Bike, Walk & Bus PAC Celebrates Strong Election Results as Endorsed Candidates Prevail Across Washington, DC

Bike, Walk & Bus PAC is proud to announce that an endorsed candidate was elected in every race where we conducted an endorsement vote.

Congratulations to:

• Janeese Lewis George — Mayor

• Oye Owolewa — At-Large Council

• Elissa Silverman — At-Large Council

• Aparna Raj — Ward 1 Council

• Matthew Frumin — Ward 3 Council

• Zachary Parker — Ward 5 Council

• Charles Allen — Ward 6 Council

  
  

We also want to recognize Candace Nelson, one of our endorsed candidates for At-Large Council. While the results did not go her way this cycle, we are grateful for her commitment to transportation, housing, and building a more livable city. We wish Candace the very best in her future political endeavors and look forward to seeing her continued contributions to Washington, DC.

These victories did not happen by accident. They were made possible by hundreds of advocates, volunteers, transit riders, pedestrians, bicyclists, and community members who participated in candidate forums, completed questionnaires, attended events, talked with neighbors, knocked on doors, made phone calls, and cast their ballots.

When Bike, Walk & Bus PAC launched, we set out to build political power for people who believe Washington, DC deserves safer streets, reliable public transportation, connected bike networks, and walkable neighborhoods. This election demonstrated that transportation issues matter and that voters are paying attention to who will champion a safer, more sustainable future.

Our endorsements were based on a transparent process that included candidate questionnaires, public forums, community engagement, and votes by our supporters. Tonight's results show that our movement is growing and that transportation advocates can play a meaningful role in shaping the future of our city.

With victories in the Mayor's race, both At-Large contests, and multiple ward council races, voters have elected leaders who have consistently demonstrated support for safer streets, stronger transit, and transportation choices that connect communities across the District.

While we are encouraged by these results, elections are only one part of the work. The real challenge begins now. We look forward to working with our endorsed candidates to advance policies that reduce traffic deaths, improve transit service, expand safe walking and biking infrastructure, and create a transportation system that serves every Washingtonian.

Bike, Walk & Bus PAC remains committed to organizing, educating, and mobilizing residents who want a city that is safer, healthier, and easier to navigate without relying on a car.

Most importantly, this is only the beginning. Stay tuned for what's next. We have exciting announcements, new initiatives, and opportunities for engagement planned over the coming months as we continue building political power for transportation advocates across the District.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in this effort. Together, we demonstrated that transportation advocates are a force in DC politics, and we are just getting started.

Bike Ride to the Polls & Happy Hour for DC Primary Season

Join the Bike, Walk & Bus PAC for our final event of the primary election season as we ride together to support a more connected DC

Join the Bike, Walk & Bus PAC for our final event of the primary election season as we ride together to support safer streets, better transit, and a more connected DC.

We'll gather at Franklin Park at 2:00 PM before taking a casual group bike ride to the U Street Early Voting Center. Once there, we'll spend time talking with voters and distributing literature highlighting the PAC's endorsed candidates for the 2026 election.

After volunteering, we'll walk together to a nearby happy hour location to celebrate the end of a busy election season and thank the volunteers, supporters, and advocates who helped make our work possible.

Schedule

2:00 PM – Meet at Franklin Park

2:15 PM – Group ride to the U Street Early Voting Center (Prince Hall Center for the Performing Arts (Masonic Temple) - Ballroom)

2:30–3:00 PM – Volunteer voter outreach and literature distribution

3:00 PM – Walk to happy hour and election season celebration

What to Bring

• Bicycle and helmet

• Water bottle

• Comfortable clothing

• Friends and fellow advocates

Whether you've volunteered all season or are joining us for the first time, we'd love to have you ride with us as we close out this election cycle together.

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bike-ride-to-the-polls-happy-hour-for-dc-primary-season-tickets-1991462477880?aff=oddtdtcreator

Why Transportation Advocates Need to Pay Attention to Kenyan McDuffie’s Record

As Washington, DC heads into a pivotal mayoral election, transportation advocates, climate voters, transit riders, pedestrians, and cyclists should take a close look at Mayoral Candidate Kenyan McDuffie’s public record on transportation and safe streets.

