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Friend –

This is my final email newsletter for 2025, and I wish you a great holiday season with friends and family! This year brought real challenges for DC, but real progress, too. Even when the federal government and elected representatives from far across the country made our work harder, Ward 6 residents showed up, spoke up, and kept fighting for a city that’s safer, fairer, and that everyone can call home. As we wrap up 2025, here are a few moments from this year I'm especially grateful for. We:

Took on dangerous driving, with the STEER Act now in effect, and the DC Attorney General suing the worst repeat offenders who've put lives at risk on our streets
Secured meaningful community benefits in the RFK Stadium deal, including commitments for affordable housing along with 6,000 new homes, environmental protections and high standards, less parking and more Metro, and a better return for taxpayers
Helped chart a stronger future for regional transit, concluding 18 months of work on the DMVMoves Task Force to recommend stable, long-term funding and a simpler, unified fare system for riders
Locked arms to fight for DC’s right to govern itself by organizing and pushing back against federal interference — from Congress’s $1 billion budget cut to the federal takeover of MPD
Advanced strong legislation to improve daily life for Ward 6 residents by introducing 42 bills, including bills to:
Protected core transportation, environmental, and city services in a tough budget year, making deliberate choices to keep the city moving, safeguard public spaces, and invest in the services residents rely on every day
Brought neighbors together across Ward 6, through office hour events, Ward 6 Week, the annual Great Ward 6 Spring Clean, and the Ward 6 Brickie Awards — reminders that community is built face-to-face

None of this happened without you. It happened because residents stayed engaged, spoke up, and worked together, even when the path wasn’t easy. Thank you for being part of our community and helping move Ward 6 and DC forward.

As the year comes to a close, I hope you’re able to enjoy some time off, connect with the people you care about, and celebrate the holidays that are meaningful to you.

Miss the last newsletter recapping all the fun of the Brickie Awards? Read it here.

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New Interim MPD Chief Named

Last week, MPD Chief of Police Pamela Smith announced she would be stepping down at the end of this year, and this week, the Mayor announced long-serving Executive Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll would take her place and serve as interim Chief. As of this writing, it isn't clear if the Mayor intends to name a new permanent chief, but an interim chief can serve for 180 days before needing to be confirmed by the Council.

As I shared with WTOP, whoever serves as the next permanent chief has their work cut out for them. While crime is down broadly, residents have witnessed MPD working closely with federal law enforcement, namely ICE and Border Patrol, which has hurt the trust residents have in the force and has some folks questioning if they should call 911 at all, not knowing who will be showing up. When I attended last month's public safety meeting for MPD's PSA 103, this was a question posed to First District leaders, who emphasized MPD will always be the ones to respond to 911 calls rather than federal agents. That message, I think, gets lost for residents who see federal agents and MPD on deployments and may not accept it. Both residents and our officers deserve brighter lines and more clarity.

Public Safety Update

A Note on Crime Data: In response to Chief Smith's announcement that she's stepping down, the majority side of the US House's Oversight Committee rushed out its own interim report alleging MPD under Chief Smith has downgraded a number of crimes to fall outside of the nine categories publicly reported on DC Crime Cards, the District government website most often referenced by media, elected officials (including often in this newsletter), and residents.

Two things can be true at the same time: first, this is clearly a politically motivated report that fits into a broader narrative employed many times this year to pass bills winding back DC's autonomy and justifying the extended deployment of National Guard troops and federal law enforcement agents. The report is allegedly based on interviews with seven active and one suspended District Commanders within MPD, but it leans very heavily on interviews with just two commanders. The report does cite some concerning anecdotes that the Council must investigate, as public trust in the information MPD is sharing is crucial. But the congressional and presidential narrative that facts aren't facts and DC is the nation's crime capital is also deliberately constructed.

Second, how any particular crime gets classified by responding officers can be far more complicated than it might seem. MPD officers are working with the available evidence at the scene or based on the witness or victim's initial reports. As new evidence emerges and prosecutors get involved, the classification may change from the original one to be more or less serious. There is also a fair amount of subjectivity here because many of our crime categories are old, contradictory, and overly broad - a problem the Council tried to fix with the passage of a revised criminal code, later struck down by Congress.

