Section 10-A420. T-4.1 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, TRANSPORTATION, AND SECURITY

 

420.1In light of the events of September 11, 2001, every major American city has embarked on emergency preparedness and traveler information systems designed to inform citizens how to respond in the event of an emergency. As the Nation’s Capital, this is a critically important issue for the District. 420.1

 

420.2Should the District face an emergency situation, the transportation system provides the critical means to evacuate residents, workers and visitors, as well as support the movement of emergency service response teams. Depending on the nature of an incident, persons may need to rely on car, train, bus, bike, and/or walking. Maintaining and planning for a well functioning, coordinated system that can adapt to the needs of an incident is essential. Given the District’s reliance on the regional transportation network in the event of an evacuation, close coordination with partners in Maryland and Virginia is also needed. 420.2

 

420.3The District’s Department of Transportation is the lead District agency for all regional and federal emergency transportation coordination and activities that affect the District. Another key agency is the District’s Emergency Management Agency (DCEMA), which partners with District agencies, businesses and communities to help plan for management of an emergency event. There is also increasing coordination between regional departments of transportation, the federal government, and other agencies, primarily through the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. 420.3

 

420.4The region has identified 25 corridors radiating from downtown Washington as emergency event/evacuation routes. Each of the routes extends to the Capital Beltway (I-495) and beyond. Customized roadway signs allow for easy identification of direction; outbound signs direct motorists to I-495 in Maryland and Virginia, and inbound signs show images of monuments. Evacuation routes are also identified by street name signs, which include the red and white District flag. 420.4

 

420.5If directions are given to evacuate the central business district, Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, between Rock Creek Park and the US Capitol serves as the dividing line for routes. None of the evacuation routes cross each other, and no vehicles would be permitted to cross Pennsylvania Avenue. Traffic signals would be timed to move traffic away from the incident area. In addition, police officers would be present at 70 critical intersections on the evacuation routes within the District to expedite the flow of traffic and prevent bottlenecks. There are also six bike trails identified that could be used by cyclists or pedestrians in the event of an evacuation. 420.5

 

420.6DCEMA has produced several sets of plans relating to emergency preparedness. Its Emergency Response Plan includes a transportation section, which details District policies, actions and responsibilities related to traffic management, the coordination of transportation logistics, and the status and/or restoration of the transportation infrastructure. In addition, DCEMA drafted 39 Community Emergency Preparedness Plans for neighborhood clusters throughout the District to help residents prepare for emergencies. However, these plans do not contain cluster-specific information regarding neighborhood evacuation routes, modes of travel and other transportation-related issues. 420.6

 

420.7Although the District is more equipped now than it has been in the past, additional planning is needed in order to better prepare the region’s transportation network and emergency management agencies. Not only should the District continue to plan for evacuations at the local level and provide the necessary information to the public, it must also improve coordination with its regional partners and take advantage of new technologies, as well as federal support, in preparing for emergencies. 420.7

 

420.8As home to the largest concentration of federal agencies and facilities in the Country, the District and the federal governments must continue to coordinate extensively to ensure the District’s security and mobility needs. Over the past decade, several of the District’s streets have been closed by the federal government to protect the White House and the US Capitol Building. These street closures have disrupted mobility for pedestrians and vehicles, requiring extensive re-routing of Metrobus and vehicular travel through downtown and Capitol Hill. This has led to delays for residents, workers, tourists, and emergency service providers. 420.8

 

Please refer to the Community Services and Facilities Element for additional policies and actions related to Emergency Preparedness and the Urban Design Element for policies on Security and Design.

 

420.9Policy T-4.1.1: Balancing Security Measures and Desires for an Open City

 

Balance and mitigate security requirements against the daily mobility, efficiency, and quality of life concerns of District residents and visitors, and the potential for negative economic, environmental, and historic impacts. The trade-offs associated with potential street closures or changes to transportation access must be adequately assessed. 420.9

 

420.10Policy T-4.1.2: Coordination with the Federal Government

 

Work closely with federal agencies to find alternative security solutions and to avoid street closings to the greatest possible extent. 420.10

 

420.11Policy T-4.1.3: Providing Redundancies

 

Provide alternate routes and modes of travel (“redundancies”) across the District to promote the security of District residents and visitors and reduce the effects on non-routine incidents. 420.11

 

420.12Action T-4.1.A: Pennsylvania Avenue Closure

 

Advocate for the re-opening of Pennsylvania Avenue and E Street in the vicinity of the White House as conditions allow, and pursue federal funding to mitigate the effects of the closure of these streets on District circulation. 420.12

 

420.13Action T-4.1.B: Coordination with the Federal Government

 

Continue to work with the Federal government to assess the impacts of security measures on the quality of life of District residents and businesses. 420.13

420.14Action T-4.1.C: Emergency Evacuation Plan

 

Continue to refine an emergency evacuation plan that describes not only evacuation procedures and routes, but that also defines the modes of transportation in case certain modes, such as the Metrorail system, become unavailable. Increase public education and awareness of local emergency management plans, and make information on evacuation routes and procedures more accessible and understandable to residents, employees, and visitors. 420.14

 

notation

The provisions of Title 10, Part A of the DCMR accessible through this web interface are codification of the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. As such, they do not represent the organic provisions adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia. The official version of the District Elements only appears as a hard copy volume of Title 10, Part A published pursuant to section 9a of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1994, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1 -301.66)) . In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions accessible through this site and the provisions contained in the published version of Title 10, Part A, the provisions contained in the published version govern. A copy of the published District Elements is available www.planning.dc.gov.