DC Government

Electric car charging station at 14th and U St. NW

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoP,

Had you seen this yet? Electric car charging station in front of the Reeves Building on 14th St. NW”

An official unveiling is taking place at 10:45 this morning. From a press release:

“The District Department of Transportation and Coulomb Technologies invite you to attend the unveiling of the first curbside public Level II charging station for electric vehicles in Washington, D.C. Now electric vehicles can drive up, charge up and be on their way!

Please join us for an unveiling of the first public curbside ChargePoint America* 240v charging station for electric vehicles. This will be the first of hundreds of planned ChargePoint curbside stations installed in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

Check out electric cars from GM and Ford and see a demonstration of how the charging station operates as we showcase the next step for sustainable and green transportation alternatives in the DC region.”

Do you guys think this is the future?

DC Building a Levee to Protect SW and SE Neighborhoods

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user ekelly80

From a Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton Press Release:

“Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will make opening remarks today at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Levee Groundbreaking at 10:00 a.m. at 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, after securing $5.8 million for construction of the levee. Recently, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) updated its 1985 Flood Insurance Rate Map, which identifies Special Flood Hazard Areas in the District of Columbia and throughout the U.S. The map outlines potential flood zones in the SE and SW areas of the District, surrounding the U.S. Capitol and monuments, and required residents within the 100-year flood zones to obtain flood insurance, temporarily, until a portable levee is constructed in the area around 17th Street and Constitution Avenue.”

DPW Leaf Collection Starts Monday

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user ekelly80

From a press release:

“Leaves are just starting to fall and the Department of Public Works is ready to deploy 200 employees Monday, November 8, 2010 to start collecting them. Leaf collection season runs through January 15, 2011, and every neighborhood in the District will have its leaves collected.

“Leaf collection is our most labor-intensive program,” said DPW Director William O. Howland, Jr. “For two and a half months, our crews work six days a week, including Veterans Day and Thanksgiving Day, across the District. We give each neighborhood two, two-week collection cycles, so please check the leaf collection brochure, which was mailed to households receiving DPW trash/recycling collection services, or go online to http://leaf.dcgis.dc.gov/ learn your collection weeks.”

After the jump are some tips for a smooth-running leaf collection season. (more…)

Dear PoP – lack of sidewalk recycling bins?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

“Dear PoP,

Walking around DC, I am often pretty frustrated by the lack (or total absence) of recycling bins. Is there any reason why they are not all over town? Carrying a glass or plastic bottle all day can be pretty annoying and usually ends with me just throwing it out in a regular trash can versus holding onto it until I get home. But obviously, it doesn’t have to be this way. Why can’t the DC government put out recycling bins alongside public trash cans? At least in areas with heavy foot traffic…

With all the new bike lanes, the bag tax, and revitalization projects, it seems like DC is pretty committed to “going green.” Are there any efforts to make recycling more pedestrian-friendly? I think it is much needed and would be a great addition to the rapidly improving city.”

I hadn’t thought too much about this but now that the question has been raised, I think it’s a very good point. Searching my memory I only think I’ve seen recycling cans by the Mall (like in the photo above) and a few spots downtown. Have you guys seen recycling cans around town? Do you think it will be difficult to get more of them, in more neighborhoods?

Friday Question of the Day (Serious Edition) – Should DC Attorney General be an Elected Position?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Faucetini

“Dear PoP,

Proposed Charter Amendment IV – The Elected Attorney General Charter Amendment. It’s on the ballot…one should one vote? Can’t seem to find a lot of pro/con analysis. I turn to you PoP.”

And I, of course, turn to PoPville. I’m actually glad this question was asked because I think it’s really important but I haven’t really given it much consideration. So what do you guys say? I know a Post editorial advised against it but I haven’t been following the issue to closely. For those who support electing an attorney general – what are the arguments in favor?

How serious of an issue do you think this is? I’m guessing a lot of minds have not yet been made up on this issue so I look forward to hearing both pro and con arguments.

