497433 DC Circulator - Expanding Smithsonian Route and adding Woodley Park Route

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

 

NOTICE OF FINAL RULEMAKING

 

The Director of the District Department of Transportation, pursuant to the authority of sections 3(b), 2(L), 11b(1) and 11(e)(a) of the Department of Transportation Establishment Act of 2002, effective May 21, 2002 (D.C. Law 14-137, D.C. Official Code §§ 50-921.02(b), 50-921.04(2)(L), 50-921.32(1) and 50-921.35(a) (2008 Supp.)); Mayor’s Order 2009-43 (March 26, 2009); and Mayor’s Order 2009-62 (April 21, 2009), hereby gives notice of the adoption of the following amendments to Chapter 15 of Title 18, Vehicles and Traffic, of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR).  The amendments revise the routes of the DC Circulator by eliminating the Fourth Street routing of the Smithsonian Loop, expanding the Smithsonian Loop route to include the U.S. Capitol, and adding a Woodley Park-Adams Morgan route.  The amendments also revise fare-related regulations and expand the hours of operation.

 

A Notice of Emergency and Proposed Rulemaking was published on April 3, 2009 (56 DCR 2629) in the D.C. Register.  No comments were received on the rulemaking. 

 

This final rule will become effective upon publication of this notice in the D.C. Register.

 

Chapter 15, DC CIRCULATOR, of Title 18 of the DCMR is amended as follows:

 

Section 1501, Routes, is amended to read as follows:

 

1501                ROUTES

 

1501.1             The following routes are established for the DC Circulator:

 

(a)      Capitol Hill Loop - Union Station to points in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, which may include the Capitol South and Navy Yard Metro Stations;

 

(b)        East-West Loop - Union Station, Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., the Washington Convention Center, and Georgetown;

 

(c)        Georgetown Loop - Georgetown and other points bordering the Georgetown neighborhood;

 

(d)       Monuments Loop - Monuments and museums on the National Mall;

 

(e)        North-South Loop - Mt. Vernon Square, 7^th or 9^th Street, NW, the National Mall, and Water Street, SW;

 

(f)                Smithsonian Loop - Constitution Avenue, 1st Street, NE, 1^st Street, SE, Independence Avenue, and 17th Street; and

 

(g)               Woodley Park-Adams Morgan-Downtown loop – Woodley Park to Downtown, which may include points in Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights, and 14^th Street, NW.

 

1501.2.            The routes established in § 1501.1 may operate seven (7) days a week between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 3:30 a.m.

 

Section 1502, Fares, is amended as follows:

 

1502                FARES

 

1502.4             Except for children under the age of five (5) years old and uniformed District， Capitol, and National Park Service police officers, no person shall board a DC Circulator bus without:

 

(a)        Depositing the applicable fare into the bus fare box;

 

(b)        Touching the target point of the bus fare reader with a funded rechargeable fare card;

 

(c)        Presenting a valid DC Circulator pass;

 

(d)       Displaying a valid DC Circulator, Metrobus, or Metrorail pass, WMATA student farecard, or MetroAccess Card; or

 

(e)        Displaying a transfer from a bus, train, or other vehicle upon the execution of an agreement between the Department and the owner or operator of such vehicle regarding the use of transfers.

 

Paragraph (f) of subsection 1502.4 is repealed.

 

Section 1599, Definitions, is amended as follows:

 

Subsection 1599.1 is amended by amending the definition of the term “Rechargeable fare media” to read as follows:

 

Rechargeable fare media - a plastic, permanent farecard issued by the Department or WMATA embedded with a computer chip that keeps track of the fare value of the farecard and any transfers between modes or operators. A WMATA SmartTrip Card is an example of a rechargeable fare media.