RIDE THE RAIL

Create a Car-Free Culture at Your Residential Community

Did you know that creating a car-free or car-lite residential community can reduce housing costs for both you and your tenants? A car-free development is a residential or mixed-use property that normally provides a traffic-free environment, offers no parking or limited parking separate from the residence, and/or is designed to enable residents to live without owning a car.

Whether you're planning or currently developing a new residential building or updating an existing property, it's never too late to implement a transit-oriented strategy to help reduce vehicle use and traffic congestion in the District of Columbia. Even if you're not immediately ready to go car-free, goDCgo has outlined a range of options to help get you started with supporting a car-lite lifestyle or fully committing to going car-free. 

Congratulations Winners & Participants of the 2020 Commuter Challenge!

Thank you and congratulations to all our employers and commuters who participated in the goDCgo Commuter Challenge! Participating organizations included American College of Cardiology, the American Transportation Association, Ballard Spahr LLP, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), So Others Might Eat (SOME), Virtual Enterprise Architects, and Washington Gas. We hope everyone enjoyed the competition and was inspired to turn this challenge into a forever lifestyle.

How to Comply with Your Residential Zoning Order

To help reduce drive-alone traffic in the city, District zoning orders require residential buildings to provide sustainable transportation options and amenities for residents, visitors, or staff traveling to/from a property. goDCgo offers complimentary assistance to help you comply with the service requirements of your zoning order, which further supports Transportation Demand Management (TDM) best practices.

DC Sites to Enjoy While Social Distancing

For several months, restrictions have been in place to reduce the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in our community. The District government understands that it’s important for businesses and individuals to responsibly resume normal activity. The Mayor’s reopening plan allows that, phase by phase.

As more people are getting out, it's important to remember to still recreate responsibly. This means you need to wear a face covering or mask whenever you leave home and maintain six feet of distance from others to keep everyone safe.

Many gems in DC, such as national parks and memorials, allow you to remain socially distant. Go for a solo bike ride or take a walk with family or your furry friend(s) to sightsee in DC. This is the perfect time to rediscover all the city has to offer and use the amazing network of transportation options to get you there.

goDCgo School Services is Here to Help!

goDCgo is here to help schools however we can! With face-covering/mask-wearing and social distancing protocols still in place, the options outlined below are great ways goDCgo can help you promote health, wellness, and safety in your school community.

Virtual Complimentary Consultations:
We’re still here to help you virtually! Meet with School Client Services Manager Barbara Moreno one-on-one via phone or video chat to discuss how goDCgo can help you support the health and wellness of your teachers and staff while preparing for reopening. Schedule your virtual consultation today!

Telework & Distance Learning Webinars:
Since many are spending so much time working and teaching from home, it's important that your teachers and staff’s workspaces are comfortable so they can feel their best and maintain productivity. The efficiency of one’s work environment, or ergonomics, plays a major role in how employees get work done. In other words, staff should fit their workspace to meet their needs. goDCgo can help teach your teachers and staff how to set up their workspace and stay healthy and happy while distance teaching. Reach out to goDCgo to schedule a webinar for your staff.

Capital Bikeshare Memberships:
Capital Bikeshare is a great benefit to offer that can be especially helpful to your teachers and staff as they commute and run errands while practicing safe social distancing. It's also a great way to stay healthy by adding exercise into your daily routine. 

Private/Charter Schools: goDCgo can help you decide if offering a Capital Bikeshare membership as a part of your commuter benefits program is right for your school's reopening plans, and help you sign up for the Capital Bikeshare’s Corporate program.

DCPS: DCPS employees automatically receive a discount on Capital Bikeshare memberships; it's $25 a year for an annual membership. goDCgo can explain how to sign up your staff and get the word out to your employees as you prepare for reopening.

Ride on Two Wheels with Confidence

Thousands of residents and visitors use shared bikes and scooters to get around the District and suburban neighborhoods. Most dockless vehicle companies are weathering through the public health crisis and continuing normal operations. In fact, these types of micromobility options have been a go-to for many essential workers during the peak of the pandemic. Riding a bike or scooter allows for safe social distancing and serves as a great transportation option to commute to work or for leisure.

Ready to get your ride back on? Per the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, dockless bike and scooter operators have implemented strict cleaning and disinfectant protocols so you can rent a two-wheel ride with confidence. As the District reopens, many companies have also added new safety practices, including face coverings/masks and social distancing protocols, and offer FREE or discounted access for first responders; healthcare, pharmacy, public transit, restaurant delivery, and retail workers; and income-eligible residents.

How to Create a Comfortable Workspace

Since we're spending so much time working from home, it's important that your workspace is comfortable so that you can feel your best and maintain productivity. The efficiency of your work environment, or ergonomics, plays a major role in how you get work done. In other words, create a workspace that meets your needs.

More Car Free Lanes are Coming to DC

As part of the District's response to the public health crisis, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will expand its red bus lane pilots with the construction of new dedicated bus lanes in three corridors in Wards 2, 6, and 8 starting in August 2020.

Phase Two Reopening: DC Travel Status Update

There's a light at the end of the tunnel -- especially for DC's hospitality and tourism industry! On June 22, 2020, the District of Columbia entered Phase Two of Mayor Muriel Bowser's reopening plan as we continue to take precaution to mitigate the health crisis. As outlined in the plan, large events/gatherings have been expanded from a capacity of 10 to 50 people, and nonessential retail businesses have the option to open their doors. Nonessential non-retail businesses, like many office or corporate employees, will continue to telework for the time being.

How Do Staff, Students, and Families Get to School?

In 2019, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) conducted a district-wide school transportation survey to evaluate the state of school commutes in Washington, DC. In the survey, they found that students and families are more likely to choose sustainable transportation options than teachers and staff. Results show that only 33% of elementary students are driven to school, while another 33% of parents walk their youngest child to school, and 59% of students have used Kids Ride Free cards. On the other hand, 78% of the District's school staff drive to work alone, while only 2.2% ride a bike to school. The survey also revealed that 43% of school staff commute from Maryland and Virginia.