GHSA and the Ford Motor Company Fund provided $50,000 to help increase the District of Columbia Highway Safety Office engage with the city’s unhoused population about pedestrian and bicycle safety.
The Ford Motor Company Fund partnered with GHSA in 2024 to provide a grant of $50,000 to help increase mobility in underserved and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities by developing, implementing and evaluating teen-centric safe mobility programs. The District Highway Safety Office (D.C. HSO) used this funding to engage with the city’s unhoused population – migrant families and individuals experiencing homelessness – about pedestrian and bicycle safety. The program focused on three key areas: training for law enforcement and government employees who frequently interact with unhoused people, engaging with unhoused individuals through the distribution of “safety kits,” and educating drivers about their responsibility for safely sharing the road with people on foot and bicycles.
The D.C. Homeless Services Office collaborated with the H3 Project, a nonprofit organization that addresses homelessness and human trafficking in the District. Together, they developed and administered a survey of 150 unhoused individuals. The respondents reported challenges in accessing essential services such as medical and mental health appointments, employment opportunities, and food and shelter, primarily due to difficulties in obtaining transportation.
D.C. HSO used the survey findings to develop training for government and nonprofit professionals working with the unhoused community. Four trainings were conducted for 131 government employees representing the Departments of Health and Behavioral Health, For-Hire Vehicles, Transportation, Public Works, Buildings, Parks & Recreation, Motor Vehicles and Fire & EMS, along with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Metropolitan Police and the Public Library.
The D.C. Homeless Services Office assembled 700 safety kits containing reflective clothing, bags, whistles, and other items. The kits were given to the Metropolitan Police Department and the Departments of Public Works, Parks and Recreation and Health for distribution to unhoused community members.
Street Smart media events were conducted to generate greater awareness of pedestrian safety District-wide, focusing on the unhoused population and highlighting the need for drivers to be alert, especially at night.
In addition to educating drivers, H3 provided safe mobility counseling to 946 unhoused individuals. H3 staff specifically talked about the importance of how to move safely throughout the city.
As a result of the D.C. HSO’s traffic safety outreach and relationship building, both of which were critical components of this program, efforts are underway to help address the safe mobility needs of the unhoused community. These individuals have and will continue to receive tools to improve their visibility and ongoing education about how to be safer cyclists and pedestrians. The lessons learned from this initiative, including gaining a better understanding of the unique characteristics of this population, will enhance future projects and campaigns.
