Budget Oversight Hearing for DDOT FY2027 – April 27, 2026
Budget Oversight Hearing for DDOT FY2027 – April 27, 2026
On Monday, April 27, 2026, at 9:40 AM, Councilmember Charles Allen, chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, convened a budget oversight hearing on the Mayor's proposed FY2027 budget for the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). The hearing was held in Room 500 of the John A. Wilson Building and via Zoom. The proposed operating budget is $151.1 million (a 14.3% decrease from FY2026) and the capital budget is $867.8 million (a 24.7% increase). The committee received public testimony from over 40 witnesses on a wide range of transportation issues, with the most prominent topic being the adult learner transit subsidy.
Adult Learner Transit Subsidy
Multiple panels of witnesses, including students, school staff, and advocates from adult charter schools (Carlos Rosario, Academy of Hope, BRIA, Next Step), testified in strong support of increasing the monthly transit subsidy from $70 to $100 per month. They argued that the current $70 has not been increased since 2019, while Metro fares have risen significantly. Witnesses presented data: 91% of surveyed students receive the subsidy, over 70% say $70 is insufficient, and nearly 90% said $100 would meet their needs. School leaders reported that students often exhaust funds by the third week of the month, forcing them to miss class or choose between transportation and basic needs. The estimated cost of the increase is about $1.5 million annually. Chair Allen expressed strong support for the increase and noted he would work to include it in the budget. He also highlighted the MetroLyft program (50% discount for SNAP recipients) as a short-term help, but acknowledged it doesn't cover all students.
Urban Forestry and Tree Canopy
Rob Schott (Casey Trees) and Brenda Richardson (APACC) praised DDOT's Urban Forestry Division and urged maintaining current funding levels. They emphasized the importance of making the Tree Fund a non-lapsing fund, so that fees collected for tree removals are used for planting and maintenance, not swept into the general fund. The Tree Fund supports private land tree planting, the RiverSmart Homes program, and the DC State Nursery. Chair Allen agreed on the non-lapsing priority and noted plans to fund the Tree Preservation Enhancement Amendment Act.
Trail and Bike Lane Projects
Dr. Nicole Rutland (DC Go-Go Trails Collective) advocated for prioritizing the acquisition of the Shepherd Branch Trail in Wards 7 and 8, a 3.1-mile corridor along an inactive CSX rail line that would connect to the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. She requested specific funding in the capital budget. Seth Grimes (WABA) and Richard Wetzel (East-West Low Stress Biking Coalition) called for increased investment in protected bike lanes, noting DDOT installed only 3.4 miles in FY2025 against a 10-mile goal. They cited rising traffic fatalities (16 in 2026 through April 27) and urged funding for specific corridors like Q&R Streets, East Capitol Street, and the strategic bikeways plan. Chair Allen acknowledged the underperformance and said council often has to earmark specific projects due to lack of agency action.
Sidewalk Safety and 311 Requests
ANC Commissioner Chuck Elkins (ANC3D) presented data from DC Health showing 215-350 outdoor falls requiring ER visits annually, and over 1,000 hospital admissions for fall injuries. He criticized DDOT for not measuring trip hazard gaps and for closing 311 requests without inspection if the location is on the PAVE DC schedule (even if repair is years away). He requested $5 million in operating funds to enable rapid repair of all 311 trip hazards within 60 days, rather than the current 270+ business day standard. Chair Allen noted the proposed capital budget includes $11.5 million for sidewalks and discussed the potential of expanding Reimbursable Management Agreements (RMAs) with BIDs to expedite repairs.
Curb Management and Revenue
Gabe Klein (former DDOT Director) testified on the benefits of automated curb management, citing examples from other cities where compliance with loading zone payments jumped from 4% to 95% after automation, reducing double parking and generating significant revenue. He urged the committee to support full funding for DDOT's curb management initiatives as a way to generate new revenue without raising taxes. Chair Allen found the statistics impressive and expressed interest in further exploring the policy.
Bus Priority and BRT
Kai Hall (DC Transportation Equity Network) and Matt Girardi (Greater Greater Washington) supported the $92 million for bus priority and the $2 million crosstown BRT study, but urged that the BRT be ambitious from the start—connecting from Minnesota/Benning to Georgetown—rather than a short segment. They also called for an updated congestion pricing study based on the recently released 2021 report. Chair Allen agreed that a network approach is essential to avoid repeating the streetcar failures.
DDOT Operations and Workforce
Joey Davis (AFGE Local 1975) and Marcia Mayo (ASME Local 709) testified about budget impacts on employees. They opposed the mayor's proposals to delay cost-of-living adjustments, cut workers' compensation funding ($127 million), and reduce paid family leave from 8 to 2 weeks. They argued that these cuts harm retention and safety, particularly for school crossing guards (safety technicians) and inspection staff. Chair Allen acknowledged their concerns and said he would work to restore funding.
Other Projects
- NOMA Third Street Metro Entrance: Maura Brophy (NOMA BID) enthusiastically supported the $50 million ($5M in FY27, $45M in FY28) for a new entrance to relieve overcrowding at the NoMa-Gallaudet U station, which is now the sixth-busiest in the system. Chair Allen supported the project and noted its importance for transit-oriented development.