This isn't to say any allegations that pressure exerted on officers to downgrade the severity of a crime should be dismissed – absolutely not. But as this issue remains in focus and may be cited to justify further federal intervention, it is important to recognize that the issue is also a lot more nuanced. I shared this post by noted criminologist Jeff Asher earlier this year when rumblings of these accusations first started, including with the suspension of an MPD District Commander. If you'd like to know more, it's a good and accessible analysis. My hope is that the Council's Judiciary Committee will take on this issue early in the new year and give it the public discussion it merits.

ABCA Closes Five Unlicensed Cannabis Shops: In an announcement this week, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) closed five shops across the city and made four arrests, including one shop in Ward 6. This is continued great work from ABCA to shut down the unregulated and illegal cannabis market using the authority I led the Council to pass. Read the release.

Ward 6 Updates:

Planning Transit Now for the Future Football Stadium

At a hearing I chaired this week, the Commanders shared that they plan to break ground on the new stadium in about 15 months. That means we've got less than 15 months to plan for how the new RFK neighborhood will move 65,000 people in and out every time the stadium hosts a major event. To make sure that the process is happening on such a short timeline, I convened a roundtable with the Commanders, WMATA, the DDOT Director, and the Mayor's appointed Project Lead on her team for the full campus.

If you’ve ever used the Stadium-Armory Metro station, it’s easy to see the challenge. The station struggles with crowding and has just one old elevator. Metro General Manager Randy Clarke shared that WMATA is exploring options, including a new station entrance or possibly a new station east of the site, to handle future demand. As I've said before, at a minimum, Stadium-Armory will need a major upgrade to handle far larger ridership than it ever did, even as recently as when the Nationals briefly called the former RFK stadium home.

People will also ride the Red Line to events, and the connection between Union Station and the campus via H Street and Benning Road will be critical. That's why I put planning money into this year's budget to study Bus Rapid Transit and other options that could reliably move people up and down the corridor daily and during big events, and provide a great way to transfer between the Red Line and the Orange/Blue/Silver lines without going downtown.

Finally, while the Commanders kept their specific plans close, it's clear they're planning for extensive pedestrian and bicycle-friendly ways to get to and around the campus itself. I was encouraged when the Commanders rep said they believe people who take transit to the games will have a better time than people who drive.

Of course, people will drive. How we manage that on big event days will be critical to ensuring the quality of life of nearby neighbors is protected. The second panel for the hearing included Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners from all of the nearby neighborhoods that will be impacted by construction and on game day. They joined us to raise neighbors’ concerns, including air quality and traffic impacts during both construction and full operation of the stadium and surrounding development.

This wasn’t just a theoretical discussion. We’re talking about placing the equivalent of a small city in what’s currently a quiet part of DC. That means we need to deliver the best transit options possible and start building them before thousands of people arrive.

While this roundtable included invited agency leaders and stakeholders, this conversation is far from over. I’ll be holding additional discussions next year, including opportunities for public input, as this work continues.

Learn more from local news coverage: CBS9 | WTOP | ABC7 | NBC 4 | Fox 5

What's the Hold Up with AVs in DC? Let's Get into It

There’s been some chatter lately about DC being “too slow” to bring self-driving vehicles to our streets. That’s not quite right.

What we’re waiting on is a required report from DDOT – mandated by law – that evaluates autonomous vehicle (AV) testing, so the District can responsibly move to the next phase. We're also waiting on a green light from the Mayor and DDOT that they even want to issue permits for the next phase of AV testing. Both the Council and AV companies have been waiting for the analysis, which is meant to recommend any necessary legal or safety changes before expanding testing.

This work has taken longer than any of us would like, in part because DDOT projects were delayed when Congress froze nearly $1 billion in DC’s local funds last year, forcing significant mid-year cuts across agencies. Even so, the idea that we should authorize fully driverless vehicles without DDOT’s analysis in hand is not safe, nor is it even guaranteed to happen if the Mayor and DDOT don't want to issue permits.

Autonomous vehicles hold promise, but DC residents should not be treated like test subjects while companies work through unresolved issues on busy city streets. Given recent nationwide examples of AVs making dangerous mistakes, a careful, data-driven approach is warranted. The questions also need a stronger conversation about the impact on jobs – DC residents working as taxi and rideshare drivers today would be replaced, and the money you pay for a ride would no longer go back into the community but rather be sent out of state to corporations largely located in California.

