Senator Webb Calls for Actions to Ease National Mall Traffic

Recommends more tour bus parking and drop-off sites, crackdown on double-parking

Senator Jim Webb called on the District of Columbia and the National Park Service to ease the traffic problems plaguing Washington’s historic National Mall.  In a letter to Mayor Adrian Fenty and NPS Director Jonathan Jarvis, Senator Webb noted the concerns of both tourists and area commuters.

“The National Mall is home to some of the country’s finest museums, as well as its historic memorials and institutions of government,” said Senator Webb.  “The traffic congestion afflicting the area detracts from visitors’ enjoyment of these national treasures and diminishes the quality of life for daily commuters.”

On average, 15 million tourists visit the National Mall each year.  The traffic problems worsen significantly in the spring and summer when critical roadways are clogged by large tour buses, often parked illegally.

Senator Webb’s letter recognizes the need to promote tourism and revenue generation for local businesses while increasing the efficient flow of traffic in the area.  He highlighted several specific issues including congestion-causing traffic offenses, limited bus parking and drop-off lanes, awareness of public transportation options, and tour schedules that coincide with rush hour traffic.


The full text of the letter is below:

The Honorable Adrian Fenty                  The Honorable Jonathan Jarvis
Mayor of the District of Columbia           Director of the NPS
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,            National Park Service
Suite 316                                             1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20004                         Washington, DC 20240   
 
Dear Mayor Fenty and Director Jarvis:
 
Our National Mall in Washington, DC is an unrivaled landmark, boasting the greatest collection of museums, national monuments and major government buildings anywhere in the world—attracting, on average, 15 million tourists per year and generating revenues for neighboring businesses.

While it is clearly in our mutual interest to promote local tourism and an appreciation for the National Capital Region, the severe traffic congestion associated with these sites must be significantly reduced.  Particularly during the springtime, the increased presence of school and tour buses in the Mall area often brings traffic to a halt, reducing both the quality of life for area commuters and our visitors’ experience.  It is not unusual for my constituents to spend more than one hour trying to pass through the Mall area on a spring afternoon.

Officials in local government and the American Automobile Association (AAA) advise me that this problem could be alleviated by providing more dedicated parking and drop off sites for buses, as well as improved traffic enforcement.  One of the most common practices of tour vehicles is double-parking, which decreases the amount of useable lanes for commuters and residents.

With the goal of reducing this congestion, while still preserving the vital tourist experience for visitors to the Capital region, I would ask you to consider the following questions:

• Are there additional enforcement procedures that could be employed by the Metropolitan Police and United States Park Police to deter congestion-causing traffic offenses?

• Are there any planned or potential expansions of bus parking spaces or drop-off lanes in the Mall area?

• Are there steps that can reasonably be taken to increase visitors’ use of Metro and satellite bus parking, including advertising through National Park Service materials or the DC Visitors Bureau?

• Can the Park Service coordinate tour times so as not to coincide with peak commuter rush hour periods?

If we hope to continue to expand and promote economic development opportunities throughout the area, particularly tourism, we must address the current, unsustainable situation.  I stand ready to assist in any way I appropriately can in this regard.
                                       
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.  

Sincerely,  

Jim Webb
United States Senator