Making the National Mall Safer for Tourists and Locals

The National Mall and Memorial Parks is an urban park that not only hosts visitors from around the country and around the globe, but is also used daily by local bike commuters and other recreationalists.
Balancing the needs of each user group in a way that maximizes safety and visitor experience is of utmost importance. With the help of a NPF Transportation Scholar, the National Mall was able to detail and formulate strategic solutions for improved access and circulation opportunities. These were highlighted in the National Mall Plan including examining bicycle infrastructure gaps within the park's jurisdiction which include several multi-use trail connections as well as the connections to Washington, D.C. and Maryland bike lanes and trails.
An important part of the study was to examine the potential conflicts at pinch points resulting from the large volume of multi-modal users such as pedestrians, Segways, automobiles, tour buses, pedicabs, and assistive devices for people with disabilities to formulate a range of solutions for these locations.