United States
Washington, DC
UMR Index Rank
#21
(-3)
Score: 58%
Sustainable Mobility
#23
(=)
Score: 58.0%
Public Transit
#37
(-10)
Score: 48.4%
Technology Adoption
#17
Score: 52.3%
| Population | 5.6 million |
| Surface area (km2) | 3,644 |
| Population-density (people/km2) | 1,522 |
| GDP per capita ($) | 113,329 |
UMR Index Rank
#21
(-3)
Score: 58%
Sustainable Mobility
#23
(=)
Score: 58.0%
Public Transit
#37
(-10)
Score: 48.4%
Technology Adoption
#17
Score: 52.3%
What Washington, DC Does Well In Urban Mobility
The US capital, which ranks 21st in this edition of the index, enjoys well-connected and maintained roads, as well as a robust traffic management system. The city’s public transit system includes buses, rail, and a metro with six lines. In mid-2024 the Capital Improvement Program approved $11 billion in investment between 2025 and 2030 to maintain the public transit infrastructure and improve safety. In 2022 the city began converting its streetlights to LED technology that allows for remote monitoring and control to improve traffic safety while ensuring timely streetlight repairs. The city claims the conversion reduces streetlight energy consumption by over 50%, which is a step forward for sustainability.
Washington, DC, has a wide range of shared mobility services. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has distributed public space permits to private companies offering car-sharing and shared micromobility services, including electric scooters and bikes. DDOT has recorded more than 30 million shared micromobility trips since the program launched in 2019. In 2022 the city created a Mobility Innovation District to foster public-private partnerships on urban mobility topics, which is showing success — for example, the program led to the launch in 2023 of Circuit, an electric shuttle service in Southwest DC that costs $2 a ride.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index, Sustainable Mobility, Public Transit, and Technology Adoption scores
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley
Challenges And Opportunities For Washington, DC’s Transportation System
Although Washington offers tax exemptions for electric vehicles (EVs) on top of federal tax incentives of up to $7,500 per car, charging stations are hard to find in a city that relies heavily on cars as the primary mode of transportation. This can discourage consumers from purchasing EVs. However, in 2023 the city was granted nearly $17 million by the federal Department of Transportation to build more charging infrastructure over the next five years.
Washington boasts greater cycling adoption than other US cities, including New York and San Francisco, but it lags behind Canadian metropolises Toronto and Vancouver. This reflects the city’s large surface area and limited cycling infrastructure. Some efforts to improve cycling are underway. The city plans to complete 20 miles (32 kilometers) of new protected bike lanes by the end of 2024, nearly doubling its network, and an additional 50 miles (80 kilometers) of bike lanes across the city over the next five years. This includes improvements like traffic calming measures, separate lanes for cyclists with safety buffers, and better connections between existing cycle lanes.
Dimensions of the Urban Mobility Readiness Index score
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley
How Washington, DC Can Improve Its Urban Mobility Performance
Washington has set a goal of having 25% of vehicles registered in the district be zero- emission by 2030. For the transition to EVs to be successful, Washington needs to develop comprehensive charging infrastructure. It can improve the density of charging points by offering more tax rebates and subsidies for the installation of chargers, including at- home installations.
The city’s public transit network caters to commuters by offering affordable prices and multimodal linkages. However, commuters often face long distances to their nearest public transit station because of the low density of the network. The city can reduce distances and improve access to public transit by expanding bus services. The Better Bus Network Redesign initiative, launched in 2023, is a step in the right direction to understand residents’ needs as well as current bottlenecks and pain points. The city can do more by increasing service frequency and stops on existing lines in the meantime. While further investments in new metro stations would improve connectivity for residents living in underserved areas, the priority in times of budget constraints for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority goes to maintaining current service levels — especially in lower-income areas.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index relative ranking evolution (2020-2024)
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley