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DC residents call for 'equity' after Bowser announces free rides on DC Circulator

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the DC Circulator would be free to riders Monday.

WASHINGTON — Some DC residents are calling for more equity in the city one day after Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the DC Circulator bus will be free indefinitely.  

Bowser made the transportation announcement Monday night during her State of the District address.

Many DC residents supported the mayor's decision. However, some locals without access to the DC Circulator questioned with the buses would begin to drive through their neighborhoods.

"It becomes an issue of equity," said Hillcrest ANC Commissioner Villareal Johnson. "It becomes an issue of fairness."

While residents can hop on the DC Circulator in Georgetown, Downtown and Anacostia, it does not run through Wards 4, 5, or 7.

The service used to be available in the city's Hillcrest neighborhood. However, DDOT chose to route the DC Circulator out of that community roughly a year ago due to low-ridership numbers.

Johnson told WUSA9 he believes the service should be available in all wards of the city.

"As long as all eight wards get it, we're good with it [in Hillcrest]," he said.

WUSA9 asked both the Mayor Bowser's office and DDOT if DC Circulator service could be expanded into the city's other wards.

A DDOT Spokesperson provided the following statement:

"Mayor Bowser is committed to ensuring that we provide accessible transportation to all residents and visitors in the District. As part of the 2020 Transit Development Plan DDOT will be looking at opportunities to expand service. More details will be included in the Mayor's budget presentation this week."

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