From SaferConnAveDC:
“Two and a half years ago (12/15/2021), Mayor Bowser announced that she was moving forward with Concept C, a plan to reshape the footprint of Connecticut Avenue in Ward 3 by removing the reversible lane, lowering speed limits, and adding bike and bus and pedestrian friendly design changes to the streetscape: “After considering several options, it was clear that this design best meets the needs of our city and moves us closer to a greener DC, a safer DC, and a DC that is less reliant on cars.”
The redesign received near-unanimous support from all the ANCs, across three different terms. And yet, last week, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced that they were removing bike lanes from the plan without seeking community input, running counter to the notion of community engagement that DDOT prides itself on.
This is a key opportunity to transform a corridor and help the city reach its climate goals by reducing the number of trips made by car. Additionally, numerous studies have shown that bike lanes do not negatively affect businesses, as people who use bicycles are more likely to frequent local stores. Adding bicycle lanes to Connecticut Avenue would also help improve safety along the corridor.
We urge the Mayor and the Council to act expeditiously to restore the protected bike lanes to the redesign of Connecticut Avenue. If you agree and would like to see the city move forward with the bike lane plan, please join us in signing this petition hosted by WABA here.
Some additional background on the genesis of this project and the consequences of the recent decision: Read More
photo by Victoria Pickering
From the office of Councilmember Charles Allen:
“The DC Council unanimously approved Councilmember Charles Allen’s Healthy Homes bill that sets DC on a course to replace fossil-fuel powered appliances and home heat with electric appliances in the homes of 30,000 low- and moderate-income DC residents by 2040. The bill marks an ambitious undertaking to address a key source of both carbon output and in-home air quality issues. Read More
photo by Victoria Pickering
From the Mayor’s Office:
“Mayor Muriel Bowser delivered her Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Budget and Financial Plan, A Fair Shot: Strategic Investments and Shared Sacrifice, to the Council of the District of Columbia as part of the District’s annual budget process. The FY25 budget represents strategic investments and shared sacrifices to address a confluence of post-COVID factors and drive economic growth.
“Never bet against Washington, DC. We are a resilient city. We never give up. We know how to make a strong comeback. But our wins are also not accidental. We’re smart, creative, and strategic. That is the spirit of my fiscal 2025 budget. This is a smart budget, it’s a responsible budget, but most important, this is a budget that will keep DC the best city in the world,” said Mayor Bowser. “I know that by continuing to work together – by striking the right balance between investments and sacrifice and by prioritizing investments that will kick off more revenues for the District – we will get back to the economic growth levels that have fueled the renaissance of modern Washington.”
The FY25 budget and financial plan is made up of $21 billion in operating funds and $11.8 billion in capital improvement funds. The post-COVID economic factors include: slower revenue growth; the end of federal stimulus funding; significantly higher operating costs, including an additional $200 million in WMATA funding; and the impacts of the remote work environment. The District’s budget is also unique because DC Government is required to have a balanced financial plan across both the current fiscal year and the upcoming four years of the financial plan. The result of these factors is a widening gap across the financial plan that requires prudent investments now to change the trajectory of our out-year revenue estimates.
Mayor Bowser shared her guiding principles for creating the budget: Read More
“Dear PoPville,
I’m writing to get word out about the city’s plans to cut DC’s Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund from the new budget, and to ask anyone interested to urge Mayor Bowser and the DC Council to protect it. A brief summary: Read More
[More reaction, including from AG, Councilmembers, the Developer and Monumental, after the jump.]
From the Mayor’s Office:
“Mayor Muriel Bowser, Chairman Phil Mendelson and Members of the Council of the District of Columbia, and Chief Executive Officer of Monumental Sports & Entertainment Ted Leonsis announced that they have reached a deal to transform and expand the Capital One Arena into a state-of-the-art urban arena that will be the home of the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals through 2050. Read More
15 Kennedy Street, NW
“Dear PoPville,
We have just been given notice that we shall be granted a meeting with the councilwoman and several leaders and stakeholders regarding the development on first and Kennedy. This is going to occur Thursday night 6:00 p.m. at Roots Charter School. the ANC meeting last night with stacked full of people.”
“Dear PoPville,
Spotted this little gal (her name is Sasha) over the last few days in Navy Yard. DDOT markings, I assume it’s to map sidewalks and assess the walkability of the neighborhood?” Read More
Update from an email: “Green Theory is not applying for a “smoke garden”. Green Theory’s original business plan may have included language regarding the hypothetical possibility of applying for a smoke garden, but that is no longer accurate. We have a strict “no smoking” policy in and out front of our property.”
From a press release:
“Late last week the District of Columbia Attorney General’s office paved the way for D.C. to allow “medical marijuana” stores to operate near schools and daycare centers, in violation of a federal law designed to protect children. Yesterday, a group called “1,000 Feet” lodged a formal protest with the District of Columbia’s Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) opposing the imminent approval of a license for a marijuana dispensary slated to open near several schools in the Palisades neighborhood of NW D.C. Under the Federal Drug-Free School Zone law, it is illegal to distribute marijuana within 1,000 feet of public or private schools, yet several elementary schools are within 1,000 feet of the proposed dispensary’s location. Currently, D.C. law allows marijuana stores to operate within 300 feet of schools in direct contradiction to the federal law and bizarrely, to D.C.’s own regulations stating that liquor stores should be located at least 400 feet from schools. And the regulatory agency overseeing D.C.’s marijuana retailing scheme, ABCA, recently asserted that nothing prevents it from issuing licenses to distribute marijuana in Federal Drug-Free School Zones, even if that violates the law. Read More
From the DowntownDC BID:
“On March 14, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) began enforcing three Drug Free Zones in the District, one of which impacts downtown D.C. Read More
