(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), the Southwest Business Improvement District (Southwest BID), and community leaders launched DC’s first-ever Mobility Innovation District (The MID). This new, multi-year mobility project will improve equitable access to transportation for residents and visitors in Southwest and create a global innovation hub to show how mobility innovation can make a city more equitable, sustainable, safe, and prosperous. DMPED provided a $3 million grant to the Southwest BID to support the creation of The MID.

“Through the activation of our beautiful waterfront, we have brought more jobs, opportunities, retail, restaurants, and entertainment to Southwest DC. In turn, that means more people coming to and through the community,” said Mayor Bowser. “By creating the Mobility Innovation District, we can reduce congestion, ensure more neighbors are benefiting from new opportunities, and build a greener, more sustainable DC.”

Drawing on Southwest’s unique assets – established neighborhoods, new large-scale mixed-used developments, regional attractions, and proximity to the National Mall – The MID will attract mobility companies that bring new technology to market and create jobs in DC. During today’s event, the Mayor announced that Circuit, a micro-transit company that has earned a reputation for all-electric, on-demand transportation solutions, has been selected to create a new mobility service for residents and visitors that will circle the Southwest neighborhood. The goal is to reduce congestion and its harmful effects on the environment and our quality of life.

Circuit will help connect some of the city’s leading attractions and top dining destinations with fixed transit options and economic opportunities. The on-demand service will be bound roughly by Independence Avenue to the north; 15th Street SW and waterfront to the west; Q Street SW to the south; and South Capitol Street to the east – with the extension into Capitol Riverfront/near SE service area from M to New Jersey Ave SE to I Street SW.

“Mayor Bowser and The MID are working together to modernize our transportation infrastructure to increase the modes of transportation and create systems to make our public transportation system more accessible to seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income residents,” said Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio. “One in four adults nationwide lacks access to safe, reliable transportation. The solutions we uncover will help create a more equitable city and create models that can be replicated nationally, so every Washingtonian and American can access opportunities and make the most of their fair shot.”

The Southwest BID also announced new Requests for Proposals for projects focused on Universal Basic Mobility (UBM) and electrification. The UBM pilot will provide residents with a transportation stipend that they can use on a wide range of public and privately operated transportation options. The project will provide insight into what future modes of transportation are needed to serve residents who currently face a barrier to employment due to lack of transportation. The electrification project will aim to deliver electric vehicle charging infrastructure in public places where it does not currently exist, with the goal of advancing the adoption of electric vehicles and micro-mobility modes like electric scooters and bicycles.

“The Southwest is the perfect neighborhood to test and pilot new mobility ideas and technologies,” said Steve Moore, Executive Director of the SWBID. “The MID plants the seed for future-forward mobility solutions, new job training possibilities, and the attraction of new business. Mobility solutions make a real and lasting contribution to the quality of life of our neighbors. And there are certain assurances as we step into the next three years of this project: safe mobility.”

In Mayor Bowser’s FY 2023 budget, she invests in projects that modernize the District’s mobility that include:

• $57M to complete the K Street Transitway, providing protected bus and bike lanes through downtown
• $102M over six years to continue a transformative plan to make bus transit faster and more reliable
• $15M over six years to continue expanding Capital Bikeshare so that every resident has a station with a quarter-mile of their home
• $125M over six years for new or rehabilitated trails to improve connectivity to the regional trail network
• $18.5M for a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge to Kingman Island.

In addition to funding The MID through the BID Vibrant Places Fund, Mayor Bowser also provided $6 million in seed funding in Fiscal Year 2022 to two other districts focused on innovation and creativity: Penn West and Anacostia Arts and Culture District. For more information on additional business funding opportunities and initiatives, visit obviouslydc.com.

Source: DC.gov