D.C. Act 25-600. Transportation Improvements Amendment Act of 2024.

AN ACT

To amend the Department of Transportation Establishment Act of 2002 to provide the Director of the District Department of Transportation ("DDOT") with greater discretion to delegate the agency's duties and responsibilities, to provide the DDOT Director with the authority to construct, maintain, and control DDOT infrastructure on land transferred from the federal government for recreational purposes in cases where the land transferred is adjacent to public space and is part of a transportation improvement plan or project, and to provide that the District has an adequate interest sufficient to meet federal highway funding requirements in federal parkland where transportation infrastructure projects are located; and to amend the Vision Zero Enhancement Omnibus Amendment Act of 2020 to provide the Director of DDOT with greater discretion to delegate the agency's duties and responsibilities.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the "Transportation Improvements Amendment Act of 2024".

Sec. 2. The Department of Transportation Establishment Act of 2002, effective May 21, 2002 (D.C. Law 14-137; D.C. Official Code § 50-921.01 et seq.), is amended as follows:

(a) Section 4 (D.C. Official Code § 50-921.03) is repealed.

(b) Section 5(a) (D.C. Official Code § 50-921.04(a)) is amended as follows:

(1) The lead-in language is amended by striking the phrase "The offices of DDOT shall" and inserting the phrase "DDOT shall" in its place.

(2) Paragraph (1) is amended as follows:

(A) The lead-in language is amended by striking the phrase "The Project Delivery Administration shall" and inserting the phrase "Pursuant to its responsibility for transportation project delivery, DDOT shall" in its place.

(B) Subparagraph (A) is amended to read as follows:

"(A) Identify transportation needs of the District and design, manage, and implement transportation improvement plans and projects, including design, engineering, and related support;".

(C) Subparagraph (P) is amended by striking the phrase "on mass transit needs" and inserting the phrase "on transit policy, mass transit, and alternative transit needs" in its place.

(D) Subparagraph (U) is amended by striking the phrase "; and" and inserting a semicolon in its place.

(E) Subparagraph (V) is amended by striking the period and inserting a semicolon in its place.

(F) New subparagraphs (W) and (X) are added to read as follows:

"(W) Carry out duties related to freight and passenger rail, to the extent such authority has been delegated or required by federal law, and duties relating to State Transportation Environmental Compliance; and

"(X) Manage, control, and implement transportation improvement plans and projects on land transferred from the federal government for recreational use pursuant to 40 U.S.C. § 8124 and section 1 of An Act To authorize the transfer of jurisdiction over public land in the District of Columbia, approved May 20, 1932 (47 Stat. 161; D.C. Official Code § 10-111), in cases where the land transferred is adjacent to public space and is part of a transportation improvement plan or project.".

(3) Paragraph (2) is amended by striking the phrase "The Project Delivery Administration may" and inserting the phrase "DDOT may" in its place.

(4) Paragraph (3) is amended as follows:

(A) The lead-in language is amended by striking the phrase "The Operations Administration shall" and inserting the phrase "Pursuant to its responsibility for transportation operations, DDOT shall" in its place.

(B) Subparagraph (G) is amended by striking the phrase "transportation system infrastructure" and inserting the phrase "transportation infrastructure and maintain all DDOT assets" in its place.

(5) Paragraph (4) is amended to read as follows:

"(4) Pursuant to its responsibility for agency administration, DDOT shall:

"(A) Perform financial planning, financial management, and budgeting activities;

"(B) Perform functions relating to workforce development and the management of human resources;

"(C) Support the contracting and procurement of goods and services required to fulfill DDOT's functions; and

"(D) Manage DDOT's fleet, warehouses, and other facilities.".

(6) Paragraph (5) is amended as follows:

(A) The lead-in language is amended by striking the phrase "The Performance Administration shall" and inserting the phrase "Pursuant to its responsibility for ensuring adequate performance of the other duties identified in this section, DDOT shall" in its place.

(B) A new subparagraph (E) is added to read as follows:

"(E) Provide customer service.".

(7) New paragraphs (6) and (7) are added to read as follows:

"(6) The Director shall designate DDOT staff who are responsible for:

"(A) Providing legal counsel;

"(B) Civil rights matters;

"(C) Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, approved July 26, 1990 (104 Stat. 327; 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.);

"(D) Senior and elderly affairs; and

"(E) Policy and legislative affairs.

"(7) The Director shall establish such offices and divisions as, in the Director's judgment, are appropriate to efficiently and soundly administer DDOT's various responsibilities.".

(c) A new section 9t is added to read as follows:

"Sec. 9t. Adequate interest for transportation projects on National Park Service parkland.

"(a) When public roads and bridges on National Park Service ("NPS") parkland entrusted to the Mayor by Congress or NPS are in need of reconstruction or maintenance, the authority given to the Mayor pursuant to section 2 of An act for the government of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes, approved June 20, 1874 (18 Stat. 116; D.C. Official Code § 9-101.02), shall be deemed to be an interest adequate to fulfill the purpose of the project within the meaning of Title 23 of the U.S. Code or another applicable federal law.

"(b) Pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the Mayor is authorized to operate and maintain those public roads and bridges, including associated infrastructure, subject to applicable permits from the National Park Service.".

Sec. 3. Section 4(a) of the Vision Zero Enhancement Omnibus Amendment Act of 2020, effective December 23, 2020 (D.C. Law 23-158; 67 DCR 13057), is amended as follows:

(a) Amended paragraph (2A) within paragraph (1) is amended by striking the phrase "The Project Delivery Administration shall" and inserting the word "DDOT shall" in its place.

(b) Amended paragraph (3A) within paragraph (2) is amended by striking the phrase "The Operations Administration shall" and inserting the word "DDOT shall" in its place.

(c) Amended paragraph (5) within paragraph (3) is amended as follows:

(1) Amended subparagraph (C)(ii) is amended by striking the period and inserting a semicolon in its place.

(2) Amended subparagraph (D) is amended by striking the period and inserting the phrase "; and" in its place.

Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement.

The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved October 16, 1975 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).

Sec. 5. Effective date.

This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto) and a 30-day period of congressional review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)).