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DC Car Free Day: September 18th |
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Written by Neha Bhatt
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Tuesday, 10 July 2007 |
Picture it. It's another humdrum weekday morning. You drag yourself out of bed to tackle the day. As you're walking over to the bus stop to catch the 96 or 32 or 54 or any other line, you notice, it's kind of quiet this morning. When you get to the stop you notice a whole bunch of your neighbors already waiting for the bus. The bus arrives kind of close to schedule. You all ride together chatting up last night's Nat's game.
Or maybe you dust off the old rollerblades or hop on your bike to roll into work. Hey, where are the gangs of cars normally snaking through the streets by this time? And where did all these other bikers come from? You usually only see a few tucked between long lanes of cars, but today there seem to be hundreds. How luxurious to have an entire lane to travel on.
If you're like so many DC'ers, you live where you work - or close enough to walk over. You notice a lot more people out today. Is there another festival in town?
Outside of the twilight zone, can scenes like these ever be experienced in a city like Washington, D.C.? What if we all pledged to leave our cars at home on the same day? We still go to work, do our errands, and drop in on happy hours or dinner with friends. We still go to school, pick up kids, and swing by the store. It's business as usual, but we all choose a travel option that does not involve the car. If we all did this at the same time what would it be like?
We have the chance to find out. The DC Council just designated September 18th as "DC Car Free Day." Residents and commuters are invited to use any travel mode other than driving to get around for the day. The idea is to have a day's reprieve from congestion, smog, noise pollution and the isolation that comes from traveling alone in a car. What are your ideas to make DC Car Free Day a successful and special day to remember? Share your comments... | | This item includes 1 comment |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 10 July 2007 )
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Reminder: SW Community Office Hours |
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Written by Charles Allen
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Tuesday, 10 July 2007 |
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A quick reminder about Tommy's SW Community Office Hours, Thursday, July 12th, 8:00 - 9:30 am
On Thursday, July 12th, 8:00 - 9:00 am, Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells will host his regular Southwest morning community office hours at the Channel Inn, 650 Water Street, SW, 20024.
On the second Thursday of every month, Councilmember Wells and members of his staff will arrive at the Channel Inn at 8:00 am to make the Council office more accessible to residents living in Southwest DC. Representatives from his constituent services staff will also be on hand to help handle requests from residents.
Councilmember Wells hosts the Southwest Community Office Hours on the 2nd Thursday of every month. He also holds similar Community Office Hours on the 4th Thursday of every month on H Street, NE. | | No comments for this item |
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Written by Charles Allen
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Friday, 06 July 2007 |
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We've been getting a lot of emails and calls today from residents concerned about the future of Canal Park to be developed in near Southeast. It's a fantastic amenity -- with greenspace and an innovative water storm water management system -- that is scheduled to begin construction in early August. Concern sprung up in advance of the July 12th meeting by the National Capital Planning Commission where they will make recommendations to the Zoning Commission about temporary zoning changes to accomodate surface parking for baseball. Tommy made it very clear to the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development that he expected the project to start on time and not be delayed. Deputy Mayor Albert agreed and we've had similar conversations with the Office of Planning and with NCPC and AWC staff. To make clear his desire to see Canal Park moving forward on schedule, Tommy sent the following letter today to the NCPC in advance of their meeting next week. ******************************
July 6, 2007
John V. Cogbill, III, Chairman
National Capital Planning Commission
401 9th Street, NW
North Lobby, Suite 500
Washington D.C. 20004
Dear Mr. Cogbill,
I am writing to you regarding the proposed text amendment to the Zoning Regulations of the District of Columbia to allow temporary surface parking lots on various blocks in the South Capitol Street and M Street SE Corridors (Z.C. 07-08). I was surprised and concerned to find that the site for Washington Canal Park has been included in this temporary rezoning.
As we have discussed, Canal Park is immensely important as it will be the heart of the mixed-use, mixed-income neighborhood being created along the Waterfront. Along with vital green space and amenities, the park will feature an innovative storm water management system that will filter and recycle runoff from area buildings, which will be multiplying over the next few years. This park will be a great amenity for the city and the thousands of baseball fans visiting the area -- and neighborhood residents have been eagerly awaiting its construction.
It is crucial that creation of temporary surface parking lots does not impede or slow down the progress of Canal Park. While game day parking plans are very important, we must not lose sight of the greater community and context. Planned amenities for the neighborhood should not be de-prioritized for the sake of creating additional game day parking. According to the proposed zoning amendment, seven different squares would be temporarily rezoned to create 3,775 additional parking spaces to accommodate overflow on game days. The rezoning would expire after five years during which time underground parking garages would be constructed for the new buildings in the area. Site preparation for Canal Park is slated to being within the next couple of months and rezoning this land is both unnecessary and potentially harmful to the project timeline.
The temporary parking zoning amendment must be modified to include clarifying language to protect the park site from any zoning changes, temporary or otherwise. Specifically, no temporary surface lots should be permitted on US Reservation 17, parcels B, C and D, which are the location of the proposed Washington Canal Park.
Your prompt assistance and response on this matter is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (202) 724-8072.
Sincerely,
Tommy Wells
Councilmember, Ward 6
Cc:
The Honorable Neil Albert, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
The Honorable Kwame Brown, Chairman, Committee on Economic Development
Ms. Carol Mitten, Chair, DC Zoning Commission
Ms. Harriet Tregoining, Director, DC Office of Planning
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Town Hall and Job Fair Next Week |
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Written by Myisha Atchison
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Thursday, 05 July 2007 |
There are two important events coming up next week that I wanted to share with everyone.
First, the Metropolitan Police Department is hosting a summer Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, July 11th from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. There will be a cook-out and free food before the meeting and it will be held at the Friendship Edison Public Charter School, 1345 Potomac Avenue, SE. Bring your questions and concerns for this important Town Hall meeting on public safety.
Second, the Department of Employment Services will be hosting a Job Fair on Thursday, July 12th from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. Learn about opportunities for carpenters, painters, electricians, HVAC, and other construction trade workers. Gain insights on the various industry trades and learn about the different apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship programs. You can even apply on-site for available openings at the new ballpark. The event will be held at the Courtyard Marriott Capitol Hill/Navy Yard, 140 L Street, SE. DOES advices that applicants must be 18 years or older, able to lift 50lbs., and can stand at length. You can call 202.724.7000 for more information.
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