(Washington, DC) The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is issuing an Invitation for Bids (IFB) for carsharing vehicles to utilize 86 existing reserved curbside parking spaces. DDOT is soliciting proposals for carsharing companies to operate throughout the city in all 8 wards. DDOT believes that opening the market to new competitors will improve the carsharing experience in the District.

“The District has been and remains a national leader in promoting ways to reduce carbon emissions and traffic,” said DDOT Acting Director Terry Bellamy. “And this is a natural next step. Our carsharing market has matured and we want to invite the carshare companies that have created the existing services, along with those that are newer to the industry, to operate here in the District.”

Carsharing is a network of privately owned vehicles that are rented by the minute or for days at a time, by members of the service. The system provides the mobility of a car without the expense and maintenance of car ownership, and a single carsharing vehicle can be used by approximately 50 members, thus helping reduce parking and traffic congestion. It’s also worth noting that more than thirty-percent of District residents do not own a car.

Since 2005, the District has reserved curbside parking spaces for the exclusive use of carsharing vehicles. Working closely with Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, business and community leaders, DDOT identified curbside spaces to visibly promote the benefits of carsharing.

Since the initial addition of these 86 curbside spaces, the District has experienced tremendous growth in carsharing membership and ridership. This IFB could potentially bring in more carsharing companies to compete for those spaces, and in addition DDOT will consider requests from companies to increase their “on-street” parking inventory.

“Our residents and other carsharing customers are the ones who will benefit most,” said Director Bellamy. “They will have more options and more cars available to them, and at the same time, as carsharing increases in our city, we will all benefit because fewer people will be driving and parking their own cars.”

The Invitation for Bids is posted online at ddot.dc.gov/procurement.