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I hope this newsletter finds you well and ready to enjoy the weekend. We might not be quite there yet, but it's finally March, and we all know spring is getting closer when the cherry blossoms' Peak Bloom estimate hits – the first welcome sign that we might not actually be cold forever.

Earlier this week, I joined the Capitol Hill BID to celebrate their 22 years of service to the community, as well as the Eastern Market Main Street annual meeting. These are just some of the groups working to keep the area clean, active, and vibrant. And while I was meeting with the BID, I learned that Barracks Row Main Street has more than 200 events planned for Eastern Market Metro Park this year, starting with Mardi Gras this weekend (more below) – another good reminder we aren't too far away from some perfect Friday evenings with live jazz at the park.

I'm also keeping a close eye on the impacts of federal action on our city and our neighbors. As I mentioned in my last email, I'm hearing from a lot of neighbors who are anxious, scared, and angry about the words and actions against those who serve our country by their own leaders. I will continue to share resources and help, but don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything. And in these uncertain times, many people may turn to what they can control. Together, we will keep working toward an even better neighborhood for everyone and living our values as part of the community. So while I continue to fight for our neighbors across Ward 6 and our city, I also look forward to working with you to deliver more projects like reimagining the Penn-Potomac Avenue intersection (construction underway!), working to deliver improvements to Jefferson Middle School and Randall Recreation center in Southwest, modernizing our vital aquatic center at Rumsey Pool, or protecting Eastern Market for the next 150 years. 

QUICK LINKS: Celebrate Mardi Gras | Suing Dangerous Drivers | Resources for Federal Employees | Public Safety | Main Street Over Wall Street | Performance Oversight | Pennsylvania-Potomac Progress | Ludlow-Taylor Construction | Repairs Coming to Folger Park | New Places for Food Waste | DDOT Updates | Prevent Water Leaks | WMATA's Extra Access | Grants for Stormwater Efforts | Keeping DC in Local Control | Summer, Already? | Events

My last newsletter provided updates on the RFK Stadium campus, legislation against surprise utility fees in apartments, and more. Read it all here.

Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler!

Mardi Gras is next week, but the fun starts this weekend. Seriously, you've got three big ways to help celebrate Mardi Gras in Ward 6. Take your pick, but no matter what, get out of the house and enjoy some live music, activities, and plenty of good deals with your favorite local restaurants on H Street, Barracks Row, and The Wharf.

• Mardi Gras on H Street — Saturday, March 1 | Starting at 3 p.m. | H Street NE
  Many restaurants will offer food and drink specials to help you get in the spirit, and even residential buildings have deals for the day. Plus, there's live entertainment lined up:
  • 3 to 6 p.m. – The Capitol Hillbillies perform outside at 1207 H St. NE
  • 5 p.m. – The DC Warriors Drumline will march and play starting at 3rd and H and ending at 14th and H
  • 6 to 9 p.m. – The Joe Brotherton Quartet featuring Marshall Keys will play at Gallery O on H, 1354 H St. NE
  • Time TBD – The House of Prayer Shout Band will perform
    
    
• Mardi Gras Parade & Party on the Wharf — Saturday, March 1 | 3 to 6:30 p.m. | The Wharf
  Watch the parade down Wharf Street, dance to live music by the Naptown Brass Band, and party on!
  • 3 p.m. – Mardi Gras Activities Begin
  • 3:30 p.m. – Mardi Gras Parade Begins at Blair Alley, featuring stilt walkers and the Mardi Gras king and queen
  • 4:30-6:30 p.m. – Live Music on Market Pier
  • ~6:30 p.m. – Fireworks
    
    
• Mardi Gras on Barracks Row — Saturday, March 1 | Starting at 2 p.m. | Barracks Row
  Historic 8th Street SE will transform into a hub of lively festivities, delicious food, and unforgettable entertainment. Have fun with sidewalk parades and food and drink specials at participating restaurants.
  • 2 p.m. – Capitol Hill Community Parade starts at 507 8th St. SE
  • 5 p.m. – LED Parade

First STEER Act Lawsuits Filed Against 3 Maryland Drivers for Dangerous Driving

For everyone sick and tired of watching drivers speed through your neighborhood, last week marked a significant move to hold those dangerous drivers accountable and create a new day for road safety in DC. That's because DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb used a new tool in the STEER Act to file civil suits against three drivers from Maryland (coverage in the Post plus a mention in City Paper's 2025 Answers issue). As a refresher, the STEER Act is a law I wrote and led the Council to pass that gives teeth to our traffic cameras. We know people who face accountability tend to change their behavior, but there's a group of drivers who think they won't be held accountable.

The drivers sued had thousands of dollars in fines, and one had even just pled guilty to reckless driving charges on our streets. Now — even if they don't live in DC — they'll be held accountable in court. Learn more in my quick video update.