We’re committed to getting this right – advancing innovation without compromising safety – and to making sure autonomous vehicles are integrated thoughtfully into a transportation system that works for everyone.

Ranked Choice Voting is Set for Next Year's Elections

Earlier this week, the Council voted down yet another effort to delay the implementation of Ranked Choice Voting (this is the second time in two weeks that an attempt to delay failed). The debate on Tuesday followed a hearing in which the Board of Elections was pressed about its readiness for this major change. The Board of Elections testified then, and confirmed in a press statement Tuesday morning, that they will be ready. I want to share a few points from the debate, but you can also read WaPo's recap here:

First, ranked choice voting is simply giving voters the ability to rank candidates in order of preference. But, should someone only vote for their top candidate, that vote still counts and is no different than how we vote otherwise.
Second, there's a lot of concern about how voters will be educated about this change, which is completely valid. While the Board of Elections will need to have a robust voter education campaign underway as we get closer to the June Primary, it will be in every candidate's best interest to educate voters. That's a huge amount of outreach that will take place as part of the natural discourse of an election.
Third, we're in the middle of an election cycle already. Delaying it means pulling the rug out from campaigns that have already launched and been planned around ranked choice voting.
Fourth, delaying would mean implementing it in the 2028 Presidential Election. If you think there's a lot going on this year, just think about how it would be in a Presidential election year.

Ranked choice voting passed as a ballot initiative with strong support. The Council funded its implementation in the budget. The Board of Elections said it's ready. Let's stop this "will they, won't they" and all work to ensure we have a smooth rollout.

I covered this update and more from Tuesday's Legislative Meeting in a quick video recap.

Answers and Solutions to Missed Trash Pickup

Was your home skipped for trash or recycling pickups in October? You weren’t the only one – complaints to our office jumped 6x as DPW missed homes and entire blocks.

Last week, I joined the Committee on Public Works and Operations to press DPW alongside Chair Nadeau and ANC Commissioners. We learned the spike was tied to new routes for tight alleyways, onboarding new supervisors, and employee leave. DPW says they’ve found several fixes and are working to stabilize service.

We also talked about sidewalk trash cans. That may sound minor, but when the can you rely on to dispose of dog waste or to throw away an empty bag of chips disappears, it not only disrupts your routine but also quickly makes your block dirtier. DPW is open to exploring better, more secure can options, including sealed, human-only access bins like our compost containers.

I have to shout out the Ward 6 ANC Commissioners who showed up and pushed for answers. I’ll keep holding DPW accountable to get reliable service to residents.

Committee Hearing on Ivy City Resilience Hub and Shine Safely Acts

Last Thursday, I chaired a public hearing of the Council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment on two bills focused on environmental justice, public health, and climate resilience.

We first heard testimony on the Ivy City Resilience Hub Eminent Domain Authority Act of 2025, introduced by Councilmember Parker. Neighbors, environmental justice advocates, scientists, and ANC commissioners shared powerful and troubling accounts of decades of pollution tied to the National Engineering Products facility at 1950 Capitol Avenue NE. Testimony highlighted elevated rates of respiratory illness and cancer, the legacy of racist zoning and “grandfathered” permits, and the reality that existing regulatory tools have not been enough to protect residents. Many witnesses underscored why redeveloping this site into a climate resilience hub would both address long-standing harms and invest back into the community.

The Committee also heard testimony on the Shine Safely Act of 2025, introduced by Councilmember Lewis George, which would phase out the sale and distribution of most mercury-containing fluorescent lighting beginning in 2027, with limited exemptions. Public health experts and environmental advocates emphasized the risks of mercury exposure, particularly for children, and the benefits of accelerating the shift to LED lighting. Witnesses pointed to energy savings, reduced carbon emissions, and the fact that many other states and jurisdictions are already moving in this direction.

Finally, we heard from the Department of Energy and Environment, which addressed enforcement capacity, costs, and what we currently know, and still need to learn, about mercury exposure and localized air pollution in DC.

The hearing record is open for written testimony through Jan. 1.

Robust Retail Grants Now Open for Local Businesses

For my local business owners, don't miss the application window to apply for the Department of Small and Local Business Development's Robust Retail grants, open now through January 20, 2026. Eligible businesses can apply for one of 50 awards of $10,000. All of the information is here.

