Mayor Bowser Invites Residents to Celebrate First-Ever Capitol Hill Open Streets Event, Highlights FY26 Budget Investments in a Multimodal DC

(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) encourage residents and visitors to enjoy the first-ever Open Streets Capitol Hill on Saturday, June 28 from 9 am to 3 pm. Open Streets transforms District roads into vibrant, car-free spaces that encourage walking, biking, playing, and community connection. This Saturday’s event will be held on North Carolina Avenue SE, East Capitol Street, and Massachusetts Avenue SE in Ward 6, between 6th Street SE and 17th Street SE, creating more than one mile of open roadway in the heart of Capitol Hill.

Open Streets will feature free, family-friendly activities focused on health, safety and community engagement, with programming led by local businesses, community organizations and District agencies. Attendees can enjoy fitness classes, bike maintenance clinics, Double Dutch, foam parties, live music and more. Eastern Market will operate its usual weekend market and has partnered with DDOT to showcase additional vendors along the route.

“We are excited to bring the community together to experience our streets in a fun and safe way as we take over Capitol Hill for the first time in Open Streets DC history,” said DDOT Director, Sharon Kershbaum. “We are thankful for Mayor Bowser’s support in this initiative as we engage local businesses, educate about transportation safety and get moving together across the community.” 

The event will take place rain or shine. Residents are encouraged to wear comfortable walking shoes and bring their bike, scooter or skates to experience the variety of activities on the route.

Open Streets underscores Mayor Bowser’s commitment to building safer, more connected neighborhoods. Over the past decade, the Bowser Administration has built 55 miles of bike lanes—including 35 miles of protected lanes—added 13 miles of dedicated bus lanes, expanded the trail network to 67 miles and nearly doubled the number of Capital Bikeshare stations. The FY26 Budget: Grow DC builds on that progress with historic multimodal investments across all eight wards, from $76 million in additional WMATA funding to $73 million for new pedestrian and bike trails. Learn more at budget.dc.gov.

Find more information about the event at openstreets.dc.gov.

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