This election comes at a critical moment for the future of transportation policy in the District. Across DC, protected bike lanes, bus priority corridors, Vision Zero investments, and safer pedestrian infrastructure are increasingly under political attack. At the same time, residents continue demanding safer streets, more reliable transit, and transportation systems that work for everyone, not just drivers.

The question voters should ask is simple: when key transportation projects faced controversy, where did Kenyan McDuffie stand?

Opposition to the 9th Street Protected Bike Lane

One of the clearest examples is the long-running fight over the 9th Street NW protected bike lane, a project transportation planners identified as a critical north-south safety connection through downtown DC.

Yet when legislation was introduced in 2020 to move the stalled project forward, McDuffie publicly opposed the effort. McDuffie attempted to frame his opposition to protected bike lane infrastructure during the debate surrounding the 9th Street NW protected bike lane as an equity and displacement concern tied to the alleged loss of parking.

But the project proposals did not eliminate the adjacent parking lanes on 9th Street. The corridor ultimately retained parking while adding protected infrastructure intended to improve safety for cyclists, pedestrians, transit users, and drivers alike.

For many advocates, the issue was not simply disagreement over street design, it was the use of racial equity language to cast doubt on a proven safety intervention without substantial evidence that the project itself would cause displacement.

That framing frustrated many safe streets organizers because transportation justice and racial equity are deeply interconnected in Washington, DC.

If McDuffie had fully engaged with the data surrounding traffic violence in the District, he would have seen a troubling reality: the majority of traffic violence victims in DC are people of color. Black residents in particular are disproportionately harmed and killed by dangerous street conditions, speeding, and unsafe roadway design.

Silence During the Fight for Safer 8th Street NE

Transportation advocates also point to McDuffie’s silence during one of Ward 5’s most contentious street safety fights: the redesign of 8th Street NE.

The project was intended to calm traffic and improve safety on a dangerous corridor that residents and advocates had spent years pushing to redesign. But as opposition intensified, the project came under political attack and was reportedly on the brink of collapse.

At that critical moment, advocates say the project could have benefited from strong public leadership from the Ward 5 councilmember. Instead, McDuffie largely remained silent as the debate unfolded, despite the project being located within the ward he represented.

As Greater Greater Washington later documented, the safer redesign proposal faced repeated setbacks and political pressure before eventually moving forward years later, after McDuffie had already left the Ward 5 seat. The project was ultimately installed after sustained public demand from residents and transportation advocates who continued organizing despite the opposition.

For many safe streets advocates, the lesson was clear: silence from elected leadership during politically difficult moments can function as opposition when transformative transportation projects need vocal public support to survive.

Opposition to the K Street Transitway

McDuffie has also taken aim at one of the city’s most ambitious bus infrastructure projects: the K Street Transitway.

The project was designed to create dedicated bus lanes, safer bike infrastructure, and improved transit reliability through one of the busiest downtown corridors in the city. Transit advocates viewed the project as a critical investment in moving people more efficiently through downtown DC and improving travel times for thousands of Metrobus riders every day.

But during a 2026 interview, McDuffie dismissed the project by stating:

“Nobody’s door I knocked on has asked about the K Street Transitway.”

That statement raised alarms among many transit and safe streets advocates because transformational transportation projects are not always the loudest issue at the doorstep but they are essential to the long-term safety, sustainability, and functionality of a growing city.

Organizations like the Washington Area Bicyclist Association supported the K Street Transitway because of its potential to improve bus reliability, create safer bicycle infrastructure, and reduce conflicts between road users in a heavily congested corridor.

Opposition to Automated Traffic Enforcement Without a Serious Alternative

McDuffie has also made opposition to DC’s automated traffic enforcement system a central political message, repeatedly describing traffic cameras as “predatory.”