Related: I talked with The 51st this week as they covered a pilot program at DMV looking at reducing the fine for tickets for low-income DC drivers. No question, a $100 fine will impact someone who makes $50,000 a year a lot more than someone making $200,000 a year for the same speeding ticket. The goal in all of this is safety. People who speed and run red lights and stop signs put others at risk, no matter how much money they have. When I hear people argue that traffic cameras are just a money grab,  I think about Paisley. She is 12 years old and was struck by a driver who sped around a car waiting for her to use a crosswalk walking home from school, leaving tire marks on her legs. That driver had racked up $19,000 in speeding tickets he never paid. Eventually, he did something that hurt someone else. I want people to be held accountable and slow down, not pay fines for the sake of it. So, creating some financial relief for lower-income neighbors may be a good thing to do, but it doesn't go far enough if it also doesn't lead to safer driving. How about we pair a reduction in fines with attending a safe driving course? That's another provision in the STEER Act I am working to implement.

Website Offers Resources for Residents Who've Lost Their Jobs

Last email, we shared some resources the city is making available to workers who are facing job losses. The DC Department of Employment Services has a webpage designed for people, including federal workers, who have lost their jobs. From unemployment compensation and career support to federal employment guidance and DC government opportunities, this offers a one-stop shop for people who may be looking for more resources right now.

Public Safety Updates

As we make our way through Performance Oversight Hearings, there are a few major hearings coming up for anyone interested in understanding the current state of affairs for public safety:

• The Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice and the Department of Forensic Science are on Wednesday,  March 5.
  
  
• Metropolitan Police Department and the independent Office of Police Complaints will have their hearing on Tuesday, March 11.
  
  
• And for folks who want to understand how the District is handling juvenile crime and prosecution, the Office of the Attorney General's next hearing is on Thursday, March 6.

Ward 6 Public Safety Arrest Updates

• Three Separate Arrests of Folks Responsible for 54 Break-Ins: Here's another good reminder that most crime is driven by a small number of people. In the last week, MPD has announced three different arrests for people they can link to close to 60 burglaries across the city. Spanning back several months, some of those establishments they hit were in Ward 6, and a lot were elsewhere in the city. These types of crimes impact our entire city and all our small businesses.
  
  
• MPD Arrests Juveniles in Assault — On Wednesday, Feb. 19, MPD became aware of videos of assaults at Union Station circulating on social media. Between Thursday, Feb. 20, and Friday, Feb. 21, MPD arrested six girls. 
  
  
• MPD Arrests Four in Attempted Robbery + Shooting at Waterfront Metro — A bystander was shot inside the Waterfront Metro station during a robbery attempt just after 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Four people were involved in an attempted robbery on the mezzanine level — the level between the street entrance and train platform. During the attempt, shots were fired by the intended target of the robbery, and a bullet ricocheted and struck the woman. Thankfully, she is going to recover, and Metro had a safety presence in the station who worked with MPD to make a quick arrest. Overall, these folks in the bright orange vests have helped reassure riders the system is safe, and they can help coordinate a response.

Main Street v Wall Street: Credit Cards and Banks Profit off Local Biz on Tax & Tip. That's not fair. 

Every time you use your credit or debit card, the bank charges a 2-4% swipe fee on your transaction — including tax and tip. It's one thing for that to cover the cost of what you actually purchased. But is it fair for Visa or Mastercard to charge the business (and therefore you, the loyal customer) a fee for collecting sales tax before providing it to the government and tips to its workers? They shouldn't be making a profit off the tax and tips that end up costing the local business thousands of dollars every year. That's money the business would rather use to hire staff, lower prices, or put back into their store.

That's why I introduced the Fair Swipe Act to prohibit banks and large credit card companies from including sales tax and gratuities when collecting swipe fees (coverage from Axios DC and the Washington Informer). Believe it or not, while these fees feel small with each transaction, they drive up a business's cost by thousands of dollars. The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington estimates that a full-service restaurant could save around $14,500 annually just by excluding tax and tips from the swipe fee. I've heard some business owners who say that's more like $70,000 for them. Again, that money could go toward healthcare for employees, another salary, or necessary maintenance for the space.

Who would you rather see have a little more money in their bottom line: your favorite local restaurant or one of a handful of companies like Visa or Mastercard, both of which earned more than $25 billion last year? That’s an easy call for me. I choose Main Street over Wall Street. I was proud to be joined at a launch event for the bill by several Ward 6 businesses (pictured), and I have heard from many more who have long been frustrated with these fees.

Performance Oversight Takeaways on DC Water, Development, and Clean Energy

Performance Oversight is a critical window each year when the Council probes every government agency on what they've been doing. So far, I've conducted more than 30 hours of oversight hearings with agencies in the transportation and environment areas, on top of all the hearings I've been attending for agencies outside of my committee. Most folks probably have better things to do (hard to believe, I know), so here's a quick summary of some of my takeaways. If you missed the last update, catch up here.

