For DC’s first Mobility Innovation District (The MID), 2023 has so far been an exciting and productive year marked by a number of accomplishments. Led by the Southwest Business Improvement District (SWBID), The MID serves as an innovation testbed and living lab for impact-driven mobility solutions and is funded by the District’s Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED). Years of ideation and planning led to the hub’s launch in 2022, and The MID team’s hard work over the past several months has forged public-private partnerships and catalyzed projects that are now deployed in Southwest DC (SW).

Among these is The MID’s collaboration with electric shuttle provider Circuit. The two have teamed up with DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) to promote transportation sustainability and accessibility through fixed-route and on-demand shuttle services and by offering discounts to qualified residents through the Circuit RideWell program. The initiative aims to improve connectivity to local transit stops and destinations and expand access to employment, healthcare, and community resources.

From an e-bike and e-cargo bike library to a novel platform reaching and engaging community members in the public space, more projects are underway to assess regional and federal policy goals in practice and uncover learnings and best practices that can be scaled to cities nationally. In pursuit of these outcomes and to share this vision, The MID has engaged many federal, local, and private-sector partners over the past months and explored opportunities around electrification, advanced transportation technologies, and other future-forward initiatives.

The MID and SWBID teams are energized by this year’s progress and collaborations and look forward to building off this momentum in the coming months to bring local residents and visitors greater connectivity and an enhanced mobility experience.

Midyear Highlights of The MID’s Accomplishments

Circuit Electric Shuttle Service

Launched the Circuit service in partnership with DCCK in June, offering fixed-route and on-demand riding options in all-electric, low-speed shuttles.

• The free Buzzard Point Circuit connects the Waterfront Station with the far end of Buzzard Point, one of DC’s neighborhoods with the worst access to public transportation.

• On-demand rides take residents, commuters, and visitors to destinations in SW, parts of Southeast, and Buzzard Point.

• Circuit ridership jumped 93% between the first and second weeks of service and encompassed over 6,000 passengers in July, a 200% increase from June.

• Hosted several kickoff events to introduce the SW community to the Circuit service and provide opportunities to ride the shuttles. These included Bike to Work Day, the Duck Pond Party, the Lansburgh Block Party, the L’Enfant Circuit Balloon event, a Circuit Parade, and the Out to Lunch series. 

Testbed Projects

• Awarded a grant from DC’s Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) to launch the first e-bike and e-cargo bike library in DC in partnership with the Living Classrooms Foundation. Members of the Living Classrooms community will be able to check e-bikes out of the Dent House in SW during the pilot, which will run from September through December. EFO Ventures will provide 12 e-bikes and operating support for the library, Bunch Bikes will provide e-cargo bikes, Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) will provide bike training to program participants, and the District Department of Transportation’s (DDOT) Capital Bikeshare will extend memberships to e-bike library participants.

• Began a rollout of the Hello Lamp Post digital communication platform in Circuit’s shuttle vehicles and the SW Duck Pond. QR codes placed in the vehicles and around the pond foster community engagement by providing a channel for people to learn more about and share feedback on The MID and the SWBID.

• Partnering with DDOT and George Washington University on a research project that supports an AV and LiDAR testing program and associated community outreach in SW.

Electrification Partnerships

• Supported two selected partners, Zipcar and itselectric, for DOEE’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure project and convened a coalition of seven partners in the electrification space.

• Forged meaningful working partnerships with cross-sector electrification players through the submission of two concept papers for federal electrification grants, including ElectricFish, the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Innovation Showcases for Local, National, and International Leaders

• Showcased the MID to high-profile international and national audiences, including the secretary of planning and the president of the legislator from the government of Recife, Brazil, and executive leaders from FHWA, FTA, and the city of Sacramento.

• Engaged DDOT’s innovation team on a walking tour and proposal for a comprehensive multimodal electrification hub centered on King Greenleaf Recreation Center and the Southwest Library. By expanding access to multimodal, electrified transportation options, the hub aims to shift usage away from single-occupancy vehicles and experiment with electrification policy to inform local and regional infrastructure deployment in the future.

About The MID

Headquartered in SW, The MID plants the seed for future-forward mobility solutions that position safe mobility options as an answer to systemic urban issues that improve quality of life and access for all. The public-private partnership uses on-the-ground testing and mobilizes global technology partners to drive local-first solutions, then serves as a template for fixing disadvantages in cities across the country. The project is funded and supported by DMPED.

About the SWBID

The SWBID is a 501(c)(6) corporation that was established in December 2014. The SWBID spans 483 acres south of the National Mall, including the SW Federal Center, the District Wharf, and the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood. The work of the SWBID is to make this community more connected and the neighborhood more beautiful and create more opportunities for people and businesses to thrive in a commonplace.