The Work on Climate Can't Wait

I had the wonderful opportunity to join climate leaders and advocates earlier this month at the French Embassy to reflect on 10 years since the Paris Agreement – and what has to happen next.

Here in DC, we’ve passed some of the strongest climate laws in the country and I've fought hard to keep DC from delaying or backing away from our commitments. But the real work continues day-by-day: electrifying buildings and reducing their emissions with more efficient designs, expanding clean energy protection within our borders, protecting vulnerable communities from dirty air and water, and doing everything we can to improve public transit and earn back riders.

Climate action isn’t abstract. It’s about lowering everyday costs, strengthening safety, building resilience, and protecting the future for our children and theirs, all at the same time. Thankfully, there's enormous financial upside for the District in the long run if we take these steps today.

I appreciate the French Embassy and GW’s Alliance for a Sustainable Future for hosting such an important conversation.

School Recess Isn't a Break From Learning, It's Critical to It

Do you remember recess as a kid? Maybe the fleeting feeling of freedom as you ran onto the playground, or the competitive spirit that came out during kickball? That playtime was actually very beneficial for your learning - and still is for every kid today. Recess and physical activity aren’t “extras.” They’re essential to kids’ health, educational attainment, and social and emotional development.

This past week, I joined leaders from across the country to talk about public policy and the importance of recess with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. I also shared how DC’s Healthy Schools Act makes movement part of the school day, with strong physical education and activity requirements. Because healthy kids learn better – and they deserve time to move.

DDOT Rolls Out Improved Site to Follow Infrastructure Work

When the District Department of Transportation has updates coming (changes to parking, road repair, bike lanes, construction, etc.), they issue Notices of Intent, or NOIs. And now, DDOT has a completely redesigned way to view these that's much more user friendly.

The DDOT NOI portal, available on your desktop or smartphone, is a one-stop shop to search, view, and comment on NOIs. The new map preview is especially helpful, and you can now provide feedback through a form instead of sending an email.

WMATA Updates Some Bus Routes

WMATA has implemented changes to 50 routes and added a new one between Alexandria and DC – the results of Metro's continued improvement since it launched the new bus system in June. Ward 6-related routes with changes include the C11, C15, C37, C53, D1X, and D90. Links to each show more information, including current stops and schedules.

In this Ward, We Celebrate New Crosswalks!

In case you missed it: after a lot of pushing from the Mount Vernon Triangle CID, neighbors, and our office, DDOT announced it would install a crosswalk at 3rd and H Streets NW this winter, creating a more direct route to the future Cobb Park for pedestrians in Mount Vernon Triangle. My team made a quick video to show you how that one safety fix will make a difference in this busy area for car traffic. We're bringing a great new green space online, and it's beyond time to make it accessible.

As a reminder, here's what's coming:

On the east side of 3rd & H NW:

A high-visibility crosswalk
New ADA-accessible curb ramps
A Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon to help people cross safely
Left-turn hardening for drivers turning from H St onto 3rd to better guide vehicles and keep a distance away from pedestrians

On the north side of 3rd & H NW:

Gore areas (triangular spaces where driving is restricted) on the north and west sides to reinforce the right-turn-only movement and cut down on those risky through-movements

Have a Say in the Future of Southwest & the Capitol Riverfront

The Southwest and Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement Districts are asking neighbors to weigh in through a short community survey. Share your thoughts on Southwest, Capitol Riverfront/Navy Yard, and Buzzard Point and help shape neighborhood priorities for 2026.

Women’s Suffrage Monument Secures Site on the National Mall

A win for women’s history: the Women’s Suffrage National Monument has officially secured a site on the National Mall, at 19th Street and Constitution Avenue NW in Constitution Gardens. This marks the final step in a years-long effort to place the monument among our nation’s most significant tributes.

I’ve worked alongside the Women’s Suffrage National Monument team for this over the past four years, and this moment is worth celebrating. A special Ward 6 connection: the monument is linked to the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument – once the epicenter of the fight for women’s rights – located at 144 Constitution Ave. NE.

New Year, Fresh Start in Basketball?

Want to start the new year at Capital One Arena? Cheer on the Wizards as they take on the Brooklyn Nets the evening of Jan. 2 – just reply to this email for a chance to score tickets.

See you around the neighborhood,

Charles Allen

Councilmember Charles Allen · 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 110, Washington, DC 20004, United States
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