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Friend —
First, I want to wish the Washington Spirit the best of luck
tonight! Our team takes on the Orlando Pride at 8 p.m. in the National
Women's Soccer League Championship looking to bring home another title
to DC since their 2021 big win! Good luck!
This week, the District of Columbia
celebrated 50 years of Home Rule, a remarkable milestone. On Tuesday
evening, almost every living elected Mayor, Attorney General, and
Councilmember over the last 50 years gathered to mark the occasion.
This golden anniversary comes as both a celebration, and also when our
autonomy is under threat from severe congressional interference.
The next few years may be very
daunting, but as we celebrate 50 years of home rule, it's also worth
remembering those 50 years had plenty of times when it was fraught. We
have the scars from some of them — including congressional budget
riders blocking DC from providing women's health care, preventing us
from creating regulations around marijuana sales, and more that
continue to do great harm to our residents. And yet, despite all of
that, we've marched forward and made so many gains. As I spent time
this week with the many elected leaders from those earlier years and
who fought hard for DC's rights and residents, I choose to draw
strength from that history as we head into the next 50 years. One
election is never the end, and until we have statehood for DC that
grants each of us the same rights afforded every other citizen of this
country, we know what our goal is.
Quick Links: RSVP for the Brickies | Public
Safety | The Future of Climate | Union Station Gets Federal Support | Better Bus | Gas Settlement | Senate Vote on RFK Stadium | Small Business Support | Upcoming Turkey Giveaway | Turkey
Time in Southwest | Self-Driving Cars | Safe Passage | Leaf
Collection | December Metro Closures | Upcoming Events
 Celebrate
the Best of Ward 6 with Free Food & Drink at the
Brickies!
We’ve read through all your nominations, and it’s time to celebrate
the winners at the 18th annual Brickie Awards! This is our annual Ward 6 Holiday
Party and Community Awards! Join me at Arena Stage in
Southwest Ward 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5. Enjoy
FREE food and drinks from some of your favorite Ward 6 businesses as
we honor the neighbors, businesses, and organizations that make our
community thrive. This event is free, but RSVP today so we know to expect you. See you
there!
Public Safety
Updates
I want to cover a few concerning
incidents recently, as well as share some updates on arrests and
convictions from past incidents. Since the last newsletter, I've met
with neighbors in several living rooms and buildings across the Ward
to discuss public safety concerns and then outline plans to address
and hear from MPD about how to prevent them (thanks to the NE
neighbors in the picture for inviting me!). With just a little over a
month until the end of the year, violent
crime is down significantly in Ward 6 and DC from last year, especially
homicides and carjackings (Axios DC). But that doesn't mean much
if a crime just happened on your block or you don't feel safe. While
I'm proud of the gains we've made, we aren't where we want to be, and
we shouldn't be satisfied. Three quick updates from the Council on
public safety:
Hearing on Secure Apartments
for Everyone (SAFE) Act: There's a public hearing coming up
on an important bill introduced by Attorney General Brian Schwalb to
take more action against buildings where management isn't taking
security concerns seriously. You
can sign up to testify here and read
the bill here.
Mayor Nominates Permanent
Head of Neighborhood Safety Office: Kwelli Sneed has been
leading the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement in an acting
/ interim role for too long. This week, the Mayor moved her nomination
forward to make Acting Director Sneed the permanent director, and
it'll soon be coming before the Council where we'll have a chance to
hold a public hearing. ONSE is an important office in the fight to
drive down crime, collaborate with community and public safety
leaders, and reach the small group of people we know are most likely
to get involved in and be victims of violence. Without a leader for
two years, it hasn't gotten clear direction and support to this point.
Hopefully this nomination is a sign of renewed support for ONSE's
critical work.
Legislation on Fake
Tags: My colleague, Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau,
advanced to bills out of her committee this week to increase
accountability for people who drive with fake or expired tags. Read
her press release here.
Here's an update on a few incidents,
arrests, and convictions for crimes related to Ward 6.
-
Group Assault near Potomac Ave
Metro: MPD has shared
some details but is still looking for more information related to a
violent, senseless assault that took place on 14th Street SE. The
victim was attacked by a group of individuals and hurt badly. MPD is
still asking for anyone who has details or video to please share with
them so that the suspects can be identified and held
accountable.
