I want to take a moment to acknowledge the horrific mass shooting that took place Thursday morning in the Logan Circle neighborhood – at least one victim has died in addition to the shooter. Another person is in serious condition, and three people have non-life-threatening injuries.

There is no neighborhood immune to the pain and trauma of gun violence, and I remain committed to doing everything I can do to see the number of times someone uses a gun in DC reduced to zero. Everyone should feel comfortable going to the gym, getting to work, and living their lives without fear of gun violence – no matter where they live. That has to be our north star.

Ward 6 Updates

Arrest Made in July Homicide at New York Ave and North Capitol Street NW: MPD announced the arrest of a suspect in a July 28 homicide on the unit block of New York Avenue, NW, in which an 18-year-old man was tragically killed. 

Arrest Made in Assault and Stabbing in Southwest: MPD made an arrest on October 30 for an October 22 stabbing in Southwest at Carrollsburg Place. 

Have Thoughts on How to Improve Sherwood Rec? Stop By!

Two budget cycles ago, the Council approved funding to make improvements outside and inside of Sherwood Rec.

We held a meeting a couple of months ago to get feedback and ideas from residents about what they want to see improved. Now, DPR and DGS are ready to show some initial designs to improve the interior. This is the meeting to be at if you want to see what they're proposing and let them know what you like or don't like. The meeting will be on Monday, November 16, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at Sherwood Recreation Center (640 10th Street NE).

For more information and to RSVP, check here. 

And for more information about the project, check out the link here.

4th Street, SW Closure for Southwest Town Center Construction

DPR and DGS are notifying residents that the northbound lane on 4th St. SW between Maple Dr. SW and I St. SW will be closed until late November for construction related to the forthcoming Southwest Town Center Parks.

There will be traffic control measures implemented to direct traffic from both directions through one lane on the west side of 4th St. SW. All parking spots and the adjacent sidewalk on the east side of 4th St. SW (next to Parcel B) will be closed. If this is a regular part of your drive, please plan an alternative to save yourself a headache while we get this project built! You can find more information about the renovation of the Southwest Town Center Parks I funded here. 

Attend Metro's Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit Open House!

The Gold Line is a major opportunity for neighbors and businesses along H Street, NE to see much improved transportation. This is a chance to understand WMATA's vision, provide feedback, and talk with the right folks while plans are being made. As I've said repeatedly, I want to see a plan that moves people to H Street NE, not just through the H Street corridor.

Check out the Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit Open House on Monday, November 30 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. This in-person event is an opportunity to learn more about the proposed project and provide feedback that will help shape future transit investments. 

A few months ago, I organized a conversation between WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke, DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum, and Ward 6 businesses and ANC leaders to discuss the vision and hear early feedback. I think it was very productive, and I hope this open house can further ensure the coming investment works for H Street and the surrounding neighbors, and improves the corridor’s accessibility. 

RFK Master Plan Update: Preserving the Chance for a Metrorail Station at Oklahoma Ave and Benning Road

On Tuesday, the Council voted to pass the RFK Master Plan, which is the blueprint for the entire campus - though it doesn't speak to every single detail. Still, it's an important opportunity to continue to push everyone involved to get the project right across a wide-range of areas, from housing, to the parking garages, to the energy demands, and more.

There’s a lot that I like in this project, and there’s plenty that I’ve voiced my opposition to - like the sheer number of parking garages, which is a terrible use of this parcel of land for our current and future residents. Which leads me to my next point: If we treat this stadium project like a future neighborhood, we have to have more equitable and robust transportation options.

To that end, Councilmember Felder from Ward 7 and I introduced an amendment to the Master Plan that would require planning for the RFK campus to preserve the possibility of future extensions of Metro's rail system and not foreclose that possibility through other construction. 

The current plan doesn’t have an infill station for the future neighborhood, and I agree on the merits of a Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit that can help our H Street corridor, but it's important we plan for future growth of our transit network now.

While this amendment doesn’t guarantee one in the short term, it keeps the door open as development moves forward. 

