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Image courtesy of Capital Bikeshare

In a continued effort to increase safe transportation in the nation’s capital as part of the Vision Zero Initiative, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced earlier this week of a new partnership to give free annual Capital Bikeshare memberships to District veterans. The free Capital Bikeshare memberships for District veterans are made possible through a partnership between Capital Bikeshare’s Community Partner Program and the Mayor’s Office on Veteran’s Affairs (MOVA). The Community Partners Program enables local nonprofits, government agencies, and social services organizations to offer their clients a deeply discounted Capital Bikeshare annual membership. MOVA is the first DC Government agency to join the Community Partners Program. District veterans can learn more about registering for the program and receiving a free helmet by calling MOVA at (202) 724-5454. Capital Bikeshare’s transportation network includes 4,300 bikes and more than 500 stations across six jurisdictions: Washington, DC, Arlington, VA, Alexandria, VA, Montgomery, MD, Prince George’s County, MD, and Fairfax County, VA.

“This program is about offering our veterans, especially our student veterans who are often on a tight budget, another affordable option for moving around DC,” said MOVA Director Elliot Tommingo. “As we continue creating new pathways to the middle class for District veterans, we are very focused on putting in place initiatives that expand access to the many opportunities that exist within our city.”

Image courtesy of DC Circulator

While on the topic of transportation safety, Mayor Bowser also announced that free rides on the DC Circulator will be extended until the end of March this year, March 31, 2019. The DC Circulator system operates six distinct routes across Washington, DC and into Rosslyn, VA, and provides close to five million trips a year. The Circulator services each stop every 10 minutes, providing simple, fast, and affordable transit to residents, commuters, and visitors around the nation’s capital.

Courtesy of DC Streetcar

This news comes as a happy surprise for residents and visitors alike as the District celebrates the DC Streetcar’s third year in operations. The DC Streetcar began its operations along the H Street Northeast corridor in February 2016. The streetcar, which is free of charge, has eight stops and travels from Union Station to Oklahoma Avenue NE and Benning Road NE. In three years of operation, the DC Streetcar has provided more than three million rides. Currently, the District is in the early stages of planning an extension that will extend the DC Streetcar across the Anacostia River to Benning Road Metro Station.

Mayor Bowser also called on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to restore full rail service.

“When we increase access to safe, reliable, and affordable transportation options, we give more Washingtonians a fair shot,” said Mayor Bowser. “While the District is doing a fantastic job providing residents and visitors with a range of ways to move around our city, we know we can’t do it alone: we need Metro working at full capacity. We need a world-class Metro system that meets the needs of a world-class city.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][vc_empty_space mobile_height=”100px” height=”100px”][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]