D.C. Council, Department of Transportation Discuss Traffic Fines

Daniela Berson
WMAL.com

WASHINGTON — (WMAL) D.C. Council Members are meeting with Department of Transportation officials today to examine the possibility of raising traffic fines.

Bowser’s transit agency proposed $1000 fines for some speeding violations, a move that D.C. Council Member Mary Cheh said goes too far.

“There may be better ways to identify an amount than simply throwing out an amount,” Cheh told WMAL in December.

D.C. Council Members say that they don’t want raise the fines for the purpose of generating revenue for the District.

“There are two reasons why you set a fine. One is to deter and the other is to punish,” Cheh said.

In an appearance on News Channel 8 last month, Mayor Bowser said that the District’s Department of Transportation was out of line for proposing the fines without consulting her first.

“I told DDOT that they’re going to be the ones getting a ticket for getting ahead of me on that one,” Bowser said.

Up for discussion at today’s meeting are fines involving cyclists and pedestrians.

Fines for hitting cyclists could increase from $50 to $500, while failing to yield to pedestrians could cost drivers $200 if the proposed fines are adopted by D.C. government.