• I focused on the replacement of lead pipes in the hearing with DC Water. Too many homes have lead pipes connecting DC Water's service pipes to their homes, and it's a serious health hazard that will take a lot of work to complete. You can check if you have a lead service pipe here and apply to have it replaced with DC Water likely covering the entire cost of the work. We need to provide filters to households when we know they have lead pipes, as opposed to delivering them after the replacement. Cities like Denver can do this, and I hope DC Water can find a way to take care of DC residents better in this regard. But seriously, if you have lead pipes, get on it today.
  
  
• In the hearing on the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, I reiterated the need for the District to keep investing in our neighborhood commercial corridors even as the administration pursues revitalizing downtown – in particular with a focus on H Street NE, Pennsylvania Avenue SE, and Barracks Row. Deputy Mayor Albert shared that a retail study is coming for DC, especially as neighborhoods look to shift as habits have changed after the pandemic. My request remains on a whole-of-government approach. I also reiterated in any stadium discussions at RFK that the District needs to be upfront about green building standards, given Monumental Sports just asked for a waiver right after taxpayers kicked in $515 million for their renovation. If there are negotiations going on, let's make clear that our clean energy goals are a clear non-negotiable.
  
  
• There was a big focus on continued efforts to ensure we will achieve the District's climate goals as I met with leaders from the DC Green Bank and the Department of Energy and Environment. This discussion focused on the gap if the federal government walks away from environmental funding wholesale. If that happens, it will require the District to step forward, not backward, especially in home electrification and making our buildings much more energy efficient (believe it or not, buildings are our most significant output of carbon).
  
  
• In the hearing for the Department of General Services, I checked in about Eastern Market, including the need for better methods of closing 7th Street on street market days. We also discussed the prime opportunity to improve the alleyway between the historic Eastern Market building and the future Rumsey site. As we look to redevelop the aquatic center completely, we must also make this in-between space a better, vibrant one for residents to enjoy.
  
  
• The DC Public Schools hearing offered the chance to speak with Chancellor Lewis Ferebee. We're seeing exciting progress with renovations at our schools with great programming, which means more families are going to be attracted to them. It's clear that while DCPS does consider expected enrollment increases, this additional influx hasn't really been planned for. I encouraged him to appropriately expect what can happen so we're not in another situation of overcrowding. And, of course, we focused on making sure our schools and educators have what they need to be successful and fully funded.

If you would like to watch the Committee on Transportation and the Environment's performance oversight hearings, I have been live streaming them here, where you can catch past ones. That's also where you'll find Monday's hearing for WMATA.

Work Has Begun at Pennsylvania and Potomac

If your commute involves walking to the Pennsylvania Ave. Metro, you know this already: Construction has started on this big intersection's north and south ends. I plan to post a video next week to give you an idea of what this future space will mean for the neighborhood. For now, know that we're getting closer to a safer connection for everyone in Southeast!

Construction Makes Some Noise at Ludlow-Taylor

DC Public Schools wants to ensure that neighbors around Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School (659 G St. NE) know that construction noise may increase as activity picks up. The project team is dealing with the site's challenges and conditions, and they were working to address them this past week. You may have heard more noise as the team demolished concrete footers under the project site. 

Additionally, as of today, March 1, crews anticipate beginning work on Saturdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

This work involves an 8,700-square-foot addition that will house more classrooms, academic support areas, and administrative offices. It's expected to be completed this summer.

Folger Park’s Getting Repairs

I recently met with leadership from the National Park Service to ask them to review their Ward 6 parks and needed repairs. Our conversations focused on their snow response this winter as well as needed work at parks such as Seward, Lincoln, and Stanton. They shared with me that they have some big plans coming for Folger Park happening soon: Folger Park, near 2nd and D Streets SE, will be closed to the public starting Monday, March 3. This is for some needed rehabilitation that includes:

• Improving the historic walkways
• Restoring the historic flagstone plaza
• Repairing and adding benches
• Restoring vegetation in the plaza

NPS expects to reopen the park next winter, and you can keep up with the project here. 

Food Waste Now Doesn't Have to Wait Until Saturday

The Department of Public Works has installed new Food Waste Smart Bins across the District, where you can unlock a bin using an app or access code to drop your food waste. See the full list along with all food-waste info here. Ward 6 locations include:

• Swampoodle Terrace: 1102 3rd St. NE
• Northwest One Library: 155 L St. NW
• Pennsylvania Ave. & 13th Street SE: 700 13th St. SE
• Navy Yard: Northwest corner of New Jersey Ave. & M Street SE (pictured)

Rumsey Aquatic Center and Farmers Market SW still have staffed locations for Saturday drop-off from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

DDOT Adjustments in SW & NE

I'm making sure you are aware that the District Department of Transportation has issued two Notices of Intent (NOI):

Sidewalk Expansion on Main Avenue SW

DDOT intends to temporarily widen the sidewalk along the south side of Maine Avenue SW between the Tidal Basin and the Wharf to improve the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and scooter riders. This project aligns with the 2025 Cherry Blossom Festival and is requested by the Southwest Business Improvement District to prepare for a busy period from March 20 through after July 4.

