(Washington, DC) In preparation for Independence Day, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is advising participants to please take notice of the following street closures and related advisories that will impact travel in the city.

• July 4 Celebration Road Closures
• A Capitol 4th – Celebration on the National Mall
• National Archives July 4th Declaration of Independence Reading
• 45th Annual Palisades July 4th Parade
• Capitol Hill July 4th Parade
• Parking Restrictions
• Mass Transit
• Capital Bikeshare
• Operation Fast-Forward
• Safety
• Tips for Motorists
• Tips for Pedestrians

July 4 Celebration Road Closures

The Metropolitan Police Department have provided the following information about the road closures for the Independence Day Festivities that will take place in the District of Columbia on Monday, July 4. There will be several events taking place in the District of Columbia in relation to the Independence Day Festivities. In conjunction with these events, there will be numerous street closures and parking restrictions that motorists should take into consideration:

A Capitol 4th – Celebration on the National Mall

No Parking Restrictions 5:00 am to 11:00 pm

• 3rd Street, from Independence to Constitution Avenue, NW
• 4th Street, from Independence to Constitution Avenue, NW
• 7th Street, from Independence to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
• 14th Street, from Independence to Constitution Avenue, NW
• 15th Street, from Constitution to E Street NW
• 17th Street, from Constitution to E Street NW
• Constitution Avenue, both sides, from Pennsylvania Ave., west to 23rd Street, NW
• 10th Street, NW, between Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues, NW
• 14th Street, NW, between Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues, NW
• C Street, NW, from 17th to 18th Street, Both Sides.
• Virginia Avenue, NW from Constitution Avenue to 21st Street.

Streets Closed from approximately 6:00 am until approximately 11:00 pm

• 4th Street from Independence Avenue SW to Constitution Avenue NW
• 7th Street from Independence Avenue SW to Constitution Avenue NW
• 15th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue NW to Maine Avenue SW
• 17th Street from Independence Avenue SW to E Street NW
• 19th Street NW, from C Street to Constitution Avenue
• 20th Street NW, from C Street to Constitution Avenue
• 21st Street NW, from C Street to Constitution Avenue
• 22nd Street NW, from C Street to Constitution Avenue
• 23rd Street NW from Independence Avenue SW to C Street NW
• Virginia Avenue NW from 18th Street to 20th Street
• Constitution Avenue NW from 14th Street to 23rd Street.
• Independence Avenue SW from 14th Street to 23rd Street

Streets Closed from approximately 11:30 am until approximately 11:00 pm

• 14th Street from Independence Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
• 3rd Street from Maryland Avenue SW to Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Streets Closed from approximately 11:30 am until approximately 3:00 pm (for the Parade)

• 9th Street Tunnel from Pennsylvania Avenue to the SE/SW Freeway
• 12th Street Tunnel from the SE/SW Freeway to Pennsylvania Avenue

Motorists should be advised that the 14th Street Bridge and the Roosevelt Bridge will remain open throughout the day. Motorists are reminded that there is no parking or stopping on the bridges. Any vehicles that stop on the bridge will be immediately ticketed and towed.

National Archives July 4th Declaration of Independence Reading

From 7:30 am -11:30 am, Constitution Avenue NW, between 7th and 9th Streets will be closed for this event.

45th Annual Palisades July 4th Parade

The parade begins at Whitehaven Parkway and MacArthur Blvd. NW., and proceeds Northwest on MacArthur, left on Edmunds Pl, left on Sherrier Pl, and a right into the Palisades Recreation Center. Road closures begin at 12:00 pm and conclude at approximately 1:30 pm. MacArthur Blvd. will be closed from Reservoir Road to Arizona Ave. for this event. There will be rolling street closures during this event.

Capitol Hill July 4th Parade

The annual parade on Capitol Hill will form at 8th & I Streets, SE at 8:00 am. The parade will begin at 10:00 am and end at 12:00 pm. The parade will proceed north on 8th Street, and west on D Street, SE. to the park at 7th and D Street, SE where it will disband. There will be rolling street closures during this event.

