As a consequence of a successful urban planning effort at the time of its creation, Washington, DC, is one of the most pedestrian-friendly cities on the East Coast. The majority of the city's top attractions are clustered together nearby, making it easy for visitors to walk from one to the other.
You can also ride the DC Circulator for $1 per journey to move around the city on predetermined routes. It operates every ten minutes on weekends and offers a unique National Mall route.
The District's pathways are usually wide and level, though they aren't always that big. Pathways in some places are so crowded that people must cross the street to avoid being hit by a car.
DC is traversed by east-west, north-south, and peripheral roads. State names are inscribed on vertical streets stretching from the Capitol building, with numbered streets running north-south and lettered streets running east-west.
Walkers have enough space to move around safely and easily with this grid arrangement. It also helps with social isolation, which is important for preventing street offenses like harassment.
Several residents in Hawthorne, one of the District's more peaceful neighborhoods, have been pushing for the building of a pathway on Chestnut Street. It's sparked an uproar reminiscent of the one that erupted in 2009 on K Street in Northwest Washington, DC when pro- and anti-pavement groups battled for months over the walkway.
The bulk of Washington, DC's roads are well-illuminated. This is especially true in the city's central regions, such as the business District, Capitol Hill, and Foggy Bottom, as well as near the Federal buildings in the Southwest near L'Enfant Plaza.
The bulk of the District's public lighting is made up of high-pressure sodium, or HPS, lighting, which produces a bright orange glow. Thankfully, the city is replacing these lights with LEDs, which use less energy and last longer.
The new lights are expected to cut energy usage in half and decrease carbon pollution by 38,000 tons per year, which is equivalent to not driving 87 million kilometers. The lights will also be able to be adjusted from a distance and will be aimed at pathways and alleyways rather than the sky. This reduces pollution and increases the visibility of the District at night.
Parking can be a pain at times, whether you're a resident or just passing through. Fortunately, there are plenty of parking options in Washington, DC, varying from cellars to commercial lots.
As part of a new city strategy, parking meters in Washington, DC, will no longer charge a fixed rate (like Uber's surge pricing) but will instead vary from block to block. This will allow us to ensure that there will be enough room during busy hours.
It means you'll have a better chance of finding a parking spot during busy hours or when it's too hot to drive, which is great news for tourists. Furthermore, it suggests that you will save money over time.
However, it also raises traffic and carbon emissions significantly. According to some advocates, the city should adopt neighborhood organizations instead of the current system of private parking zones. This would help to alleviate parking congestion and reduce the city's general transportation system's reliance on cars.
You can walk everywhere in Washington, DC, but if you need to go a little further out of town or want to visit a monument outside of the city center, you should consider taking public transportation. The Metro trains are handier, cleaner, and less expensive than a cab.
The DC metro network consists of six main lines that run from five a.m. to midnight or later. Depending on your needs, hop-on-hop-off cars can also be a viable option.
Taxis are another popular choice, but they can be difficult to find at unusual hours or when traveling to a large celebration. Thankfully, Uber and Lyft are just two of the many ride-sharing services now accessible in the city.
If you do decide to take a taxi, make sure you have a valid driver's license and a smartphone with the company's contact information. The distance determines the cost of the journey, but extra stops, airports, or declared weather conditions will raise the cost.
