NBC Washington reported:

“A 24 percent middle class income tax cut for those earning $40,000-to-$60,000 per year. To help fund the tax breaks, an $800 million, multi-year streetcar budget was cut back to $400 million with no immediate impact on construction.”

And a reader specifically asks – “Yoga Tax Is Back?”

Just wondering what your readers think about the tax on health clubs. Specifically, this quote from the article from the Washington Post:

“The following would be newly subject to the city’s 5.75 percent sales tax under the draft budget legislation:

Health clubs: the services of a health club or a tanning studio … mean[ing] a fitness club, fitness center, or gym the purpose of which is physical exercise, including fitness and recreational sports facilities featuring exercise and other active physical fitness conditioning or recreational sports activities, including swimming, skating, or racquet sports, except not health resorts and spas where recreational facilities are combined with sleeping accommodations … [or] a business the purpose of which is to provide individuals a manmade tan, including sun tanning salons and spray tanning salons”.

Why is DC punishing people for trying to be healthy?

Do you guys support this proposed budget approved by the Council? What if anything do you think can/will be changed before the final Council vote June 11th?

Council Members contact information after the jump. Read More

From a press release:

“As part of the DC Streetcar Project, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is advising the public of significant streetcar vehicle movements this week that may cause congestion along H Street NE and Benning Road, NE and near the DC Streetcar Testing and Commissioning Site on South Capitol Street.

On Tuesday, March 11, 2014, the DC Streetcar Operations and Maintenance Team will switch out the current streetcar vehicle parked on H Street N E for another one. First, a second Inekon streetcar vehicle will be delivered to the H/Benning corridor to begin its System Integration Testing. Then, the streetcar vehicle that has been undergoing testing on the H/Benning corridor since December will be transported back to the Testing and Commissioning Site on South Capitol Street SE to receive scheduled maintenance.

On Wednesday, March 12, one of the District’s United Streetcar vehicles manufactured by U.S.-based Oregon Iron Works (OIW), will be transported from the Testing and Commissioning Site to the H/Benning corridor. By the end of Wednesday, two streetcar vehicles will be undergoing System Integration Testing on the corridor.

Motorists are advised to take alternate routes if possible on Tuesday or Wednesday, as added congestion is expected on South Capitol Street SE, Firth Sterling Avenue SE, Howard Road SE, Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Good Hope Road SE, Minnesota Avenue SE and NE, as well as H Street NE, Benning Road NE and Oklahoma Avenue NE.

Metrobus will maintain their regular bus routes this week, but riders traveling eastbound and westbound on the H/Benning corridor or along any of the above-mentioned streets should expect delays.”

Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

From DDOT:

“The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is in the middle of a planning study to examine opportunities for public transportation improvements in the North-South corridor through DC. Over the next year, DDOT will be working in collaboration with the community, area businesses, government agencies, and other stakeholders to identify and evaluate above-ground, high quality transit service.

The study area is focused on a 9-mile, North-South corridor that connects the Takoma/Silver Spring area to the Buzzard Point/Southwest Waterfront area. The study area extends east to west from about 14th Street on the west to approximately one-quarter mile east of Georgia Avenue.

Your involvement and feedback is essential to helping DDOT and other partnering entities plan, build and operate the best streetcar system possible. We look forward to seeing you there!

South
(Buzzard Point to Downtown)
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
From 3:30 pm to 8:00 pm
(Presentation at 4pm and 7pm)
DCRA- 2nd Floor Community Room
1100 4th St SW
Central
(Downtown to Petworth)
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
From 3:30 pm to 8:00 pm
(Presentation at 4pm and 7pm)
Banneker Recreation Center
2500 Georgia Ave NW
North
(Petworth to Silver Spring/ Takoma Park)
Thursday, February 20, 2014
From 3:30 pm to 8:00 pm
(Presentation at 4pm and 7pm)
Emery Recreation Center
5701 Georgia Ave NW
Business
(Entire Study Area)
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
From 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
901 G St NW

For more information and project updates please visit here.

Public Meeting #1 Summary is now available online!