- Arrest from Attempted
Robbery on H Street NE: On Saturday, MPD reported that they
were able to make a quick
arrest of someone who had attempted a robbery on the 600 block of
H Street NE.
- Arrest from October Shooting
in NoMa: MPD's
First District made an arrest for a shooting in early October at
1200 North Capital Street on Monday, working in partnership with the
Capital Region Fugitive Taskforce.
- Conviction for Carjacking
Offense: The US
Attorney's Office announced it secured the conviction for a
carjacking offense against an FBI agent that took place on Lincoln
Park, as well as a second offense off Benning
Road.
- Fentanyl Trafficker
Sentenced: Collaboration among DC,
Maryland, and Federal Law Enforcement led to accountability for
someone who has been poisoning our communities. I'm including this one
not because it was happening in Ward 6, but because these kinds of
arrests save lives across the city and the
region.
- Navy Yard Carjacker
Sentenced: One more from the US
Attorney's Office for the past week. An eight-year conviction was
secured for a man who attacked and carjacked a woman in Navy Yard in
June.
Giving Kids and Young Adults a Greater Role in
Local Climate Policy
After meeting with high school students eager to shape DC’s
environmental policies, I've introduced a bill to establish a Youth Climate Council. After
all, the decisions we make today will impact our children and young
adults the most and for the longest. Appointed by the DC Council and
Mayor, this group will give young people a platform to influence
decisions about their future, amplifying their voices in policymaking
as we make decisions about everything from cleaning up our rivers to
removing lead pipes to sharing the costs for transportation and clean
energy infrastructure.
Union Station Gets $83M in Federal
Funding
You've heard me talk a lot about the plans to expand and improve
Union Station for the next century. Over the last several years, I've
fought to make sure they included our community in the planning,
battled to make sure they didn't overbuild parking or leave the
station on an island of asphalt, and pushed to ensure that DDOT would
rebuild the H Street NE (Hopscotch) Bridge to accommodate the
increased rail capacity (more news on the bridge project coming
soon!). This past spring, we finally got approval for the big project.
It'll take a lot of federal funding and many years, but it was a major
milestone. This past week, another big announcement came as the Biden
Administration has allocated $83 million to Union Station as part of a $321
million grant package for Amtrak improvements in the DC-Baltimore
corridor. These funds will help advance long-overdue expansion and
modernization efforts, keeping this critical project on track for our
city and region.
 Better Bus
Network Coming in 2025
Over the last two years, WMATA has sought to make major changes to
the bus routes running through our neighborhoods and across the
region. I've hosted town halls, online forums, and pulled together
feedback from hundreds of Ward 6 neighbors to fight for the routes
that will make the most sense for Ward 6 and our city. Some of the
initial plans would have had damaging and lasting impacts, but I'm
proud that we've been able to work with WMATA to make several changes
to protect critical connections and even add better service in several
parts. After all that time, this past week, the WMATA Board of
Directors voted to approve the 2025 Better Bus Network proposal, with
changes and improvements starting next summer. You can explore all the
details on the Better Bus website.
AltaGas Held Accountable + New
Research on Indoor Air Quality Continues to Alarm
 Last week, DC's
Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced a settlement with
AltaGas, the Canadian corporation that owns Washington Gas. The
$2.1 million settlement stems from AltaGas' failure to follow through
on its commitment to build solar panels capable of generating up to 10
megawatts of clean energy here in DC – an agreement reached as part of
the 2018 merger of AltaGas and Washington Gas. The foot dragging isn't
surprising: clean, renewable electricity is a direct threat to
AltaGas' business model. I'm grateful to AG Schwalb and his team, as
well as the Public Service Commission, for holding the company to its
word. The settlement includes fines for every day after this year that
it doesn't honor that commitment, as well, so the clock is ticking. Read
the full press release with details.