I also co-introduced an amendment to make those parking garages (yes, the ones in the renderings!) a little less imposing: we want designers of the master plan to consider underground parking and other alternative garage configurations, including any considerations to add first floor retail spaces that can better activate those buildings.

As always, I’ll keep you updated on how the RFK Master Plan process goes. And quickly, on the issue of energy, which is a big one, the plan is largely silent, but there is an energy master plan in development. Between that and any potential exemptions sought, I’ll be watching closely.

Got an idea or question? My inbox is open.

The GRID Act Passed First Vote in the Council. Here’s How It Will Help Cut Your Utility Bill.

I’ve told a few folks this – while other bills are grabbing the headlines, the "GRID" Act is the bill that will have the biggest impact on you and your family in the coming years.

This is a big bill that deals with lowering the cost of energy in several significant ways, largely in what direction and authority the law grants to DC's utility regulator, called the Public Service Commission. This is the body charged with approving utilities' rate hike requests and regulating Pepco and Washington Gas. There are a few major pieces of the bill I want to make sure I share more about:

1. The central debate during the first vote on the bill was around how much profit Pepco and Washington Gas are allowed to tack onto every infrastructure project they build and then charge you. Because Pepco and Washington are investor-owned utilities (read: for-profit) operating essentially as a monopoly, every infrastructure project and rate increase must be approved by this Commission. Right now, the Commission approves a profit on all infrastructure projects typically in the 8-9% range, which is significant and would be a very good return for any company, let alone one where their customers can’t move to a competitor. It gives clear direction that the Commission should factor in the reported profits of both companies when making this evaluation. Reducing that profit by even a percentage point will save ratepayers as much as $50 million a year and won't impact reliability.
   
   
2. The fastest way to lower someone’s bill is to get them tapped into solar. The GRID Act reforms the unpredictable and sometimes unbelievably costly permit process between a solar installer working on your roof or on a community solar array and Pepco. We can all cheer for some red tape getting cut, right? This is an issue that came to us directly from Ward 6 residents' experiences putting solar on their roofs, so make sure you're contacting my office for constituent services support! You might end up in a bill.
   
   
3. It even legalizes plug-in, portable solar to allow people to tap into clean, affordable energy. Right now, most renters and people in an apartment building don’t have solar as an option. But with the GRID Act, you can buy a portable panel, plug it in on your balcony, and start saving as much as $500-600 a year. How cool is that?
   
   
4. It puts in place strong consumer protections for residents using a third-party supplier for their energy. Think of the people who knock on your door and offer you a “great” deal on your energy. Right now, there are very few protections, and a lot of people, particularly those who are eager to save money, often end up paying more for energy than if they just used Pepco or Washington Gas. The GRID Act caps the amount a third-party provider can charge above standard Pepco rates and allows you to get out of a contract at any time. I won’t get into all of it here, but there are a lot of shockingly predatory practices happening with some third-party providers. 

There’s A LOT more in the legislation, and one of the main sticking points during our debate has been curbing Pepco and Washington Gas’s profits. But Tuesday was a solid first step towards lowering your utility rates and making it easier to go solar. 

Read more about the bill here, and I think the Committee Report is always a good place to understand the deeper thinking behind the bill, if you want to nerd out. 

Here’s Why I Voted to Advance Autonomous Vehicle Legislation

On Thursday, my bill that creates a limited pathway to allow autonomous vehicles to offer rideshare did not advance out of committee after a 3-3 tie vote.

I knew from conversations with my colleagues on the committee that would be the likely outcome, but I felt strongly after two and a half years of work on the bill, including three big public hearings, that it was time to vote and debate the merits. This bill was the strongest and most progressive anywhere in the country, and it contained groundbreaking new protections for workers, customers, riders with disabilities, and the promise of safer streets for everyone. 

