D.C. Code § 50-921.04

Current through codified legislation effective September 18, 2024

Section 50-921.04 - [Effective Until 10/24/2024] Duties

(a) DDOT shall plan, program, operate, manage, control, and maintain systems, processes, and programs to meet transportation needs as follows:

(1) Pursuant to its responsibility for transportation project delivery, DDOT shall

(A) Identify transportation needs of the District and design, manage, and implement transportation improvement plans and projects, including design, engineering, and related support;

(B) Develop and update the Intermodal State Transportation Plan, corridor management plans, and other traffic studies on a regular basis, focusing on the safe and efficient movement of people, goods, and information;

(C) Conduct planning studies on the condition and quality of the District's transportation system in order to locate areas where future investment is required;

(D) Manage and construct capital projects related to the design and installation of streets, alleys, curbs, gutters, bicycle lanes, sidewalks, streetscapes, and medians;

(E) Review and approve the use of construction materials for capital projects;

(F) Administer the full range of processing required to execute construction contracts for transportation, from initial preparation of bid documents through final construction completion;

(G) Implement managed lane policies, including lane pricing, vehicle eligibility, and access control; provided, that at least one lane of traffic on a street with managed lanes shall be free of charge; provided further, that DDOT shall submit to the Council any policy created pursuant to this subparagraph for approval by act before implementation;

(H) With the consent of the Chief Property Management Officer, acquire real property by purchase, lease, grant, or gift for use by DDOT, and dispose of real property through sale, lease, or other authorized method, and exercise other acquisition and property disposition authority delegated to the Mayor;

(I) Conduct studies;

(J) Develop streetscape standards;

(K) Develop policies and programs to encourage and provide for the safe use of bicycles for recreation and work-related travel, including planning, developing, operating, and regulating a Bicycle Sharing program, and administering the Bicycle Sharing Fund established by § 50-921.16 to fund a Bicycle Sharing program;

(L) Develop and update the District's various transportation improvement plans, consistent with federal and local requirements;

(M) Plan, manage, and contract for all, or any part of, the design, engineering, construction, operation, and maintenance of any element of the Integrated Premium Transit System;

(N) Develop paratransit systems, water taxis, tour bus support systems, light rail streetcar transit systems, and other transportation services to provide for safe and efficient movement of persons throughout the city;

(O) Operate the District of Columbia School Transit Subsidy Program;

(P) Prepare studies on transit policy, mass transit, and alternative transit needs of District residents, including rail and bus services, review and revise bus routes, review and revise the location of bus shelter locations, support WMATA Board members, and act as a liaison between WMATA and the District government;

(Q) Operate, maintain, and regulate the DC Circulator pursuant to subchapter II of this chapter;

(R) Operate, maintain, and regulate the DC Streetcar pursuant to subchapter IV of this chapter;

(S) Submit to the Transit Rider Advisory Council proposed fare or service adjustments, as that term is defined in § 50-921.35 (a-1)(3);

(T) Submit to the Transit Rider Advisory Council strategic or long-term plans to expand and improve local transit service;

(U) Develop and implement transportation safety programs;

(V) Incorporate transportation safety features in the development, design, and construction of pedestrian, bicycle, motor vehicle, and mass transportation facilities and programs;

(W) Carry out duties related to freight and passenger rail, to the extent such authority has been delegated or required by federal law, and duties relating to State Transportation Environmental Compliance; and

(X) Manage, control, and implement transportation improvement plans and projects on land transferred from the federal government for recreational use pursuant to 40 U.S.C. § 8124 and section 1 of An Act To authorize the transfer of jurisdiction over public land in the District of Columbia, approved May 20, 1932 (47 Stat. 161; D.C. Official Code § 10-111), in cases where the land transferred is adjacent to public space and is part of a transportation improvement plan or project.

(2) DDOT may enter into agreements to allow the private sponsorship of bicycles, equipment, and facilities used in the Bicycle Sharing program, and the placement of a corporate logo, slogan, or other indicia of sponsorship on the bicycles or facilities, and on related websites and social media; provided, that an agreement that would modify the name or design of any part of the Capital Bikeshare system, including equipment or facilities, shall be submitted to the Council for a 30-day period of passive review before execution. The agreement submitted to the Council shall include detailed information about a proposed name or design. All proceeds collected from a private sponsorship agreement shall be deposited into the Bicycle Sharing Fund established by § 50-921.16.