Related: On Thursday, Beyond Gas DC
released a study measuring air quality in 663 homes in the region and
found elevated levels of nitrogen dioxide in the air hours after a
stove was on — WUSA
9 covered the story. The folks over at Washington Interfaith
Network and Beyond Gas DC have made it a priority to help
Washingtonians stop burning fossil fuels inside the home (i.e. using a
gas stove and other gas-fired appliances). This is why I fought hard
in our current budget to fund my Healthy Homes Act legislation, which
helps households with less money get an electric stove and other
appliances (behind the scenes, Washington
Gas was trying to stop that bill, too — and then it
was trying to tap into those dollars for their own use!).
Pro-Tip: You can find a bunch of existing
rebates and potential savings for taking more steps to be energy
efficient and use clean electricity at the DC
Sustainable Energy Utility.
Senate Committee
Advances RFK Land Transfer Legislation
Earlier this week, a US Senate Committee advanced legislation that
would transfer control of the 190 acres at RFK Stadium to the
District. This was a big hurdle to clear for the legislation, which
has all eyes on it and big implications for the Washington Commanders'
search for a stadium. And, I just want to be clear, as someone who
doesn't support building a billionaire's stadium on that site, this
legislation advancing is still a good thing. Pro-stadium or not,
DC residents and their elected leaders should be making the decision
on how to use that land. It's 190 acres that has sat mostly unused for
a generation — right on our river! I want to see it become more city
(homes, neighborhoods, local businesses, parks and more right next to
Metro) and much-improved access to the Anacostia River. All of that
can happen without plunking down a stadium that will sit empty more
than 320 days a year, and likely only with you shelling out hundreds
of millions of dollars from taxpayers. More
in the Post.
 Small
Business Saturday Is Almost Here!
Black Friday is famously when people hit the stores looking for a
good deal. But have you heard about Ward 6's Better Together promotion including dozens of your
favorite local shops and taking place Friday, November 29 through
Sunday, December 1? During this promotion, when you make a purchase at
one participating location on the list, you get a gift card for
another. It’s a fun way to visit a go-to place and discover a new one
to love. No matter which neighborhood you go to, I encourage you to
shop local. Local businesses put more money back into your community.
They employ your neighbors. We're blessed to have a bunch of vibrant,
fun businesses that make our community interesting and diverse.
Shopping local is how we preserve that.
All month, I'm sharing videos on ways our office has helped support
and grow our local businesses:
1,200
Turkeys to Be Distributed Monday
Washington Nationals Philanthropies plans to distribute more than
1,200 turkeys during its annual Turkeypalooza, with six pickup locations Monday,
Nov. 25, through Wednesday, Nov. 27. I’ll stop by the event outside
Nationals Park on Monday, starting at 3 p.m., to check it out and help
make sure everyone can have a great Thanksgiving. More from the
Nats:
Meal kits include fresh turkey, fresh produce, and staples like
mac and cheese, cranberry sauce, and stuffing. Plus, winter weather
gear for families: mittens and beanie hats. The turkey is 14 pounds
and the produce/shelf-stable items are a few more pounds. So, one
person can handle it all but it will be easier with two. Getting to
the sites as close to 3 p.m. as possible will help guarantee families
get the meal kit!
Turkey
Time at King-Greenleaf Rec
Earlier this week, I joined volunteers to distribute turkeys to
Southwest neighbors at King-Greenleaf Rec Center. Huge thanks to
GOODProjects for organizing this impactful event and several
Washington Commanders players for donating their time and energy to
lift some turkeys with me! If you missed it and need a turkey, don't
miss the giveaway right above this post by the Nats!
 Self-Driving Cars in
DC?
The future has long promised us self-driving cars, and more and
more big tech companies are trying it out. But, as Chair of the
Committee on Transportation and the Environment, this is an area we
need to explore more fully. It's an example of where I don't think DC
needs to be first, but I also don't want to see us be last. There's a
lot we can learn from other cities and efforts to find what makes
sense here, what barriers exist for DC, and how we should move
forward. I recently hosted a public roundtable on autonomous vehicles.
While the technology offers promise, it also poses risks and
significant unanswered questions about how self-driving cars fit into
our busy and growing city. In the fall of 2025, DDOT will release
updated guidelines on how autonomous vehicles can operate in DC, and
for now, a driver is still required in the car. Want more? I
spoke with Fox 5 after the hearing.
