TESTIMONYOFJAMEELALSALAM,MEMBER,DCBICYCLEADVISORY

COUNCILBEFORETHEDCCOUNCILCOMMITTEEONENVIRONMENT,PUBLIC
WORKSANDTRANSPORTATIONMarch6,2015

Goodmorning,ChairwomanCheh,andmembersoftheCommittee.MynameisJameel
Alsalam.IrepresentWard4ontheDCBicycleAdvisoryCouncil(BAC).Thankyoufor
theopportunitytoappearbeforeyouthismorning.

IwanttothanktheDCgovernmentofficialswhoarepartnerswiththeBACinpursuitof
amorebikefriendlycity:DistrictDepartmentofTransportations(DDOTs)Active
Transportationstaff,leadbyJimSebastian,andespeciallyMikeGoodno,DDOTs
bicyclespecialisttheMetropolitanPoliceDepartment(MPD)representativeSgt.Terry
ThorneandtheDCOfficeofPlanningsJoshuaGhaffari.

ThismorningIwouldliketosharewiththecommitteeashortsummaryofwhattheBAC
accomplishedin2014,andlookingto2015ourowngoalsandwhatweseeaspriorities
forDCtoimprovementforbicyclinginthecity.

2014BACAccomplishments
In2014,theBACprovidedinputonawiderangeofbicyclingissuesthrougha
combinationofgeneralandcommitteemeetings,lettersandtestimony,andpublic
comments.

Weaccomplishedtwooutofthespecificthreegoalsthatwesetoutatlastyears
oversighthearing.

First,onMoveDC,oneofourmemberswasontheadvisorycommittee,weheld
meetingswithDDOTplanners,andparticipatedinpublicbrainstormingsessions.Iam
personallythrilledthatwenowhaveacomprehensivetransportationplanwhichis
integratesallmodesoftransportationinDistrictofColumbia.

Second,weheldfourbicyclestudytoursineachquadrantofthecity.TheBACalso
engagedwithDDOTonconstructionzonerules,Streetcar,andimprovedmaintenance.
Imhappythatthiswinterforthefirsttime,therewasaspecificplanforclearingsnow
fromtrailsandthenewprotectedcycletracks.Thereisstillworkthatneedstobedone
toimprovemaintenanceinotherareas,suchasclearingsnowfrombridgesidepaths.

Ourthirdgoalin2014wastoworkwiththeDCTaxiCommissiononsafetytrainingor
othersolutionstoreduceconflicts.Wedidnotaccomplishthisgoal,whichIthinkwas

duetoacombinationofalackofBACmembertime/expertise,andthefactthatwedont
haveaspecificmandatetoworkwiththeTaxicabcommission.

Lastly,thisyearwesignificantlyimprovedtheoperationsoftheBAC.Althoughthe
CouncilhasdirectedDDOTtoprovidetheBACwithabudgetforseveralyears,forthis
firsttimethispastyearDDOTandOCFOwereabletoestablishaprocessfortheBAC
tospenditsbudget,leadingtosignificantlyimprovedcommunicationswiththepublic.

2015BACActivities&PrioritiesforDC:

MoveDCImplementation
.

BACgoal:ProvideadvicetoDDOT,theCouncil,andtheMayorregarding
implementationofMoveDCplan.Wewillalsoconductfourbicyclestudytours.

DCpriorities:
1)RobustimplementationwillbeneededtomeetthegoalsoftheMoveDC
plan
.Inthepast,bicyclefacilitieshavesometimesbeenfocusedoneasyprojects.
MoveDClaysoutanambitiousplanforaconnectednetworkofprotectedcycletracks.
Thistypeoftransformationwontbeeasy,anditdeservessignificantfocusofcity
leaders.

2)ImprovethestructureandfunctioningofDDOT
.Contractingprocesses
andtrailconstructionhavebeentooslow.Thisisanareawheremyunderstandinghas
changedsinceIsubmittedtheprehearingoversightquestions.Istillthinkincreased
fundingfortrailsandbikeparkingwouldbehelpful,butevenmorehelpfulwouldbe
increasedfocusofDDOTandcityleadersonmakingcontractingprocessesrun
moreefficiently
and
betterintegratingbike/pedfacilityimplementationwithother
partsofDDOT
.RightnowthepeopleresponsibleforbikingandwalkingatDDOTare
somewhatstovepipedfromotherDDOTfunctions.

Legislative
.

BACgoal:Monitorandprovideinputonlegislativeissuesrelatedtobicyclingasthey
arise.

DCpriorities:

3)Passabillthatchangesthecurrentcontributorynegligencestandard
for
vulnerableroadusers.Peoplewalkingandbikingareparticularlylikelytobeinjured,
andtheyneedafairchanceincaseswheretheyarehitbydriversfoundtohavebeen
mostlyatfault.

4)
Weshouldalso
offerallDCemployeesbicyclecommuterbenefits
similar
tothetransitbenefitsalreadyoffered.

Safety
.

BACgoal:EngagewiththeMetropolitanPoliceDepartmenttoencouragerobust
safetyfocusedtrafficenforcementandtrainingofofficers.

DCpriorities:

MayorBowseracceptedthe
VisionZerochallenge
.DChasbeennationally
recognizedforpasteffortstoreducetrafficdeaths,buttherehasbeenarecentuptickin
thenumberofcrashesinvolvingpeopleridingbikes.TomakeprogressonVisionZero

5)MPDshouldfocusenforcementresourcesonthemostdangerous
locationsinthecity
and

6)DDOTandMPDshouldworktogethertomakechangestostreetdesign
tonaturallyencouragesafebehaviorfromroadusers
.TheseareboththingsthatI
thinkhavebeendoneinthepast,butIthinktheambitionofVisionZerorequiresbetter
formalizingandinstitutionalizingtheseefforts.

Thatistheendofmypreparedremarks.Thankyouforgivingmetheopportunityto
speakwithyoutoday.