportation Improvement Program; and
Manages the Capital Bikeshare and Safe Routes to School programs.

The placement of the TIP or Transportation Improvement Program within the same administration The budget does not list all of what DDOT plans to do for biking and walking, it simply describes certain changes that are of particular importance to the Mayor.

BikeShare Enhancement
The Mayor proposed an additional increase of $1.6 million to support Bikeshare operations with the aim of keeping the membership rate at the current level of $85 annually. This presumes that without the additional funds that certain BikeShare costs are exceeding contract cost with the District providing additional funds to help maintain the cost of membership.

Vision Zero
Not specific to bicycling but considered by the Mayor to be an important element to reduce injurious and fatal crashes, the Mayor added $4.5 million to the Vision Zero Initiative. The additional funds support 45 new Traffic Control Operators along with 26 new School Crossing Guards.

Agency Performance Plans
The DDOT budget contains a revised, better organized, Agency Performance Plan or agency defined objectives or projects and indicators of performance. The plan articulates these objectives through activities, and DDOT has a bunch, that are specific projects the agency hopes to complete this fiscal year. They include the integration of performance management databases, the continued development of the Vision Zero Initiative, Capital Bikeshare planning, and several long-term capital construction projects. This data can also be used to show trends.

The Key Performance Indicators show FY 2015 actual measurements through 2016 projected targets. For example, DDOT will enhance data collection of bicycling and pedestrian usage by installing counters from three in 2016 to a projected seven in 2018.

Key Performance Indicator for DDOT
Image: FY 2018 Proposed Budget

Measures also include those associated with the Vision Zero Initiative, which aims to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries for all road users. For example, the “number of crashes with bicyclists involved” shows 647 in 2015, a decrease of 201 in 2016, and a projected goal for 2017 and 2018 of zero crashes.

Capital Budget

The Capital budget includes many projects that have a direct impact on how bicyclists and pedestrians safely and directly get to where they want to go. The Capital Improvements Plan, or CIP, contains new projects and residual funding from prior year projects with available balances. The CIP projects spending over a 6-year period from FY 2018 through FY 2023. The CIP covers the construction of infrastructure but also the design work and certain planning elements.

Capital funds are derived from local taxes and fees and from federal sources, like highway funding, block grants and specific federal payments requested by Congress. Much of the District’s capital budget is funded with municipal bonds that must be repaid, typically in 10 to 30 years.

While there are many projects that could allow for better bicycling, like curb cuts, let’s focus on projects that specifically support bicycling and trails. The following projects are new or expand existing projects.

BikeShare Expansion
One of the largest new investments in bicycling support BikeShare expansion. The project, Capital Bikeshare Expansion (KA0-CBS02), provides $8.0 million over next few years to continue the expansion of system by purchasing additional bikes and stations. The proposed funding allocates $2.0 million in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 and another $2.0 million in 2021 and 2022.

11th Street Bridge Park
The budget also contains plans to expand or beautify the District’s trail network. The budget contains an additional $8 million for the 11th Street Bridge Park project (ED0D5), which when combined with prior year allocations, has a total of $29.5 million. The additional funding, to be spent in FY 2020, supports the design costs of the park. Preliminary plans include bike and pedestrian trails, outdoor performance spaces, play areas, gardens, information about the river and its ecosystem, a dock to launch boats and kayaks to explore the river.

Transportation Improvement Program
On the operating side of the budget, DDOT was reorganized potentially allowing certain short and long-term planning elements to operated more smoothly. The Travel Demand Management project (ZU000) contains much of the Transportation Improvement Program or TIP funding for the District. This project received an additional $33.4 million over the 6-year period. Also, the budget has multiple subprojects that allocate funds to achieve specific goals like Capital Bikeshare Marketing and Outreach (ZU057C), Bike Parking Racks (ZUT06A), or Bike Cycle Tracks (ZUD12A)

Specifically, the funding allocated in this project supports services and facilities that promote safe and attractive walking and bicycling as well as programs that promote mass transit, and other creative ways to provide alternatives to auto travel as well as significant outreach, education, and promotion. A list of all TIP projects can be seen on the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board website.

A list of bike-specific projects that are not classified as “Completed” can be seen below:

So that was a lot of stuff and only the first part, remember – the Council will have a role. As more information becomes available, we’ll talk.

If I’ve missed something or you have questions, let me know.

Bike, Pedestrian, and DDOT Budget Oversight Hearings Scheduled

A Plethora of BikeShare Bikes
Image: Author

Why hasn’t the District Government built or maintained this or that bike infrastructure?

Ask them yourself.

The Council of the District of Columbia has posted its Performance Oversight hearings schedule for the Fiscal Year 2016-2017 Approved Budget for the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), D.C. Bicycle Advisory Council (DCBAC), and Pedestrian Advisory Council.

