Transportation & the Environment Public Hearing

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION & THE ENVIRONMENT MARY M. CHEH, CHAIR REVISED NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON B24-949, the Booting and Impoundment Reform Amendment Act of 2022; Traffic Safety in the District Wednesday, October 5, 2022, at 12:00 PM Councilmember Cheh’s Facebook Page (facebook.com/cmmarycheh) DC Council Website (dccouncil.us) Council Channel 13 (Cable Television Providers) Office of Cable Television Website (entertainment.dc.gov) On Wednesday, October 5, 2022, Councilmember Mary M. Cheh, Chairperson of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, will hold a public hearing on B24-949, the Booting and Impoundment Reform Amendment Act of 2022, and on traffic safety in the District. The hearing will begin at 12:00 PM and will be broadcast live on DC Council Channel 13 and streamed live at www.dccouncil.us, facebook.com/cmmarycheh, and entertainment.dc.gov. B24-949 would provide the Department of Public Works with authority to enter private commercial garages and parking lots solely for purposes of booting boot-eligible vehicles known to be in those garages and lots. It would also require DPW to implement a real-time boot crew alert system, to, at times, deviate from pre-determined routes in order to boot or impound eligible vehicles, and to publish an annual report on the agency’s booting and impoundment efforts. Separately, the Committee invites the public to provide testimony on way to improve traffic safety in the District. Since 2015, when the Mayor first announced the District’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries, the number of people killed in crashes has risen each year but one. In 2021 the District lost 40 people to traffic violence, the most since 2007. In 2022 to date, 21 individuals have died as a result of traffic violence, including three cyclists killed in the last month. Each one of these fatalities is a tragedy for the victims, their families, and the District. The Committee seeks to gather feedback on additional safety measures beyond the numerous policies recently passed or currently being considered by the council, including how to improve enforcement of traffic laws, what kinds of infrastructure is needed, and other means of making our streets safer. In particular, the Council invites feedback on proposals to stand up a DDOT-administered in-person enforcement team to enforce against reckless and dangerous driving behaviors and to assess points for certain traffic infractions identified by automated traffic enforcement cameras. Due to the imminent threat to the health, safety, and welfare of District residents posed by the spread of the coronavirus, the Council has adapted the methods by which committees may hold public hearings and roundtables to comply with social distancing, large public gatherings, and other public health and safety requirements. Therefore, this public roundtable will be held remotely through the Zoom teleconferencing platform. The Committee invites the public to testify or to submit written testimony, which will be made a part of the official record. Anyone wishing to testify should contact Ms. Aukima Benjamin, Staff Assistant to the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, at least 24 hours prior to the start of the hearing at (202) 724-8062 or via e-mail at abenjamin@dccouncil.us; witnesses will receive information on how to join the hearing at that time. Witnesses who anticipate needing language interpretation, or requiring sign language interpretation, are requested to inform the Committee of the need as soon as possible but no later than five business days before the hearing, which is September 28, 2022. We will make every effort to fulfill timely requests; however, requests received less than five business days ahead may not be fulfilled and alternatives may be offered. If you are unable to testify at the public hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record; testimony may be submitted to abenjamin@dccouncil.us. The public may also leave voicemail testimony for the Committee by calling (202) 350-1344, which will be transcribed and made part of the hearing record. Members of the public leaving voicemail testimony should speak slowly and clearly, state their full name and the organization they represent, if any, and note the bill, hearing, or agency that they are submitting testimony on. Members of the public are asked to not provide an e-mail, phone number, or other personal contact information in voicemail testimony. The record will close at the end of the business day on October 19, 2022. This notice has been revised to reflect that the hearing will now begin on October 5, 2022 at 12:00 PM, and that the hearing will also be shown live on DC Council Channel 13 and the DC Council and OCTO websites. 2