- DuPont Circle Streetscape: Several business owners and the DuPont Circle BID requested $2 million in grants to help small businesses survive the disruption from the Connecticut Avenue streetscape project. Chair Allen expressed sympathy and said he would explore options.
- H Street Bridge: Laura Miller Brooks (Federal City Council) urged restoration of funding for the H Street Bridge reconstruction, which is critical for unlocking the Union Station expansion. Chair Allen agreed and expressed frustration with the funding loss.
- Taylor Street Bike Lane: Several witnesses (Neville Jones, Rosalind Grant, Silva Walker) opposed the project, arguing DDOT provided inaccurate parking counts and that the project would harm seniors and churches. Chair Allen noted their concerns and said he would ask DDOT about the budget line item.
- Arizona Avenue Pedestrian Bridge: ANC Commissioner Trisha Duncan (ANC3D) urged keeping funding for the trolley trail improvements, noting the ANC unanimously approved the 90% plans. Chair Allen confirmed the project is funded and would work to protect it.
Key Outcomes
- Chair Allen committed to working to increase the adult learner transit subsidy to $100 per month and to ensure the Tree Fund is made non-lapsing.
- He expressed support for maintaining bus priority funding, expanding RMAs with BIDs, and restoring funding for the H Street Bridge and workforce compensation.
- The record will remain open until May 11, 2026, for written testimony. The committee will hold a government witness hearing on April 30, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Recording in progress. Good morning, everyone. I'm Charles Allen, award six council member and chair of the Council's Committee on Transportation and the Environment today is Monday, April 27th, 2026. We are meeting both in room 500 of the John A. Wilson Building and via the Zoom virtual platform. The time is now 9 40 a.m. and I'm calling to order this budget oversight hearing of the committee. This is the committee's second budget oversight hearing of the mayor's proposed budget for fiscal year 2027. Today the committee will receive testimony from the public witnesses regarding the proposed budget for the District Department of Transportation, otherwise known as DDOT. D DOT's stated mission is to equitably deliver a safe, sustainable, and reliable multimodal transportation network for all residents and visitors of the District of Columbia. Pursuant to that mission, DDOT designs, constructs, maintains, and repairs alleys, sidewalks, streets, bike lanes, bridges, and tunnels throughout the district. The agency administers the district's automated safety camera program as well as the bus lane enforcement and freight vehicle camera systems. DDET also plays an important role in school safety through its safe routes to school and school crossing guard programs. DDOT has exited the role of directly managing public transportation systems with the termination of the DC circulator bus service and DC streetcar service. Nevertheless, the agency supports Wamada's Metro Bus and Metro Rail services in several ways, including the bus priority program, and by improving connectivity to stops and to stations. Beyond managing transportation projects, DDOT is also one of the primary agencies involved in public space management. Whether it's street closures for a parade or a farmer's market or issuing permits for streeteries or blocked parties, the agency's urban forestry division also cultivates the district's urban tree canopy, which beautifies the city while offering residents and visitors much needed shade. And when the sun goes down, DDOT is responsible for illuminating the district with the streetlight program. In sum, DDOT's functions are far reaching, and while it's fair to characterize DDOT as the district's transportation agency, the agency also has tremendous influence over the use and allocation of public space in the district, not just our roadways. The mayor's proposed FY 2027 operating budget for the agency is 151.1 million dollars, representing a decrease of 14.3% from its FY26 approved budget of 176.2 million dollars. The funding supports about 765 FDEs, a reduction of roughly four FTEs from the FY26 approved budget. And the D DOT proposed capital budget is 867.8 million, a 24.7% increase from the FY26 approved capital budget of $695 million. The capital budget supports 24.7 FDEs. For any public witnesses who wish to submit retin testimony, you can do so through the council's hearing management system at LIMS.dc council.gov backslash hearings until Monday, May 11th, 2026. So with that said, we are going to turn to our public witnesses. We have a combination of folks that are here in the chamber with us, as well as folks that are joining us online. So what I'm going to do is call out names and hopefully it works out that we'll have about four people since we have four chairs at this table. We'll also have folks that are online and we'll go through one panel. When you finish your testimony, please stay seated or remain in the Zoom so that we can uh turn and ask you questions afterwards. Uh so let me call Andy Renard, Associate Director of Policy and Political Affairs with the DC Charter School Alliance. Helena Deseme or Des Demise, sorry, student at Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School. Rahel Guyo, a student at Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School, and Ada Ba, a student at Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School. Also Michelle Robinson, who's a student at Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School, Amani Johnson, a student at Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School, who I think are online. So we're Helena Rahel or Ada here. How about this? Do I have Deborah McQueen here? All right, if you'll come on up, please. Do I have Rosa Garcia? Is Ashley Simpson Baird here? Yep. Ashley, come on up, please. Okay. Actually, I think we have Helena online and Rahel. All right. So Andy, we're going to start with you, and then we will work our way through a combination of folks that are here in person and folks that are online. So Andy Renard, I'll turn it to you for your testimony. Good morning. Uh good morning, Chairman Allen and members of the committee. Uh, my name is Andy Renard, and I'm the associate director of policy and political affairs at the DC Charter School Alliance, the local nonprofit that advocates on behalf of public charter schools and their students in the district. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the Adult Learner Transit Subsidy, a program that is critical for the success of adult learners across DC and one that demands our attention this budget cycle.
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