DC Government

Update on Bloomingdale/Ledroit Park Flooding Mitigation

By Prince Of Petworth

From a DCWater press release:

District Breaks Ground on Large-Scale Flood Relief for Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park
NE Boundary Neighborhood Protection Project to Come Online in Stages, Beginning Early 2014

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — To mitigate flooding and sewer backups in the Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park neighborhoods, Mayor Vincent C. Gray and DC Water today announced a major new infrastructure project at the site of the former McMillan Sand Filtration Plant. The Northeast Boundary Neighborhood Protection Project is a product of the Mayor’s Task Force on the Prevention of Flooding, and will be built in three phases between now and 2022.

Mayor Gray established the task force in late August and named City Administrator Allen Y. Lew and DC Water General Manager George S. Hawkins as co-chairs.

“I asked the Task Force two basic questions,” said Mayor Gray. “The first is why the long-term solution to this historic problem was still more than a decade away. The second is whether anything more could be done in the interim. This project answers both questions. I applaud the Task Force and DC Water for developing it, and I want the residents of the affected communities to know that relief is on the way. It will be meaningful, and it will come soon.”

Continues after the jump. (more…)

New L Street NW Cycle Track (Bike Lane) Officially Open, M Street Cycle Track to be Installed Next Year

By Prince Of Petworth

In early Nov. we noted the cycle track was looking good, if slightly confusing at times.

From a press release:

Mayor Vincent C. Gray, District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Director Terry Bellamy, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) and other local bicyclists today cut a ribbon to officially open the new separated bike lane on L Street NW. The celebration was held at the intersection of L Street and 15th Street, where the new lane intersects with one of the District’s other cycle tracks.

“Here, where the L Street and 15th Street bike lanes cross paths, you can see a new transportation network taking shape – one that treats cyclists with respect and concern for their safety,” said Mayor Gray. “I believe that having such a network is critical if we are going to meet our goal of becoming a more sustainable city by reducing our dependence on the automobile to get around town. Increasing safety for cyclists and growing the number of bike lanes in the District are parts of my One City Action Plan.”

The L Street NW cycle track runs east from New Hampshire Avenue to 12th Street and gives cyclists more protection from motor vehicles than a typical bike lane. A painted buffer and plastic bollards separate the bike lane from the through lanes for vehicular traffic on L Street, which is one-way eastbound. Vehicle loading, unloading or parking in the bike lane is not permitted at any time.

At intersections, the bike lane is painted green for greater visibility. Merge zones permit vehicles to carefully cross the bike lane to gain access to the left turn lanes.

“Every street is a little different, and we designed this bike lane with two primary goals in mind: to protect cyclists as best we could from turning vehicles, and to ensure we did not severely degrade the level of service for other traffic in this busy corridor,” said Director Bellamy.

The District now has almost four miles of protected bike lanes, including the existing bike infrastructure on 15th Street NW and Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

“I think it’s no accident that we’re seeing a healthy increase in cycling in the District,” added Mayor Gray. “The safer you make cycling, the more people will choose to bike.”

DDOT plans to install another cycle track on M Street NW next year. It will parallel the L Street lane and serve westbound bicycle traffic.

“Mayor Gray Announces Emergency Rulemaking to Raise Speed Limit on Two District Roadways”

By Prince Of Petworth

From DDOT:

Mayor Vincent C. Gray today announced that he has ordered an emergency rulemaking to permit the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to raise the speed limit on two District roadways. DDOT will raise the speed limit to 35 MPH on Benning Road, NE, between Oklahoma Avenue and Kenilworth Avenue (DC 295). DDOT will also raise the speed limit on DC 295 to 50 MPH so that the maximum legal speed is consistent from the Maryland border at Eastern Avenue to the southern border with Maryland on I-295 near the Wilson Bridge.

“These are roadways where we have previously studied the speed limits and can make changes immediately without significantly impacting safety,” Mayor Gray said. “We want drivers to respect our traffic laws, and in return we have to have realistic expectations of them that match the physical environment, while continuing to protect pedestrians and cyclists.”