Due to the extremely heavy pedestrian crowds associated with these events, motorists are encouraged to exercise extreme caution when traveling in these areas. In addition, those wishing to attend these events are encouraged to use public transportation.

For more information about Independence Day events on the Mall, visit www.nps.gov/dc/july4th .

For information about July 4 activities and road closures in Arlington, please visit www.arlingtonva.us .

Parking Restrictions

Please note, parking throughout the area around the National Mall will be extremely limited on July 4.

DDOT has begun posting emergency no parking signs on the affected streets. Residents, workers and visitors can park at these locations until the restrictions begin, but please do not remove the temporary signs. Even if the signs are removed, the no parking restrictions will be enforced on the 4th.

Mass Transit

Residents and visitors are encouraged to take public transportation on the 4th. Metro will be adding additional service, although bus passengers should be aware some routes will be detoured. For more information visit www.metroopensdoors.com .

In addition, two routes of the DC Circulator will be detoured on July 4 due to the extensive road closures. The detours are as follows:

Capital Bikeshare

On July 4, Capital Bikeshare will be providing two bike corrals to handle the large number of riders expected to use the system to visit the National Mall. The bike corrals will be located at the following stations:

• USDA/12th and Independence Avenue, SW
• 10th St and Constitution Avenue, NW

Both Capital Bikeshare corrals will be open from 5 pm to 11 pm.

With the large number of road closures in the DC area on July 4, rebalancing vehicles will likely experience delays. Also, with the expected heavy use of Capital Bikeshare during the evening on Monday, July 4, bike availability may be an issue during the morning rush hours on Tuesday, July 5.

Operation Fast-Forward

In coordination with its regional transportation and public safety partners, DDOT will once again run “Operation Fast Forward” on July 4. This annual exercise allows the participating agencies to expedite and manage the flow of traffic after the fireworks, while they test their emergency evacuation plans.

On four select evacuation routes, traffic signals will be retimed to provide longer green lights for traffic exiting the city. The operation is slated to begin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the fireworks and run for 60 minutes.

The Operation Fast Forward emergency routes are:

• Constitution Ave NW from 17th Street NW to 23rd Street NW
• Canal Road NW from Key Bridge to Chain Bridge
• Pennsylvania Ave SE from Fairlawn Street SE to Southern Avenue SE
• New York Avenue NE/NW from Bladensburg Road NE to 4th Street NW

Safety

DDOT and its regional partners remind pedestrians and motorists to obey all traffic laws, including crossing at designated crosswalks and following the directions of Metropolitan Police and other law enforcement personnel. DDOT will deploy Traffic Control Officers (TCOs) to assist with the flow of traffic and pedestrian movements around the Mall.

Tips for Motorists:

• Always obey the directions of police officers and TCOs at intersections.
• When leaving parking garages or lots near the Mall after the fireworks, be prepared to stop and yield to people on the sidewalk. They have the right of way and there will be many of them.
• Drive slowly and cautiously on streets near the Mall after the fireworks. The sidewalks are not large enough to accommodate the number of pedestrians exiting the Mall and people will be walking in the street for several blocks in near the Mall.
• Remember that drivers turning right or left at intersections must stop and give right of way to pedestrians legally in the crosswalk. Under DC Law, failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk is punishable by up to a $250 fine and 3 points on your license.

Tips for Pedestrians:

• Always obey the directions of police officers and TCOs at intersections.
• Wait for the Walk signal and watch for turning vehicles.
• Obey the pedestrian signals rather than the vehicle signals. There may be a turn arrow for drivers.
• Cross at signal controlled intersections whenever possible.

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For additional traffic advisories please visit DDOT’s Traffic Alerts page
or visit goDCgo.com  for more information on transportation options in the District