DC Government

Photo by PoPville flickr user blueiris2006

Dear PoPville,

I just had a great interaction with a city service that’s new to me and possibly helpful to other readers. There’s a mentally ill man who hangs out at my bus stop; he usually just watches the people go by, but has really devolved over the last two months – pacing, shouting at the air and looking disheveled (he’s not homeless). Today was particularly bad, so I called 311 and they connected me to the DC Mental Health Mobile Response Team. A very considerate guy answered right away, took down my information, and called back 45 minutes later to say that they had sent a team out, talked to him, and even talked to his case worker (whom they knew).

I was impressed at how responsive, considerate and on top of things they were, and relieved that the city did more than send police to move him along. He wasn’t violent, but if you come across someone who is, they recommend calling 911 and asking the police to send their mental health team (it has an acronym that I didn’t catch) since they have special training in handling these situations.

Photo by PoPville flickr user dracisk

From a press release:

Mayor Vincent C. Gray, D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) Director Jesús Aguirre and Department of General Services (DGS) Director Brian Hanlon today announced that the District government would be undertaking the largest playground renovation project in its history. The announcement was made at Benning Park Recreation Center, one of the sites scheduled to be renovated under the expanded and accelerated Playground Improvement Project.

As part of his Playground Improvement Project, Mayor Gray tasked DPR with identifying the playgrounds across the city most in need of renovations. Initially this project was to be a multi-year endeavor as the District worked to improve all of the playgrounds in DPR’s inventory. However, Mayor Gray prioritized this initiative and worked with his budget team to identify additional end-of-year capital funds to both add additional playgrounds to the project and accelerate the pace of renovations. As a result, a total of 32 playgrounds will now be renovated in Fiscal Year 2013.

DPR and DGS conducted an analysis to determine which playgrounds were most in need of renovation and to estimate the number that could be renovated with the new funding.

Criteria that were used to determine which playgrounds receive renovations include:

Age and condition of existing equipment;
Internal risk-management audits;
Community needs;
Existing usage;
Existing surfacing;
Accessibility;
Area demographics – including trends and forecasts;
Existing infrastructure (water, electricity, etc.);
Operations and maintenance requirements; and
Proximity to other playgrounds/parks.

Mayor Gray announced today that the following playgrounds were identified though this analysis and will be renovated through this initiative are:

Ward 1

Harrison Playground, 1330 V Street NW
Banneker Playground, 2500 Georgia Avenue NW

Ward 2

Rose Park Playground, 2609 Dumbarton Street NW

Ward 3

Macomb Playground, 3409 Macomb Street NW
Palisades Playground, 5200 Sherrier Place NW
Forest Hills Park Playground, 32nd Street NW and Chesapeake Street NW
Newark Park Playground, 39th Street NW and Newark Street NW
Key Playground, 5001 Dana Place NW

Ward 4

Takoma Park Playground, 300 Van Buren Street NW
Emery Playground, 5801 Georgia Avenue, NW
Upshur Park Playground, 4300 Arkansas Avenue NW
Fort Stevens Playground, 1327 Van Buren Street, NW
Hamilton Playground, 1340 Hamilton Street NW

Continues after the jump. (more…)

Dear PoPville,

About a year ago the intersection of Florida, U & 18th was reconfigured to make it safer for pedestrians to cross U Street (among other reasons). Prior to the reconfiguration, motorists traveling east on Florida Avenue turning onto U Street rarely yielded to pedestrians who had the “walk” sign. Today, there is a right turn light that was supposed to force motorists to stop. I live in the area and cross the intersection several time a day and I can attest to the fact that at least 50 percent of the time motorists blow through the red turn light without stopping. As a sometimes motorist, I agree that the intersection is confusing. However, the worst offenders are Metro bus and taxi drivers who most likely drive through the intersection daily and should be familiar with it.

This is a video I shot yesterday morning. I saw the bus stopped at the light on 18th and from experience I suspected it would run the light after making the turn onto Florida. I was correct. After crossing the street at the next light cycle, I shot the next segment showing a taxi running right through the red turn light.

I know to watch closely before stepping onto the crosswalk, but others unfamiliar with the intersection may just start walking when they see the “walk” sign and might get hit. I’m not sure what the answer is, but someone in authority needs to address it.

Photo by PoPville flickr user JoshBassettPhotography

From a press release:

Mayor Vincent C. Gray welcomed new estimates from the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) that show the District government taking in $139.5 million more in Fiscal Year 2012 than expected.

Significant growth in employment among District residents and robust economic growth were the biggest drivers of the revenue boost. The estimates show that individual income tax withholding increased by $51.2 million, and the sales fueled by higher earnings yielded an additional $22.8 million in sales taxes.

However, Mayor Gray noted, OCFO’s estimates for Fiscal Year 2013 revenues remain flat due to the threat of federal sequestration – currently scheduled to take effect in January – and its anticipated effect on the local economy. “The District’s fiscal future looks far bleaker if Congress and the President do not act quickly to prevent what everyone agrees is a completely unacceptable and destructive means of reducing the federal budget,” he said. “It also underscores the urgency of diversifying the District’s economy and reducing dependence on the federal government for our economic success.”