FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts

Terry Owens — (202) 763-8635, [email protected]
Michelle Phipps-Evans — (202) 497-0124, [email protected]

(Washington, DC)–Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the District of Columbia will begin publishing traffic crash data in an open and geocoded format every 24 hours.The new initiative is the result of collaboration between the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO).

The announcement is the latest move in support of Vision Zero, Mayor Bowser’s initiative to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries in the District by the year 2024. This effort is also part of the District Government’s New Open Data Policy, one of the most progressive and comprehensive data policies in the nation.

“Evaluation of safety data is critical in improving the District’s street design, education, and enforcement efforts,” said Mayor Bowser. “With this near real-time publication of open data, data scientists, coders, and civic hackers in the District and worldwide can aid the District in safety analysis and get us closer Vision Zero.”

“By taking the lead in traffic data transparency and availability, we are advancing the District’s Vision Zero goals, and most importantly, protecting the traffic safety of residents and visitors,” said DDOT Director Leif Dormsjo. “This new traffic safety data will help the District government, safety advocates, academics and others working toward Vision Zero by providing access to the most informed traffic safety analysis available.”

This open data set will include every reported crash in the District, for all modes of surface transportation. In addition to the location of the crash, summary statistics of the crash are provided such as, the ward in which the crash occurred, the number of injuries (Minor, Major, Fatal), the types of vehicles involved, whether or not impairment was involved, whether or not speeding was involved, the nearest intersecting street names, and the distance from that intersection.

The data also includes a summary of details for each crash. The details provide information about each of the persons involved in the crash, such as the type of participant (Driver, Occupant, Bicyclist, and Pedestrian), the age of the participant, whether or not the participant was injured (Minor, Major, Fatal), what type of vehicle the participant was in (passenger car, large truck, taxi, government vehicle, bicycle, etc.), whether or not the participant was issued a ticket, and the jurisdiction in which the vehicle is registered.

“The greatest value from the District’s investment in data can only be realized when the data is freely shared,” said DC Chief Technology Officer Archana Vemulapalli. “This type of real-time data has the potential to truly save lives and make our city stronger, safer and smarter.”

In May, Mayor Bowser announced the expansion of DC Government’s new Data Policy, one of the most progressive and comprehensive data policies in the nation. Under the new policy, District agency data will be open to the public by default to the fullest extent consistent with safety, privacy, and security. The new policy will streamline the process for DC Government agencies to continue adding to the over 900 datasets currently published.

All of the District’s open data is located at opendata.dc.gov.

The crash data initiative is part of Back to Basics DC, a multi-week celebration of the day-to-day work that keeps Washington, DC moving forward. Follow Back to Basics DC on social media using #backtobasicsDC.

The mission of the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is to enhance the quality of life for District residents and visitors by ensuring that people, goods, and information move efficiently and safely with minimal adverse impact on residents and the environment. Follow us on Twitter for transportation-related updates and more; like us on Facebook and visit the website at www.ddot.dc.gov. Visit goDCgo.com for more information on transportation options in the District.