If the bill had passed, we were likely to see 200 autonomous vehicles (that amounts to 2.4% of the number or rideshare vehicles on DC roads at the highest peak times) begin to operate in early 2028, assuming they passed a rigorous testing regime. I believe in the safety benefits driverless cars offer and also believe we put forward a great bill. And advancing autonomous vehicles would have come with creating new, good-paying jobs in maintenance and coordination which would have had the right to organize and collectively bargain for better wages and benefits.

The bill also expanded organizing and collective bargaining rights to current Uber and Lyft drivers - something they've long sought. And a recent study has shown that in cities with AVs operating, rideshare workers are actually earning more money while prices haven’t risen for customers. If you believe autonomous vehicles will eventually become common on our roads, as I do, then it makes sense to regulate the industry on our terms to protect consumers. 

In addition, the bill would have made many improvements to transportation access for people with disabilities. AVs are, as numerous witnesses testified at our hearings, transformational for people who are blind or have low vision. At the moment, however, there is no wheelchair accessible AV on the market, so the deployment of AVs does not provide immediate benefits to people with disabilities who use wheelchairs. This is true of our current rideshare vehicles as well.

So after working for months with many of DC’s leading voices within the disability advocacy community, the bill would have required that AV operators integrate wheelchair accessible vehicles into their AV fleets beginning in the near future – or within 18 months of introduction to another American market - and maintain wheelchair accessible vehicles at no less than 20% of their fleet. And beyond AVs, the bill would have set new service standards and a pathway to complete parity in the law for traditional rideshare vehicles to eliminate the massive disparity in service that exists today. (And I’ll note that on Monday of this week, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Lyft for denying rides to people with a service dog or in a wheelchair.)

No other city that has allowed autonomous vehicles to operate has secured these guarantees for workers and riders.

We can correct the mistake that the District and other cities made when rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft entered the market without any regulations in place by limiting drivers from avoiding specific neighborhoods or customers, preventing congestion, and generating new sources of revenue for the District.

You can read more about the updates we made to the bill here, as well as coverage in the Washington Sun, CityCast DC, Washington Post, CBS9, and NBC4.

I don't know what the future holds for when the Council may revisit this issue. However, by creating a strong legislative record, my hope is that this is a solid framework for other municipal governments across the country to use as they determine how AVs can be best suited for their cities. 

The 51st: ‘What the legal battle over ticket resales could mean for D.C. concertgoers’

The 51st recently wrote a story analyzing what could come next as the RESALE Act faces litigation “thanks to a federal lawsuit filed last month by Ticket Policy Forum (TPF), a trade association that popped up last year to represent third-party ticket resellers.” 

Their argument? The trade association thinks the law is unconstitutional and wants a pause on implementation.

Let me be clear: This law had the support of multiple venues in DC. And I completely agree with AG Schwalb that third-party resale platforms are hiding inside a Trojan Horse of constitutional claims while they're trying to get rid of the law. 

The show is over for them gouging DC residents, and they should be more focused on January 1st implementation. 

The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) Appointment Schedule Opens December 3

ERAP is one of several homelessness prevention and diversion programs that the DC Department of Human Services uses to support residents facing housing instability. Appointment scheduling opens at noon on December 3, and I expect it will fill up very fast. You can find more information here.

But if you're currently experiencing housing instability or have fallen behind on your rent, you shouldn't wait for ERAP to become available before seeking assistance. You have other options. If you've received an eviction notice, explore your options with the Landlord-Tenant Legal Assistance Network, which includes a hotline staffed by attorneys. Contact the LTLAN to learn more about your options. 

The 51st Profile on Struggles to Pay Rent is Worth Reading

Related to the item above about the overwhelming demand for ERAP, I wanted to share this great reporting from The 51st (DC Evictions Hit 12-Year High) about a rise in the number of evictions and some of the stories behind those numbers. 

Since the pandemic, the District has wrestled with a lot of serious housing issues that relate both to an increase in tenants not paying rent and other challenges, as well as some landlords (like the one managing Ward 6’s Capitol Vista Apartments I’ve previously highlighted) neglecting their duties to maintain a safe and functioning building. 