(2A) The Project Delivery Administration shall not construct a capital project described in paragraph (1)(D) of this subsection if the cost of work that is done in the public space is greater than $1 million and the project will require any road reconstruction or major repair, installation of a curb and gutter, or curb and gutter replacement, unless DDOT has published a report on its website describing how the capital project:

(A) Implements a project or recommendation listed in the Multimodal Long-Range Transportation Plan ("Transportation Plan");

(B) Increases safety for users of modes of transportation other than motor vehicles, as that term is defined in section 8 of An Act To provide for the annual inspection of all motor vehicles in the District of Columbia, effective March 15, 1985 (D.C. Law 5-176; D.C. Official Code § 50-1108);

(C) Increases equitable access to public transportation by furthering the Transportation Plan's goal of 50% of all commuter trips by public transportation by 2032, including a description of whether the capital project improves equitable access to public transportation in an area identified as a transit priority need area in the Transportation Plan;

(D) Fulfills a public safety goal of the District; or

(E) Is required by law or as a condition of a federal grant.

(3) Pursuant to its responsibility for transportation operations, DDOT shall:

(A) Maintain a tree inventory system;

(B) Perform routine tree maintenance;

(C) Review transportation related construction plans to ensure the provision of adequate rights-of-way for tree planting;

(D) Plant and maintain trees on public space and on District-owned land, including parks and school property;

(D-i) Remove and trim trees citywide;

(D-ii) Review construction plans for the District of Columbia Public Schools, the Department of General Services, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and other District agencies to ensure the tree canopy is protected;

(E) Review, approve, and issue public space permit requests for occupancy, work within, or other use of the public space, including private use and utility work public space requests, and ensure that transportation services are maintained and that the infrastructure is restored after the occupancy, work within, or other use is complete;

(F) Maintain official public space records;

(G) Perform regular inspections of the transportation infrastructure and maintain all DDOT assets;

(H) Enter into agreements to allow the placement of advertisements on District property, under the control of DDOT, and collect payments under the agreements, if:

(i) The placement of the advertisement is not in violation of District or federal laws, regulations, or orders; and

(ii) All proceeds collected from the advertising agreement shall be paid into the DDOT Enterprise Fund for Transportation Initiatives, established under § 50-921.13; provided, that proceeds related to advertisements on bicycles, equipment, or facilities used for the purposes of the Bicycle Sharing program shall be deposited into the Bicycle Sharing Fund established by § 50-921.16; provided further, that proceeds relating to private sponsorship of vehicles, equipment, and facilities used in the DC Circulator program shall be deposited into the DC Circulator Fund established by § 50-921.33; provided further, that proceeds relating to private sponsorship of vehicles, equipment, and facilities used in the DC Streetcar program shall be deposited into the DC Streetcar Fund established by § 50-921.73;

(I) Develop, implement, and enforce a comprehensive plan that covers the care, maintenance, and upkeep of public space and federal reservations under the control of DDOT;

(J) Ensure that the transportation system is maintained to the highest standards;

(K) Perform routine repair and maintenance activities to maintain a high quality of transportation infrastructure;

(L) Coordinate seasonal snow removal operation on streets throughout the District in conjunction with the Department of Public Works and other District agencies;

(M) Maintain the mechanical and electrical street light systems that support the transportation infrastructure;

(N) Provide a safe transportation system by maintaining a high-quality traffic control system, including traffic signals and street lights;

(O) Maintain the mechanical and electrical systems signal systems that support the transportation infrastructure;

(P) Where necessary to manage the flow of traffic, respond to incidents, or manage special events, concurrent with any other agency's authority to do so, enforce all violations of statutes, regulations, executive orders, or rules relating to motor vehicle parking offenses and the operation of a motor vehicle, except those violations contained in § 50-2302.02;

(Q) Allocate and regulate on-street parking;

(R) Develop a city-wide parking management program to balance the needs of parking in support of economic development;

(S) Establish citywide parking and curbside management regulations, taking into account input from other District agencies, as necessary;

(T) Install and maintain parking meters and other parking control devices and systems on public rights-of-way and other public spaces in the District; and

(U) Establish policies encouraging energy conservation, the reduction of pollution, including through the use of alternative-fuel vehicles, the reduction of traffic congestion, and an increase in transportation services to persons with disabilities.

