Southwest DC mobility innovation pilot could provide high-tech transportation equity solutions

Recently DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, the Office of Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, and the Southwest Business Improvement District (BID)* alongside community partnerships formally announced the creation of a Mobility Innovation District (MID) in Southwest DC.

The northern boundary of the MID sits on Independence Avenue south of the National Mall and is bound by its southern border on M Street SW and Maine Avenue SW. The east and west borders are constrained by 15th Street NW to the east and South Capitol Street to the west. The service area is seen in the graphic below:

This announcement comes three years after the original proposal for the MID crafted in 2019. Focused on autonomous driving, the proposal outlines a three-phase approach to piloting an autonomous driving shuttle (ADS). The initiative, informed by the District’s Autonomous Vehicles Working Group established in 2018, intended to create a link from the high pedestrian traffic areas around the National Mall, L’Enfant Metro, and Virginia Railway Express transit corridor to venues, restaurants, and businesses situated at the Waterfront.

The 2019 proposal detailed a highly ambitious pilot project testing the feasibility of adopting self-driving buses (Level 4) into DC’s urban transportation models. The proposed three phases were:

• Phase 1: Operate a fixed route on a loop connecting Independence Ave and the National Mall to the Wharf
• Phase 2: Expand the shuttle service to include services to and from the National Mall to Navy Yard Metro
• Phase 3: Create a more complex route through the neighborhoods privileging micro trips to places like grocery stores that cater to the needs of older and aging riders

The vision for the 2019 proposal stated, “Our vision is to keep the District on the cutting-edge of AV technology while providing safe, reliable, and accessible transportation options to the most vulnerable users, including people with disabilities and our aging population, and to serve as a showcase for both national decision-makers and the public to familiarize themselves with this emerging technology”

The proposal also justified piloting mobility innovation for DC’s aging population because of the high cost of current MetroAccess services.

These pilots, scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2020, never happened. Stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the establishment of the MID underwent a redesign, most notably to a system that doesn’t run with autonomous vehicles.

In October, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and her partners announced that they will be partnering with Circuit, an electric micro-mobility start-up based out of New York City. They specialize in geo-fenced on-demand electric shared rides for very short distances, namely neighborhood transport, using human-operated mini-buses.

It is unclear whether the city will provide the piloted services for free, much like the Circulator was through much of the pandemic, or if its riders will be asked to pay a small fee like the Circulator charges now. It also remains unclear whether the shuttles will be accessible along predetermined routes or if the rider can set the starting and ending locations.

Despite obvious changes between the first pilot proposal for the MID and Mayor Bowser’s October announcement, equity and access remain its focus. While riding a driverless bus has a certain wow-factor, equity of access may more rapidly be gained from an on-demand shuttle.

Classified as a multi-use area, Southwest DC is host to institutions like the International Spy Museum, a number of federal buildings that employ around 60,000 workers, entertainment venues, schools, as well as single and multi-family housing units.

This mixture of large-scale employers and residents is not unique to Southwest DC, but it is unique in that the area is cross-cut by both, above and below-ground rail and highways. US 1, Interstate 395, and Interstate 695 all converge in Southwest DC dividing the neighborhood both north-south, and east-west. This car-centric design creates mobility issues for both residents and visitors alike.

The current mobility issues caused by privileging private transportation are rooted in the District of Columbia Redevelopment Act of 1950. This act, intended in word to restore blighted and abandoned areas to improve health and safety in cities, demolished the long-standing Black community that resided in Southwest. During the urban renewal process, 99% of buildings were razed and 4,500 families were displaced. In their place, L’Enfant Plaza and most of the current infrastructure were built.

The history of the built environment in Southwest and the prioritizing of single-family transport in transportation infrastructure, make Southwest a strategic choice for a MID. All types of transport choices and roads exist within DC’s smallest quadrant, yet it remains somewhat disconnected from other areas of the city, especially for pedestrians and cyclists. Its size and ability to offer highly controlled and complex testing environments will allow mobility innovation and pilots authentic testing spaces while providing needed services.

*Disclosure: The Southwest BID is a member of DC Sustainable Transportation, a coalition run by GGWash.