Our office receives calls on both sides for help, and it feels fraught for everyone. It's a challenge that will certainly carry into the next Council Period, and as you weigh how you think about it, I think reporting like this is helpful to provide a well-rounded picture.

Commemorating Veterans Day, and An Update on Government Services with Holiday Changes

As a result of the holiday on Wednesday and the District Government being closed, trash, recycling, and compost collections are on a slide schedule. For example, this means households that normally receive trash, recycling, and food waste collection on Wednesday, November 11, will be serviced on Thursday, November 12. Friday collections will slide one day into today.

And leaf collection continues. Section B will start on Monday, November 16. Find a collection map and schedule here.

A Big Thank You to Briya Public Charter School For Awarding Me with the “Friends of Adult Learners” Award!

As Chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, one of my top priorities remains making it easier and more affordable to get around DC without needing a car.

Earlier this year, the committee increased support for adult students by raising the Adult Learner Transit Subsidy from $70 to $100 per month, helping reduce transportation costs for residents pursuing education and workforce training opportunities in adulthood.

Through that work, I was honored to accept an award earlier this week from Briya Public Charter School with the “Friends of Adult Learners” Award. 

You can learn more about the Adult Learner Transit Subsidy here. 

A Few Good Constituent Services Wins,
and a Pro (Rat) Tip from Our Team

As always, I want to take a moment to share some of the different kinds of problems my constituent services team is helping Ward 6 neighbors solve every day. Please feel free to request help through our website (please include your address or quadrant when you submit so we can respond faster).

• After a constituent flagged that a vehicle was blocking a bike lane for more than 48 hours, we immediately got in touch to get it towed within the hour. 
• A constituent recently let us know that their yard waste from the major storm in August was left on the sidewalk by the city, despite multiple calls to 311, DDOT, and DPW. After we were able to get in touch with a yard waste supervisor, the trash was picked up within a few days.
• We worked with neighbors to ensure a sidewalk got the immediate repairs it needed following DC Water work. 

Constituent Services Pro Tip: I hope you enjoyed last newsletter’s pro tip on Traffic Safety Inputs, because I’m back with another one from our constituent services team - a pro (rat) tip, not a pro-rat tip. 

Part of the frustration for folks when you put in a 311 request about rodent abatement in an alley is that you’ll sometimes get a response that nothing was found. The reason for that disconnect is that the Department of Health is looking for a burrow and most likely, the officer on duty won’t find one in that alley. 

The solution: When you put in a 311 for rodent abatement, put in a specific location. And if you want to deal with rodents in an alley, the best way to do it is to get everybody who lives in the alley to sign a petition, because DC Health needs permission to enter your backyard. After that, they're able to inspect everyone in the alleyway. This also establishes a point of contact in the neighborhood to reach back out to DC Health if there’s a need for another visit. 

Community Events Across Ward 6

• Ride for Your Life DC – Sunday, November 15 at 1:00 PM: Join Hill Family Biking for a short 1.1-mile group ride to John Marshall Park to meet up with riders from across the region participating in Ride for Your Life, an event honoring lives impacted by traffic violence. 
  
  
• ANC 6D Monthly Meeting – Monday, November 16 at 7:00 PM: Virtual link
  
  
• ANC 6/8F Monthly Meeting – Tuesday, November 17 at 7:00 PM: 250 M Street SE, Virtual link
  
  
• ANC 6E Monthly Meeting – Thursday, November 19 at 7:00 PM: Virtual link
  
  
• SE Library Re-Opening Littles Ride – Saturday, November 21 at 10:00 AM: Join Hill Family Biking again to celebrate the reopening of the Southeast Library with a special ride for young cyclists ages 3–6!
  
  
• 20th Annual Capitol Hill Tree Lighting – Saturday, November 21 at 5:30 PM: Join me, your neighbors, and the Capitol Hill BID on Saturday, November 21, at 5:30 PM for a special celebration of the Holiday Tree Lighting!