D.C.'s Official Pedestrian Advisory Body

Appointed by the D.C. Council to advise the Mayor, the D.C. Council, DDOT and other agencies.

Next Meeting: March 11th, 2024

Hear from city officials, help us develop policy recommendations, and learn about our work to upgrade the city's streetscape.

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DDOT aims to resolve sidewalk repair requests within 25 business days. Contact them here.

Council tries again to compensate crash victims

Councilmember Mary Cheh introduced legislation on the first day of the DC Council’s new session that would make it easier for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and bicyclists to receive compensation for injuries and losses after a crash involving a motor vehicle.

The new bill follows a debate during the last Council session over legislation to end contributory negligence, a legal standard which resulted in pedestrians and cyclists sometimes being denied compensation if they were partially at fault in a crash. The earlier legislation, introduced by Councilmember David Grosso, failed after insurance company representatives and trial lawyers objected. The main concern of trial lawyers was that ending contributory negligence would lead to ending joint and several liability, a standard that allows a victim to collect compensation from a responsible party with greater assets if another responsible party has no assets.

The new bill is co-sponsored by Councilmembers Grosso, Anita Bonds, Jack Evans and Charles Allen and was introduced on January 6. The bill would codify common law that says a non-motorized road user such as a pedestrian, bicyclist or wheelchair user is entitled to receive compensation if they are not more than 50 percent responsible for a collision. The act would not change or affect contributory negligence.

No hearings are scheduled at this time. Coverage of this issue is also available from WAMU and the Washington City Paper.

Bowser Names New DDOT Director

On the first day of 2015, incoming Mayor Muriel Bowser named her choice for Director of District Department of Transportation. Leif Dormsjo comes to the District from the Maryland Department of Transportation, where he served as Deputy Secretary for Planning and Project Management. Dormsjo replaces Matt Brown, who Bowser named as the new Director of the Office of Budget and Finance.

Background information about Dormsjo is available on the DDOT website. David Alpert of Greater GreaterWashington also weighed in on the appointment.