With D.C. restaurants closed to on-site patrons in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, city transportation officials have set up 20 designated locations where residents and delivery workers can stand in their vehicles to pick up or drop off takeout orders.
[For a full list of delivery and takeout options, see here.]
The District Department of Transportation announced the initiative Wednesday, saying it would last through the duration of D.C.’s official coronavirus public health emergency, which has no definite end in sight. The locations are largely clustered around the downtown core, but they are present in commercial areas in each of the city’s quadrants.
This isn’t the first time D.C. has established pick-up and drop-off zones for commercial activity, having kicked off a pilot program for ride-hailing vehicles and delivery trucks a few years ago. Nor is D.C. the only local jurisdiction to implement such zones for takeout orders amid the pandemic. Montgomery County recently created 38 of them in restaurant-rich areas of Bethesda, North Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Wheaton, according to Greater Greater Washington.
DDOT says in a release that restaurant owners can apply for special permits for the zones in collaboration with their Business Improvement Districts, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, and Main Street organizations. There are no fees for these permits, and they can be requested through the department’s Transportation Online Permitting System. A map of the current zones, courtesy of the city, follows below. The green stars are new drop-off areas, while the red stars represent previously established pickup and drop off zones.