Department of Health Bed Bug Summit 2011 Coming on Jan. 13

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user ewilfong

Read Tony’s battle with bed bugs here.

From DOH:

“The DC Department of Health is organizing a summit titled “Bed Bugs Are Changing Our World” on January 13, 2011 at 9:00 AM to 4 PM at 441 4th Street NW, Room 1107. The summit will include a discussion about the District’s latest campaign efforts to end bed bugs in our City. Additionally, we will share new information and ideas on collaborative approaches to dealing with the pests with multi-agency involvement. At the summit we will aim to leave participants with new opportunities for action, and to start the dialogue on creative and effective approaches to dealing with bed bugs.

Keynote speaker Larry Pinto, Entomologist with over 25 years as a pest control consultant, technical writer, and publisher of pest control materials including Techletter for Pest Control Technicians and the Bed Bug Handbook.

Speakers and RSVP info after the jump. (more…)

‘Weekly Residential Street Sweeping Ends Friday, Oct. 29; Leaf Collection to Begin Nov. 8’

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Wayan Vota

From DPW:

Weekly (signed), residential mechanical street cleaning will end for the season on Friday, October 29, 2010. “No parking/street cleaning” restrictions will be lifted and motorists may park along posted, alternate-side, daytime street sweeping routes without being required to move their cars on street-cleaning days.

Residential street sweeping is suspended for public safety concerns during the winter. Trucks used to clean the streets are designed to release a fine spray of water to control the dust as they sweep. When the temperature drops to freezing or below, sweeping is discontinued to prevent freezing and accidents to vehicles and pedestrians.

Overnight sweeping scheduled for the District’s major roadways, which include Pennsylvania, Georgia, Constitution, and Independence avenues, will take place as usual all winter, as the weather permits. Motorists are urged not to park in these areas during the posted overnight sweeping hours. Residents and business owners will be notified when street sweeping resumes again in the spring of 2011.

By suspending the street sweeping program, DPW personnel can focus on leaf collection, which will begin November 8, as well as the upcoming snow removal season. The 2010-2011 leaf season will run November 8, 2010, through January 15, 2011. During this time, leaves will be vacuumed from each street at least twice.

New brochures announcing the fall/winter leaf collection season will be mailed to residents beginning this weekend.”

I’ll update the leaf collection schedule when it is released.

An MPD Officer’s response to, “What Questions Should Be Asked of MPD Chief Cathy Lanier and Others”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user AWard Tour

A couple of weeks ago we discussed what questions should be asked of Chief Lanier and other MPD leaders at a crime meeting. Ed. Note: Many police officers and firefighters read PoP and from time to time contact me directly. This one was kind enough to give his/her opinion from the ground level. The following is her/his opinion alone and does not represent an official response from MPD.

It is a bit lengthy but I think well worth the read:

“How come in my over 13 years in DC I’ve only seen cops on foot a handful of times? Simply, why don’t we see regular patrols on foot?

* It depends on the district and the PSA Lieuntenant. Some districts or PSAs aren’t conducive to having a footbeat officer. Foot or bike beats are more logical for business areas than residential ones, which is why you don’t see them in heavy residential neighborhoods.

* The advent of statistics-driven policing has put a lot of pressure on supervisors. One of the metrics that officials look at come from the Office of Unified Communications (OUC). They look at things like the number of calls for service, response time, etc. A lot more calls get answered in a shorter amount of time when Officers are in vehicles. When you take a fixed pool of manpower and reassign some to fixed, limited-geography beats, the response time for everything is going to drop into the toilet unless you augment the foot officers with additional officers in vehicles.

* Given a choice between walking and pushing a scout car, most officers won’t willingly volunteer for a foot or mountain bike beat. Assigned foot beats are usually pretty small and get repetitive fast. Walking or biking eight and half hours a day can take a toll on your body.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

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