Hearings for these agencies are scheduled for Monday, March 13, 2017 at 11am in the fifth floor Council Chambers, room 500, within the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

The agencies will make presentations before the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, chaired by Council member Mary Cheh (Ward 3). Oversight hearings give residents the opportunity to ask bike or transportation-specific questions, like why the 6th Street NW protected lanes are taking so long or why vehicles continue to make u-turns on Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

The Oversight hearings provide a forum for Council and the public to ask questions regarding the current operations of District Government agencies like DDOT, committees, and other government organizations during the current fiscal year, which began October 1, 2016 and provide information about successes (and failures) during the prior year.

The hearings also provides an opportunity for residents to submit testimony on bicycling-related issues before Council. DDOT representatives will be present and may answer questions about the District’s bicycle-related policies or address concerns or certain community needs.

Testifying before Council also helps you become an advocate for more bicycle infrastructure. Council members, or their staff, may ask questions about your issue and direct government witnesses to explain it or take corrective action.

While advocates always ask people to testify, they rarely explain what that entails. As BikeSpecific has testified a few times before, it has some thoughts on what to expect. If you are ready to testify for the first time, great. Below are some tips:

Sign up now. Contact Aukima Benjamin at 724-8062 or e-mail her at abenjamin@dccouncil.us. She coordinates with the the Committee on Transportation and the Environment.
The Panel. Once the Committee chair begins the hearing and provides opening remarks, she will empanel witnesses by calling out names and having them sit at a table placed in front of the dais. There can be several panels depending on the total number of speakers. Sometimes, organizations go first, then public witnesses, then government witnesses. The panel table has up to 4 microphones and sometimes a pitcher of water. Have a drink.
When called, make sure you turn the microphone on and bring it within about 12 inches of your mouth. Say your name, speak normally. If they can’t hear you, make sure the microphone is on and closer to you. When you’re done speaking, turn the microphone off.

At the center of the witness table, their are 3 lights: green (keep talking), yellow (you’ve got less than 30 seconds), and red (times up and electronic buzzing will commence). They may give you a few more seconds to finish your thought but don’t press your luck.
Written testimony. Council encourages, but does not require, the submission of written testimony in advance of the hearing, typically three business days before. If you do not submit written testimony beforehand, Council requests that you bring 10 copies with you to the hearing so that they can circulate it among the members and staff.
If you read what you write, practice reading it. Do this to ensure that you don’t go over time and sometimes written statements sounds strange or cause you to stumble when spoken. The hearing will be televised live on the District’s Cable channel. Tell your friends and warm up the VCR.
Watch your time. While written testimony can be longer, your oral testimony must be under 3 minutes as they can be strict with regard to time. Those representing organizations tend to have more time, up to 5 minutes. So if you represent a group, you’ll have extra time to make your case.
Generally, public witnesses are have 3 minutes to voice concerns or praise. Most witnesses read from their written testimony while more experienced speakers tend to highlight particular points so that they have time to discuss them later.
You are not the only person with questions. Typically after the panel has made their statements, Council members may ask follow up questions. The Committee Chair begins first. The questions are usually asked in the same order as witness statements. Once the Committee Chair has completed asking her questions, she will ask if members of the committee have questions. If it’s an issue they value, council members may ask more than one question or may ask your thoughts on what someone else says at the witness table. If the Council members don’t ask questions, don’t be offended, time may be an issue. Rarely, Council members who are not member of the Committee may participate. Lucky you.
Cannot make the hearing. Not everyone is capable of attending due to work or they are out of the area. Council accepts written testimony now and up to two days after the end of the hearing.
The DCBAC also encourages you to submit comments to it directly. As they will be testifying as an entity of the government, you can contact them about what they’ve done or let them know if you’ve experienced issues while biking. Last year’s Council oversight hearing submission documents for DCBAC as well as other agencies under the purview of the Transportation committee provide insight into what issues are generally discussed.
Talking in front of large crowds isn’t my thing. Hearings are open to the public so if you have issues with public speaking, the option of just sitting in the hearing room may be for you. As the hearing will be shown live, having a full room shows the Council members and the public the importance of bicycling. Also, attendance is important for the public witnesses, as it lets them know that you have their back.
No need to freak out. This process can be intimidating. Relax. Hundreds of people of all ages are public witnesses so it’s really not that hard. Talk about what you know, don’t talk about what you don’t. For most public witnesses, the process is not adversarial so be cordial and topical. Council and government agencies really want to know what almost all of you think – but keep it about transportation. If you need to talk about boxing and wrestling, there’s a hearing for that…

For those who want to testify but don’t know where to begin, below is a sample copy of a witness hearing statement or testimony. Depending on how quickly you read, two and a half pages equals about 3 minutes.