(3A) The Operations Administration shall not issue a public space permit described in paragraph (3)(E) of this subsection if the work that is done in the public space has an aggregate cost greater than $1 million and the project will require any road reconstruction or major repair, installation of a curb and gutter, or curb and gutter replacement, unless:

(A) The applicant's project plan includes:

(i) If the project is on a road segment that lacks a sidewalk on the side of the street where the project for which a permit is requested will occur, a requirement that the applicant install a new sidewalk on that block that connects to an existing sidewalk if there is an existing sidewalk within 0.1 miles of the new sidewalk, on either end, that is on the same side of the street as the new sidewalk;

(ii) If the project is on a road segment that includes a crosswalk, as that term is defined in 18 DCMR § 9901.1, that is not a marked, high-visibility crosswalk, a requirement that the applicant make the crosswalk a marked, high-visibility crosswalk, unless DDOT determines that installing a high-visibility, marked crosswalk would reduce pedestrian safety;

(iii) If any crosswalks are removed during the project, a requirement that the applicant replace the crosswalk with a high-visibility, marked crosswalk, unless DDOT determines that installing a high-visibility, marked crosswalk would reduce pedestrian safety;

(iv) If a bicycle lane is removed during the project, a requirement that the applicant replace the bicycle lane to its pre-construction condition, and, after September 30, 2021, if more than 50 feet of a bicycle lane is removed during the project, replace that block of the bicycle lane with a protected bicycle lane or a cycle track when called for in DDOT's Multimodal Long-Range Transportation Plan; and

(v) A requirement that the applicant submit photographs and any other materials as required by DDOT evidencing the applicant's compliance with the requirements of this subparagraph.

(B) DDOT certifies that, for any past project that required any road reconstruction or major repair, installation of a curb and gutter, or curb and gutter replacement for which the applicant received a public space permit described in paragraph (3)(E) of this subsection after the applicability date of section 4 of the Vision Zero Omnibus Enhancement Amendment Act of 2020, passed on 2nd reading on September 22, 2020 (Enrolled version of Bill 23-288), the applicant has complied with all requirements of past project plans, as required by subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.

(4) Pursuant to its responsibility for agency administration, DDOT shall:

(A) Perform financial planning, financial management, and budgeting activities;

(B) Perform functions relating to workforce development and the management of human resources;

(C) Support the contracting and procurement of goods and services required to fulfill DDOT's functions; and

(D) Manage DDOT's fleet, warehouses, and other facilities.

(5) Pursuant to its responsibility for ensuring adequate performance of the other duties identified in this section, DDOT shall:

(A) Develop and maintain a performance monitoring system to measure the quality and effectiveness of transportation services;

(B) Develop and maintain the transportation elements of the Geographic Information System;

(C) Maintain a webpage that makes publicly available and easily searchable:

(i) All data the Mayor is required to collect pursuant to sections 101 through 107 of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Amendment Act of 2016, effective October 8, 2016 (D.C. Law 21-155; D.C. Official Code §§ 50-1951.01 through 50-1951.07); and

(ii) Data in the Department of Health's annual Trauma Registry Report that is anonymized as to specific individuals.

(D) Develop and maintain a tutorial maintained on the webpage required by subparagraph (C) of this paragraph describing how to access the data published on the webpage required by subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.

(E) Provide customer service.

(6) The Director shall designate DDOT staff who are responsible for:

(A) Providing legal counsel;

(B) Civil rights matters;

(C) Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, approved July 26, 1990 (104 Stat. 327; 42 U.S.C. § 12101et seq.);

(D) Senior and elderly affairs; and

(E) Policy and legislative affairs.

(7) The Director shall establish such offices and divisions as, in the Director's judgment, are appropriate to efficiently and soundly administer DDOT's various responsibilities.

(b) For the purposes of this section, the term:

(1) "DC Streetcar" means a fixed guideway transit network offering rail passenger service operated by the District government or its agent.

(2) "Integrated Premium Transit System" means an integrated transit system composed of any or all of the DC Streetcar, bus service operated or managed by, or on behalf of, the District government consistent with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Regulation Compact, and facilities including buildings, other structures, and parking areas appurtenant to the DC Streetcar and bus service.

