Transportation

According to SmartAsset and WalletHub, Washington, DC is the #1 city for public transport in 2018. It also happens to be a great place to host transport-related meetings and is home to the annual Washington Auto Show’s MobilityTalks International conference, which gathers government policy makers from around the world to exchange ideas on best practices related to the development and regulation of connected and autonomous vehicles. Learn why DC has become a top destination for transport.

A Day in Your Stay Transportation

Connect with Destination DC staff, submit a meetings RFP or learn more about transportation-focused meetings and conventions in our transportation white paper.

Accolades

• #1 city for public transport (SmartAsset, WalletHub, 2018)
• #8 city for cycling (The PeopleforBikes Advocacy Group’s Places for Bike City Ratings, 2018)
• 22 businesses and 2 universities in DC received awards for being bicycle friendly communities (The League of American Bicyclists, 2018)
• #8 best place to live in the U.S. (U.S. News and World Report, 2018)
• 2nd largest subway system by ridership in the U.S. (SmartAsset, 2018)
• #7 most walkable city in the U.S. (WalkScore, 2017)
• #4 in the AllTransit Performance Score, which accounts for connectivity, access to jobs and frequency of service (Center for Neighborhood Technology, 2016)

Access

• Thirteen operating administrations under the Department of Transportation cover nine areas of focus across all modes of transport supporting infrastructure and enabling information such as Transport Statistics.
• Access to Federal agencies including National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
• More than 30 national associations and nonprofit organizations related to transportation headquartered in the region
• Transportation is the sixth-highest ranked sector for lobbying; More than 150 lobbying firms and more than 1,500 lobbyists are based in the region.
• Four local universities have peer-leading programs in transportation and related areas of study such as urban planning.
• Global hub for international policy organizations including the World Bank and International Road Federation

Local Support

• George Washington University’s research on walkability portrays DC as a model for other cities, with walkable urban places across all types of real estate development.
• Move DC is a 25-year strategic plan launched by the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) in 2014 that supports reliable, safe and multi-modal transportation to fuel economic growth and was followed in fall 2017 by a move to the multi-year District of Columbia Statewide Transport Improvement Program (DC-STIP).
• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is committed to ensuring a reliable, safe and multi-modal transportation network between DC, Maryland and Virginia through its Momentum Plan.
• Ford Motor Company and the DC Infrastructure Academy formed a partnership in October 2018 to train DC residents for jobs and careers in the autonomous vehicle (AV) industry and prepare DC to test its self-driving vehicles.
• By spring 2019, DDOT will nearly double the number of street parking zones reserved for tour bus parking to create additional easy-to-use and safe places for large numbers of passengers visiting the District to get on and off motorcoaches.

Innovation

• The Institute of Higher Business Studies (IESE) Business School at University of Navarra in Barcelona, Spain considers DC a smart city, holding a position of sustainable leadership in the future, according to its 2017 Cities in Motion Study.
• Home to a thriving transportation tech startup culture both in terms of firms based in the city and organizations choosing to pilot their products in DC, such as the new shared-ride mobility company Split.
• City of the Year in 2017 (SmartCitiesDive)
  • Launched new transit methods to access the Southwest Waterfront
  • Advance the Vision Zero initiative through data analytics
  • Adopted five dockless bike-share pilot programs
  • Developed new ride-share services, including Via and Maven
• Fourth City in the U.S. where Ford is testing self-driving vehicles
• First jurisdiction in North American to launch at bikeshare system, which now has more than 4,000 bikes and 500 stations
• National cultural institutions that showcase innovations in transportation include the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum and National Postal Museum

Interested in learning more about Washington, DC as a leading destination for industry meetings? Connect with Destination DC staff or read our transportation white paper for more information.