2023 District of Columbia Code › Title 38 - Educational Institutions › Chapter 31 - Traffic Control in School Zones › § 38–3101. Definitions

§ 38–3101. Definitions.
For the purposes of this act, the term:
(1) "Action Plan" means a written assessment, posted on the DDOT website prior to implementation of the Action Plan, that:
(A) Summarizes the actions taken by DDOT, including any data produced, to complete a comprehensive assessment of traffic safety needs for a school, including the school zone;
(B) Details the types of traffic safety infrastructure and the location, scope, and timing of installation of traffic safety infrastructure, by infrastructure element, to be installed, pursuant to an assessment of traffic safety needs undertaken by DDOT, as well as barriers or restrictions to implementation of traffic safety infrastructure identified by DDOT; and
(C) Describes the nature and timing of community engagement on implementation of the recommendations in the Action Plan.
(2) "Community-based organization" and "CBO" mean an organization operated by a nonprofit entity or faith-based organization that provides services, including violence interruption and deterrence and youth development.
(3) "DCPS" means the District of Columbia Public Schools.
(4) "DDOT" means the District Department of Transportation.
(5) "DME" means the Deputy Mayor for Education.
(6) "Local education agency" and "LEA" mean DCPS or any individual public charter school or group of public charter schools operating under a single charter.
(7) "New school" means:
(A) A school located in a never-before-occupied structure, except for a structure erected in an existing school zone; or
(B) A school located in a preexisting structure that has not been used as a DCPS school or public charter school within the last 5 years.
(8) "Priority area" means an area of the District, designated by the School Safety and Safe Passage Working Group, for receipt of safe passage services and whose bounds include at least the full school zone for at least one public school.
(9) "Safe passage" means programs and services administered or otherwise overseen by the DME, in collaboration with other relevant District and federal agencies, targeted at ensuring DCPS and public charter school students can travel to and from their schools safe from the threat of physical violence, intimidation, and other public safety concerns.
(10) "School zone" includes any street, block, or intersection within 350 feet of a given school's building or school grounds and includes crossing points closest to that boundary; however, areas within school zones that are unused for crossings, such as along a highway without marked crossing points, may be excluded from the school zone.
(11) "Shared fleet device" shall have the same meaning as provided in § 50-2201.02(14D).
(12) "Spot safety assessment" means a determination of whether traffic safety infrastructure should be installed to increase traffic safety at a specific location.
(13) "Traffic safety infrastructure" includes speed humps, bumps, cushions, tables, rumble strips, pavement markings, signs that warn of the presence of children, traffic signals and signage, raised crosswalks, raised intersections, continuous sidewalks, high-visibility crosswalks, curb extensions, pedestrian islands, bicycle lanes, bus islands and shelters, stop signs, including all way stops, automated traffic enforcement cameras and signage, and flashing signals and beacons.
(May 23, 2000, D.C. Law 13-111, § 2, 47 DCR 2206; Sept. 18, 2007, D.C. Law 17-20, § 6023, 54 DCR 7052; Mar. 21, 2009, D.C. Law 17-320, § 3, 56 DCR 219; Oct. 8, 2016, D.C. Law 21-160, § 4112, 63 DCR 10775; Mar. 10, 2023, D.C. Law 24-285, § 2(a), 70 DCR 998; Sept. 6, 2023, D.C. Law 25-50, § 6122(a), 70 DCR 10366.)
Section References
This section is referenced in § 5-132.02.
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 17-20 rewrote subsec. (f), which had read as follows: “(f) At least one crossing guard shall be placed at elementary schools. Crossing guards shall be placed at middle or junior high schools, and high schools where deemed necessary by the Metropolitan Police Department.”
D.C. Law 17-320 added subsec. (f-1).
Applicability
Section 6123 of D.C. Law 25-50 amended section 4 of D.C. Law 24-285 removing the applicability provision impacting this section. Therefore the amendment of this section by section 2(a) of Law 24-285 has been implemented.
Applicability of D.C. Law 24-285: § 4 of D.C. Law 24-285 provided that the change made to this section by § 2(a) of D.C. Law 24-285 is subject to the inclusion of the law’s fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.
Emergency Legislation
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 6023 of Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2007 (D.C. Act 17-74, July 25, 2007, 54 DCR 7549).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2 of School Proximity Traffic Calming Emergency Amendment Act of 2007 (D.C. Act 17-169, October 25, 2007, 54 DCR 10980).
Temporary Legislation
Section 2 of D.C. Law 17-94, in subsec. (a), substituted “school zones and streets directly bordering recreation centers, libraries, and public parks” for “school zones”; in subsec. (b), substituted “school zone or on streets directly bordering recreation centers, libraries, and public parks” for “school zone”; in subsec. (c)(1), substituted “schools zones and on streets directly bordering recreation centers, libraries, and public parks” for “school zones”; in subsec. (e), in par. (1), substituted “School zones and streets directly bordering recreation centers, libraries, and public parks” for “School zones” and “school zones and streets directly bordering recreation centers, libraries, and public parks” for “School zones”, and amended par. (2) to read as follows:
“(2) The Mayor shall place the traffic control device, deemed necessary under subsection (a) of this section, on every street within 100 yards of a:
“(A) School building within a school zone;
“(B) Recreation center;
“(C) Library; or
“(D) Public park.”; in subsec. (h), substituted “school zone or on streets directly bordering recreation centers, libraries, and public parks” for “school zone”; and in subsec. (i), substituted “school zones, recreation centers, libraries, and public parks within 60 days from October 15, 2007” for “school zones within 60 days from the effective date of this act”.
Section 4(b) of D.C. Law 17-94 provided that the act shall expire after 225 days of its having taken effect.