D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is permanently lowering the speed limit on local roads to try to make them safer for the increased amounts of pedestrians and bicycles taking to the streets.
The speed limit for local streets will be 20 miles per hour, instead of the current 25 mph, effective June 1.
“While it may seem like a small change, we know that surviving accidents is strongly correlated to speed,” Miss Bowser said. “Lowering the speed limit will help us keep people safe.”
The District Department of Transportation is also identifying streets with heavy bike and pedestrian traffic. The District will limit vehicular access to those streets and lower the speed limit to 15 mph.
Friday is the first day of phase one of reopening in the District, meaning restaurants that were already permitted for outdoor seating can begin serving patrons again in their outdoor dining spaces. Restaurants that didn’t have a permit for outdoor seating can apply for one online at coronavirus.dc.gov.
Also starting Friday, the Cleveland Park and Anacostia libraries will be offering curbside pickup. Over the next two weeks, one library in each ward will be opening with that service, Miss Bowser said.
The D.C. Department of Health was expected to report the city’s 16th daily decrease in the spread of the coronavirus Friday, but the agency said it is reviewing the data because of decreased testing over Memorial Day weekend.
“The District experienced a drop in testing over the Memorial Day weekend,” the health department said. “Therefore, the District’s count of sustained decrease in community spread has paused while that data is under review.”
• Sophie Kaplan can be reached at skaplan@washingtontimes.com.
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