Gordon Chaffinis a freelance journalist who focuses on infrastructure and traffic news and insights for Street Justice. You can support independent journalism by subscribing to Gordon’s StreetJustice newsletter: He’s offering a 20% discount to THIH readers. See more information below. –Maria Helena Carey
The Purple Line’s Walkability Problem
At this week’s Community Advisory Team (CAT) meeting of the Purple Line, project officials explained construction progress to residents of Riverdale, Glenridge, and New Carrollton. Construction ramped up last year in these Prince George’s communities, where the County’s first light rail transit stops will be placed. The dominant theme of community feedback were requests for tactical interventions to mitigate those construction-related traffic issues. The most alarming realization was how poorly Purple Line officials seem to be dealing with pedestrian and bike access to their new system. [Full Story]
Bowser Ducks Her Own Meet and Greet
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser did not show up to her ANC Meet and Greet on Saturday April 27th. The event featured DDOT, DCRA, and DPW — plus the Office of Unified Communications that handles 311. I surveyed ANC members from across the city and there’s two general camps: 1. These workshops for ANC Commissioners are not helpful and offer little beyond info they can get online.; 2. I went and it’s bothersome that Bowser didn’t attend. The structure of these events don’t foster productive conversations on specific issues, pointed questions, or ongoing projects. [Full Story]
Councilmember Allen Hosts Ward 6 Vision Zero Brainstorming
Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen said he will introduce a new Vision Zero Bill next Tuesday (May 7), after his previous VZ bill died in 2018 at the end of the Council’s previous session. Allen and a few staffers hosted 75ish safe streets advocates for a brainstorming meeting. Walking around about a dozen round tables, five to six people apiece, I heard suggestions for Allen’s new VZ bill in several buckets: enforcement, engineering, education, and evaluation/planning. [Full Story]
Lots of Metropolitan Branch Trail Updates
I observed Monday, and it was confirmed Wednesday during the Bike Advisory Council meeting, that work has resumed on the Metropolitan Branch Trail. New asphalt is being poured along John McCormack in Brookland and the segment North to Fort Totten should award a build contract this Summer. At the Southern end of the MBT, DDOT says they’re looking to add more robust protection to the 1st/M Street NE cycletrack. Work has also begun on the future NoMA Althea Tanner Park along the MBT, North of the New York Ave tunnel. [Full Story]
DC Writing New Vision Zero Plan
Wednesday night, DC’s Vision Zero Director Linda Bailey spoke to DC’s Bike Advisory Council during the group’s May meeting. Two months into the job, Bailey mentioned the weight of visiting families of recent crash victims. She said DDOT is working on a Vision Zero 2.0 plan, but the specifics weren’t clear. BAC Member Tom Bridge summed up his critique of existing Vision Zero efforts well in his first sentences to Ms. Bailey: “Are you working on this for generational change or are you working on this not to get fired.” “I think that sounds like a trick question,” she responded as attendees laughed. [Full Story]
This is a daily newsletter produced by Gordon Chaffin, a journalist in Washington DC. I cover transportation & urban planning in DC, MD, & VA to explain what’s happening in the street and why. Reports delivered every weekday afternoon for paid subscribers and Sunday mornings for free subscribers. Sign up for free. Please support my local journalism with $5/mo or $50/yr. The Hill is Home readers can subscribe to Street Justice for a 20% discount.