The changes will take effect as soon as the emergency rulemaking has been completed and DDOT has changed the signage to reflect the new speed limits.

The agency will also continue its comprehensive study of speed limits on other roadways across the District.

New Parking Signs around U Street

By Prince Of Petworth

Dear PoPville,

I was happy to see that DC started putting up signs on 11th Street (between W and U, at least) that restrict parking to certain times — which in theory should make it easier for residents to park during peak times. But I was confused/surprised by the times that are covered by the restrictions (see attached pic):

Monday thru Friday, 7am-8:30pm.

Having lived at 11/V for 4 years, the hardest times to find parking is weekday and Saturday evenings from 7p-midnight (nightlife), and Sunday from 11a-5p (church). These times are barely covered by the new regulations, per the signs. (Also, side-note: the church-goers tend to double park, park in bike lanes, park at bus stops, etc — and I’ve NEVER seen DC parking enforcement come around on a Sunday.)

Do you know what is up with this?

DDOT issued a press release that says:

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is scheduled to complete the implementation of the Enhanced Residential Permit Parking (ERPP) program in Ward 1 over the next few weeks. The ERPP program protects parking for neighborhood residents by designating one side of the street resident only parking from 7 am to 8:30 pm, Monday to Friday.

New signage for the ERPP program will be posted on blocks with traditional Residential Permit Parking (RPP) restrictions in ANCs 1A, 1B and 1C (ANC 1D opted out of the ERPP program). One side of the street will have RPP restrictions, and the other side will have enhanced restrictions.

RPP provides residents, with a residential parking permit, the ability to park on streets in their permitted area. Non permit holders may park in these areas for a maximum of two hours. By contrast, only residents may park on a curb with ERPP restrictions during the posted hours of enforcement, and an ERPP violation is a towable offence.

DDOT is implementing legislation sponsored by Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham and passed by the DC Council earlier this year. Crews will be working on an accelerated schedule to install about 2,500 new signs on approximately 550 neighborhood blocks included in the program. The installation will begin on or about November 17.

Anyone else think the program should be extended through the weekends?

Mayor Gray Announces District’s Five-Year Economic Development Strategy

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user sciascia

From a press release:

Mayor Vincent C. Gray and Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Victor L. Hoskins today announced the delivery of one of the Mayor’s key promises: a Five-Year Economic Development Strategy for the District. The strategy provides a roadmap for creating 100,000 new jobs and attracting $1 billion in new revenue for the District over the next five years.

The Five-Year Economic Development Strategy includes six transformative visions for the D.C. economy:

· Create the most business-friendly economy in the nation;
· Grow the largest technology center on the East Coast;
· Be the nation’s destination of choice;
· End retail leakage;
· Develop a best-in-class global medical center; and
· Become the top North American destination for foreign investors, businesses and tourists.

These visions are tied to 52 specific and achievable initiatives. District businesses and universities will play a central role in working with city government to implement these initiatives.

The Gray Administration has been busy at work since January of 2011 making concerted efforts to chart the course to a better District of Columbia. Notable milestones include:

· Launching $2 billion in long-stalled development projects, creating 4,600 construction and 7,600 temporary jobs;

· Placing more than 5,000 D.C. residents in jobs at 800 companies through creative initiatives like One City ● One Hire;

· Completing master plans for St. Elizabeths and Walter Reed;

· Completing 1,428 units of affordable housing and breaking ground on 1,655 more affordable units;

· Establishing the D.C. China Center in Shanghai to promote international trade and investment; and

· Leveraging a newly created business development team to facilitate economic-development opportunities like the consolidation of LivingSocial’s headquarters in the District, attracting Fortify.vc’s business incubator (The Fort) and launching Hub DC to help local businesses acquire federal contracts.

A Strategy Advisory Group helped develop the Five-Year Economic Development Strategy. Advisory group members included local elected officials, District government agency directors, university presidents, and leading employers in seven target sectors: 1) Federal Government and Federal Government Contractors; 2) Higher Education and Health Care; 3) Hospitality; 4) Professional Services; 5) Real Estate and Construction; 6) Retail; and 7) Technology.

The Five-Year Economic Development Strategy is available to the public on the website of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.