Improving Safety for Students Getting to and
from School
I was able to secure funding in this year’s budget to expand the
District's Safe Passage program to the Potomac Ave and
Eastern Market Metro stations – and from a distance, you may have seen
people in green vests in these areas over the past six weeks. These
teams support students in getting to and from school safely and are
skilled in conflict resolution, mediation services, and community
relationship building to keep students safe and improve student
attendance. Earlier this month, members of the Potomac Ave team handed
out essential items to students at a few nearby schools, including
Digital Pioneers Academy, and outside the metro station. I'm so happy
to have them on board, and especially along this corridor.
Leaf
Collection Moves to Section C
DPW says it’s time for Section C in all eight wards to get
their leaves ready: Leaf pickup in those areas is planned to begin
Nov. 25, and residents in Section C are advised to have leaves in the
tree box or curbside by Sunday, Nov. 24. As a reminder, DPW cannot
conduct leaf collection when it rains, so if you haven't gotten it
yet, that could be why.
Reminder: WMATA’s Closing Some Downtown Stations
Dec. 20-30
WMATA plans to close some Downtown Metrorail
stations for the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines between Friday,
Dec. 20, and Monday, Dec. 30. This will allow WMATA to improve tracks
and signaling and make a smoother ride for customers. During the
closure, shuttle buses will replace train service at affected
stations, providing customers with alternate access to stations.
Stations will reopen Dec. 31. Work will be completed in two
phases:
- Dec. 20-26: Farragut West, McPherson Square, and the lower level
(Blue, Orange, Silver service) at Metro Center will be closed.
- Dec. 27-30: Farragut West, McPherson Square, lower level (Blue,
Orange, Silver service) at Metro Center, Federal Triangle,
Smithsonian, and the lower level of L'Enfant Plaza (Blue, Orange,
Silver service) will be closed.
Upcoming Events
-
Stanton Park Revitalization Effort: Saturday, Nov. 23
| 10 a.m. to noon | Stanton Park, 226 4th St. NE
ANC6C03 and
neighbors are hosting an event to get signatures on a petition to form
an organization to help encourage the National Park Service to address
deferred maintenance at Stanton Park. For more information, contact
ANC Commissioner Jay Adelstein at 292-441-0778 or
[email protected].
-
Holiday Tree Lighting: Saturday,
Nov. 23 | 5:30 p.m. | Eastern Market Metro Park, 701 Pennsylvania Ave.
SE
Join me, your neighbors, the Capitol Hill BID, and our Barracks
Row and Eastern Market Main Streets for the 18th annual holiday tree
lighting, complete with hot chocolate, doughnuts, and performances by
local music groups. Plus, the event is emceed by DC local legends Kojo
Nnamdi and Tom Sherwood!
-
Committee on Transportation and the Environment
Markup: Monday, Nov. 25 | 9:30 a.m. | John A. Wilson
Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, and online
-
Committee of the Whole and Legislative
Meetings: Tuesday, Nov. 26 | Beginning at 11 a.m. | the
Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, and online
-
Special Waste Collection:
Thursday, Dec. 5 | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | RFK Parking Lot 3 (2400 E.
Capitol St. NE)
DPW hosts this event for safe disposal and
recycling of household hazardous waste and electronics, and secure
document shredding will be conducted twice quarterly. Register ahead.
-
EdFEST 2024:
Grades 9-12:
Saturday, Dec. 7 | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Eastern High School | 1700 East
Capitol St. NE
Grades PK3-8: Saturday, Dec. 14 |
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | DC Armory | 2001 East Capitol St. SE
EdFEST
offers families the chance to explore the city’s public school
options. Representatives from public and public charter schools will
showcase their programs. EdFEST will also include free services and
activities for the whole family including guidance on navigating the
lottery process from the My School DC team and Parent Advisory
Council, routine childhood vaccines, flu and COVID shots for adults
(appointments required), recreational activities from the Department
of Parks & Recreation (Dec. 14), free meals from DC Central
Kitchen (Dec. 14), and more. Register online.
Tickets,
Anyone?
Well done on taking in all of this week's Ward 6 Update! Now, who's
ready for some hockey? Just respond to this email for a chance to win
tickets to see our Washington Capitals take on the San Jose Sharks on
Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m.
See you around the neighborhood,
Charles Allen
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