DC Trail Rangers: DDOT Oversight Hearing Testimony 2026

January 28, 2026

Good Morning,

My name is Ezra Hollander, and I represent the DC Trail Ranger program, a nationally unique partnership between the Washington Area Bicyclist Association and the District Department of Transportation established in 2013. DC Trail Rangers go out each day on electric cargo bicycles to service over 25 miles of DC owned, paved multi-use trails, taking care of infrastructure that serves as vital transportation and recreation resources for DC residents in every quadrant of the city. In fiscal year 2025, the DC Trail Rangers biked over 8,000 miles on DC trails, while removing over 1,500 bags of trash and engaging with over 5,000 trail users.

The DC Trail Rangers see first hand how safe, accessible, clean, and connected infrastructure encourages more DC residents to come out and enjoy the city’s trails. Drawing upon our years of experience biking, walking, and stewarding DC’s trails and parks, the DC Trail Rangers submit the following comments regarding the District Department of Transportation’s performance over the past year.

The DC Trail Rangers commend DDOT on the completion of the latest section of the Metropolitan Branch Trail between the Fort Totten metro station and Takoma. This new section of the MBT continues the positive trend of building direct connections to existing trails infrastructure, increasing the utility of all trails within DC’s network. We look forward to the continued construction of the trail to Piney Branch Road NW in the coming year, as DC moves closer to creating a continuous trail link between the Maryland border and Union Station.

This past year, DDOT also filled key gaps in existing protected biking infrastructure around the MBT, on K St NE between First St NE and 2nd St NE, and on M St NE to connect the Florida Ave NE protected bike lanes with the MBT. Additionally, DDOT will soon start the construction of the Michigan Ave NE side path to connect the Irving St NE cycle track with the Monroe St NE protected bike lanes, and subsequently the MBT. The DC Trail Rangers are also relieved that the stretch of the MBT under New York Ave NE will soon be renovated to alleviate persistent flooding. While small projects on paper,  filling each of these gaps significantly improves the safety of the DC Trail Rangers and the thousands of DC residents who bike, walk, and roll on DC trails each day. 

There are many more projects to fill small gaps in DC’s trail system that are in various stages of the planning process, that once completed will create safer routes for commuting and recreation, and enhance the infrastructure adjacent to them. The DC Trail Rangers and the trail users they serve would greatly benefit from the speedy completion of the Aspen St NW Connector Trail (connected to the MBT), the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge West Bank Esplanade Underpass Trail (connected to the Anacostia River Trail), and the Oxon Run Connector Trail along Mississippi Ave SE (connected to the Oxon Run Trail). 

We also want to recognize DDOT and The Lab @ DC’s work to address community safety concerns surrounding trail use etiquette and e-bike speeds on the MBT and other trails. We appreciate the opportunities we have had to collaborate on finding constructive solutions to these concerns, and hope we can continue working together to create trails that are safe for all users.

Finally, we would be remiss if we did not take this opportunity to highlight the current dire conditions of the Suitland Parkway Trail. The Suitland Parkway Trail has the potential to be a key transportation and recreation resource for residents in Ward 8, however the combination of high speed vehicle traffic driving just inches from the trail edge and multiple sinkholes developing at the eastern end of the trail, means that DC Trail Rangers can not safely service the trail on a regular basis. The Suitland Parkway Trail will continue to deteriorate and remain largely unusable until the trail’s long planned rehabilitation project is completed.

The DC Trail Rangers are grateful for DDOT’s support and look forward to continued opportunities for collaboration. Our program will be hosting a series of trail audits this March in collaboration with DDOT’s trails team and representatives from a range of other DDOT teams have been invited to attend. We hope that DDOT staff working on trails will be able to join these trail inspections to continue working on how to improve the connectivity and accessibility of DC’s trails.

Ezra Hollander

DC Trail Ranger Program Directorezra.hollander@waba.org