Concerns about fairness and equity in ticketing deserve discussion. But what remains deeply concerning is that McDuffie has not proposed or led a serious alternative accountability framework for dangerous driving.

At a time when speeding continues to kill and seriously injure people across the District, weakening one of the city’s primary enforcement tools without presenting a replacement plan creates major public safety concerns.

Transportation advocates should ask: if not traffic cameras, then what?

There has been no detailed public plan outlining how a McDuffie administration would address speeding, reckless driving, red-light violations, or repeat dangerous drivers who threaten pedestrians, cyclists, bus riders, and children walking to school.

If leaders want to reform traffic enforcement, there are many serious policy pathways available:

• income-based fine reform,

• targeted enforcement against repeat offenders,

• expanded traffic calming,

• Intelligent Speed Assistance, 

• Strengthening our vehicle point system for vehicles with repeated high-speed driving,

• street redesigns,

• safer intersections,

• or protected infrastructure.

  
  

But simply attacking cameras as “predatory” while offering no replacement solution risks making streets more dangerous for everyone else.

The Contributory Negligence Bill Ultimately Passed - But Not Without Threats of Weakening from McDuffie

The legislation reforming DC’s unjust contributory negligence law ultimately did pass, and that victory represented a major milestone for pedestrian and cyclist safety advocates in the District. The law finally moved DC away from one of the harshest legal standards in the country for vulnerable road users hit by drivers.

But the bill’s path forward became contentious after McDuffie introduced amendments and procedural delays that advocates feared could weaken or derail the legislation at a critical moment. Transportation and pedestrian safety advocates publicly raised alarm that the years-long effort was suddenly in jeopardy just as the bill neared passage.

Ultimately, the legislation survived and became law. Advocates celebrated the victory and thanked the Council for finally modernizing a legal doctrine that had long disadvantaged pedestrians and bicyclists.

Still, for many transportation advocates, the episode reinforced a broader concern about McDuffie’s approach to transportation and street safety policy: support often appeared hesitant, politically cautious, or accompanied by efforts that threatened to water down reforms before they crossed the finish line.

That distinction matters.

Transportation advocates are not only asking whether elected officials eventually vote “yes” after overwhelming public pressure builds. They are asking who is willing to actively lead, defend, and champion vulnerable road users when reforms become politically difficult.

And for many advocates, that is exactly what makes this mayoral election such a pivotal moment for the future of safe streets in Washington, DC.

A Consistent Pattern 

Transportation advocates have also raised concerns about McDuffie’s broader approach to street design and transportation planning.

In response to the Greater Greater Washington candidate questionnaire, McDuffie signaled opposition to removing any parking or travel lanes for protected bike infrastructure, despite the reality that many protected bike lanes cannot be built without reallocating some street space away from cars.

The concern is not about one isolated issue. It is about a broader governing philosophy:

• skepticism toward protected bike infrastructure,

• silence during major safe streets battles,

• opposition to major transitway investments,

• attacks on traffic enforcement,

• and reluctance to repurpose street space.

At a time when DC should be accelerating investments in transit, walking, biking, and street safety, many advocates fear this approach would move the city backward.

This Is a Pivotal Moment for DC’s Transportation Future

Transportation policy is not a niche issue. It is about public safety, climate resilience, affordability, accessibility, and quality of life.

Protected bike lanes save lives. Bus lanes make transit faster and more reliable for working residents. Traffic calming protects children walking to school. Walkable streets strengthen local businesses and create healthier neighborhoods. But these gains are not permanent.

A mayor appoints DDOT leadership, shapes transportation priorities, controls capital investments, and determines whether safe streets projects move forward, or stall indefinitely.

That is why bike advocates, transit riders, pedestrian safety supporters, climate advocates, and residents who care about safer streets cannot afford to disengage from this election.

DC residents spent years organizing, advocating, and fighting for the transportation progress the city has made so far. That progress was not inevitable.

And at this moment, advocates must decide whether the city continues moving toward safer, more connected, people-centered streets, or whether it risks returning to a transportation agenda centered primarily around protecting the status quo for drivers.