D.C. Code § 50-921.04

Amended by D.C. Law 25-544,§ 2, 71 DCR 009971, eff. 7/26/2024, exp. 10/24/2024.

Amended by D.C. Law 23-158, § 4 , 67 DCR 13057, eff. 12/23/2020.

May 21, 2002, D.C. Law 14-137, § 5, 49 DCR 3444; Apr. 13, 2005, D.C. Law 15-354, § 77(b), (c), 52 DCR 2638; Mar. 6, 2007, D.C. Law 16-225, § 3(d), 53 DCR 10232; Sept. 18, 2007, D.C. Law 17-20, § 6032(b), 54 DCR 7052; Oct. 22, 2008, D.C. Law 17-248, § 2(b), 55 DCR 9203; Sept. 24, 2010, D.C. Law 18-223, § 6052(b), 57 DCR 6242; Mar. 31, 2011, D.C. Law 18-339, § 6(b), 58 DCR 618; Sept. 14, 2011, D.C. Law 19-21, § 6022, 58 DCR 6226; Sept. 26, 2012, D.C. Law 19-171, § 139, 59 DCR 6190; Mar. 19, 2013, D.C. Law 19-234, § 2(a), 59 DCR 14772; Apr. 27, 2013, D.C. Law 19-289, § 8, 60 DCR 2328; Feb. 26, 2015, D.C. Law 20-155, §§ 6012, 6022, 6032(a), 61 DCR 9990; Mar. 11, 2015, D.C. Law 20-207, § 2(b), 61 DCR 12690; June 22, 2016, D.C. Law 21-124, § 101(b), 63 DCR 7076; July 1, 2016, D.C. Law 21-133, § 3, 63 DCR 7134; Dec. 13, 2017, D.C. Law 22-33, § 6072(a), 64 DCR 7652; Oct. 30, 2018, D.C. Law 22-168, § 6022, 65 DCR 9388.

Section 6062 of D.C. Law 19-168 provided that on or before September 30, 2013, the District Department of Transportation shall prepare a policy compendium listing all of the agency's policies and procedures that affect the management of the transportation network and public space; and that the District Department of Transportation shall make the policy compendium available online.

Section 6063 of D.C. Law 19-168 provided that on or before October 1, 2012, January 1, 2013, April 1, 2013, and July 1, 2013, the District Department of Transportation shall submit a report to the Council on the status of the policy compendium, the progress made in the preceding quarter, and the projected timeline for completion.

Section 9 of D.C. Law 19-289 provided: "Any order, rule, or regulation in effect under a law replaced by this act shall remain in effect until repealed, amended, or superseded."

Applicability of D.C. Law 19-289, § ,8: Section 10 of D.C. Law 19-289 provided that sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the act shall not apply until the Mayor's issuance of a comprehensive final rulemaking governing signs on public space and private property pursuant to section 2 of the act. Section 2 of D.C. Law 19-289 rewrote §§ ,1-303.21 and 1-303.23, and repealed § 1-303.22 .

Applicability of D.C. Law 20-207: Section 12(a) of D.C. Law 20-207 provided that §§ 2(a), 2(b)(1), 2(b)(2)(A), 2(b)(2)(B), 2(b)(2)(C), 2(c), 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 shall apply as of March 11, 2015.

Section 12(b) of D.C. Law 20-207 provided that § 2(b)(2)(D) of the act shall apply upon the inclusion of its fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan, as certified by the Chief Financial Officer to the Budget Director of the Council in a certification published by the Council in the District of Columbia Register.

Applicability

Section 7009 of D.C. Law 22-33 removed the applicability restriction of § 12(b) of D.C. Law 20-207 which had already been overwritten by D.C. Law 21-124

Section 7012 of D.C. Law 21-160 repealed § 4(b) of D.C. Law 21-133. Therefore the changes made to this section by D.C. Law 21-133 have been given effect.

Applicability of D.C. Law 21-133: § 4(b) of D.C. Law 21-133 provided that the change made to this section by § 3 of D.C. Law 21-133 is subject to the inclusion of the law's fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.

This section is set out more than once due to postponed, multiple, or conflicting amendments.