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D.C. Plan Would Boost Transit, Discourage Driving

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A draft of the District of Columbia's long-range transportation plan favors mass transit and discourages driving.

The Washington Post  reported Wednesday that the plan calls for toll lanes at major entry points into the city and efforts to keep vehicles off of congested streets.

The draft MoveDC plan, the city's first comprehensive transportation guide in nearly two decades, looks ahead to the year 2040. It envisions a broad transit network that includes streetcars, dedicated bus lanes in commuter corridors, expanded Metro service downtown, water taxis and 200 miles of bicycle facilities.

Sam Zimbabwe, the associate director for policy and planning at the D.C. Department of Transportation says the transportation system will choke if the region continues to grow and does not address vehicular traffic.

"If we did nothing, if we sort of left the system just as it is and we add all those people, we will have some real severe problems," Zimbabwe said.

City transportation officials project the city will add 170,000 new residents and 200,000 additional jobs in the next 25 years.

Residents will have a chance to comment on the MoveDC plan during a D.C. Council roundtable on June 27. Officials are also accepting comments on the plan's website, wemovedc.org. The plan is expected to be adopted later this summer.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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