By Julie Strupp (Managing Editor) • August 23, 2019
On Wednesday, August 21 the NoMa Business Improvement District (BID) released an open letter expressing frustration about underpass encampments in the area. People walking or otherwise traveling from east to west sides of the neighborhood have to go under these underpasses. They’re a common spot for people experiencing homelessness to sleep and camp.
Nipsey Hussle’s dream of racial and economic equity for his neighborhood spanned across music and media. Planners in Vancouver are widening sidewalks to accommodate more people in the densifying city. Transgender and nonbinary teens are vulnerable to homelessness.
By David Alpert (Executive Director) • August 23, 2019
In 2011 and 2015, the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M released an “Urban Mobility Report” which grabbed a lot of headlines, like “Washington area tied with Chicago for traffic congestion, study finds.” The study led me and many others to write articles debunking its bad methodology.
Mayor Muriel Bowser has been appealing to the public via Twitter to keep the DC Circulator free. The DC Council recently has moved to reinstate fares due over concerns that free rides mostly benefit the wealthier residents that live along the Circulator’s routes. (Luz Lazo / Post)
A spike in shooting incidents near schools has prompted the District to launch the Safe Spots initiative, which will allow participating businesses and organizations to shelter students who feel unsafe. The District is also expanding the Safe Passage program, which helps students commute safely. (Natalie Delgadillo / DCist)
Electric scooter operator Spin is adding docking stations for its previously dockless scooters to help recharge batteries and prevent users from leaving the scooters in less-than-convenient locations. Spin also hopes to make the docking stations solar-powered this fall. (Luz Lazo / Post)
When DC’s short-term rental law goes into effect on October 1, those who rent out housing on sites like Airbnb will be prohibited from renting out a principal dwelling for more than 90 days if they’re absent. Exceptions apply if a resident needs to leave the District to care for a sick relative. (Nena Perry-Brown / UrbanTurf)
JBG Smith, the Washington region’s largest developer, is spearheading an initiative to deliver 2,000 workforce-friendly housing units. Its executive says affordable housing is key to attracting and maintaining a vibrant labor market. (Marisa M. Kashino / Washingtonian)
Workers at a Metro bus garage in Lorton, Virginia just voted to authorize a strike. Metro contracted the garage out to a private company last year, and according to the Amalgamated Transit Union, these workers make $12 less per hour than others in the area. (Jordan Pascale / WAMU)
Voters in Phoenix will soon decide in a special election whether to continue investment in the region’s light rail system or shift focus to boosting auto infrastructure. Opponents are concerned with the high costs of rail transit construction. (Katherine Davis-Young / Post)