Expect to see jersey barriers on Maine Avenue from the Tidal Basin to the fish market. All comments for this NOI must be filed in writing by March 18 to [email protected].

Permanent Safety Improvements at 6th and K Streets NE

As part of DDOT's program to upgrade existing temporary tactical safety improvements to permanent ones, it plans to implement some adjustments to 6th and K Streets NE. Details are in the NOI, where you'll see information about the bike lane shift, replacing rubber wheel stops with concrete barrier curbs, protecting the bike lane with parking, installing daylighting, and more.

All comments must be filed in writing by April 4 to [email protected].

DC Water Will Repair Your Leaks Because It Saves People Money

One dripping faucet can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water a year (yikes!) and can lead to really, really expensive bills that folks struggle to pay. That's why DC Water offers support fixing a little leak before it becomes a big problem – be it at a sink, tub, or toilet

Eligible customers can get an inspection by a licensed plumber to inspect common areas and then receive a complete checklist of any found leaks. If funds are available, a Residential Leak Repair Assistance Program-approved plumber can make necessary repairs at no cost to you.

Learn more about DC Water's programs, such as CAP (in the above graphic), which provides monthly discounts to residential customers with household incomes less than $154,700.

Need an Easier Way to Get to Metro?

WMATA's Abilities-Ride is a flexible alternative to MetroAccess. The program allows MetroAccess customers to transfer some of their trips to local taxicab, sedan, van companies, and national transportation network companies. Learn more.

Grants Available to Get Creative on Stormwater

Nonprofits, small businesses, schools and universities, government agencies, and more in the District can now apply for a Stormwater Solutions Grant. Funded by the Department of Energy and the Environment, this program supports innovative and community-centered projects that increase knowledge and change behavior around watershed and stormwater-related issues in the District. Learn more and apply by Thursday, March 13.

ICYMI: My Statement on Defending DC Home Rule

Last week, plenty of headlines were made when the President talked about "taking over DC" during a press scrum on his plane. I'm sharing my statement here in case you missed it: 

The District of Columbia is proudly the home to more than 700,000 Americans. Let’s not dance around what this is about. This is not about the rare tent in a park or graffiti on an overpass. These are just familiar distractions and something you can find in every state in our country. What’s different is that people who call DC home don’t have members of Congress, are more vulnerable to Congressional overreach, and are thus an easy target.

The baseless attacks on District residents and the local government are an attack on democracy itself. The principle of democratic representation is foundational to our country, and a threat to remove an elected government in our United States is an affront to the very idea of America. Elected District leaders have worked constructively with administrations of both parties over the last half-century. If the federal government wants to improve public safety, it has a role to play right now: nominate and approve judges for our Courts, remove federal riders that block common-sense regulations on cannabis sales that would make us safer, and fully fund the federal share of responsibilities for public safety that the District shoulders alone.

If the unwinding of democracy begins here, it won’t end here. We need our allies in Congress, common-sense leaders of all political parties who value democracy, and residents from across the country to take a stand.

Plan Ahead for Summer Learning

The DC government has its site for all things summer again, and it can't hurt to take a look and at least start thinking about planning for the warmest months without school. Some dates are already upon us, such as registering for summer learning. I expect more updates to come to the webpage, but expect to find things to do, places to go, resources for meals and nutrition, and more.

Upcoming Events

• W6PSPO Middle School Principals Panel – Monday, March 3 | 7 p.m. | Zoom
  Have middle school in mind for your kid? Principals for all destination middle schools for Ward 6 (and neighboring Wards 7 and 8) elementary schools will share their schools' programming and enrichment and answer questions. Eastern High School Principal Steven Miller will be the virtual event's special guest.
  
  
• Household Hazardous Waste, E-cycling, & Document Shredding — Saturday, March 6 | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | RFK Parking Lot 3 (2400 E. Capitol St. NE)
  Safely recycle or dispose of household hazardous waste and electronics and securely shred documents at this twice-quarterly event by Zero Waste DC.

<13 Until a New, Unassailable NHL Record

With every goal Alex Ovechkin scores, he gets that much closer to making history by breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL career goals record of 894. Want to be part of history? Reply to this email for a chance to get tickets to see the Capitals take on the Seattle Kraken. Puck drops at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 9.

See you around the neighborhood,

Charles Allen