PoP-Ed. – “Our food trucks are what made our brick-and-mortar restaurants possible”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user ekelly80

As owners of three DC brick-and-mortar restaurants, we oppose Mayor Gray’s proposals to limit food trucks in the most popular locations in the city. These proposed regulations create vague rules where there is less than 10 feet of “unobstructed” sidewalk and give the Department of Transportation new powers to determine where food trucks can and cannot operate.

These proposals do little to satisfy the administration’s desire to manage public space and threaten to push out food trucks from large areas of downtown. Mayor Gray’s proposal would stifle entrepreneurship and put at risk the hundreds of jobs food trucks create.

As entrepreneurs, we oppose any policy that threatens the livelihood of small businesses — brick-and-mortar or mobile. But there’s an additional reason why Mayor Gray’s proposal troubles us. We are not only restaurant owners; we are also the owner-operators of three of DC’s first food trucks.

When we first set out to open our restaurants a few short years ago, it was the height of one of the worst recessions in history. Credit and investment money had dried up, and no banks were lending the +$500,000 needed to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant. We cobbled together — from family, friends and savings — enough to open the next best thing: a food truck.

It turned out to be a smart move. Our food trucks enabled us to master the ins and outs of the food service business. We were able to test whether or not we really were up for the 24-7 work life of a small business owner. And when we returned to the banks for restaurant financing lenders counted our food trucks as collateral, tallied our Twitter followers as ready customers and saw successful businesses worth investing in.

Our food trucks are what made our brick-and-mortar restaurants possible.

We shouldn’t be the last food truck owner-operators to open restaurants in DC. When we started our food trucks it was just us on board the trucks; as we grew we hired a handful of employees; now our restaurants employ dozens of District residents.

However, if Mayor Gray’s proposal was adopted there would certainly be far fewer food truck owner-operators opening restaurants in the District. Or we may find a growing number of us hanging our shingle in the more business friendly communities just outside the District’s borders.

Stephan Boillon, Owner, El Floridano food truck and Mothership restaurant

Roger Horotwitz and Brian Sykora, Owners, Pleasant Pops food truck and Pleasant Pops Farmhouse Market & Café

Trent Allen and Josh Saltzman, Owners, PORC food truck and Kangaroo Boxing Club restaurant

After the jump read more details from the Food Truck Association: (more…)

2012 DC Election Results and Celebrations

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo of White House celebration by PoPville flickr user logan.brown

Congrats to all the 2012 election winners. You can find all of the DC election results here.

Anyone else hit the streets to celebrate last night? How did the celebrations compare to those after 2008?


Photo of U Street celebration by PoPville flickr user streetamatic


Photo of White House celebration by PoPville flickr user kaxixi7


Photo near White House by PoPville flickr user streetamatic


Photo from outside Ben’s Chili Bowl by PoPville flickr user ep_jhu

Dear PoPville – How Do I Get Updates on Construction Projects?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Vileinist

Dear PoPville,

I am currently living on New Hampshire near foggy bottom/westend. For the last month there has been nonstop construction from 7am to evenings. What is going on?

Additionally, I wanted to know what resources are available to residents and what the typical protocol for obtaining information about construction projects. I received no notification from my building. Even more than that when I asked the building manager about the length of the construction project, cause, etc she had no information for me. I’ve gotten used to earplugs and for the most part the construction workers have been great, they never leave trash behind and seem professional. Still, it rubs me the wrong way that I didn’t receive any notice and I have no point of contact for concerns/complaints.

DDOT usually has pretty good websites about construction projects around town. You can keep up to date on the New Hampshire Avenue project here.

Columbia Heights ANC Member Used DC Issued Phone for Adult Chat Lines

By Prince Of Petworth

From the Washington Post’s Mike DeBonis:

Yet one commissioner has used his government-paid cellphone to call such numbers at least 240 times since August 2011, according to phone records.

Lenwood O. Johnson, who represents a district in Columbia Heights, spent more than 158 hours — nearly a week — on the “D.C. Raven” and “D.C. Alibi” chat lines, in addition to making many other personal calls.

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