Dockless vehicle parking corrals to be installed in Washington

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) in Washington, US has announced a plan to install 100 off-pavement dockless scooter and bike parking corrals across all eight wards of the District over the next several months.

“These off-sidewalk corrals provide a designated area where both shared dockless vehicle operators and riders and private vehicle riders can safely store their vehicles,” said DDOT Director Jeff Marootian. “By placing these corrals in no-parking zones near intersections, we are fulfilling Mayor Bowser’s vision of creative problem solving to make our streets safer for all users.”

DDOT has said it will also improve the safety of sidewalks and intersections by placing the corrals in the area between stop signs and the start of the parking zone, ensuring that illegally parked cars do not block the visibility of crosswalks and intersections. The off-sidewalk corrals were first piloted in business improvement districts and commercial areas where higher numbers of dockless vehicles were expected to be parked. The new locations focus on residential areas where sidewalks are narrower and more likely to be blocked by an improperly parked dockless vehicle, based on feedback DDOT received from residents.

These areas allow companies to easily identify dedicated space to deploy dockless bikes and scooters to residential neighborhoods in compliance with DDOT’s program requirements, it said. The corrals are also available for residents to start and end their dockless bike and scooter trips. 

The parking corrals is a component of DDOT’s effort to improve safety and visibility for all roadway users at intersections District-wide, it said. In 2019, DDOT updated the District’s Residential Permit Parking (RPP) regulations to include language that clearly defines minimum parking distances at intersections.